Why We Gather - by Michael Norman

"I now know why men who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because they long to be with men who once acted their best, men who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped raw, right down to their humanity. I did not pick these men. They were delivered by fate and the U.S. Marine Corps. But I know them in a way I know no other men. I have never given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another.

I cannot say where we are headed. Ours are not perfect friendships; those are the province of legend and myth. A few of my comrades drift far from me now, sending back only occasional word. I know that one day even these could fall to silence. Some of the men will stay close, a couple perhaps, always at hand.

As long as I have memory, I will think of them all, every day. I am sure that when I leave this world, my last thought will be of my family and my comrades - such good men. Semper Fi!

from These Good Men by Michael Norman

THE THING

For those of you who never had the pleasure to serve in the infantry, I won't even try to explain what this thing is. But a lot of us remember them well, and wished to hell we could've ridden them instead of having to walk along-side them. This one showed up at the 2010 Memorial Day Program at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. They're now collectors' items and probably paved the way for the modern-day ATV.

(We called them "Mules.")

Thinking about Halloween? Then this is the group for you. Seems like witches and druids and wood nymphs are alive and well out in the Bay Area (where else?). I picked up this brochure last year at the First Unitarian/Universalist Church in San Francisco, which by the way is one of the oldest and finest church structures in the city and should be visited if you're into architecture.

Vienna Oktoberfest - 2010

One of the prettiest weekends on record and thousands turned out for the 3rd Annual Oktoberfest in Vienna, Virginia. From Bratwursts and Beer to Goat Kabobs. This event just keeps getting bigger (and better!) each year.