Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.
There are 5,000 types of snakes on earth and 4,998 live in Texas
There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000
live in Texas , plus a couple no one's seen before.
If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.
'Twiced' is a word.
People actually grow and eat okra
'Fixinto' is one word.
There is no such thing as 'lunch.' There is only dinner and then supper.
Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar!
'Backwards and forwards' means I know everything about you!
Djeet is actually a phrase meaning 'Did you eat?'
You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.
You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them.
You measure distance in hours. Like its 6 hours from Houston to Dallas .
You'll probably have to switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day.
'Fix' is a verb. Example: 'I'm fixing to go to the store.'
You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
Yes, Friday night high school football games is serious football!
You carry jumper cables in your car .. . . for your OWN car.
There are only four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup.
The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.
100 degrees Fahrenheit is 'a little warm.'
We have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas.
Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time known as 'goin' to Wally-World.'
Gravy is a food group.
A cool snap (below 70 degrees) is good pinto-bean weather.
A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop. . . . it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: 'What kind a coke you want?'
Fried catfish is the other white meat.
We don't need no stinking driver's ed . . . if our mama says we can drive, we can drive.
If you understand these jokes please forward them to your friends from Texas (and those who just wish they were).
EVERYONE can't be from Texas . You might say it's a gift from God!
And the most important thing we learn growing up in TEXAS is...
IN GOD WE TRUST
Friday, May 29, 2009
THINGS I LEARNED FROM BEING RAISED IN TEXAS
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Rules of Manhood
I got this off of kingwood.com. I thought It was funny, also feel free to add to it.
- Under no circumstances may two men share an umbrella.
- It is OK for a man to cry ONLY under the following circumstances:
(a) When a heroic dog dies to save its master.
(b) After wrecking your boss’ car.
(c) One hour, 12 minutes, 37 seconds into “The Crying Game”.
- Any Man who brings a camera to a bachelor party may be legally killed and eaten by his buddies.
- Unless he murdered someone in your family, you must bail a friend out of jail within 12 hours.
- If you’ve known a guy for more than 24 hours, his sister is off limits forever unless you actually marry her.
- Moaning about the brand of free beer in a buddy’s fridge is forbidden. However complain at will if the temperature is unsuitable.
- No man shall ever be required to buy a birthday present for another man. In fact, even remembering your buddy’s birthday is strictly optional. At that point, you must celebrate at a bar of the birthday boy’s choice.
- On a road trip, the strongest bladder determines pit stops, not the weakest.
- When stumbling upon other guys watching a sporting event, you may ask the score of the game in progress, but you may never ask who’s playing.
- It is permissible to drink a fruity alcohol drink only when you’re sunning on a tropical beach… and it’s delivered by a gorgeous woman and only when it’s free.
- Only in situations of moral and/or physical peril are you allowed to kick another guy.
- Unless you’re in prison, never fight unclothed.
- Friends don’t let friends wear Speedos. Ever. Issue closed.
- If a man’s fly is down, that’s his problem, you didn’t see anything.
- Women who claim they “love to watch sports” must be treated as spies until they demonstrate knowledge of the game and the ability to drink as much as the other sports watchers.
- A man in the company of an extremely attractive woman must remain sober enough to fight.
- Never hesitate to reach for the last beer or the last slice of pizza, but not both. That’s just greedy.
- If you compliment a guy on his six-pack, you’d better be talking about his choice of beer.
- Never join your girlfriend or wife in discussing a friend of yours.
- Phrases that may NOT be uttered to another man while lifting weights:
(a) Yeah, Baby, Push it!
(b) C’mon, give me one more! Harder!
(c) Another set and we can hit the showers!
North Korea Threatens Armed Strike, End to Armistice
May 27 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea threatened a military response to South Korean participation in a U.S.-led program to seize weapons of mass destruction, and said it will no longer abide by the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.
“The Korean People’s Army will not be bound to the Armistice Agreement any longer,” the official Korean Central News Agency said in a statement today. Any attempt to inspect North Korean vessels will be countered with “prompt and strong military strikes.” South Korea’s military said it will “deal sternly with any provocation” from the North.
South Korean President Lee Myung Bak ordered his government to take “calm” measures on the threats, his office said in a statement today. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Takeo Kawamura, echoed those remarks and called on North Korea to “refrain from taking actions that would elevate tensions in Asia.”
The threats are the strongest since North Korea tested a nuclear weapon on May 25, drawing international condemnation and the prospect of increased sanctions against the communist nation. South Korea dispatched a warship to its maritime border and is prepared to deploy aircraft, Yonhap News reported, citing military officials it didn’t identify.
“This rapid-fire provocation indicates a more aggressive shift in the Kim Jong Il regime,” said Ryoo Kihl Jae, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. “Kim is obviously using a strategy of maximum force.”
Texas hospital worker told she can't hang an American flag in her office
This is an easy problem to solve. Fire the SOB that is from another country and dosen't like an American flag in the office. Tar and feather also comes to mind.
KHOU.com staff report
FORT WORTH, Texas—Is it appropriate to show your patriotism in the workplace? A woman in North Texas thought so, but she was shocked to find out otherwise.
Debbie McLucas comes from a military family near Fort Worth.
Her husband and several kids have all served in the armed forces.
She decided to hang an American flag in her office at the hospital where she works.
But McLucas’ supervisor, who is from another country, complained that the flag was offensive.
McLucas was ordered to take it down.
“I was told immediately it wouldn’t matter if it was only one person. It would have to come down,” she said.
McLucas said hospital officials told her the flag outside the building should be enough for now.
“I find it very frightening, because if I can’t display my flag, what other freedoms will I lose before all is said and done?” McLucas said.
Corporate officials have yet to make a final decision on whether or not McLucas can have the flag in her office.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wednesday Hero
Sailors assigned to the Air Department of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) are silhouetted against the setting sun at the conclusion of flight operations. George H.W. is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting flight deck certifications.
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.
Local veterans take a historic trip to the World War II Memorial in Washington
I watched this on the news last night and it was a very touching event. These old soldiers did us all proud. The emotions among them were running very high. I hope we all remember them every day and not just on Memorial Day. I know I will.
12:04 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 26, 2009
By Len Cannon / 11 News
HOUSTON—A group of 111 men and women came together this month for a historic journey.
Video
Local veterans take a historic trip to the World War II Memorial in Washington
May 25, 2009 View larger E-mail Clip More Video All of them are getting up there in years – the kind of seniors you might ignore on the street.
But on this trip, they were treated like royalty.
That’s because they’re all members of a unique fraternity whose membership is quickly shrinking.
They are veterans of World War II, most of them from Texas, who fought in the Pacific and Europe.
When 11 News caught up with them, they were heading to Washington to visit the World War II Memorial.
“It’s my last hurrah. This is probably the last (trip) I will ever make,” veteran Dalton Reddick said of the journey.
It was a 20-hour day for the vets. Some of them are in poor health, but they came anyway.
“I got all kinds of problems, but I said if they take me and I can make it, I’m gone! And here I am,” veteran Ruben Santillan said.
The trip was a gift from students and citizens in Montgomery County, who raised the money.
The World War II Memorial lies in the shadow of the Washington Monument. As the veterans approached it, people thanked them for their service.
Granite pillars at the Memorial represent each state. The Texas Vets, including 95-year-old Lovie Jonson, crowded around the Lone Star Pillar.
Johnson joined the Army in 1942 and served in Europe.
It was a very different time for African-Americans like Johnson, but wearing that uniform was an honor.
“Well, it means a whole lot. When I went overseas, I couldn’t vote. I fought over there and could not vote,” Johnson said.
Many of the veterans were mere teenagers when they entered the service. Their trip to Washington took them back across generations as they remembered a defining moment in their lives.
Some of the vets served in not one, but two wars.
Leonard Troup was a Navy fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War.
He was shot down in Korea and held captive for two years.
“It has quite a bit of emotion to it, because it’s been 50-some years and it comes back, the gray area becomes black again once you walk around and look at this and what it represents,” Troup said.
Another Houston vet, Private Bill White, joined the Army when he was 19.
He was in France during World War II. He said he rarely talks about his experience, but he shared with his thoughts on the Memorial with 11 News.
“I was extremely impressed with that, I thought it was very nice and thoughtful. And I am proud of the service I had,” White said.
White returned from the war and raised two sons, one of whom now serves as the Mayor of Houston.
An author once called these veterans part of the Greatest Generation.
There was great sacrifice – an estimated 450,000 Americans lost their lives in the war.
“Good memories and bad. We met a lot of good people. Not many of us left. We did the best we could,” Reddick said.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Remembering Our Heros
If I don't forget, I will post this every day till Memorial Day
Friday, May 22, 2009
Memorial Day Tribute 2009 "Some Gave All"
I have a feeling that this Memorial Day is a very special one. I don't really understand why I feel that way, other than the fact that our country is in a state of change that it has never seen before. Our government is changing in a way that I don't understand. There is talk of bringing know terrorist onto the shores of the United States, and this is something that I can not wrap my head around. These are the same people that attatcked our homeland and killed over 3000 civilians on September 11th 2001. This really bothers me. I do not like the way our country is heading and yet I feel helpless to do anything about it, thus this may be our last true Memorial Day as we know it. I hope I am wrong. Please take a few minutes to watch this video and listen to the words to the song. See the faces of your fathers, brothers, sisters and grandfathers. Remember those who have given their all for us. My military roots run very deep., I am a veteran of Viet Nam and serverd 21 years in service to my country, my father was a veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam and served 31 years and died as a result of over exposure to agent orange. My Grandfathers were veterans of WWI and further back to the start of our country. Let us all remember them as we are enjoying our BBQ's and get togethers with our friends and family. Say a little something very quiet to them from your heart and remember. Bless all those of have given their all and bless all of you who given some.
Sobbing Kindergarteners Snubbed for Steelers?
Now this to me is about par for the course. I know how hard it was to organize this tour, and a lot of time and effort went into it. It is not right. Just another lesson we learn from this administration. Middle class = second class.
President Obama enjoys his new Steelers jersey after making children cry.
Kids locked out of White House; officials say they were too late
By ANNE REYNOLDS
Thursday was supposed to be the highlight of the year for more than 100 kindergarteners from Stafford County, Va. They got up early and took a chartered bus to the White House for a school field trip. But when they arrived, all the 5-year-olds got was a lesson in disappointment.
Obama Snubs Kids for Steelers?
"We were going to the White House, but we couldn’t get in so I felt sad," 5-year-old Cameron Stine said.
Parents say they were just 10 minutes late for their scheduled tour. School officials say White House staff said they needed to get ready for the president's luncheon with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, so they couldn't come in.
"I was angry cause they were disappointed," parent and chaperone Paty Stine said.
A lot of preparing had gone into the trip. Conway Elementary teachers had been planning the trip for months, each child paid $20 for a seat on the chartered bus, and names were submitted to the White House for clearance.
Parents say they tried to make it on time, but their chartered buses hit heavy traffic that slowed them down substantially. They thought they were supposed to show up by 10:15, but they say they arrived at 10:25 instead, and couldn’t get in.
"The person who headed this White House trip up came out and said, 'I’m sorry, the White House tour's off.' There were a lot of crying kids," parent Barbara Stine said.
The White House tells a slightly different story. A spokesperson said the group was actually supposed to be there at 9:30, but they held the gates for the group until 10:30, 15 minutes longer than they told the group, but when they still hadn't arrived, they had to draw the line.
Paty Stine said the White House staff should have made an exception. She feels the kindergarteners were snubbed for the Steelers.
"Here we have President Obama and his administration saying, 'Here we are for the common, middle class people,' and here he is not letting 150 5- and 6-year-olds into the White House because he’s throwing a lunch for a bunch of grown millionaires," Stine said.
Thursday night the White House released this statement: "The President and First Lady are dedicated to opening the doors of the White House to the public, and it is unfortunate to see young people miss a tour. The visitor’s office is already working to reschedule the group."
Parents say it's probably too late. The school year ends in a few weeks and they doubt the tour can be made up in that time.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Shoplifting aunt used baby as weapon
This has got to be one of the stupidist asshats I have ever heard of. Hope they hang this one out to dry.
By Jason Miles - bio | email | Follow us on Twitter
MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Memphis police are searching for a shoplifting suspect who used a tiny baby as a weapon against a security guard during an escape attempt Wednesday.
The incident happened early Wednesday afternoon at Wal-Mart on Austin Peay in Raleigh, where police say a woman was caught shoplifting. While attempting to escape, the woman hurled her two-month old nephew at a security guard. The infant, seated in a carrier, fell onto the concrete floor.
The suspect then threw the baby at a good samaritan who tried to tend to the infant.
The suspect ran from the store and escaped in a blue Ford Escort, abandoning the baby and his mother, who was in the women's restroom during the incident.
The child's mother tended to him as the infant was treated in the back of an ambulance.
Child abuse investigators are working with the infant's family to locate the suspect.
Officials said the baby will be okay. Neither the loss prevention officer nor the good samaritan were seriously injured.
All requests for comment from Wal-Mart management were referred to the retailer's corporate office
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mystery surrounds gruesome Bandidos biker gang slayings
HOUSTON—More than 1,500 miles north of Houston in a courthouse in London, Ontario, six men are on trial for murder.
By Jeff McShan /11 News
Mystery surrounds gruesome Bandidos biker gang slayings
May 19, 2009 View larger E-mail Clip More Video The trial has been largely ignored by the U.S. media, but north of the border in Canada, it’s big news.
It all stems from the largest mass murder in modern Ontario history.
On April 8, 2006, eight men were found executed. Prosecutors claim the motive was internal cleansing.
“Everyone wanted to know the story behind this, and now we are finally finding out,” Jane Sims, who has been following the trial for the London Free Press, said.
The murders involved members of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club and a dispute between its Winnipeg and Toronto chapters.
Prosecutors allege the club’s international president, Jeff Pike, who lives right outside of Houston, was not happy with how the Toronto chapter was running its business and ordered their “patches to be removed.”
Removing patches means their memberships were to be revoked.
But does that translate to killing them?
“One expert from the Ontario Police who has some expertise in the Bandidos testified to some of that information regarding the structure of the organization and how it works. But that is going to be one of the major questions in this case – Does that mean the shooting of people,” Sims said.
Pike, who hasn’t been charged or ordered to testify, declined to discuss the matter with 11 News.
But in a rare interview with a Canadian journalist in 2006, Pike said he was “shocked as anybody else” when he heard about the murders.
He went on to say that the “only people that really know what happened are the eight people that were killed and maybe the people in jail.”
When police were called to the gruesome scene that day, the bodies of the eight men were found stuffed into four vehicles.
In one of the cars, an Infiniti, police found the body of Frank “Bam-Bam” Salerno, 43. Salerno had bruises on his face and had been shot twice in the thigh.
In the trunk, police found the body of Paul “Big Paulie” Sinopoli, 30.
Slumped behind the driver’s seat was the body of Michael Trotta, 31.
Three more bodies were found in a nearby Volkswagon Golf: George “Crash” Kriarakis, 28; John “Boxer” Muscedere, 48; and Luis “Porkchop” Raposo, 41.
Raposo was not only shot and wrapped in a carpet, but also had his middle finger cut off at the knuckle.
A paramedic checked a nearby tow truck and found the body of George “Pony” Jessome, 52.
And finally, off in the woods, police found a Pontiac Grand Prix, and in the backseat was the body of 37-year-old Jamie “Rogue” Flanz.
In the opening statement, Canadian prosecutors told jurors that all eight men were lured to the farm by fellow Bandidos member Wayne Kellistine.
Prosecutors said they were then abruptly killed by Kellistine and members of the Winnipeg chapter.
Closing arguments are at least six months away.
What happened that April day is clear, but why it happened may remain a mystery forever.
Wednesday Hero
25 years old from Paterson, New Jersey
3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade
May 11, 2009
On Mother’s Day, Eugenia Gardos made a tabletop shrine to her recently deceased mother — surrounding her photograph with silk roses, a small white rosary cross, two votive candles and a prayer card of Senor de los Milagros, the patron saint of Peru.
The next day, May 11, she added her son's picture to the shrine for the dead.
Sgt. Gardos was killed along with five fellow servicemen; Army Spc. Jacob D. Barton, Army Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, Navy Cmdr. Charles K. Springle and Army Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr. in the attack on Camp Liberty.
"The first time he left for Iraq, when they would read the lists of the dead on the news, we used to hold our breath, praying he wasn't on it," his mother said. "I don't understand how he could have died this way. I just don't understand it."
Sgt. Galdos had emigrated with his family from Mollendo, Peru, as a child and had been a U.S. citizen since high school. His mother, two older brothers and older sister recalled how he used to hand out candy to children in Iraq the same way he always did in Paterson — never making a trip to the corner bodega without a group of neighborhood children tailing behind, knowing he would buy them candy or a soda.
"We were all here at home," Carlos Bueno, Sgt. Galdos's father, said. "I was getting ready to go to bed when I heard screaming downstairs. I ran downstairs and everyone had thrown themselves to the floor, thrashing around, screaming."
Bueno said he does not feel bitterness toward the man accused in the shootings, whom he described as "mentally ill."
"We want people to know we're proud of our son's Army, but if my son had died in war we would be able to handle that," he said. "But not to die in this manner."
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.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Campus concealed gun bill advances
The Senate today tentatively passed a controversial bill to allow college students who are at least 21 years old and licensed to carry concealed handguns to carry those weapons into campus buildings. The vote was 20-10 after about 90 minutes of debate.
The bill faces a final vote before it would go to the House, where a similar bill was declared dead last week by its author, Rep. Joe Driver, R-Garland. The Senate bill could be a way to revive the issue in the final weeks of the session.
Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, said he introduced the bill because of the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech, where he said victims were "picked off like sitting ducks."
"I would feel personally guilty if I woke up one morning and read that something similar had occurred on a Texas campus," he said.
The bill would apply to all universities and colleges in the state, but private institutions would be able to opt-out. Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, tried to amend the bill to allow university regents to determine whether to have guns on their respective campuses.
"This is a common-sense approach to the concealed handgun issue. Allow local control," she said before her amendment was defeated.
The Senate also tabled a Van de Putte amendment that would have informed parents that their student was living with a roommate
Friday, May 15, 2009
In Memory of Ed Freeman
I was 19 when I went to Viet Nam. As we near Memorial Day I just hope that we all remember the sacrifices that our young men gave. Be they from WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam or our new war in Iraq and Afganistan. Just remember. They are our sons and daughters and deserve our thanks.
One Soldier Just Doing His Job
On the day Bruce Crandall became a hero he flew his helicopter 14-and-a-half hours over dangerous terrain in Vietnam
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Old Man
I know most of you have probably read this before, but as this is the month of Memorial Day, I thought it appropriate the we all read it again and remember. You never know when you are standing next to a hero.
As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of
his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.
The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five feet away.
I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm, walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too, and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something.
The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, 'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age.' And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.
I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a problem.'
He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.
The old man had pu shed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us, he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old gentleman.
When I shook hands with him earlier, he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a
Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'
He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal . He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood.. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me and I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card.
He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket.. We all
shook hands all around again and I said my goodbye's to his wife. I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me.
One of them pulled out a card from his pock et looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off.
For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name....... 'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.'
I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over. I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence. Remember, OLD men like him gave you FREEDOM for America . Thanks to those who served...& those who supported them.
America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the Mall. If you don't stand behind our troops, PLEASE feel free to stand in front of them!
Remember, Freedom isn't "Free" -- thousands have paid the price so you can enjoy what you have today.
LET'S DO THIS -- JUST 19 WORDS
& nbsp; GOD OUR FATHER,
WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE
AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES AND ILLNESSES;
AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY
IN JESUS ' NAME. AMEN
This prayer is so powerful.
Pass this prayer to 12 people including me
Wednesday Hero
Spc. Robert Hamilton, from Corpus Christi, Texas, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, prepares to bandage the thumb of an Iraqi boy in Ula Market in Sadr City, April 19. The boy cut his thumb while preparing meat at a local butcher shop.
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.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Indian dad avoids washing for 35 years: report
There are some very strange folks scattered around our old world. Now I have heard and seen some crazy stuff, but I think this one takes the cake.
NEW DELHI (AFP) - - An Indian man who fathered seven daughters has not washed for 35 years in an apparent attempt to ensure his next child is a boy, newspapers reported.
Kailash "Kalau" Singh replaces bathing and brushing his teeth with a "fire bath" every evening when he stands on one leg beside a bonfire, smokes marijuana and says prayers to Lord Shiva, according to the Hindustan Times.
"It's just like using water to take a bath," Kalau was reported as saying. "A fire bath helps kill germs and infection in the body."
Kalau, 63, from a village outside the holy city of Varanasi, outraged his family by refusing to take a ritual dip in the river Ganges even after his brother died five years ago.
"I still don't remember how it all began," he said in Saturday's edition of the paper. "I just know it started about 35 years ago."
Kalau's hygiene regime has taken its toll on his professional life.
The grocery store that he used to own closed when customers stopped shopping there due to his "unhealthy personality" and he now tills fields near Varanasi airport.
Kalau, who wears two pullovers all through the Indian summer, said his pledge not to wash was a commitment to the "national interest."
"I'll end this vow only when all problems confronting the nation end," he said.
But his neighbours in the village of Chatav said there was another reason for Kalau's washing boycott.
"A seer once told Kalau that if he does not take a bath, he would be blessed with a male child," a man called Madhusudan told the paper.
Most Indians prefer sons, who are typically regarded as breadwinners, while girls are seen as a burden because of the matrimonial dowry demanded by a groom's family and the fact that their earnings go to their husband's family.
Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq
By Jeremy Rogalski / 11 News Defenders
HOUSTON -- Take Houston’s heat on a miserable summer day and add 40 degrees, making temperatures 130 or more.
Some US soldiers forced to steal water in Iraq
May 11, 2009 View larger E-mail Clip More Video Next, add an extra 100 pounds of life-protecting gear to your body: bulletproof vests, guns and ammunition.
And then imagine not having enough water around to drink.
Stories of short supplies have haunted the U.S. military throughout the war in Iraq—things like inadequate body armor or unshielded Hummers. But while many soldiers say they had good access to water and even Gatorade, the 11 News Defenders discovered that others, stationed all over the country and during all phases of this desert war, say something else was often missing.
“We were rationed two bottles of water a day,” said Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Robey, referring to 1 to 1.5 liter bottles.
And he said that wasn’t nearly enough.
“You’ll see guys throw up, you’ll see them pass out,” he said.
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Video Slideshows Blogs Robey said it started early on in the war, and that he and other soldiers are paying the price to this day. In 2003, he said soldiers were given what was the equivalent of only a half gallon of water to survive on a day—all while dodging bullets in the blistering heat.
“We were on missions, I ran out of water,” Robey said.
That’s no surprise. According to an Army Fort Bragg training document on preventing heat casualties in desert climates, water losses can reach 15 liters, or four gallons, per day per soldier. Additionally, Survival, a 1957 Department of the Army field manual, states “in hot deserts, you need a minimum of one gallon (of water) per day” just to survive.
So Robey said his company were forced to improvise.
“We were inside a house, I’d stick my head under the faucet and drink,” he said.
But Iraqi water is often untreated and can cause intestinal sickness.
“We had a real rash of dysentery go through my company. I’d say 50 to 60 guys got it,” Robey said.
But what about getting water from the mobile water treatment trucks the military refers to as “water buffaloes”?
A number of soldiers told 11 News that it was often difficult to locate those trucks in the field, partly because they say there was a shortage of them. In addition, many soldiers claim that a lot of the water dispensed by those trucks was so heavily treated with chemicals that “no one could keep it down.”
Robey said eventually they became desperate.
“It really hit me the day I was with my commander and we’re stealing water,” Robey said, describing how they raided supplies at the Baghdad International Airport.
To get there, they had to take one of the riskiest routes in Iraq at that time, riddled with road bombs and roadside insurgents.
But they reached the airport and found plenty of water. It was in the hands of civilian contractors, who Robey claims were supposed to be distributing it to soldiers.
“You just had pallets upon pallets upon pallets of (bottled) water,” Robey said.
Water shortages continued in other parts of Iraq at other locations too, according to other soldiers. Private Bryan Hannah recalled a troubling situation in 2007:
Private Hannah: “My sergeant told my lieutenant we didn’t have enough water and he said go find some.”
11 News: “What does ‘go find some’ mean?”
Private Hannah: “It means ‘if you don’t want to die, then go find some water.’”
Hannah and fellow soldiers did just that, finding it once again at a civilian contractor facility.
“We’d just run out and start grabbing cases of water and start throwing them in the gunner’s hatch,” said Hannah.
“This sounds like something that definitely needs to be looked into,” said Dr. Stephen Fadem, a kidney specialist with Kidney Associates PLLC, who also teaches at the Veterans Administration.
“If soldiers are saying that they are not getting adequate water, that needs to be taken seriously,” Dr. Fadem said.
In the short term, Fadem said you could collapse, and in the long term, “they may end up with kidney injury.”
The same training document from Fort Bragg details those very health concerns. It states chronic dehydration is associated with kidney stones, urinary infection, rectal afflictions and skin problems.
“This can be very challenging,” said Dr. Fadem.
But 11 News identified another problem with water in Iraq—dirty water in sinks and showers soldiers used.
“I mean it’s yellow, and it’s filthy,” said Sgt. Casey J. Porter.
Porter, an aspiring filmmaker, took video footage of rust-colored water from faucets at Camp Taji in 2008. By that time in the war, Taji appeared less like a war zone and more like a mall.
“You can eat Subway, Burger King, you can buy a $1,200 Oakley watch, but you can’t have clean water to brush your teeth with, what’s the real priority here,” Sgt. Porter said.
Turns out, at many similar bases, the water was supposed to be processed by Houston-based company KBR. In an internal KBR report, the company sites “massive programmatic issues” with water for personal hygiene dating back to 2005. It outlines how there was no formalized training for anyone involved with water operations, and one camp, Ar Ramadi, had no disinfection for shower water whatsoever.
“That water was two to three times as contaminated as the water out of the Euphrates River,” said former KBR employee Ben Carter.
Carter, a water purification specialist, was the one to blow the whistle on it all. He said he first noticed a problem when he found a live maggot in a base toilet at Camp Ar Ramadi. He subsequently discovered that instead of using chlorinated water, the soldiers’ sinks and showers were pouring out untreated wastewater.
“You’re standing in what’s essentially a sauna of microorganisms. Your eyes, ears, anyplace there’s a cut, a person would be at risk of containing a pathogen,” Carter said.
But when he wanted to inform U.S. forces, Carter said KBR supervisors gave him a verbal lashing.
“The military is none of your f-ing concern, uh, which was shocking to me,” Carter said.
11 News asked military officials about the water problems in Iraq. In a statement by the Multi-National Force in Iraq press office states: “We have a proven system that works. Commanders at all levels do their utmost to provide the necessary resources required to sustain the force.”
KBR in a statement, told 11 News a Department of Defense Inspector General report concluded “KBR has (since) satisfied applicable water standards,” adding that “the DoD has not found any illness which it attributes to water in Iraq.”
But tell that to Staff Sgt. Dustin Robey.
“I take 26 different types of pills a day,” Robey said. “I’ve had kidney stones, almost on a daily basis.”
He said he’s passed hundreds of them since returning from Iraq.
“It feels like someone’s stabbing you in the side just over and over and over again,” Robey said.
He blames the lack of, and quality of water for his poor health, and the hardest part of it all is the toll it’s taken on his family.
“There’s days when I can’t go out and play with my children outside, I’m in that much pain,” Robey said.
As for his military career? It’s over. The Army forced him to retire because of his condition and slashed his pay to the point where is family is staring at foreclosure and has moved in with relatives.
The former staff sergeant’s only hope? That the next time our country does it the right way. And Afghanistan, is just around the corner.
“If we can’t provide enough water, enough materials for guys to get through the day, to where they don’t have long-term effects for guys like myself, then why even fight the war,” Robey said.
Now again, many other soldiers told us a different story: That they had no problem getting enough drinkable water. However, we found that the differing experiences seemed to have a great deal to do with when the soldier was deployed there, what part of the country he was in, and what his assignment was.
Either way, kidney stones have become such a widespread problem among the troops that the military has set up a medical treatment center in Iraq to treat them.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Two kids among victims of quadruple shooting in Liberty County
By Kevin Peters / 11 News
Two children were among the victims.
A 7-year-old boy was shot in the head and remains in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. A 5-year-old girl and a 30-year-old man are also hospitalized with bullet wounds. Both are in stable condition.
Gale and Sheila Muhs, a Liberty County couple, were arrested and charged with aggravated assault.
Liberty County Sheriff Chief Deputy Ken DeFoor said Sheila Muhs is the one who called 911 to report the shooting.
DeFoor said Muhs claims she shot the victims because they were tearing up the dike.
The shooting happened around 9 p.m. in a remote area near the Timberlake Estates.
Gale and Sheila Muhs
Deputies said a 40-year-old man and his two children were in a Chevrolet truck and a 30-year-old family friend was following behind them in a jeep when they were shot.
The Muhs live near the levee and apparently believed the victims were trespassing on private property.
The victims drove the bullet-riddled truck to a nearby volunteer fire station for help.
That’s where Life Flight came to take the kids and one of the men to Memorial Hermann.
The 40-year-old father of the children was hit by shrapnel in the shoulder, but he refused treatment.
He went to Memorial Hermann to await word on the conditions of his 5-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday Hero
24 years old from Clarksville, Tennessee
2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
November 12, 2006
Cerrone's men said in written statements of remembrance that he put their safety and welfare first. He lead from the front and all of the paratroopers would "unquestionably" follow him into battle.
His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Ronald H. Berryhill, said Cerrone was more than a leader, but a friend and "little brother."
He remembers the first day Cerrone got to the unit. At the time, he was shy and quiet. But after a few months, he became more outspoken.
"I am truly blessed to have known him and to serve under his leadership," Berryhill wrote. "He will never be forgotten. I will carry him with me always and I will always watch over his platoon. We will make him proud of his boys."
Sgt. Cerrone was killed when a suicide bomber detonated the bomb he had strapped to himself in Samarra, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Specialist Harry "Buck" Winkler. You can read more at BLACKFIVE.
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.
Houston homeowner shoots 3 in front yard, kills 1
Let the games begin. Not much info available on this one yet.
A homeower shot one man to death and wounded two others late Tuesday night in his front yard in northeast Houston.
Police said the man shot the three men during an argument outside his home in the 7300 block of West Knoll about 10:30 p.m.
No charges have been filed against the homeowner, who has not been identified. He was not arrested and the case will be referred to a Harris County grand jury.
Investigators are trying to determine what sparked the argument and the shooting.
No other information was immediately available.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Old Soldier In A 1930 Buick
The back part of our building is a studio where they do TV commercials and other media realted projects. This 1930 Buick was brought in by a guy who wanted a magazine spread done of it. It was going in some classic car magazine I guess. A couple of us were chosen to have our picture taken while sitting in it, and I was one of the chosen ones (damn that's almost as bad as being THE ONE). Anyhow this car is in perfect condition as it was many years ago.
