Jeepers! It's an Air Raid!

Attention swing dancers, jazz musicians, conspiracy theorists, and WWII/military/Los Angeles history buffs: this Saturday is the "Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942" at the Fort MacArthur Museum in San Pedro!

This annual event, which commemorates a controversial night in the early days of WWII when thousands of Southern Californians thought the coast was under attack (from Japanese bombers? weather balloons? space aliens?), promises to "recreate the atmosphere of a 1942 social evening out, interrupted by the reality of war."

Participants are encouraged, but not required of course, to bring their dancing shoes (I'll have mine!). And maybe some earplugs... because in addition to the sounds of the live band playing under the stars, there "may be some loud noises" during the course of the evening's re-enactment.

How cool is that?!?

Technical Difficulties

This week I switched to the new-and-allegedly-improved Blogger, mainly because I had no choice. I had logged in to post on my other blog about the graduation of Guide Dog Lomax, only to discover a friendly "You must switch right now; it'll only take a few minutes and everything will be just like you like it, only BETTER! (smiley-face smiley-face)" message.

So I did. Then I went to log back in, and all of my blogs were MIA. For a few days.

There was of course much cursing, and much eyeball-rolling and forehead massaging at the inadequate and labyrinthine "help" section, whose "known issues" FAQ was not remotely helpful in answering my own particular known issue. Somehow, inexplicably, the blogs returned from their magical hiatus a few days later (long before I received an unhelpful e-mail reply from the Blogger Duh Squad) and now all is basically back to normal. As far as I know, that is.

I'm assuming that since I couldn't even find the blogs, you might not have been able to find them either. Or maybe you couldn't comment on them. Or maybe your hair caught fire when you thought too hard about them (Blogger is part of the All-Powerful Grand and Glorious Google Empire, so I don't know what they're capable of these days).

In any case, I'm still here, and I apologize for any inconvenience or hair-fires those glitchy few days may have caused.

Just in Case

I've been yakking it up on my other blog that Lomax, the puppy I raised for Guide Dogs of America, is graduating tomorrow. I will be seeing him for the first time in six months, and possibly the last time ever, tomorrow morning. Another privilege: I get to meet his new partner, a woman named Barbara. Someone asked me the other day what I would do if I didn't like her.

I said, "My roommate and I will assemble a crack team of professionals and go in for an extraction."

Don't think we won't do it. We know people.

Rolling Victory Fast

Those of you who know me personally -- or those of you who have looked at my sidebar full of links to military blogs I regularly read -- know that I am passionate about supporting U.S. troops, especially those who are currently deployed in service around the globe.

One of my favorite daily reads is Tanker Brothers. Last July, these guys instituted the "Rolling Victory Fast" in response to the "Rolling Fast" hunger strike called by anti-war activists.

I am participating today for the first time.

Knowing that I have many friends, family members and readers here who do not share either my religious beliefs or political views, I wish to first assure you I mean no offense to anyone, and I do not intend to start controversy or heated discussion. This blog has always been more of a personal Web journal than a forum for debate, so if you choose to comment on this post, please be respectful, regardless of your position.

Knowing also the words of God in Matthew chapter 6 of the Bible, in which believers are admonished not to "practice [their] righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them" (as fasting and prayer are spiritual disciplines), I agonized over whether or not to even post about this. In the end, I decided to post in order to show support for the Tanker Brothers' and other RVF members' efforts, to bring it to your attention in case you'd like to join the fast, and to remind my fellow Christian readers and bloggers that it is our responsibility to pray for our government (including our military) on a regular basis, however we choose to align ourselves politically. We are privileged in this country to be able to worship freely and to speak our minds in public fearlessly; let us remember why we are so privileged.

For my first RVF day, I'd like to dedicate my fast to all the military chaplains who care for the hearts and souls of our deployed men and women. War is not just physical -- today I'll be praying for the mental, emotional and spiritual needs of our deployed soldiers, and for God to encourage, equip, refresh and sustain the chaplains and their charges.

In the spirit of today's dedication, I'd also like to point you to another favorite milblog, The Online Chaplain. Deployed to Iraq, with a recently extended tour of duty and a loving family awaiting his return, he could use your prayers as well.