NEVER FEAR THE COAST GUARD IS HERE

There are two buoys just outside the entrance to Brookings Harbor. They beep or ring, depending on whether there is fog or if the swells are large enough to make one ring.

If you look closely at the Coast Guard buoy tender (or click on the photo to enlarge it) you'll see a big red buoy on the end of the crane. Cool!

One more day in Brookings. It's been a nice stay. We've enjoyed it so much that I've reserved a week during the Thanksgiving holiday. Now I have to measure the RV oven to see how large of a turkey it will hold. Better yet, I'd better check out the refrigerator to see what it can handle.

Jilli and I are taking our last walks on the beach, at least for this trip. She never seems to enjoy the walk as much as she does when Zoe and Candace are along. Maybe I'm just not peppy enough for her and do little to stir that old internal motivation of hers. But if I do mention that we're turning around to go have dinner in the trailer she blazes a quick trail back up the beach. Now there's motivation for you.

There's been sporatic cell service since my arrival. It's frustrating not to be able to connect with Candace. This morning I had to make a business telephone call back to Redding and had to drive 20 minutes south to pick up cell service.

Tomorrow I'll get the oil changed on the truck, fuel it up, wash it (there's a light salt film all over it) and start packing up the RV. I paid for 7 days of Intenet service and that runs out at 8 tomorrow morning so it really is time to leave.

Tonight it is one cornish game hen on the barbeque, baked potato, garlic bread, salad and spinach. I got a really good deal on the spinach at the local market. The market had a whole bunch of it marked down to really cheap prices. Brookings seems to always have the consumer in mind.

This world we live in - doesn't it seem that the wheels are coming off of it? There seems to be so much wrong in this world, even in America.

Last night I took the opportunity to watch a documentary on the Sundance channel. It's title: "Torture: The Guantanamo Handbook". Quote: "In an inspired melding of investigative journalism and the reality-TV format, Tim Carter's British documentary provides a disturbing demonstration of the conditions and coercive methods used by American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay. For four days, seven volunteers agree to submit themselves to techniques believed used at the prison. "The clearest impression yet of what it might be like ... an impeccable exercise in liberal journalism: its revelatory intentions are more serious than many TV news bulletins" — Guardian.

In their 36 hours of confinement, the men really suffered. I will not go into details but what the men were subjected to was purported to be typical of how America manages prisoners designated as terrorists. All but one of the volunteers gave up before the 36 hour period ended.

I'm the biggest flag waving patriot that there is. I've served my country during the Viet Nam era. But I think America, better yet, this administration, has made grave errors in the domain of human rights. Many men have been held for three years without the opportunity of being represented by counsel nor the opportunity to a trial in a court of law. Based on what I've read and the film that I saw last night, we all should be ashamed that we've allowed this type of cruelty to exist. To believe is to see the film. Most likely you'll be able to find it listed on Sundance's web site.

The men being held? Yes, they're terrorists. Yes, they're most likely all murderers. Yes, they're likely to continue to plot against the United States. And yes, they're human like everyone else on the planet. America needs to model what we expect other nations to follow: Allow these men due process. If they're guilty let them serve their time. If it cannot be proven that they did anything, then release those who are innocent. What our country is doing right now is anything but a model of human decency.

What can you do? Watch the film, write your congressman. Both Houses are reviewing the current treatment of these prisoners and more than a few senators and congressmen (on both sides of the floor) are pressuring the White House to stop this madness.