Well it seems that her blog is starting off very well. She is very excited about all of the visitors from all over America and many countries around the world. I think she will stick with it. I help her a little, but I let her learn the hard way, by doing. I got a lot of help from GuyK and was on the phone with him more than a couple of times. Thanks to all of ya'll who have made her feel welcome.
Sphere: Related ContentWednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday Hero
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi
22 years old from Brockport, Pennsylvania
1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division
October 17, 2006
2nd Lt. Christopher Loudon graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Environmental Health in 2005. Upon graduation, he entered the United States Army on September 9, 2005. He received his commission as an Infantry officer and was assigned to 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas. He deployed to Iraq in July 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
2nd Lt. Loudon’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Ranger Tab.
He was KIA in Baghdad, Iraq when an IED detonated near his vehicle. Also killed with him were; Corporal David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kansas ;Corporal Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, of Amity, Pennsylvania and Specialist Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana.
He leaves behind his parents, Randy and Susan Loudon ; his wife, Jacey Loudon ; a daughter, Isabel Loudon ; two brothers, First Lieutenant Nicholas Loudon ,and Jonathan Loudon ; his paternal grandmother, Florence Loudon and his maternal grandfather, Everett William Campbell.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Talked My Daughter Into Starting A Blog
Well after months of talking, I finally talked her into starting a blog. I hope she sticks with it for a while and finds out how much enjoyment she will be able to get from it. I would invite all of my friends to pay her a visit and welcome her to our strange world. You can find her at She is very pro military and a stong conservative for such a young person. Taling about joining the Army,, not on my watch.
Sphere: Related ContentI'm Still On Vacation
I like being off for a couple of days, but every year at this time I take off for 2 weeks. Now I know that I will be bored and want to come back to work, but I do it anyhow. I know to that once I start back to work next Monday, it will seem like I haven't been off at all. Thus is the nature of the beast.
We went over to My Mama's house in Leesville Louisiana, the home of Fort Polik. My sisters were there and their kids. We had some good old Louisiana food and war stories were a plenty. My sisters son who is a LA State Trooper had to work, and I missed getting to see him. He can tell some good stories for sure. On our way back we were driving in some very heavy rain, and as luck would have it, a dog ran in front of me, and I had no choice but to hit him. Slick roads at 70 mph is not the time to take evasive action, so I hit him. I lost my Vietnam Vetran Texas License plate I discovered when we stopped for gas at the Indian Reservation. I'll get another one this week sometime.
Got a little yard work done, and still have a lot more to do, if the weather holds. It's 70 today and sunny. My son gave me a bottle of 12 year old Cheves for Christmas which I have been enjoying in the evening. Looking forward to the 5th, so I can come back to work.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Aussies At War
I had the honor of serving with some Aussies while I was in Vietnam. These folks have been with us through most all of our wars, but you never hear about the in our new media. I know what the Aussies are all about. I lived amoung them for eight years while in Queensland, and I can tell you you couldn't has for a better Mate to have your back. This is just a little video I found to show them a little respect on my part and to say Thank You.
Some Pictures From My History
I got these old pictures while at my Mama's in Louisiana over the holidays and thought I would share a bit of my past with ya'll. I hadn't seen these before, and was very impressed. Lot of history here for me. These are my Grand Father, Great Grand Father and Great Great Grand Father. Me and two my sisters when we were young.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Wednesday Hero
To the Men and Women of the United States military, and all the armed forces around the world, thank you for everything that you do. And to those who are laying their heads down tonight in a foreign land, away from your loved ones, thank you so very much. Stay safe, you're in our thoughts and our hearts. Merry Christmas.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Bush, Cheney comforted troops privately
He is doing things that most of us will never even know about. I know this must be hard on him. He is a good man no matter what the media says.
For much of the past seven years, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have waged a clandestine operation inside the White House. It has involved thousands of military personnel, private presidential letters and meetings that were kept off their public calendars or sometimes left the news media in the dark.
Their mission: to comfort the families of soldiers who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to lift the spirits of those wounded in the service of their country.
On Monday, the president is set to make a more common public trip - with reporters in tow - to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, home to many of the wounded and a symbol of controversy earlier in his presidency over the quality of care the veterans were receiving.
GIVING SUPPORT: Vice President Dick Cheney, an avid fly-fisherman, practices his cast with wounded troops from Walter Reed Army Medical Center during one of the half-dozen barbecues he's hosted at his Naval Observatory home. (White House photo)
But the size and scope of Mr. Bush's and Mr. Cheney's private endeavors to meet with wounded soliders and families of the fallen far exceed anything that has been witnessed publicly, according to interviews with more than a dozen officials familiar with the effort.
"People say, 'Why would you do that?'" the president said in an Oval Office interview with The Washington Times on Friday. "And the answer is: This is my duty. The president is commander in chief, but the president is often comforter in chief, as well. It is my duty to be - to try to comfort as best as I humanly can a loved one who is in anguish."
Mr. Bush, for instance, has sent personal letters to the families of every one of the more than 4,000 troops who have died in the two wars, an enormous personal effort that consumed hours of his time and escaped public notice. The task, along with meeting family members of troops killed in action, has been so wrenching - balancing the anger, grief and pride of families coping with the loss symbolized by a flag-draped coffin - that the president often leaned on his wife, Laura, for emotional support.
"I lean on the Almighty and Laura," Mr. Bush said in the interview. "She has been very reassuring, very calming."
Mr. Bush also has met privately with more than 500 families of troops killed in action and with more than 950 wounded veterans, according to White House spokesman Carlton Carroll. Many of those meetings were outside the presence of the news media at the White House or at private sessions during official travel stops, officials said.
The first lady said those private visits, many of which she also attended, took a heavy emotional toll, not just on the president, but on her as well.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Nine decapitated bodies found in southern Mexico
Now who can say we don't need border security.
ACAPULCO, Mexico — Authorities found the decapitated bodies of nine men in the southern state of Guerrero on Sunday, and some of the victims have been identified as soldiers.
State Public Safety Secretary Juan Salinas Altes said the bodies were found on a major boulevard in the state capital, Chilpancingo, just a few hundred yards from where the state governor was scheduled to participate in a traditional religious procession later in the day.
Salinas Altes said experts still are trying to identify the bodies, but he said a still-undetermined number of them are soldiers. An army base is located nearby.
Mexico has been hit by a rising wave of drug-fueled violence, and officials estimate that more than 5,300 people have died in organized-crime-related slayings so far in 2008.
Mexican drug cartels have increasingly taken to chopping the heads off their victims, who include rival traffickers or lawmen. On Aug. 28, a dozen decapitated bodies were found outside Merida, the capital of Yucatan state.
Two other severed heads were found on the same boulevard in Chilpancingo on Dec. 7 alongside a sign reading: "Soldiers who are supposedly fighting crime, and they turn out to be kidnappers. This is going to happen to you."
Scores of police and soldiers have been killed since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against the cartels in late 2006. While Mexican criminal gangs once appeared to steer clear of confrontations with the army, they now often openly attack soldiers.
In May 2007, gunmen linked to a drug gang killed five soldiers in an ambush in the neighboring state of Michoacan.
Also Sunday, federal police reported they had captured three suspected cartel hit men in the border city of Tijuana. The suspects allegedly had six assault rifles and about 3,500 rounds of ammunition at the home where they were caught.
A Soldier's Night Before Christmas
I saw this over at Guidons and a HT to him. I had to share it with those who visit my humble blog. I know a lot of you out there have been there before, and deserve only our best on this Christmas 2008. Our thoughts are with you.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Bring Him Home For Christmas
I saw this at this outstanding blog and if it dosen't bring a tear to your eye something is wrong with you. (A happy tear).
Dear Santa
Special delivery surprises soldier’s son
PORT CHARLOTTE — When Tina Wood took her children to visit Santa at the Port Charlotte Town Center mall in November, she never thought the experience would bring her to tears.
After asking for the games Hungry Hungry Hippos and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, 3-year-old Aidan asked for something that shocked everyone within earshot.
“He got really close to Santa, wrapped his arms around his neck, and said, ‘Santa, I have been a good boy and I help Mommy with my little sister and I clean up after myself,’” explained 30-year-old Tina. “Then he said, ‘Santa, can you please bring Daddy home from Iraq?’”
Since September, 27-year-old Sgt. Chris Wood has been serving overseas in special operations in the U.S. Army. Because Aidan rarely speaks about his father’s deployment, she was shocked.
“When he said it, it made me really realize how much this little boy is missing his dad,” Tina said. “I know he hurts, and he shows it in his own way, but he actually took the time to plan out what he was going to say to Santa.”
Tina took his wish as a sign that a Christmas miracle was in the works.
After all, only one week before the November mall trip, Chris received word he may be able to go home for the holidays.
“It was perfect timing,” Tina said.
Almost immediately, the mother of two went to work planning her son’s Christmas miracle, which came true Wednesday morning.
In front of dozens of clapping onlookers, flashing cameras and rolling camcorders, Chris hugged his little boy for the first time in several months.
Grandparents MaryAnn and Dave Mills escorted Aidan and his 3-month-old sister, Mazzy, to the mall, under the pretenses that Santa had called grandma that morning and had a special pre-Christmas present waiting for the little boy.
Expecting toys, Aidan walked to Santa’s photo line with wide, twinkling blue eyes and a smile that could be seen across the corridor. Only a few feet away, his father was hiding behind a black curtain in a FotoXpressions booth.
After waiting for his turn in line, Aidan climbed up on Santa’s lap.
“Do you remember what you asked me to get you for Christmas?” asked Santa, also known as Paul Gagnon.
“Hungry Hungry Hippos!” exclaimed Aidan, a response that received a lot of laughs from onlookers.
“What else?” Santa pried.
After another guess, Aidan grew quiet and finally said, “My daddy.”
“That’s it,” said Santa, signaling Chris. “And here he comes.”
Without delay, Chris emerged from his hiding place, jumped the fence separating him from his son and embraced Aidan.
As the crowd erupted into applause and tears, Chris turned to Santa and said, “Thank you. This was a really nice present.”
But the tears were soon replaced with laughter as Aidan exclaimed, “I still want the games.”
Looking back on the journey that got the family to this place, Tina simply smiled.
“This is truly a Christmas miracle, but more than that, it’s a story that gives people hope and what the true meaning of Christmas really is.”
E-mail: pstaik@sun-herald.com
By PAMELA STAIK
Staff Writer
President Bush Meets Iranian President
This is funny and I found it at this great blog site
This email is great...enjoy!
The Iranian Ambassador to the UN had just finished giving a speech, and walked out into the lobby where he met President Bush. They shook hands, and as they walked the Iranian said, "You know, I have just one question about what I have seen in America.
President Bush said, "Well, anything I can do to help you, I will."
The Iranian whispered "My son watches this show 'Star Trek' and in it there is Chekhov who is Russian, Scotty who is Scottish, and Sulu who is Chinese, but no Arabs. My son is very upset and doesn't understand why there aren't any Iranians on Star Trek."
President Bush laughed, leaned toward the Iranian ambassador, and whispered back, "It's because it takes place in the future."
Original Source: Unknown
Online Jihadists Plan for 'Invading Facebook'
Online jihadists have already used YouTube, blogs and other social media to spread their propaganda. Now, a group of internet Islamic extremists is putting together a plan for "invading Facebook."
"We can use Facebook to fight the media," notes a recent posting on the extremist al-Faloja forum, translated by Jihadica.com. "We can post media on Facebook that shows the Crusader losses."
"We have already had great success in raiding YouTube," the poster adds. "American politicians have used Facebook to get votes, like the house slave Obama."
Groups like al-Qaida were pioneering users of the internet — to train, share ideas and organize. But some observers, like George Washington University professor Marc Lynch, see a reluctance to embrace Web 2.0 tools like Facebook. "One of the biggest problems for a virtual network like AQ today is that it needs to build connections between its members while protecting itself from its enemies. That's a filtering problem: How do you get your people in, and keep intelligence agents out?" he asks.
But as Jihadica.com author and West Point Combating Terrorism Center fellow William McCants notes, the proposed Facebook invasion "is not an attempt to replicate [existing] social networks." Instead, "the members of the campaign want to exploit existing networks of people who are hostile to them and presumably they will adopt new identities once they have posted their material."
The al-Faloja poster suggests seven "brigades" work together within Facebook. One will distribute videos and writing of so-called "martyrs." Another will spread military training material. Most of them will work in Arabic, presumably. But one of the units will focus just on spread English-language propaganda through Facebook.
Doctor doing newborn's brain surgery finds human foot
Now this is one for the books.
I've never seen anything like it,' doctor says
By BRIAN NEWSOME
The Gazette
Dec. 18, 2008, 8:00PM
Christian Murdock AP
Registered orthopedic physical therapist Jeanine Noll massages the scar on 2-month-old Sam Esquibel from a surgery to remove a rare brain tumor shortly after his birth.
Share Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! Buzz
Resources
Click here for a photo of the foot COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Dr. Paul Grabb peered into the microscope at Sam Esquibel's 3-day-old brain, set on removing a tumor that threatened the infant's life.
What the pediatric neurosurgeon saw made him spring back in shock.
A foot!
As he surgically removed it, Grabb also found other partially formed appendages and what appeared to be ropes of an intestine tucked within the folds.
Sam survived the Oct. 3 brain surgery at Memorial Hospital for Children and is home with his parents and doing well. But his introduction to the world marks one of the strangest moments in medical history.
"It looked like the breech delivery of a baby," the pediatric neurosurgeon said last week, "coming out of the brain."
An exact diagnosis is unknown. The growth might have been a teratoma, a congenital brain tumor composed of foreign tissue such as muscle, hair or teeth. But such tumors typically are not as complex as a foot or hand.
It might have been a case of fetus in fetu, a developmental abnormality in which a fetal twin begins to form within another, but those have most often occurred in the torso and not the brain.
"You show those pictures (of Sam) to the most experienced pediatric neurosurgeons in the world, and they've never seen anything like it," Grabb said.
Tiffnie and Manuel Esquibel had little reason to worry Oct. 1 when they went to the doctor. At 41 weeks, it appeared Tiffnie would need to be induced, but otherwise the pregnancy had gone smoothly.
Then an ultrasound revealed trouble in the baby's brain, and the delivery was planned immediately after the doctor's appointment.
After four hours of labor at Memorial Hospital North, Sam's health was failing. Tiffnie underwent an emergency C-section and Sam was taken to the neonatal intensive-care unit downtown.
By the next day, the couple encountered a doctor no parent wants to have to meet: the brain surgeon. Grabb asked them if they were religious, and they responded they were Catholic.
"He said, 'If I were you, I'd get your baby baptized before you go in,'" Tiffnie said.
An MRI had revealed a tumor, but its extent or possible malignancy were unknown. Babies cannot survive chemotherapy and death would be almost certain if the tumor was cancerous. Even if benign, a tumor could wreak havoc on the baby's brain.
Grabb, southern Colorado's only pediatric brain surgeon, has seen a lot in the operating room. But in Sam's case, "I've never seen anything like it before."
About 37 percent of congenital brain tumors are teratomas, but they are still rare. Grabb sees a teratoma once every few years. And none, he said, would compare to Sam's.
Fetus in fetu is even rarer. Fewer than 90 have been officially reported in the world, according to literature, and Grabb said there have only been about 10 of them in the brain.
An analysis was not done at the time, Grabb said, because it would not have changed Sam's care and could have created unnecessary stress for the family.
On Thursday, at Memorial's Pediatric Rehabilitation Center, occupational therapist Jeanine Noll helped a seemingly sleepy Sam turn his head. He's shown weakness on one side and some trouble with higher level eye functions, she said, but is making great strides.
The Esquibels, who had given up on the idea of having any children after years of trying, watch him with wide smiles.
The pudgy baby, nicknamed the Michelin Man by his mom, wears a striped shirt, brown pants, and booties decorated to look like work boots. He seems irritated that his therapy is cutting into a nap.
He faces monthly blood tests to check for signs of cancer or regrowth, and MRIs to help monitor his health. But his parents don't seem to mind.
Nor have Tiffnie and Manuel spent much time thinking of the medical mark they've made. They're just happy to have a healthy son and hoping he will stay that way.
Manuel touches his finger to Sam's hand. "Hi, baby," he whispers.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Dad pleads guilty to posting girl's rape video online
No this is one sick SOB. He needs to have his balls cut off, which could very well happen in prison.
SPOKANE, Wash. — A man accused of raping his daughter and posting videos of the abuse online before fleeing to China pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday and could face the rest of his life in prison.
Kenneth John Freeman, 46, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and interstate transportation of a minor for the purpose of unlawful sexual activity.
The deal with federal prosecutors calls for a sentence of 50 years in prison, plus three years of probation. Freeman will be sentenced on March 25.
Freeman said little in court except to answer questions from U.S. District Judge Lonny Suko about whether he understood his actions.
Asked if his plea was voluntary, Freeman said: "It is, your honor."
Freeman was scheduled to plead guilty to state court charges later Wednesday. He is accused of three counts of child rape in south-central Washington's Benton County, and has agreed to a sentence of 20 years to run concurrently with the federal prison time. He will serve his time in federal prison.
Freeman, a computer adviser, bodybuilder and former reserve sheriff's deputy in Benton County, fled the U.S. in 2006 and lived in China. He was on the most-wanted lists of the U.S. Marshals Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement until his arrest in May 2007 in Hong Kong.
The abuse occurred in 2000, when the girl was 10. His daughter, now 18, first told her mother about the abuse in November 2005.
In federal court Wednesday, Freeman pleaded guilty to producing child pornography in Washington, and to producing child pornography and having unlawful sexual activity with a minor in Oregon. The Oregon charges stem from incidents where Freeman took his daughter to the Portland area. Several other charges were dropped.
Prosecutors said Freeman videotaped the abuse of his daughter and distributed hundreds of images around the world via the Internet.
Freeman had been living in Seattle when he fled to Hong Kong in March 2006. He later lived for a year in the interior of China before his arrest in May 2007 as he re-entered Hong Kong. He agreed to be extradited to the United States.
Before his extradition, Freeman issued a news statement indicating he had written an autobiography while in custody. Authorities seized the 400-page document, which contained confessions to much of the criminal conduct for which he was charged, court documents said.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wednesday Hero
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Melinda
28 years old from Fallon, Nevada
6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49
November 15, 2008
A funny, nice guy who loved to fly. That's how Christian P. Humphreys is remembered by his friends. "He was a great guy, always happy and had a joke," said Sean Whitney, a flight medic. "We used to play with our paintball guns in the cornfields behind his house."
Humphreys flew with the Fallon Naval Air Station Search and Rescue Longhorns from June 6, 2004, to May 5, 2006. He left the Navy and joined the Army as part of the "Blue to Green" program to become a helicopter pilot.
Humphreys, along with Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark, 37 years old from Tennessee, was killed when their OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed while on a mission over Mosul, Iraq. As a rescue crew chief, Humphreys was in charge of the operation behind the pilots. He made the decisions when to deploy rescue crews out of the helicopter to assist injured people, and he also took care of the equipment.
"He was a funny guy, a nice guy, a lot of character," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Schmidt. "The guy was always entertaining, always had something to say, but like everyone here, he displayed the professionalism in saving lives."
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys leaves behind a wife and parents.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Adam Walsh murder case solved, Florida police say
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — A serial killer who died more than a decade ago is the person who decapitated the 6-year-old son of "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh in 1981, Florida police said today.
The announcement brought to a close a case that has vexed the Walsh family for more than two decades, launched the television show about the nation's most notorious criminals and inspired changes in how authorities search for missing children.
"Who could take a 6-year-old and murder and decapitate him? Who?" John Walsh said at today's news conference. "We needed to know. We needed to know. And today we know. The not knowing has been a torture, but that journey's over."
The suspect, Ottis Toole, had twice confessed to the killing, but later recanted. He claimed responsibility for hundreds of murders, but police determined most of the confessions were lies. Toole's niece told the boy's father, John Walsh, her uncle confessed on his deathbed in prison that he killed Adam.
The Walshes long ago derided the investigation as botched, and John Walsh has said he believed Toole killed his son. Still, he praised the Hollywood police department for closing the case, and said it was not a day to place blame.
"This is not to look back and point fingers, but it is to let it rest," he said.
Adam Walsh went missing from a Hollywood mall on July 27, 1981. Fishermen discovered his severed head in a canal 120 miles away two weeks later. The rest of his body was never found.
Authorities made a series of crucial errors, losing the bloodstained carpeting in Toole's car — preventing DNA testing — and the car itself. It was a week after the boy's disappearance before the FBI got involved.
"So many mistakes were made," John Walsh said in 1997, upon the release of his book "Tears of Rage," which harshly criticized the Hollywood Police Department's work on the case. "It was shocking, inexcusable and heartbreaking."
For all that went wrong in the probe, the case contributed to massive advances in police searches for missing youngsters and a notable shift in the view parents and children hold of the world.
Adam's death, and his father's subsequent activism on his behalf, helped put faces on milk cartons, shopping bags and mailbox flyers, started fingerprinting programs and increased security at schools and stores. It spurred the creation of missing persons units at every large police department.
It also prompted national legislation to create a national center, database and toll-free line devoted to missing children, and led to the start of "America's Most Wanted," which brought those cases into millions of homes.
Monday, December 15, 2008
You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop
Just a little food for thought:
When in England , at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building' by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount
of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France where a n umber of interna tional engineers were taking part, including
French and American. During a break, one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft
carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?'A Boeing engineer stood up and
replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day,
and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself
>> standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'
Without hesitating, the American
Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that €he had been to France previously. 'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.' The American said, "'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it. "
"Impossible. Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France!"
The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, 'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberat e this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Well It's Been One Of Those Days From Hell
How does luck run you may ask, well sometimes it sucks. My 16 YO daughter had an accident on Wednesday night, nothing bad, but she was at fault. (backed into a car) No damage to her car, and minor damage to the one she hit ($1000) at least. It was a 2008 Toyota. Then Last night my young son parked his car which he just got out of the shop last week after repairs from Hurricain Ike, ($3000)was parked in front of a friends house when a Ford F150 backed into him. Now he needs a new door. Well what can I say. Now GEICO is doing their work. All smooth and easy. Now tonight, my 1 year old hot water heater went out. What can I say.
Sphere: Related ContentFriday, December 12, 2008
A Soldiers Christmas In Viet Nam
I got this over at the Vietnam Security Police Association site and it brought back some old memories. Perhaps it will to some you old nam vets out there as well. Enjoy
And Merry Christmas and WELCOME HOME.
Kentucky Fried Chicken trio photographed turning sink into hot tub
Nothing like clean employees 
BY NANCY DILLON
DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF
Updated Thursday, December 11th 2008, 2:44 PM
Record Searchlight
After putting the photos up on MySpace, one of the unidentified girls listed herself as a 17-year-old worker at the Anderson KFC near Redding.
Record Searchlight
LOS ANGELES - They serve fast food, but they're slow learners.
Four months after a Burger King employee lost his job for taking a bubble bath in a restaurant sink, three scantily clad teens were fired when they turned a basin at their northern California KFC into their personal hot tub.
They landed in hot water with the chicken chain's management when one of the bikini-clad dimwits made the same mistake as the Ohio Burger King employee - she posted photos of the dippy escapade on MySpace.
The photos included captions such as "haha KFC showers!" and "haha we turned on the jets," and were filed under a gallery called "KFC moments," according to the Record Searchlight newspaper in Redding, Calif.
The story broke before the unidentified girl could scrub public access to her profile. On her MySpace page, the girl listed herself as a 17-year-old worker at the Anderson KFC near Redding.
"I'm a KFC worker, they are my best friends and my family," she said on her site.
The three were suspended Tuesday - and have since been fired, said KFC spokesman Rick Maynard.
"KFC has zero tolerance for violations of our operating standards, and our franchisee has taken immediate action by terminating the employees who were involved," said Maynard.
An assistant manager told the Record Searchlight that no manager was on duty when the steamy photos were likely taken and that the trio closed the restaurant themselves.
Burger King bagged 25-year-old Timothy Tackett in August after a four-minute video of his birthday bath in the sink of a Xenia, Ohio, restaurant landed on MySpace and YouTube.
Tackett appeared to be naked in the sink.
Burger King promised to work with the health department to retrain staffers in proper sanitation procedures.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Army veteran presented with new home
During his decade in the Army — more than a year of it spent in Iraq — Army Staff Sgt. Rene Fernandez built a sterling military record. The Baytown soldier led more than 300 combat missions, trained in excess of 33,000 troops. For his diligence, he amassed a bulging duffel bag of honors.
In or out of the military, Fernandez's future seemed golden.
Then in April 2004, Fernandez's Humvee detonated a roadside bomb. The officer's body absorbed most of the blast, leaving him with brain injuries that, though not fatal, ensured a life of diminished ability and pain.
Thursday morning, Lake Houston-area residents showed Fernandez their appreciation.
As packed snow glistened on nearby housetops, scores of bundled, flag-waving, cheering neighbors lined the streets of Lakeshore Subdivision to pay tribute. Then, in a ceremony highlighted by testimonials to Fernandez's valor, former President George H.W. Bush handed the former Army officer the keys to a new two-story, four-bedroom home.
The house was provided by Helping a Hero, a Houston-based organization that helps veterans. The house, the ninth awarded to seriously injured vets, was built through the cooperation of Perry Homes and dozens of donors.
Northshore Rotarians gave $100,000, said Meredith Iler, chairwoman of the home program, and students, parents and staff at Galena Park ISD contributed $18,500.
Bush, standing in a room packed elbow-to-elbow with business and political leaders, called Fernandez "a true hero."
"He has given distinguished service to his country, just remarkable service," Bush said.
As Fernandez's wife, Barbara, and the couple's children, Trenton, 15, Matteo, 9, Madeline,7, and Elijah, 3, marched center stage, Bush handed the retired officer the house key.
Then, as cameras clicked, the ex-president handed over the key a second time. Then, in the "official" photo, the key was again passed as the lineup of dignitaries in the picture switched.
Then, in a wry aside, Bush inquired, "Which 'official' door does it open?"
Bush apologized for the absence of his wife, Barbara, who had been expected to attend, noting her recent surgery for a perforated ulcer. The former first lady is recuperating at home, Bush told his audience.
A wall in the family room in which the ceremony took place was dominated by framed displays of Fernandez's military honors. Among them were two Purple Heart medals and medals for Army achievement and commendation.
"We couldn't give a house away without calling 'Mattress Mac'," Iler told the group, alluding to Jim "Mattress Mac" McIngvale, owner of Gallery Furniture. "He has agreed to give not just a mattress, but a whole house full of furniture. The van is waiting out front."
After the ceremony, Fernandez, 33, expressed his gratitude to his benefactors.
"The house is amazing," he said. Currently, the family resides in a smaller ranch style house in Baytown. Fernandez said his family would begin moving Thursday evening.
Fernandez's injuries left him with little short-term memory, intense pain and weakness and occasional numbness on the right side.
"I try to not to think about what I can't do, but what I can do," he said.
Fernandez said he has enrolled in Lee College, where he is taking classes that will prepare him for a teaching career.
"I want to teach geography and coach football, baseball and soccer," he said. "Everybody remembers a teacher."
Iler said the Helping a Hero home program has selected seven more recipients for homes. The next presentation, scheduled for next week, will provide a home for Army Spc. Sergio Trejo, who was injured in Iraq.
Recipients of the houses are picked by a national committee, she said. "We normally go in with $100,000 in in-kind services and $100,000 in donations," Iler said. Typically, the remaining $50,000 in costs is covered in a mortgage obtained by the new homeowner.
"It's very affordable," she said, "and it lets him be the man of the house."
Home recipients sign agreements that they will not sell the home for 10 years; after that time, they are fully vested in the property.
Christmas Wish For A 3 Year Old
Saw this over at this The Cookshack, and it is great.
Surprise flurries warm Houston hearts
Falling snowflakes glimmered in streetlights, so wide that they billowed to the ground like parachutes, and so tantalizing that even awestruck adults reached out their hands or stuck out their tongues to catch one.
By Wednesday evening, the flakes were big enough to hold their shape for a moment on the street before melting into the pavement, and a dusting had collected on parked cars in some parts of town.
The flurries tied a record for Houston's earliest snowfall ever and warmed the hearts of winter weather lovers who have pined for snow since it last made an appearance on Christmas Eve 2004.
"I've got a pot roast in the Crock-Pot, and I'm going to go home, change into my warmest pajamas and eat pot roast and enjoy what may be the only real winter day we have all year," said Tina Arnold, an Illinois native who took advantage of the wintry backdrop to pick up Christmas presents Wednesday at The Woodlands Mall.
Since 1895, records indicate, snow has fallen this early just once — on Dec. 10, 1944.
Ali Ahly had been cooped up in an office all day when he stopped to gas up his white Mercedes-Benz near the corner of Hillcroft and the Southwest Freeway at 7:30 p.m.
The 43-year-old, wearing jeans and a leather jacket, stepped out from under the gas station canopy and looked up as the downy flakes sifted toward him. Then he stretched his hand toward the sky.
"This is real snow," he said. "I feel like I'm in Lake Tahoe."
Ahly's 9-year-old daughter is the family's true snow aficionado, he said. She went running around a mall parking lot that afternoon when the flakes began to fall.
"She's going nuts," he said.
Across the street from the gas station, a line formed for lattes and hot chocolate at the Starbucks drive-through window. There was no wait at the cash register inside, however.
"People just don't want to walk inside," said a barista.
Outside, 18-year-old Ingrid Mejia beamed in the brisk night air as her 10-year-old brother shivered in cargo shorts.
"I'm excited," Ingrid said. "I just hope it stays overnight, so it's on the ground when we wake up."
The Lamar High senior wasn't holding her breath for a snow day, though. She couldn't think of a time when winter weather had delayed school.
"I don't think so, unless it gets to be a blizzard," she said hopefully.
Late Wednesday, there were no reports of school or business closings Thursday morning in the Houston area.
Patrick Trahan, a spokesman for the city, said the icy weather was expected to taper off overnight and was not expected to disrupt morning traffic. He added that if conditions did not improve, the Public Works Department would clear the roads this morning.
Forecasters at the Houston/Galveston office of the National Weather Service said clouds and precipitation should give way today to sunshine and temperatures in the upper 50s.
Overnight lows for all areas but those north and west of Harris County were expected to stay above freezing tonight, said the weather service's Paul Lewis.
Snowfall in the metro Houston area Wednesday caught forecasters somewhat by surprise. A significant chance for snowfall didn't show up in computer models until about 9 p.m. Tuesday.
"The midnight crew adjusted the forecast at that time," Lewis said.
Because the ground in the Houston area was relatively warm — 77 degrees as late as Tuesday afternoon — neither snow nor ice was expected to stick and cause major transportation problems for long.
Still, because a freeze was expected to overnight, a winter weather advisory was issued Wednesday evening for much of Southeast Texas, including Harris County, because of the potential for slick, icy conditions north of Interstate 10 on bridges and other exposed areas.
By 9 p.m. Wednesday, the overpass on the Eastex Freeway at the beltway had frozen, authorities said.
"We are asking drivers to be careful on the roadway, mindful of the danger," said Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. John Legg.
Daytime highs should return to the 70s by Sunday. Early next week, possibly Monday night, another cold front is expected to reach Houston, but it isn't expected to pack the punch of this week's chilly frontal system.
Wednesday's brush with winter left some Houstonians less enamored with the snowfall, including those stuck in delays of up to three hours at local airports. Drivers unaccustomed to snow encountered difficulties on the roadways, and even getting into their cars.
Paul Ramirez spent several minutes digging through his truck Wednesday evening outside the Fry's electronics store on West Road, trying to find something he could use to scrape the ice and snow from the windshield of his
REF Snow In Houston
I really can't believe it, but we got about an inch during the early evening. I know that you northern folks are just laughing at this, but it is so rare to have snow here. There were 500 vehicle accidents reported. Many roads iced over. I saw on the local news that one of the freeways which goes over a bridge was iced over and there were thousands of cars stopped which could not go forward or backward. I would guess they had to spend the night in there cars. We had a snowball fight in my front yard last night. Of course playing like a kid outside at 30 degrees didn't last long for me. But in the end it has to be Al Gore and his global warming.
Sphere: Related ContentWednesday, December 10, 2008
It's Snowing In Houston
I don't believe it. You folks up north are use to it, but I haven't seen it snow here in 12 years. It won't stick of course, but the bridges will freeze over, which means that Houston will shut down. It happened once years ago, and all freeways were closed and blocked by police. It's a scary thing to see folks here try and drive on frozen roads.
Sphere: Related ContentFem-bot's my love machine
Oh there is so many things I could say about this, but I will let you decide for yourself.
A BOFFIN too busy to find real love has INVENTED his idea of the perfect woman – a female ROBOT.
Inventor Le Trung, 33, created Aiko, said to be “in her 20s” with a stunning 32, 23, 33 figure, shiny hair and delicate features.
She even remembers his favourite drink and does simple cleaning and household tasks.
"Fem-bot" Aiko, who has cost £14,000 to build so far, is a whizz at maths and even does Le’s accounts.
Le, a scientific genius from Brampton in Ontario, Canada, said he never had time to find a real partner so he designed one using the latest technology.
He said he did not build Aiko as a sexual partner, but said she could be tweaked to become one.
Odd pair ... Le with his robot girlfriend
Barcroft
“Her software could be redesigned to simulate her having an orgasm and reacting to touch as if she is playing hard to get or being straight to the point,” he said.
The former software programmer has taken out credit cards and loans, sold his car and spent his life savings on perfecting the machine.
“I want to make her look, feel and act as human as possible so she can be the perfect companion,” said Le.
The odd looking pair go out for drives together in the Canadian countryside, before sitting down at the dinner table, but Aiko never eats anything.
Le said: “So far she can understand and speak 13,000 different sentences in English and Japanese, so she’s already fairly intelligent.
“When I need to do my accounts, Aiko does all the maths. She is very patient and never complains.”
Click below to see more amazing pictures
The fem-bot has a touch-sensitive face and body so she reacts if shown affection or hurt.
“Like a real female she will react to being touched in certain ways. If you grab or squeeze too hard she will try to slap you. She has all senses except for smell,” he said.
Perfect
Le, a child genius who was put in a class for talented youngsters, made his first robot when he was just eight years old.
He began work on Aiko two years ago in the home he shares with his brother.
But the stress of working on such a difficult project became too much for Le and he suffered a mild heart attack in November last year.
“It was shocking to have a heart attack at the age of 33,” he admits. “But the doctors said I’d been doing too much.
“I may need to have Aiko look after me one day.
“She doesn’t need holidays, food or rest and she will work almost 24-hours a day. She is the perfect woman,” he said.
“People have mixed reactions when they meet Aiko,” he said.
Advertisement
“They either love or hate her. Some people get angry and accuse me of playing God. Once someone threw a rock at Aiko. That really upset me.
“But many people are fascinated by her.
"Women are generally impressed and try to talk to her. But the men always want to touch her, and if they do it in the wrong way they get a slap.”
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Wednesday Hero
38 years old from Highlands Ranch, Colorado
769th Engineer Battalion, Louisiana Army National Guard
November 13, 2008
Louisiana National Guard spokesman Maj. Michael Kazmierzak said Spc. Jonnie L. Stiles had been serving as a gunner on a Humvee doing route clearance when and IED detonated near his vehicle in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He said the job typically involves checking roads for bombs and insurgents.
Stiles' wife, Launa, said that he was nearly killed last month when a suicide bomber blew up a military vehicle in front of his. She said he was still able to rescue three other soldiers and returned to duty before his 30-day recovery period was finished.
"He was strong and really cared for his men," she said.
Stiles was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and graduated from Littleton High School in Colorado. He served in the military for 17 years, first joining the Marines and then switching to the Army in 1999. He served three years at Fort Carson, left the Army and then returned as a member of the Colorado Air National Guard in the Summer of 2007.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Suspect shot HPD officer 4 times, prosecutor says
This is a follow up on the article below ref HPD Officer killed. The suspect was cought not long after the shooting.
As he ran through a northwest Houston apartment complex after being stopped on a traffic violation, Mabry Joseph Landor III turned and fired at the police officer who was chasing him, a Harris County prosecutor said in court this morning.
Houston police Officer Timothy Abernethy was hit by three bullets during that Sunday morning chase and dropped to the ground, Assistant District Attorney Craig Goodhart said.
And then Landor — who was released from his most recent prison sentence only a few months ago — walked up to the stricken officer and shot him in the head, Goodhart told state District Judge Michael McSpadden.
Later Sunday, after being caught and returned to the scene, Landor told police that his gun had fired accidentally after he tripped and fell, the prosecutor added.
That narrative of Abernethy's death emerged for the first time as Landor, 28, made his first court appearance to face a capital murder charge.
McSpadden appointed attorneys Chuck Hinton and Kenneth Goode to represent the suspect. He then granted their request that he prohibit police from trying to question Landor further about the incident.
Abernethy, a 43-year-old officer who had served 11 years with HPD, was killed while working in a high-crime area that has received intensified scrutiny from police.
He died near a playground at the Luxor Park apartment complex at 5801 W. Sunforest.
Landor was driving a Dodge Durango sport-utility vehicle when the officer stopped him on a traffic violation. Police say he later acknowledged that he had a pistol, which was prohibited under the terms set by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
After Abernethy keyed the Durango's license plate number into his car's computer, Landor got out and bolted into the apartment complex, police said.
Abernethy pursued and was hit by a fusillade of bullets fired by Landor, according to the probable-cause affidavit read in court today.
After shooting the officer one more time, Goodhart said, Landor 'calmly' walked back to the SUV and drove away.
He was captured later Sunday morning and returned to the apartments, where at least two eyewitnesses identified him as the officer's killer, the prosecutor said.
Landor gave a statement about the shooting and even tried to help police recover the pistol, which police say he claimed to have discarded within a few miles of the complex.
Landor made his brief court appearance in handcuffs, clad in a yellow Harris County Jail outfit that signifies high-risk prisoners.
He is being held without bail.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Police rule 3-year-old's death an accident
This is so sad. I don't even like to think about it.
Homicide detectives on Sunday investigated the death of a 3-year-old who was killed after a TV fell on the child.
Investigators went to a home in the 6000 block of Reims in West Houston, but officials said the death was reported as accidental.
In 2006, Memorial Hermann doctors and other health officials said that infant deaths because of tipped TVs had become "a public health issue."
That year, Memorial Hermann Hospital alone treated at least 11 children injured by falling TVs, six of whom died, including a 3-year-old who was crushed after she tried to adjust the TV set.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Police still searching for the man who pulled the trigger
This is all about being stupid.
A 22-year-old man died after he was allegedly shot during a game of Russian roulette at a northwest Houston apartment early Saturday morning, authorities said.
Four men and one woman were in the 8700 block of Hammerly around midnight to celebrate a new apartment one of the men had just rented when the men decided to play Russian roulette, authorities said.
Investigators learned that one of the men pointed the gun at his head, but the weapon did not fire a live round.
For an unknown reason, that man then proceeded to point the gun at another man's head and fired a round, killing him, authorities said.
The three men then fled the scene, leaving the woman behind, authorities said.
At this time, no further information was immediately available.
Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Officer fatally shot during traffic stop in NW Houston
This is a sad day for us in Houston. We just lost one of our local heros and he will be missed.
A Houston Police Department officer died this morning after being shot during a traffic stop in northwest Houston, department spokesman Gabe Ortiz said.
Police have taken a person into custody.
"We believe we have our man," said HPD Captain Bruce Williams.
The shooting occurred about 8:40 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 6000 block of West Sunforest at West Tidwell. The officer was taken to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
The officer's wife has arrived at the hospital, officials said. Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt has met with the family and is expected to make a statement. Several police officers are also at the hospital.
Joslyn Johnson, widow of slain officer Rodney Johnson, also arrived. She said she was going in to offer any kind of help she could to the officer's family.
"Every time it happens, it's just like it's happening to you again," said Johnson, whose husband was shot in 2006. She is also a police officer.
She said the shooting points out the need for Houston police officers to have two-person units. Crime scenes usually end up with two officers and two units, she said.
"Why can't they both be in the same car?'' she asked.
The officer, whose name has not been released, worked in the Northside patrol division. He has been an officer for at least 12 years.
The man taken into custody was picked up at a location in north Harris County. Authorities went there after checking the license plate of the vehicle that was the subject of the traffic stop.
No further information was immediately available
Friday, December 5, 2008
Fishermen nets bass — and lost class ring from 1987
How about this.
BUNA, Texas — A class ring lost for decades in an East Texas lake is back with its owner after turning up in a fish caught the day after Thanksgiving.
Joe Richardson of Buna told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he wishes he knew "how many fish it's been in."
Richardson was fishing at Lake Sam Rayburn about two weeks after his 1987 graduation from Universal Technical Institute in Houston when he lost the ring.
The 41-year-old mechanic says on Nov. 28 he received a call from a fisherman who had reeled in a more than 8-pound bass. The ring that had been in the fish had "Joe Richardson" etched in the band.
Richardson says the fisherman did an Internet search and made several calls before reaching him and returning the ring.
Buna is about 110 miles northeast of Houston
Gulf Oil CEO says gas could hit $1 next year
This I would like to see. How long has it been sense we saw gas at or lower than $1.00. Hell I can take a vacation at this rate.
By Julie Onufrak
The Patriot Ledger
Posted Dec 04, 2008 @ 06:00 AM
Last update Dec 04, 2008 @ 08:42 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RANDOLPH — Gulf Oil CEO Joe Petrowski said on Wednesday that the price of oil could sink to $20 per barrel, and there is a chance gasoline prices could drop as low as $1 per gallon by early next year.
Speaking at a South Shore Chamber of Commerce breakfast at Lombardo’s in Randolph, the Brockton native said that after speculators drove oil prices up, there is a chance that the market will overshoot on the way back down, resulting in much lower prices at the pump.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the latest prices locally
in our weekly CHEAPGAS survey.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gas prices have already sunk fairly rapidly this fall, reaching a statewide average of $1.85 for a gallon of regular-grade gasoline this week, following a plunge in crude oil prices.
Gulf Oil, which is based in Newton, is not an oil producer. Gulf stopped producing oil in 1986 and stopped refining oil in 1992, according to Petrowski. He said the company is a “fuel agnostic” wholesaler, and will sell whichever fuels customers and distributors demand.
Though he said the company benefits from lower energy prices, he said he believes the price of oil should range from $40 to $60 per barrel, depending on economic activity, in order to keep pace with inflation.
Petrowski said that policymakers should make low-cost energy a goal by investing in alternative energy sources, increasing domestic oil reserves, and diversifying the foreign origins of oil so as to be less dependent on unfriendly countries.
While he said he believes global warming is a danger, Petrowski is not sure there is as much of a correlation between carbon and global warming as some environmentalists claim.
“Carbon is our greatest threat – there’s another myth,” he said. “I do think economic devastation and reliance on foreign supplies of oil (are).”
Since gas prices peaked in July, Petrowski said some people have resumed driving habits that they avoided when gasoline was $4 a gallon in the summer. But he said he hopes that the motivation to create alternative energy sources will not be lost.
Gulf opened its first E85 ethanol fueling station at Logan Airport in October – just as gasoline prices sank and the demand for ethanol decreased. “Ethanol’s not a great business right now, but it will be,” Petrowski said.
He said that cellulosic ethanol will eventually replace corn-based ethanol, and that he thinks the U.S. should eventually get rid of the import tax on ethanol from places like Brazil.
Petrowski said that New England’s energy future is bright, with research and development going on at local universities as well as access to gasoline from refineries in Canada, the mid-Atlantic region, the Caribbean and Europe. “We’re no longer at the end of the pipe,” he said.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
TRICARE AND DOCTORS
I don't know how many of you out there are retired military types, like me, but when you retire from the military you can sign up for TRICARE. It's a good deal as far as your costs goes. Well I had not been having any problems with this insurance in the past, but now I am finding that more and more doctors do not accept TRICARE any longer. I had to go in for a colon check a couple of years ago, and it costs me $12.00 for the office visit/copay and uncle sugar paid for the rest, which is a lot less to the doctor than he would normally charge. Well now I am due for another one, and the doctor I used before no longer accepts TRICARE. This is good insurnace, but very limited in who accepts it. The only hospitals I can go to anywhere close by where I live is either Kigwood Medical Center or Conroe Texas (50 or so miles away). I guess the way things are going with our economy and the new prez, they will really be cutting back, and the first place to start is with us old retired military types. Just dosen't seem right to me.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Gift of Life
I got a request from Texas Fred requesting help for this young man, and I am glad to pass this info along. I would be in line if I lived in Dallas area, but I don't. Help if you can.
The Gift of Life
As we approach the Christmas season, our thoughts turn to giving. Traditionally we look for meaningful presents to give our loved ones that help us celebrate the gift of life that Christ gave us by his suffering and death. I am posting this request to ask that you give the gift of life itself to a complete stranger this Christmas.
His name is Tyler Seedig and he is a young Marine who was bound for his first duty station in just three weeks. He was home with his family this Thanksgiving weekend and went deer hunting with his older brother on Sunday. On the way back home they were involved in a car accident that claimed the life of the older brother and left Tyler severely burned. He was transported to the Parkland Burn Unit where he remains in a critical care unit with severe burns over 65% of his body. He will not be reporting to his unit in Afghanistan, nor will he be home for Christmas, New Years or possibly even Easter. Tyler will most likely spend the next six months in Parkland Hospital trying to survive the initial trauma, fight off the coming infections and allow his body to slowly rebuild.
Tyler needs blood. Plasma in particular, so the type is unimportant. I am asking any capable person who can to give the most precious gift possible this year and donate a pint of blood to Carter Blood Center in the name of Tyler Seedig, Parkland Burn Unit, Dallas, TX. It costs us nothing except time and minor discomfort to give, but it can save the life of Tyler or someone else in need.
Through out this season we always talk of helping those in need, of giving to those less fortunate and of remembering those who serve. Here is the perfect chance to do all of those things with a simple pint of blood. Help this young Marine who was embarking on a journey of service and self-sacrifice in order to defend your freedoms and serve this nation where ever the call might have taken him. Think of what a precious chance it is to be able to give life to another.
Please keep this family in your prayers as well. They have lost a son and must plan a funeral during a season which should bring joy to us all, while they stand by the bedside of another son who clings to life by a thread. Remember them this season as you celebrate the love of your own families and cherish those around you for you never know when the call home may come.
Judging Truth: The Gift of Life
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday Hero
23 years old from Cedar Park, Texas
2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment
April 06, 2008
"He was a very creative kid, and when he wasn't in a challenging environment, he tried to make life interesting," Glenn Morris, father of Spc. Morris, said. "He excelled in a military school structure and in a team environment."
Before enlisting in the Army in 2005, Morris attended the Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia where he met a history teacher who inspired him to want to become an educator. "After his service, he wanted to go back to school and get a four-year degree to become a teacher," said his mother, Lisa. "He wanted to make a difference and give back to the community."
Spc. Morris was killed when his vehicle encountered an IED in Balad, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Cpt. Ulises Burgos-Cruz.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Military Truisms
"Aim towards the Enemy." [Instruction printed on US rocket launcher]
• When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is no longer our friend. [From a US Field Manual]
• Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs always hit the ground.
• Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.
• Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last, and don't ever volunteer to do anything.
• If your attack is going too well, you are walking into an ambush.
• If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly.
• Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you.
• No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection.
• Any ship can be a minesweeper . . . . once.
• If the enemy is in range, so are you.
• Tracers work both ways.
• Friendly fire isn't.
• Five second fuses only last three seconds.
• Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are.
• The problem with taking the easy way out is that the enemy has already mined it.
• Incoming fire has the right of way.
• The quartermaster has only two sizes: too large and too small.
• If you can see the enemy, he can see you.
• And never tell your Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
Why Rednecks Make Good Soldiers
Dear Ma & Pa:
Am well. Hope you are. Tell brother Walt & brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt & Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, they git warm water.
Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc..., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food. But tell Walt & Elmer you can always sit between two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys gets sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.
The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors & Colonels just ride around & frown. They don't bother you none.
This next will kill Walt & Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.
Be sure to tell Walt & Elmer to hurry & join before other fellers get into this setup & come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Gail
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof & ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Military vs. Civilian Friends
Nothing like military friends. These are all true. Many is the time I had been TDY somewhere, and sure enough I would run into someone I new and had not seen in years.
You have to love our miltary, because there are none like them.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Tell you not to do something stupid when drunk
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will post 360 security so you don't get caught
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you're too busy to talk to them for a week.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having last time you met.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs
MILITARY FRIENDS: Call your parents when they're drunk and tell them about the fat chick you tried to pick up
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Hope the night out drinking goes smoothly, and hope that no one is late for the ride home.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Know some wild stuff will happen, and set up rally points "alpha, bravo and charlie" and an Escape & Evade route.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and tell you what you did was wrong.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...we screwed up...but hey, that was really fun!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Laugh at you and tell you that you might need some vagasil.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Steal each other's stuff so often nobody remembers who bought it in the first place.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are happy that someone picked up a one night stand and leave them alone.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will Low Crawl naked into the room with a camera and hope for the tag team.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will listen to your relationship problems and hope it works out for you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will listen to you over a long hard road march, and will help you straighten it out better than Dr. Phil.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Might try to hit on your girl behind your back.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Have spooned with you in the field more than your girl has, and would never even think about doing that.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds @ss that left you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will try and talk to the bouncer when you get tossed out of the bar.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will man up and go after the bouncer for touching you on the way out.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will wish you had enough money to go out that night, and are sorry you couldn't come.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will share their last dollar with you, drag you along, and try to steal free drinks all night.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and say, "You better drink the rest of that, you know we don't waste.. That's alcohol abuse!!!"
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Want the money they loaned you back next week.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Can't begin to remember who owes who money after taking care of each other for so long.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will say "I can't handle Tequila anymore".
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will say "okay just one more" and then 2 minutes later "okay just one more".
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk trash to the person who talks trash about you.
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will knock them out!!
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will tell you "They'd take a bullet for you."
MILITARY FRIENDS: Will actually take a bullet for you.
Subscribe to:
Comment Feed (RSS)
