MatthewMaynard.net

Lawyers, Guns, and Money are the three most deadly things on the planet.

A word of advice: don’t do business with Wells Fargo, they won’t be there in a pinch if you need them. They weren’t for me.

We’re buying a home here in VA, and we needed to show a paper trail for the funds from the sale of our home in AZ. They were deposited in an account at Wells Fargo, and we closed those accounts. But Wells Fargo won’t give us access to them online, where the statements were stored.

Of course, we had elected to receive online statements, and I had gotten into the bad habit of not printing them out.

So, I called up Wells Fargo and told them my tale of woe: I needed the statement and is there any way I could get them really really quickly? The first lady I talked to was nice and a lifesaver, she waived the $2 charge they normally fine you for accessing your records with them and set up fax job. I called the mortgage lady I’m working with and updated her on the progress. Unfortunately, I learned that I also needed the statement that covered when we closed the account.

Sigh. Back to the phone.

This time I got the antithesis of the previous call’s angel, a Wells Fargo she-beast who insisted that no, they couldn’t fax out the statements without the $2. No, they couldn’t take credit or debit cards over the phone. Yes, they could print out a copy if I went to a branch with my two dollars.

The nearest branch is in Texas, I think.

Yes, they would accept money orders. No, they wouldn’t budge, nor would they waver. If only we had that kind of resolve in the Congress, we wouldn’t be so worried about the war. I felt like I was stuck in Better Off Dead – I want my two dollars!

Anyway, that conversation ended, and I didn’t even get the pleasure of slamming the phone down. I was on a 3-way call with WF and the mortgage company, and needed to talk with the mortgage company afterwards. We decided to call the branch in Tucson where I had done most of my banking (when I actually needed to talk to a real person), and got in touch with Irma. She’s a wonderful lady. Actually helpful. She made me think twice about recommending against banking at WF.

Then I thought about she-beast.

Sigh. Never again. And too bad, too. Wells Fargo was otherwise a pretty good bank.

I signed this the other day:

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.

FURTHER, I pledge, that if Senator Warner insists on pushing or supporting or voting for any resolution, as described above, I will not vote for him in his next reelection campaign, either in the primary or the general election, and I will contribute to his opposition in the primary.

• Just a clump of cells.
• No inflation.
• The war in Iraq is only about Iraq.
• The U.S. isn’t a Christian Nation.
• We don’t need to worry about the national debt.

Sigh. More work yet to be done. But hey, it could be worse. We could be prevented from speaking out against these deceptions.

We’re applying for a loan to buy a house here in VA. I had to talk with the loan officer today about a variety of topics, all for the loan application. She asked me what my race was.

I sat there for a moment, stunned that I would be asked what my race was in applying for a loan. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I ended up answering.

Only in America can we come so far because of the work of one man, yet have so far to go.

To give up one’s life for the sake of another
is an act many might find bizarre.
But when death came around, Jason chose to smother -
he covered a bomb with his kevlar.

Evil was the insurgent who dropped the grenade,
to kill off the Marines of Kilo.
But one of them was anything except afraid -
the one Marine hero from Scio.

In his Marine heart true love did thrive,
he revealed it at his life’s end.
Ensuring the men went home alive,
he gave up his life for his friends.

So we give this true Marine brother,
the Star-Spangled Necklace for Valor.

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

for service as set forth in the following

CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, First Marine Division (Reinforced), on 14 April 2004. Corporal Dunham’s squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in the town of Karabilah, Iraq, when they heard rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire erupt approximately two kilometers to the west. Corporal Dunham led his Combined Anti-Armor Team towards the engagement to provide fire support to their Battalion Commander’s convoy, which had been ambushed as it was traveling to Camp Husaybah. As Corporal Dunham and his Marines advanced, they quickly began to receive enemy fire. Corporal Dunham ordered his squad to dismount their vehicles and led one of his fire teams on foot several blocks south of the ambushed convoy. Discovering seven Iraqi vehicles in a column attempting to depart, Corporal Dunham and his team stopped the vehicles to search them for weapons. As they approached the vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a grenade. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat. Aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty, Corporal Dunham gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Semper Fidelis.

Somehow, I don’t think El Hugo has read the works of Jesus too closely:

His right hand raised, Chavez declared: “Fatherland, socialism or death — I swear it,” invoking the Cuban leader’s famous call to arms.

Chavez also alluded to Jesus, saying: “I swear by Christ — the greatest socialist in history.”

What did Jesus teach about Socialism? “Render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God that which is God’s.”

Doesn’t seem like a ringing endorsement of Socialism to me, as Socialism preaches that all should belong to the government. Of course, some might complain that Socialist governments don’t own anything, they merely control it. But what is ownership if not control of property?

Jesus’ teaching puts a limit on government, denying the claim made by Socialism that all belongs to the state by right. When was the last time anyone was allowed to preach that in El Hugo’s dictatorship?

… can be attributed in part to this guy. This is why we can’t stand the French:

My latest book, American Vertigo, is an account of a journey I took through the US. I wrote it because I thought that for a European intellectual there was nothing more important than to understand what was happening in America, to go and tell the Americans what was wrong with their society.

I’m not anti-American — I can’t stand the French prejudice against America.

Gah.

BERTOLDO, VITO R.

Rank and organization: Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company A, 242d Infantry, 42d Infantry Division. Place and date: Hatten, France, 9-10 January 1945. Entered service at: Decatur, Ill. Born: 1 December 1916, Decatur, Ill. G.O. No.: 5, 10 January 1946. Citation: He fought with extreme gallantry while guarding 2 command posts against the assault of powerful infantry and armored forces which had overrun the battalion’s main line of resistance. On the close approach of enemy soldiers, he left the protection of the building he defended and set up his gun in the street, there to remain for almost 12 hours driving back attacks while in full view of his adversaries and completely exposed to 88-mm., machinegun and small-arms fire. He moved back inside the command post, strapped his machinegun to a table and covered the main approach to the building by firing through a window, remaining steadfast even in the face of 88-mm. fire from tanks only 75 yards away. One shell blasted him across the room, but he returned to his weapon. When 2 enemy personnel carriers led by a tank moved toward his position, he calmly waited for the troops to dismount and then, with the tank firing directly at him, leaned out of the window and mowed down the entire group of more than 20 Germans. Some time later, removal of the command post to another building was ordered. M/Sgt. Bertoldo voluntarily remained behind, covering the withdrawal of his comrades and maintaining his stand all night. In the morning he carried his machinegun to an adjacent building used as the command post of another battalion and began a day-long defense of that position. He broke up a heavy attack, launched by a self-propelled 88-mm. gun covered by a tank and about 15 infantrymen. Soon afterward another 88-mm. weapon moved up to within a few feet of his position, and, placing the muzzle of its gun almost inside the building, fired into the room, knocking him down and seriously wounding others. An American bazooka team set the German weapon afire, and M/Sgt. Bertoldo went back to his machinegun dazed as he was and killed several of the hostile troops as they attempted to withdraw. It was decided to evacuate the command post under the cover of darkness, but before the plan could be put into operation the enemy began an intensive assault supported by fire from their tanks and heavy guns. Disregarding the devastating barrage, he remained at his post and hurled white phosphorous grenades into the advancing enemy troops until they broke and retreated. A tank less than 50 yards away fired at his stronghold, destroyed the machinegun and blew him across the room again but he once more returned to the bitter fight and, with a rifle, single-handedly covered the withdrawal of his fellow soldiers when the post was finally abandoned. With inspiring bravery and intrepidity M/Sgt. Bertoldo withstood the attack of vastly superior forces for more than 48 hours without rest or relief, time after time escaping death only by the slightest margin while killing at least 40 hostile soldiers and wounding many more during his grim battle against the enemy hordes.

And a set of pretty pictures, too.

I’ve forgotten how many times I related to this while pursuing my Bachelor’s degree.

P.S. Dad, you still haven’t sent me the Christmas Engineering specification.

… over stories involving AC-130s.

U.S. Launches Attack on Suspected Al Qaeda Members in Somalia

I’m glad to see we’re getting into the fight in the Horn, if only in an air-support role. But for you lefties who think blowing the hell out of your opposition at 20,000 feet isn’t dangerous, you don’t know Air Force history. I hope it was Spectre #54-1630, just for poetic justice. (update, 9Jan07: Helps if I read the article I link to. It wasn’t Azrael, but that would have been just precious.)

Sing along now, to the tune of Ghost Riders in the Sky (the official theme song of gunship crews):

Fly high you mighty Spectre, you ship of blazing fools
Deal death around the table, and never play by rules
Lift up your wings at suns last ray, and silent like the night
Fly East to where your target lies, and start your deadly fight

Your foes will not suspect you’re near, until they feel your sting
Spit forth a flame that points at death, and make your bullets sing

Though flak explode around you, stay on your circled path
Bathe the bad in bloody steel, make them feel your wrath

When all is quiet down below, and flames reach for the sky
Speed home you battle-weary ship, for soon the dark will fly

Speed home you mighty Spectre, touch down at sun’s first ray
You’ve flown to hell for battle, but shun the light of day

Rest, rest you awesome Spectre, lick your battle wounds
And fill your side with deadly store for night is coming soon.