Tomorrow is February 1st.  Time for a little love.

Valentine’s Day is a mere two weeks away, and I’ve been typing my fingers to the bone looking for love in all the wrong places.  There are plenty of ‘famous love affairs’ coming UP.   I hope you enjoy them.

But, to start off the month, let’s look at some towns that center around love.

Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Texas, S. Carolina, and Virginia all have a town named Valentine!

There are five Cities and Towns named Romance.  There are Cupids, Romeos, Loves, Arrows, Love Lakes, Lovelands, Diamonds, Roses and Hearts all over the country.

Romance, Arkansas is a tiny unincorporated area with a famous post office…the town’s most visible business.  The tiny branch post office is one of several in the country that get special attention because of the ‘love themed’ name.  You can send your love letters, wedding invitations, and Valentine’s Day cards there to be postmarked with their postmark saying “Romance”.

So, if you’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places, check out Romance, Arkansas, you can even get hitched at the post off ice if you want to.

And be sure to check out Redneck Latte Ravings’ Famous Love Affairs all February long.  Some may make you happy, some may make you cry, hopefully you’ll let me know.

As far as this month goes, Redneck Latte Ravings is THE place to look for love.

I don’t really get all the hoopla about the Chinese New Year.  Frankly, I don’t care much about our own New Year’s celebrations either.

I don’t stay UP to watch the ball drop any more, and watching Dick Clark breaks my heart.

Plus, the music sucks, and the ubiquitous Ryan Seacrest is wearing a tad thin on me.

But, the other day, a friend of mine said, “Happy Tet!” on the way out the door.

Really, Happy Tet.

I’ll pass.

When I hear Tet, which is the Vietnamese celebration of the new year, I think of one thing:

The Tet Offensive.

The US was caught with their pants down on this one.

Tet Nguyen Dan is the celebration of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, and usually coincides with the Chinese New Year.

On January 30, 1968, after a mutually agreed cease-fire, the forces of the People’s Army of Viet Nam launched a surprise attack against the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and the United States.

Its purpose was to use the element of surprise to attack civilian and military commands in South Viet Nam.

We, the allied forces of the United States of America and South Viet Nam, were not ready.  The National Liberation Front, aka Viet Cong, launched an attack of 80,000 communist soldiers, striking more than 100 towns and cities.  It was well planned, well thought out, and well executed.

In the city of Hue alone, more than 2,000 civilians are still listed as missing.  Thousands – THOUSANDS – were killed there by the Viet Cong and the National Liberation Front.

The initial attacks stunned the Allied forces of the South and did major damage to command, life, and the South’s cause. The world and most importantly, America realized that North Viet Nam could launch a devastating attack, and could possibly…and eventually…win the war.

Technically, it ended in a defeat for the Viet Cong, but it changed the American Psyche, turned the tide of public opinion of the war in the United States.

In the offensive, there were 45,850 casualties:  9,078 killed, 35,212 wounded, and 1,530 missing.

Some of those are still missing.

Today, the Tet Offensive is barely mentioned in the US.  Oh, they study it in school, there’s a paragraph or two about it in the US History books, and it’s mentioned in passing.

Frankly, we should remember it more often.

So, forgive me if I pass on the Happy Tet thing.  I don’t remember it as happy at all.

Yeah, I’ll pass.

One of the neat things about blogging is the people you meet in the cyber world.

I have tons of friends on Facebook, nearly 500 followers on Bloggers.com, and have heard from people I’ve never met in lands on six continents.

Recently, Kajal, a blogger from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates nominated me for a Versatile Blogger Award.

I don’t really know what that is, am assuming there is no money, nor a plaque, nor a certificate.

But, it’s nice to be recognized for my versatility.

Kajal has asked that I share the love with other bloggers, and so, I will.

I am to post a picture of the award on my blog.

See below.

Thank the award giver:  Thanks!!

Share seven random facts about myself:

1. I eat the same lunch ever day – well, not the SAME lunch, but I have a salad with Vermont White Cheddar Cheese and Blackened Turkey each day at lunch.
2. I eat the same breakfast every day – again, not the SAME – one egg, scrambled with cheese, one piece of wheat toast, grape jelly and about a gallon of coffee Redneck Latte.
3. I am totally addicted to Downton Abbey.
4. I do not have a nook, kindle, nor ipad.
5. My cell phone is still a flip phone…it works, don’t judge me.
6. I was bald by the time I was 20.
7. I often ruin friendships by working too hard to maintain them.

Now, as to nominating others for this award, that’s a little difficult.  I don’t want anyone to think this chain letter award must go on, but I read other bloggers each day/week/month, and there are many, many that I really like.

So, here goes:

Check out my blog roll on Redneck Latte Ravings.

I”m a no pressure guy, and don’t want anyone to think they HAVE to pass this on.  I mean, it’s not like the world’s gonna end if you don’t.  Well, not counting for the Mayans and all.

…and check out Rajal’s posts at The Purple Chronicles.

Tommy Ramone turns Sixty on Sunday!

He was the drummer for the Punk Rock Band the Ramones, and is the last surviving member of the group!

The Hungarian born rocker was resented by other band members for having “it all together”.  Dee Dee Ramone said in his book (oh please!!!), ” ..being able to cook himself dinner, and organize his life in a much more functional manner, without the psychosis or addictions problems…” that Dee Dee had.  Dee Dee went on to say that “…compared to the rest of the band, he was normal…”.

Could be why he’s the only one left.

Rock on, Dude, and Happy Birthday!