One Drunken Dwarf, Simeron Steelhammer.

Happy Second Anniversary

2011-11-17T08:28:00.004-06:00

To a very special lady.

Our wait is almost over.

Thank you for my ring, the first one is in the memory case.

Thank you for standing beside me in what has to be the worst time in my life my love.

Thank you for two years of growth...from acquaintances...to friends...to accepting my ring and pledge we will be together one day.

I will honor that pledge as soon as I am able. As you have told me...keep the faith.

And thank you my God, for finally giving me my oasis after I wandered so long in the deserts unknowingly.

I love you my beloved.

Why have I been absent for so long?

2011-08-05T16:59:00.004-05:00

Two words...Family Court.

Want to know what a father faces in family court? What fathers such as myself face?

Watch GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.

I've become very active with this movement as a father going through a divorce and seeing, first hand, the situation. I'm looking forward to working with this award winning film maker as he makes more documentaries as I can.

Here is a roughly 10 minute clip to give you a little background.

This problem is a "silent epidemic" and while you might think this is only something fathers would back, you will see that many mothers, sisters and women understand that just because a woman and a man no longer want to live with each other, the best interest of children is served only when BOTH the parents they love are in their lives EQUALLY.

There are many legislators that support EQUAL TIME for both parents and even more reserach and evidence that proves this is the best solution to a bad problem. This would invest the fathers and mothers in the children and give the kids their best chance to have the least amount of damage from a horrible situation as possible.

The new laws protect both mothers and fathers, still would give protections from bad situations but focus on the children's best interest.

I strongly urge you to go see it for yourself and see that it certainly is NOT "daddy propaganda".

Simeron

My flying car is here....kinda...

2010-06-30T08:21:00.002-05:00

Long ago in a time called the 60s, George Jetson lived in the future where people drove flying cars to work and such. It was a wonderful place where you worked hard, pushing a button, for a few hours a day.

Hard life, even had to get on moving sidewalks when you couldn't take your flying car, that folded up into a briefcase for easy parking.

We aren't there yet but, we're a step closer with the rather pricey TRANSITION flying car. But they got the US Government to give them the exemption they were after so, if you got the money and the proper license, here is what you may be driving soon.

EPIC FAIL!

2010-06-26T09:36:00.001-05:00

Well, as expected my soon to be ex wife was not in the mood to negotiate at the mediation. Spent all day waiting for an hour to call it busted.

Got an email from her the next day (yesterday) where she wants to negotiate. *snort*

The time to negotiate was at the meditation. But this is her pattern. She doesn't want anything to be set in stone because then she can't change it later to her benefit. But, now, she gets to enjoy the same fun I have been enjoying...paying lots and lots of cash to a lawyer.

You see, her lawyer was supposed to do a great deal of things that my lawyer ended up doing, which I paid for his time. Now, she gets to foot the bill and the bills are going to be rather costly.

And here, I have an advantage.

SHE is focusing on the money. I am focusing on my daughter Emma.

So if I end up spending every penny or more to get my daughter, its fine with me. Even if I don't get her, and we have a good chance now to do that, I can still look at my little one and tell her I did my best and spent all I could to get her.

My ex on the other hand has and is focusing on the money. So the longer this drags out, the more money she needs to come up with and so, the less she will end up winning. In fact, odds are the lawyers are going to get the entire ball of assets and then some.

The good Lord has blessed me with good business with my web company. Not too much but, enough to cover my legal bills and still give money to support Emma.

She is missing house payments and not meeting bills now even with FOURTEEN PEOPLE in a 4 bedroom house! THREE families.....

And its going to get worse for her because the court will be putting orders in place stating she can't be missing notes or being late and some of them people are going to have to go. Plus I believe they will also put Emma in my care meaning she will not only not get my support anymore but will have court ordered support she has to send to me.

All this could have been avoided has she even started to agree to anything at mediation. And she may come around. The only thing I am stuck on is I will be set as primary custodian of Emma. She will even get her the same amount of time I do and I will end up giving $10k-$15k up that is due to me just to have this.

But she didn't even want to talk about it. So, now she can face the piper 14 months after she informed me via text we were getting a divorce.

So be it. Not what I wanted. Certainly not what I want for my little one to go through (who wants to be with me now). But its where we are.

God keep us all.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:33:00.001-05:00

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DAD'S OUT THERE!

Esepcially the ones far from home, keeping us safe.

NEVER FORGET

2010-05-30T04:37:00.002-05:00

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag,

It is the VETERAN who serves under the Flag,

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!

Cemetery Watchman ....

2010-05-26T16:27:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey's. Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 1655. Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever--the heat and humidity at the same level--both too high.

I saw the car pull into the drive, '69 or '70 model Cadillac Deville, looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's pace.. An old woman got out so slow I thought she was paralyzed; she had a cane and a sheaf of flowers--about four or five bunches as best I could tell.

I couldn't help myself. The thought came unwanted, and left a slightly bitter taste: 'She's going to spend an hour, and for this old soldier, my hip hurts like hell and I'm ready to get out of here right now!' But for this day, my duty was to assist anyone coming in.

Kevin would lock the 'In' gate and if I could hurry the old biddy along, we might make it to Smokey's in time.

I broke post attention. My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step and the pain went up a notch. I must have made a real military sight: middle-aged man with a small pot gut and half a limp, in marine full-dress uniform, which had lost its razor crease about thirty minutes after I began the watch at the cemetery.

I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me with an old woman's squint.

'Ma'am,may I assist you in any way?'

She took long enough to answer.

'Yes, son. Can you carry these flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days.'

'My pleasure, ma'am.' Well, it wasn't too much of a lie.

She looked again. 'Marine, where were you stationed?'

'Vietnam , ma'am.. Ground-pounder. '69 to '71.'

She looked at me closer. 'Wounded in action, I see. Well done, Marine. I'll be as quick as I can.'

I lied a little bigger: 'No hurry, ma'am.'

She smiled and winked at me. 'Son, I'm 85-years-old and I can tell a lie from a long way off.. Let's get this done. Might be the last time I can do this. My name's Joanne Wieserman, and I've a few Marines I'd like to see one more time.'

'Yes, ma 'am. At your service.'

She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one of the flowers out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out.. The name on the marble was Donald S. Davidson, USMC: France 1918.

She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek. She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X.Davidson, USMC, 1943.

She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley J. Wieserman, USMC, 1944..

She paused for a second. 'Two more, son, and we'll be done'

I almost didn't say anything, but, 'Yes, ma'am. Take your time.'

She looked confused.. 'Where's the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way.'

I pointed with my chin. 'That way, ma'am.'

'Oh!' she chuckled quietly. 'Son, me and old age ain't too friendly.'

She headed down the walk I'd pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch onLarry Wieserman, USMC, 1968, and the last on Darrel Wieserman, USMC, 1970. She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out.

'OK, son, I'm finished. Get me back to my car and you can go home.'

Yes, ma'am. If I may ask, were those your kinfolk?'

She paused. 'Yes, Donald Davidsonwas my father, Stephen was my uncle, Stanley was my husband,Larry and Darrel were our sons. All killed in action, all marines.'

She stopped. Whether she had finished, or couldn't finish, I don't know. She made her way to her car, slowly and painfully.

I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed it over to Kevin, waiting by the car.

'Get to the 'Out' gate quick.. I have something I've got to do.'

Kevin started to say something, but saw the look I gave him. He broke the rules to get us there down the service road. We beat her. She hadn't made it around the rotunda yet.

'Kevin, stand at attention next to the gatepost. Follow my lead.' I humped it across the drive to the other post.

When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny's voice: 'TehenHut! Present Haaaarms!'

I have to hand it to Kevin; he never blinked an eye--full dress attention and a salute that would make his DI proud.

She drove through that gate with two old worn-out soldiers giving her a send-off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing duty, honor and sacrifice.

I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.

Instead of 'The End'...just think of 'Taps.'

As a final thought on my part, let me share a favorite prayer:

'Heavenly Father, keep our servicemen and women safe, whether they serve at home or overseas. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us.'

Let's all keep those currently serving and those who have gone before in our thoughts. They are the reason for the many freedoms we enjoy.

'In God We Trust.'

Sorry about your monitor; it made mine blurry too!

If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under!

Ray Stevens- Thank you

2010-04-18T21:10:00.001-05:00

NUFF SAID.

All Fools Day

2010-04-01T11:13:00.003-05:00

Well, was supposed to have court today of all days....but it got moved to...wait for it...5 May...yeah...another holiday...go figure.

Business is going well...just ready for this chapter of my life to close so another can be started properly.

Hopefully the Good Lord will continue to bless this old fool....

Happy All Fools Day!!!

What are the key features to have in a website?

2010-03-07T22:14:00.002-06:00

This is the most asked question I have had in the last two years, especially now that SEO Web Services, my company, is off the ground.

I've worked for years now, going on two decades, designing websites. Now that I work doing for my own web design and online marketing company I get this question a lot of time from customers.

Some just think adding small amount of content is a winner, adding nice visual picture is a winner or some think having a contact form on all pages help.

Well, that is always good but, I've found in my experience, and the time I have spent in the industry now, the following things are essential to make a good customer oriented site.

Structured Menu - In trees and branches, easily followed and on each page.

Clear and Clean design with colors not too bright to hurt the eye or so dark you can read them.

Branding - Be sure to have your branding all over the site, with color, fonts pictures etc

Favicon - This is a very important feature to be taken care of while designing a site. Alot of folks don't seem to think a Favicon is important but, in today's world, not having a Favicon means your site is incomplete.

Quick Contact Form - No matter what kind of business you have you always want to have a conversion or a contact form on all the pages. One of the best is a simple Email link people can click and send a note to you or your contact person.

Quick Contact number - Contact number needs to be displayed on all the pages so people could pick up the phone and call you when they need something. This can be taken care of by simply adding it to our nav bar.

Content is King - Make sure you add just enough content for your users to understand your business and to contact you. Users like to know how your service or product benefit them, please show case that.

Testimonial - It takes a lot of energy to get a sale, when you get one it takes just a minute to ask for testimonials but that will help you make your life easier in next sale, have a testimonial form on your site, so users can fill them.

Photogallery - You want to show case pictures and videos of the services or products you offer to your customer, thereby increasing your chances of getting your customer.

Conversion form - You need to have a form to take your customers email address which is than saved to your online database.

Google Analytics & Conversion Tracking - It's very important to track how your customers behave on your site. Also you need to check how many people are filling in the conversion form and what they are looking for. And this is normally 'free'.

There are more "devil in the details" but, this is more a DIY post for folks that want to get thier feet wet and try to do things themselves.

Once you figure out your time is better spent dealing with your customers rather than dealing with your web presence, you can contact us and we'll be happy to handle all of this for you, for a small piece of your profits. LOL

Simeron

SEO Web Services is online....

2010-03-03T13:23:00.005-06:00

Started my web development and SEO/SEM company now...below you will see our Craigslist ad.

Please see our website.

And tell anyone and everyone you know. If I get business, I will give you a 10% finders fee!

***

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Here are some testimonials from our customers:

“SEO Web Services is about a mile from me. We made contact via a craigslist ad and have worked through email almost exclusively. I met Ben, my web developer, only once and it was more of a social thing. Ben put my website up and I will offer only this. Check out the site at texasflange.com then Google flange and flanges and see where we rank. Ben built a search engine optimized site that keeps us close to the top of the listings and we have a management agreement that keeps us there. These top rankings make us an incredible return on investment. I give him my complete endorsement.” –Jeff Barnett, Managing Partner of Texas Flange – 800-826-3801

Our company was contracted by Texas Flange because they were slipping in the rankings and were beginning to see the real possibility of becoming a “page two” Google listed company. In regards to growth, this was a bit like stepping out of a GT Ford Mustang and just walking instead. From the ground up we built a SEO optimized site and began managing their SEM and SEO on a daily basis. The results were very fast and can be viewed by going to Google and searching flange or flanges, the dominate search terms in their industry and the ones we were charged with getting raised as high as possible.

The net result to Texas Flange was instant ROI that dwarfs the fees paid to us.

If you want a web presence or a flashy sight that will be beautiful to your current customers but not attract new ones, we can do that.

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Contact us today!

SEO Web Services is now open...

2010-02-19T00:42:00.002-06:00

Finally got around to getting the business opened and named. Plan on getting the DBA tomorrow as well as looking at the domain name....we'll see, keep your fingers crossed on that....

Have a couple of good clients, few that want me to donate my services and alot that just haven't a clue that I do provide a service and no, I'm not a cheap date...lol.

But the Good Lord has been good to me....please offer up the following prayers for me...

Read Psalms 41 and 91 for myself, Emma, Christina (who gave birth to Vincent our second grandson on the 13th) and my sister, nephew and nieces and thier kids.

Please pray for God to continue providing out of His bounty for us with work and other things.

Also that He will make my path very clear to me so that even my stupidity and thick skulled, stubborn blindness wont get in the way....

That He will also give me peace and comfort in these trying times so that I might have faith rather then knowledge....

And in case you were wondering on that last one....

Knowing what is going to happen is knowledge, not faith.

Not knowing what is going to happen but doing it anyway is faith, not knowledge.

God prefers faith....heh

Simeron

Valentine's Day 2010....

2010-02-14T10:38:00.001-06:00

I never realized how bad having people wishing you Valentine's Day joy could be until this year. Going through the divorce just seems so wrong already and on this day....especially.

But I have joy...I am a granpa again as of yesterday at 720am.

Little Vincent came into the world in under an hour I am told, right in the ER.

Momma and baby are fine thank God....

So the war continues....wish my daughter would call me but I guess she's a bit busy..heh.

Welcome little Vincent! Grandson Numba 2!

2010-02-13T00:48:00.002-06:00

My oldest just gave us grandson numba 2...Vincent.

Little guy is just like all the other males of the clan, few that we are....

Daughter felt like she was going to give birth about 630am....Vincent showed up 720am and told the ER staff "I'M HERE!" with a loud yell. Boy didn't even need the slap on the arse....got my lungs...heh....

Mother and son are doing fine, Thank you my benevolent Father in Heaven.

The battle rages on....

2010-02-09T10:05:00.001-06:00

That which does not kill you makes you stronger. So the saying goes. But people forget there are two options there....getting stronger and getting killed.

The last few days have made me wonder if I will be getting stronger........

But I am still breathing...why I don't know...but I am....sorta kinda...

Simeron

2009 is gone...2010 looms ahead

2010-01-01T16:00:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year....the call rings out across the globe. How many truely wish this I wonder...

2009 has to be one of the worst, if not the worst, years of my life. Between the divorce things, some health problems and more, I'm glad its gone.

Jan 1 2009 I got a midnight kiss from my wife, many Happy New Years and all the norm for the day....it did little good. I even ate my blackeyed peas and cabbage!

Jan 1 2010 I got a midnight kiss from my baby Emma, many Happy New Years even from my wife though we are seperated and all the norm. Today I ate my blackeyed peas and cabbage too.

What 2010 will bring me is anyone's guess...if I'm still around on Jan 1 2011...I'll let you know.

2010 was supposed to be the second manned mission to Jupiter according to the movies...but we missed the first one is 2001...so we know that won't happen...heh. But we might make a moon base...baby steps in the right direction...

Whatever 2010 holds for me...I do indeed wish you a Happy 2010 and hope all the joy you can manage is yours and a bit more. You can never have to little pain or to much joy.

Best of wish, hopes and dreams to you in 2010.

Simeron

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

2009-12-25T08:45:00.009-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

THE BIBLE NATIVITY STORY KJV Bible--Luke 2:1-38, Matthew 2:1-23

Luke 2:1-38 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor in Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David.) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. and when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. and it was revealed unto him by Holy Ghost , that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sward shall pierce through thy own soul also,)that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. and she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Matthew 2:1-23 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled with was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called Nazarene.

What sets a Christian apart from those that don't believe this story?

All celebrate the season, food, drink, friends, and all.

What should Christians have that the unbeliever doesn't at this time of year?

Some would say Christ....and that is true to some extent but Christ is there for the saved and unsaved alike.

I think its something that Jesus gives to the believer....all year round but its most felt this time of year....

Hope.

And as Tiny Tim observed....God bless us everyone.

Simeron (aka Ben La Count)

Happy Birthday my little precious Emma Marie!

2009-12-12T20:43:00.002-06:00

Daddy loves you baby....happy 4th Birthday.

Remember Pearl Harbor

2009-12-07T08:06:00.002-06:00

What happens when your enemies believe you to be weak?

Pearl Harbor and the Twin Towers stand as a somber testament to what happens. The innocent and faith in humanity must pay the price.

In recent years things have come to life such as the poor man that thought the jap air attack was B-17s and got to carry that ill fated decision all his life was, in fact, no matter. Even if he had acted immediately, there was no land line to the airfield so he didn't have time to get any airplanes off the ground. The P-40s would have been wiped out anyway as they were not only outnumbered but, out classed by the Zero.

Interesting note, the Zero was reported to the War Department (our Defense Department now) by the Flying Tigers and thier reaction was 'bunk' because no plane could be that aerodynamic.

They also have photographs of a jap mini sub carrying out a torpedo attack on the Arizona that has long been thought to have been a torpedo bomber. Modern technology and the finding of three of the subs managed that.

68 years after the "Day of Infamy", we are still learning about Pearl Harbor. Some of the lessons we have had to relearn at a terribly high price.

The best comment I can think about Pearl Harbor is a quote attributed to the Japanese. Adm. Nagumo realized they had missed the American Carrier Force and then, that the attack was a sneak attack. Adm. Yamamoto was informed and while the staff was jubilate about the fantastic victory, both men were somber.

I believe Adm. Yamamoto is attributed as saying he could think of nothing so insulting to the American people than a sneak attack. That he believed all they had done is awoken a sleeping giant that would come to consume them.

History teaches us he was very right though, he would never live to see it.

By the end of the war, not only had Japan been utterly defeated, it gained a very infamous honor.

It is the only nation to ever have nuclear weapons used against it.

Even this point is still argued over to this day. While those arguements are for another day and another place, it is a fact they were dropped and opened the world into the nuclear age in a very graphic way.

I believe the bombs saved lives in WWII in the short term and I fully believe the horror of the weapons effects afterward staved off nuclear destruction on a scale far wider in 1962 with the Cuban Missile Crisis. We understood the horror of the weapons we had at our disposal instead of bungling forward once again into a mess as we have so often before.

But even that point is a matter of contention.

Regardless, the deaths that started on 7 December 1941 for the Americans added to one of the greatests wars we have known as a human race. Some 20 million people would end up losing thier lives so, in the grand scheme of things, the 2500 or so at Pearl Harbor was not many. But for those that lived it, and what came after, and came through, they will never forget.

Nor should we.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T16:13:00.000-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Remember our Veterans and Fort Hood

2009-11-11T11:34:00.007-06:00

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

Such was the official Congressional order 4 June, 1926 recognizing the end of WWI and Armistice Day became a day to honor the veterans of the "Great War to end all war".

In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe store owner named Al King had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who served in World War I. King had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into "All" Veterans Day. The Emporia Chamber of Commerce took up the cause after determining that 90% of Emporia merchants as well as the Board of Education supported closing their doors on November 11, 1953, to honor veterans. With the help of then-U.S. Rep. Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

Since that time, the world at large has adopted the day as Remembrance Day.

We should all remember that ALL veterans gave some...but some gave ALL.

Freedom isn't free. We pay for it in the blood, sweat and tears of our best and brightest. And as Americans, we pay for it for other people with the same price tag, even when they don't remember we have, we do, and we forever will.

Here is a history of the day.

SALUTE!

2012: Hollywood and more

2009-11-03T09:15:00.002-06:00

Sony is releasing thier movie 2012 on November 13th, 2009. In typical Hollywood fashion, its a "blockbuster" of apocalyptic doomsday magnitude and people are, like lemmings over a cliff, eating it up like the soup of the day at an all you can eat buffet.

But, I've been following alot of the prophetic reasons behind 2012 and while I think the Hollywood version is...well...Hollywooded up. I also believe 2012 may very well be the end of life as we know it.

Will it be the end of life on Earth? That I don't know and nobody really does. But, I have followed many of the tales, both ancient and modern, that lead me to believe 2012 is not going to be a good year for the planet, much less the human race. Let me tell you some of the reasons why...

1) Mayan Calendar

Okay, this is the one alot of people are going nuts over. Basically, the Mayan Calendar, or the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, resets or hit 13.0.0.0.0, depending on who you ask. This is supposed to signal the end of the 5th age of Man and the last one. Our technology will turn against us, animals and plants will lecture us on our folly and destruction of Gaia or Mother Earth. Now, it doesn't take much to see how we are messing up the planet and this alone has always been a curious sidenote to me. Interesting but definately not something to be overly concerned about.

2) Hopi Indians

The Hopi Indians also have a prophecy about the end of the 4th world that sounds very ominous.

Hopi Indian Prophecy, Signs of the End:

1) The coming of the white-skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana men who took the land that was not theirs. And men who struck their enemies with thunder.

2) Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices. In his youth, my father saw this prophecy come true with his eyes -- the white men bringing their families in wagons across the prairies.

3) A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns, will overrun the land in large numbers.

4) The land will be crossed by snakes of iron.

5) The land shall be criss-crossed by a giant spider's web.

6) The land shall be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun.

7) You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it.

8) You will see many youth, who wear their hair long like my people, come and join the tribal nations, to learn their ways and wisdom.

9) You will hear of a dwelling-place in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. Very soon after this, the ceremonies of my people will cease.

It doesn't take much to see that at least 8 of these 9 signs have happened. Hippies, oil spills, Interstate Highways, power grids and internet, covered wagons, cattle, railroads and the coming of the white man with guns all fill those nicely. So what about the 9th?

Some point to Skylab or the MIR space stations. Others talk of the ISS...but I think it will be the satellites around the planet crashing into the Earth or the solar storm that will be coming in 2012. You can read more about that below.

3) Time Line Project

This is a very little known item where people mapped the "biorhythem" of the planet. Unfortunately, I cant' find anything on the internet about it as I have forgotten the offical name. Basically what the team did was map out Earth's biorhythem based on historical events. Low points were things like the World Wars, the lowest being the Civil War. High points where like the Pax Romana, the Enlightenment and the moon landings. There was no way for the line charting the rythem to touch the baseline unless time as we know it stopped. This happens in 2012.

4) NASA

Now, here is the reason for my own worries about 2012 being a bad year. First off, on 31 January, 2012 433 Eros, a HUGE space rock, the second largest near Earth object in fact, is going to be coming VERY close to the Earth. While it won't hit so far as we know, in space terms, its a grazing shot over our forehead and with any such near miss, a slight bump can be all it takes to have a recreation of the Chicxulub impact but much worse.

Then there is the real worry that the Sun will be in its most active state in 2012. A NASA study says solar storms will be devastating to electronics everywhere on Earth but especially on the satellite network we have put AROUND Earth.

Professor Daniel Baker is director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado and chaired the panel that prepared the report and released a statement with it that said,

"Whether it is terrestrial catastrophes or extreme space weather incidents, the results can be devastating to modern societies that depend in a myriad of ways on advanced technological systems."

On top of this, look at what happened in 1859 when a "perfect solar storm" hit Earth. Telegraph lines shorted out and it lit brush fires. Imagine the damage to our computers and electronics if such an event happened today! Our cars have computers, our aircraft, ships, no GPS because not only is your PDA fried, but the satellites are now hunks of junk and possibly burning up in the atmosphere or worse, crashing to earth like a hail of debris. Telephone lines are down, no internet, modern emergency services are out because thier hi tech equipment is shot....and this is world wide. No help from other places?

5) Seed Bank Project

Think this is all folly and nonsense? Some of the richest and smartest people on the planet don't seem to think so. They have been working since 1984 on a icey, windswept Artic island hollowing it out and filling it with seed from every known plant they can. NON HYBRID seeds too because they are heartier and can live in worse conditions though giving lower food yields. But if your population is far lower, lower yields are okay.

I saw a show on the Discovery Channel that said Madagascar would be mostly untouched by the coming global melt down. There will be pockets elsewhere also naturally but the pollution and other poisons that will come from it will probably leave most of the world a very unfriendly place to live.

Will the world as we know it end in 2012?

I think I'll visit Madagascar in December of that year and celebrate New Years back in the United States and let you know. No sense taking chances right?

Seriously though, I do believe the world will be a vastly different place after that year but, only time will tell for sure.

God bless all

All Hallow's Eve.

2009-10-31T09:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween to Everyone!

On this day in years past...

2009-10-13T13:50:00.002-05:00

The Continental Congress authorized the construction of a naval fleet in 1775 and in 1792 The cornerstone of the White House was laid.

Also, in 2009, we see the fawning of the Nobel Peace Prize people over our President. Seems they just had to give him the peace prize for wanting peace. Doesn't seem to matter that he hasn't really DONE anything to obtain it....meph.

Given the storm in my own personal life, from having my wife of some 18-19 years leave me to my apartment being robbed, the first time in my 42-43 years of life I have been robbed by the by, the fact the world seems to be imploding, exploding and spinning in ways that defy the laws of physics, gravity, reality and what used to pass for normality...I think this song is in order...

Nuff said...

Code Pink leader gets Reality Check in Afghanistan.

2009-10-07T16:10:00.002-05:00

Medea Benjamin and a small group of Code Pinko pinheads were in Afghanistan trying to get something to bolster their call for a full pullout of our troops. This is the same group of people that started out in 2002 calling for us not to go into Iraq if you recall. They have basically been a thorn in the eye of many people, saying how we would be defeated in Iraq (yeah they were right there weren't they?) and how our troops were murders, how the Marines shouldn't be allowed to recruit in Berkley and more.

Unfortunately for Ms. Benjamin, she forgot the first rule of politics or being a lawyer...never ask a question you aren't 100% sure the answer will be. Seems Masooda Jalal, former Afghan minister of women, tossed her a curve ball.

When asked if she would prefer more international troops or more development funds, a loaded question if ever there were one, Ms. Jalal responded,

"It is good for Afghanistan to have more troops – more troops committed with the aim of building peace and against war, terrorism, and security – along with other resources. Coming together they will help with better reconstruction."

Even with such blatant statements, the Pinkos can't stand to back off thier position much. They simply have said there should be no timeline for the removal but that a removal should still happen. Code Pink is supposed to be a woman's organization that supports women. So, what do women in Afghanistan that now have new found political power there have to say about troop withdrawals?

"In the current situation of terrorism, we cannot say troops should be withdrawn," Shinkai Karokhail, an Afghan member of Parliament and woman activist, told them. "International troop presence here is a guarantee for my safety."

Seems clear as crystal to me where the women in country are standing. And they certainly are NOT standing behind Code Pinko.

Somehow I think this group did more harm to thier cause then good here...heh...go figure.

Obama Lama and the Ding Dongs....

2009-09-16T13:29:00.003-05:00

One of the web cartoons I read got me laughing hard and I need that right now. Charles is the kind of camp counciler I would be and I loved when I was young. He's just the kind of person that those that follow hate...a free thinker. He challenges people, finds things that blows the status quo and laughs in the face of "policitcal correctedness".

He also enjoys hearing the loud speaker announcements like this one.

Obama-Lama and the Ding Dongs indeed sir!

I also ask that people pray Psalm 91 for my daughter Emma (our 3-4 year old) and myself. Things are not going well for us.

Simeron

Broke the halfway mark finally.

2009-09-09T09:44:00.002-05:00

AD sure beat the snot out of me when it comes to getting the wieght off. But I am still fighting to get it off and I will.

Passed halfway point now I can get the other half off!

ROAR!

I miss you Brother

2009-09-05T09:38:00.001-05:00

It's been 4 years now since you were taken from us by someone too impatient to wait thier turn, driving a semi trailer into your lane.

I miss you very much Nelson, my only brother. Especially now when my wife has left and taken the kids. So little family left.

Your girls and grand babies are going good, life is hard for them without you but I do what I can. Its not enough I know...but its all I can do.

Our sister misses you also.

I hope mom and dad are enjoying your company. I hope so at least.

You are still loved and missed terribly my brother and you are remembered.

History repeated?

2009-08-03T16:46:00.003-05:00

Take a look at this political cartoon....

A bit small I know but, basically the idea here is that we as a nation will spend our way into a recovery and when that fails, blame the capitalists, do away with the Constitutional Rights and then, once all that is done, make the US of A a socialist dictatorship.

Want to know the scary part....this cartoon is from 1934....

Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it....

A Tear Lost in the Rain (by me)

2009-07-28T10:03:00.002-05:00

Over the years I have written some short stories and as you can imagine, most of them are High Fantasy or Science Fiction. I've even had a few published over the years such as the War of Ro.

Below is one of my first short stories and now that I have some time on my hands, I'm thinking of actually trying to write a fantasy style book....now, I'm under no illusions that I'll ever make money off this...I do hope to but, I just don't think my writing is up to the professional level. But I'm always seeking to improve it regardless so, please read over the story and give some constructive comments.

Please be nice...hehe

***

"A Tear Lost in the Rain" by Simeron

The day had been overcast since mid-morning and the clouds had grown darker and heavier as it had passed into evening, finally releasing a torrent of rain, wind and lightning not too long ago. Smythe Higgins sat near the doorway just inside Edmond’s Tavern and Inn’s front door sipping at a cup of dandelion tea, waiting and watching the people now pouring into the tavern. The crowd was much larger tonight than usual because of the storm, which suited him just fine. He was only after two people in particular and having lots of people around to confirm he was in the inn made things much easier.

He watched the farm hands, wagon drovers and bargemen relaxing after a hard days work, laughing and swapping lies of deeds never done and women never bedded. There were four guardsmen in one corner sharing a pitcher of some kind of local brew and this gave him an idea. He motioned to the nearest barmaid to come over.

"More tea love?" she quipped.

"Yes please. And if you would be ever so kind, please provide those guardsmen two more pitchers of whatever brew they are drinking on me." he replied cheerfully placing a small coin purse in the aging, but still quite attractive barmaids hands.

"Take the price out of this as well as a few gold sovereigns for yourself. I’d also like some stew and bread if there is some still available. Please just hold onto any extra coin for me, just use it as needed to cover my other drinks and things. I’ll seek you out when I head up to my room later to make sure we are even on the night."

"Why thank ye love. And I’ll be sure ta let the militia know o’ yer kindness."

He flashed a child-like grin at her and she beamed one back at him then she vanished into the crowd to fill other orders and tend to her duties. Not long after, she delivered him a large bowl of fish stew and two small loaves of rye bread along with another cup of tea. He watched as she then took a pair of pitchers over to the guard table and explained their good fortune. They all looked at him and when they did, he raised his mug to them in salute. They waved back with broad grins and filled their tankards to the rim and returned to their drinking. Soon after, he saw his prey, a man and woman, head out the doorway and into the dark night.

Outside the rain was still falling, but it was lighter now. Quietly, he slipped on some heavy cloth overshoes and slid out the doorway into the night. He pulled a hooded cloak from behind a trash barrel, pulled it about him, placed a small cloth mask over his face and then set off after the pair.

The street was empty of people as he watched them approach from the doorway of the local apothecary. Its door was set into the building and provided a nice little alcove in which to conceal his small frame. The pair was happily chatting away about the night’s events as they headed home for the evening. They never even noticed the small child sized figure slip in silently behind them. They didn’t that is until the wife came to a sudden stop and let out a weak gasp. The man turned calling his wife’s name, Helen, in a questioning manner. She fell against him weakly, trying to speak but completely unable to. As he caught her, he saw the small figure with paired blades drawn. He saw his wife’s blood slowing dripping off both as the rain mixed with it. He started to cry out but it was already too late as both blades slid deeply into his sides just under his upraised arms. He felt the wet steel as it pierced his lungs and the tips puncture his heart. He collapsed to his knees, wife still in his arms, unable to summon even a breath to speak her name. She gazed at him one last time and died, not understanding why. He looked into the hooded face of Smythe Higgins, incomprehension showing on his face. As if in answer, Smythe Higgins held up a card with a black mailed fist holding a golden lightning bolt between gloved fingers. A glint of understanding came to the doomed man’s eyes then, but quickly dulled as death came to take him once again to his beloved bride. With a flick of his fingers, the card settled in the folds of the cloaks of the couple where he knew the local guard would be sure to find it, wiped his blades off with a clean dry cloth from inside his armor and returned back to near the inn. He removed his wet cloak, mask and overshoes and placed them under some trash in the barrel, slipped quietly back to his seat and began eating his meal.

It was about an hour later that the Watch came into the tavern. Smythe Higgins watched as they talked to the innkeeper and then to several others in the tavern. Quickly, word spread that the son of the Griffin’s Bane mercenary leader and his wife had been brutally murdered by members of the Black Lightning Company. People were already beginning to call for reprisals as he sought out the barmaid from earlier.

"Seems something very bad has happened miss." he said as he walked up.

"Aye sir that it has. A good man and his lovely wife ‘ave been butchered on our very streets this night, son of the militia leader no less. Oh those Black Lightning scum from New Haven upriver will pay though. This mean war." she said spitting at the name.

"Ah, I take it they are what serve as the militia for New Haven then." he replied shaking his head sadly. "It is bad news indeed. But, I am retiring for the evening however and would know if we are even on the bill."

"We are good sir," she said with a sigh. "And you’ll be right glad ta know you’ve still over 20 gold sovereigns in your money purse. An honest inn we keep here." she said handing the half empty purse to him.

"Ah," he said putting the purse back in his pouch. "Tis good to know that there are still honest people in the world. I’ll make sure to tell the innkeeper in the morning of it too."

She nodded with a half smile as she headed back into the now somber room. He could hear the rising storm of the coming war as he retired to his room. Inside, as agreed, a small box had been placed under the bed. He counted each star agate as he placed them in a pouch he wore about his neck. The merchant guild had their war and would soon make back what these gems cost and more from war profiteering he was sure, not that it mattered much to him. He took his normal precautions of trapping both door and window, lay down on the soft bed and closed his eyes. He smiled as he fell asleep knowing both sides would be paying him for various services rendered, all the time never knowing how it all began.

Still away...

2009-07-24T15:09:00.002-05:00

Life continues to be a roller coaster of fun (not!) for me. But we endure, we move on.

Forgive the lack of posts but, I just don't have the energy or time for the moment. Between the divorce stuff, the time I get with Emma and the kids, my eldest daughter getting pregnant with thier second child and more, there just isn't enough hours in my 42 hour day....I've put in for the 50 hour ones to be sent in...but they haven't arrived just yet.

Speaking of longer days....this week we celebrate the 40th anniversary of man landing on the moon!

Hard to think I was 2 years old and can BARELY remember seeing it on TV!

So in honor of this....here is a little video!

Hope you enjoy it!

David Carradine dead at 72

2009-06-08T10:06:00.002-05:00

I grew up on "Kung Fu" and enjoyed David Carradine's ability with marital arts in many movies including one where he squared off with Chuck Norris called Lone Wolf McQuade among many others.

He was found dead, hung by the neck and in the nude in a closet in Thailand. I can only hope that this man did not do this himself and that whoever did do it is found quickly and given swift and sure justice.

I hope Kwai Chang Caine will have a long and peaceful trip to the next life. He will be missed.

A good prayer...

2009-06-02T14:27:00.003-05:00

Lord, please put Your loving arm around my shoulder and Your hand firmly over my mouth unless You think I should speak.

Nuff said.

Date approaches...

2009-06-02T14:16:00.002-05:00

Well the date is coming when I will be a single man again. It's not something I'm enjoying to say the least but, as one person told me...

It takes two to make a marriage and only one to end it.

Sigh...things have been a malestrom of emotions, things to do, getting into something of a life and finding additional work. Fortunately, God has continued to be very good to me. I even have gotten enough spot work to cover bills and keep my head above the waves.

I can't see how anyone that doesn't have a strong faith manages to get through something like this. I really don't. Maybe that is a sign of weakness in me, I dunno. But I can tell you one thing, without my faith in God and what I believe is Him helping me on so many fronts I can't even begin to count, I would have lost it completely by this point.

The legal stuff alone has driven me close to madness and we're agreeing on almost everything. The latest thing is a "parenting class" that is 4 hours long.

Now, I've been a parent for 17 years....granted, not a DIVORCED parent but still, what do they think they can teach me in a 4 hour class that I haven't already been given a baptism by fire with already?

If it were 4 DAYS of classes...maybe that would make more sense...but I guess I should be thankful its only 4 hours....and $40 bucks....snark...that is the reason I think..one more way for them to reach into my already bare pocket and grab a bit more money from me....lovely...

That's okay, I didn't want to eat this month anyway...rolls eyes...

Some good news...not only have I broken 300lbs...but I am down to 284 and falling! Target of 230-250 approaching at LONG last....about freaking time Sim.....heh

Life continues...some up...some down...

2009-05-15T08:41:00.002-05:00

Life continues with ups and downs....I find it funny how you can get married by simply saying you are married but it takes so much expense and effort to get UNhitched...guess that comes with the territory and is a good thing.

The "cooling off" period I can understand and think is a very good thing. Probably saves alot of marriages from getting nixed and then redone....but there are some things that seem like they serve no purpose except to line govermental pockets....

For example...$750 in court costs and filing fees? What the hell....it cost less then $150 to get all the paperwork done to get married...

Now, granted that was over 18 years ago...but yeesh....

And of course, there are days when the ex wife and I can't stand to even think about one another and days we miss having each other around. 18 years is a very long time to have someone in your life and its not easy to simply chop them out....especially when you got kids.

Emma is adjusting...its hard on everyone naturally...but the resilient nature of youth seems to be winning out. I'm thankful I have two "pre-adult" teens and a toddler instead of kids in the 6-13 range....I think that age is the absolute hardest for kids to have to deal with parents splitting up.

And thankfully, for the most part at least, our split has been tame compared to the other train wrecks I've seen. Its still a train wreck...but...its not go all the animals running loose, chemical spills and passenger cars in the river in the middle of the night stuff going on....at least, not yet.

This rodeo ain't over yet by a long shot....so everyone please...PLEASE keep praying that the deal we have in place will remain in place...its more then fair to us both and from my cheap seats, no reason to change it...but...nothing is cast in iron yet...sigh.

Also, with Child Support coming out of my checks and the fact I am now having to file SINGLE...ouchy...the pay envelop is a fair bit lighter...add this with the fact I had to add a car note (and yes I would have had to add one regardless) it means I need a second job or spot work.

So if anyone knows of some computer work...website designs...virus cleanings..etc....kick me an email. Have to be in the Houston area but I've worked computers for about 30 years give or take...I migth know a bit about them...lol. And I could use the extra cash...even tutoring spots will work...for any subject in school or computers...

I might have a place that will let me work from home too...so pray for this too....computer tech support or customer service online....would be perfect I think....

Will try to get back to posting on other things then this...time is not a luxury I have but, will find it.

Simeron

New car...more expense...life goes on...

2009-05-07T08:35:00.002-05:00

Well, life continues to be changing at a frightening rate. Divorce is proceeding with some hiccups as my wife allows others to whisper into her ear and cause problems. Thanks to God that so far, we've weathered these but, my worry is increasing that she'll end up listening to them and the expense and pain will increase dramatically. Please keep praying for that...that this will be as cheap and pain free as possible.

On the brighter side...I traded the old pickup in for a Grand Marque. Went from a broken down 1996 Dodge to a 2007 Grand Marque with a full 7 year warranty so that if anything goes wrong on it....I am out no more then 100 bucks and even get a free rental to use for work.

The downside is a $260 car note for 5 years...grumble..but I needed it. Transmission was failing in the Dodge and died as I parked on the lot. They had just chopped $3300 off the price of the car and I got everything for under $12,000. I truely believe God put this car right where I needed it.

But if anyone knows someone needing computer work in the Houston area or a webpage built anywhere in the world...I could use the extra cash...heheh

Also, please pray that Emma will not be sick...had a bit of fever last night but better this morning. I'm worried for my little girl.

In new apartment...life goes on...

2009-04-29T11:45:00.002-05:00

Well, starting to get settled into the new place. Cable AND Internet are down even though I called a WEEK ahead of time for both...grrr....but life continues...

Rent due on Friday...that bothers me because its more then a weeks pay but little Emma loves her room so its worth it!

I see that people are having fun with the swine flu....first death is a 23 month old baby right here in Houston...*8(

I'm beginning to think the world is just going to implode.

My family is all splitting up....we have pandemics and all kinds of wars and even piracy loose in the news and good news is harder to find then hen's teeth....sigh

But...we will continue on...this is what faith is for...even if its not politically correct anymore...

Texas to leave the United States...one can only dream...

2009-04-20T10:58:00.002-05:00

Governor Rick Perry has caused a bit of a storm with that little quip right there...that Texas might leave the Union.

Most folks think it's bushwa...tripe...could never happen.

What they seem to forget is Texas was a NATION before it became a state...not a territory. We joined the United States by TREATY....and once the US breaks the terms of that treaty it becomes null and void...thus Texas reverts back to its 1836 boundaries...you know...way up in Canada....

Texas could very easily do this...we need a majority vote of the people within our borders to do it and then we go before the World Court of which the US is bound by law to follow and simply state two things...

1) A majority of the people of Texas want to leave the United States.
2) The US has violated the treaty that bound Texas to itself.

The US certainly has broken the treaty...virtually ALL of it over the last 170 or so years...so we just need that majority vote...and right now...we might just get it.

Personally, I hope Mr. Perry carries through on this threat....I know he won't...too much graft from DC comes his and other politicians way...and that is the gripe they have...thier cut is getting smaller of that pie.

But, if Texas DID leave the union...we would see about 100 BILLION more dollars staying in Texas. So we could, in effect, pay for everything just like the US is paying currently and come otu with an extra 100 billion annually to play with. There is only one other state like this...and that is Montana.

Reason is the FUEL and ROAD taxes...we are so BIG and have such a high population we burn up alot of gas and such for roads....Alaska has the size..but not the people nor roadways....

Montana does..and the huge amount of trucking that goes through there is the same as down here in Texas....

So...I say why bother staying in America and watching all our morals, values, beliefs get beat up and flushed when its actually BETTER if we leave?

Well...better for TEXANS at least...

Ah well...one can dream...

Stay together and become enemies...split and be friends...

2009-04-14T08:23:00.004-05:00

Title says it all.

For the last two weeks, that has been the reality of my life. My wife of 18 years has decided to leave because we have gotten to the point we make each other miserable. If we are apart, we are the best of friends...go figure.

Not sure how I feel on a minute to minute basis even so...not sure what more to say other then, life goes on.

In the News....click

2009-03-19T11:10:00.003-05:00

These days it seems news is either bad...or not really news. Most of the Main Stream Media (MSM) is pretty much now nothing but an open propaganda machine for the "left". It has been one since about the 1960s-1970s but now, it just doesn't care enough anymore to even try to cover it up. So, when they talk of politics...or policy...or laws....or anything remotely about government...most of the flood is leftist propaganda...save "conservative" radio and TV...which is the exact opposite.

Then there is the real news stories....the ones where there is no "spin" and they actually just reports facts...God forbid...but, what to choose? Do we go with the story of a fireman saving a kitty in a tree? Or the boy scout that helped the little ole lady across the street? Or the cute puppy that little Sally just got?

Sure....we'll pick one of those for the last minute or so of the telecast. But the other 29 or 59 mintues, let's go with rape, murder, theft and round it out with the other deadly sins. Let's tell of disasters half a world away and then move back along both sides of the globe making sure to track ever little blow up, dust up and disaster we can find.

Oh...and PICTURES! We must have PICTURES! Video these days is even better! Especially if its "live" and "unauthorized".

Don Henley's song "Dirty Laundry" does it quite well. Here's a little video that also says it quite well.

Hollywood propaganda has nothing on the "Evening News" these days....and just as the song says and the video shows...

We all know crap is king.

Then we wonder why the world is going to hell in a wicker handbasket? Why execs run thier companies into the ground because of outright greed...or lust destroys our political figures....or pride and arrogance directs our decision makers to ignore the obvious...or envy brings people to steal....the list goes on.

The decay of morals is many layered and we are getting to see it all in living color... 24/7/365 ... 366 in a leap year.

And so are our children and grandchildren....and they are little sponges...soaking it all in and up...

Like I said, this started in the 1960s and 1970s and now, 30-50 years later...those kids are making headlines...not good ones...but headlines all the same...

Wonder what this next generation will do to "surpass" this one....me, I think one word sums it up...

Aramggedon.

Or as Leland Gaunt, who is the devil, says at the end of Needful Things:

Oh, by the way, give my regards to your grandson. Bob will be his name, International Trade his game. I'll see him in Jakarta, 2053. August 14th. 10a.m. A nice, sunny day. We'll make headlines.

Merry St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T09:11:00.007-05:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

To all Irish folks (and those that wish to be Irish this day) a merry Saint Patrick's Day!

Most folks know about the wearing of the green for today but, I venture to say most don't know about the wearing of the blue.

Sadly, in the northern, war torn part, of Ireland, one of the latest fashions has become the wearing of the orange. This is for the Irish Protestants whereas the green is for the Catholics.

The Irish flag has three stripes these days...one orange for the Protestants, one green for the Catholics and one white....in the hope for peace.

One of my most favorite songs is Amazing Grace. And one of the most stirring ways for me is to hear it with bagpipes....so, here is Amazing Grace played with bagpipes for a Saint Patrick's day past...

Happy Birthday Chuck Norris!

2009-03-10T10:11:00.002-05:00

Today is the birthday of Mr. Chuck Norris. The man turns 69 today and could probably still kick the snot out of 99% of the world's population...I know he could me.

I have found that, while I don't agree with everything he says and does, he and I do share an awful lot of the same things when it comes to life. Political views, belief systems, ways to keep the body pure and the like.

Sadly, my belly is still WAY to big (points to the pound meter that don't move) but, its a daily battle and I will get there....I won't quit.

Chuck is the same way...he doesn't quit...he has had personal crisis...he didn't quit.

Cajun posted about quitters....and I'm reminded of a scene from the movie Patton...taking from the real story of when the general was walking through a hospital, had just left a young man who was extremely injured. Patton was very emotional at that moment, he saw his men, and he believe they were HIS men, beat up and shot full of holes. He had just left a young man that was mutilated and had a low chance to live....and he came on a man crying on the side of a cot.

He asked the man what was wrong and was told he couldn't take the shelling anymore. We know now that sometimes, people get shell shock...they crack....they break. But at that moment, all that the general could see was a coward in a place of great honor and sacrifice. To him, at that point in time, with his emotions in chaos and busting out at the seams, this was an insult to all the other men in that hospital stood for....thier wounds screamed out for action...the men laying dead demanded it....and so, he acted.

He slapped the crying man and demanded him be removed. His rage shocked people and he was forced to apologize....it was a low point in his life and career. He was nearly sent home in disgrace. People howled for his head on a pike....but, he was given humility...something he needed badly because he had started to believe his own press.

He didn't quit...he didn't stop being a general. He didn't complain about his treatment to the media...he accepted the result of his actions, griped about it...but went on...

And at one point...he saved the war in Europe at least being lengthened greatly or possibly, lost, by doing what is still today concidered a monumental feat of turning from one battle during the hardest winter Europe had seen in a long time, hitting German forces outnumbering him greatly with no hot food or rest with his men...and the training, the stubborn American mindset...

"I WILL NOT QUIT...I WILL NOT STOP...I WILL NOT SURRENDER....I WILL BE VICTORIOUS OR I WILL BE DEAD!"

...broke the siege of Bastogne.

That same attitude is what HELD Bastogne....when the 101st Airborne stood and would NOT surrender when outnumbered 10 to 1 (or more).

"Nuts!" was the reply when the Germans demanded they surrender...

This was a generation ago now...this was when American's felt thier spines...when men stood with heads up high...when women could be women...sultry and sex one minute...and Rosie the Reveter the next...this was before the political correct crap of today sucked the life out of us.

This was when you played to WIN...not just participate. When you couldn't just pick up your marbles and go home if you got your feelings hurt...when we kept score because we understood score matters.

This was a time when you won...or lost. Losing was bad, everyone knew it, but you took your chances. If you lost this run...you learned, you plotted, you planned and you kicked butt the next time.

Yeah, you rubbed it in the faces of the losers some....that was braggin rights. But it was tempered with compassion too...and grace...and mercy...because you knew you might be on the other side of that rub next run...and you wanted that guy to go easy too.

Like in Henry V...when the commander is told of the victory and the king admonishs him not to let any man boast of it...

"Is it not right my king that we should boast of such a great victory?"

The answer says it all...

"It is good marshal but, with one addition...that GOD fought with us this day and it is to HIM the victory belongs."

The Marshall nods, thanking the king for reminding him not to be arrogant in thier victory...something sorely missing today.

I look around and wonder....have we become two kinds of people...niether good.

One that whines, gripes, fusses and can't stand to lose or another that wins and can't help but grind the vanquished into the ground over and over again, being hurtful and trying to completely destroy their spirit.

Perhaps some of you have answers...or thoughts....I'd be interested in hearing them.

And now...the rest of the story...

2009-03-02T12:56:00.002-06:00

I am saddened to tell you folks that the last of the truely great radio personalities has began his journey to keep God laughing.

Paul Harvey passed away 28 February, 2009.

His wife of over 50 years, the driving force behind him and one of the "first women of broadcasting" died last year. "Angel" was a giant in and of herself and like many women, was the "power behind the throne" of her husband.

It is reported Paul Harvey proposed to her the night of thier first date...and she kept him waiting for a year before saying yes...as many a married man knows, that's just her way of making sure he was serious...and after 50 plus years of marriage, I believe they both were.

I have to think that Paul and his "Angel" are both having a grand ole time with the Almighty. He was 90 and she 92 when they passed so, I think we have to tell Him thank you for letting us have them for so long and not begrudge Him wanting them back.

Farewell Mr. Harvey...and now you know the rest of the story. Be sure to give "Angel" a hug for us.

On this day in history....

2009-02-23T11:49:00.003-06:00

Mostly Cajun does a "on this day in history" page that is very informative and I have greatly enjoyed it many times. But, I daresay he will miss something very important to me that happened on this day.

You see, 18 years ago this day, I had a life changing experience. One that has made me a far better man, husband and father. For on this day, 18 years ago, I stood before roughly 750 people I didn't know and married my wife I had only met in person seven days before.

You hear about "mail order brides" these days but, my wife and I started out as pen pals. On 7 July 1990, she wrote me for the first time and by December, we had decided to get married. It took two more months and help from my father and mother to get me to the Phillipines, at a time when the first Gulf War was going in full robust fire. I went to Mindanao, where all the insurgents and Muslims were and believe me, I stood out.

Standing head and shoulders over most of the people there, my skin tone noticably lighter, my build much larger and my Texas drawl easily being heard over the din of street "tricycles" or motorcycles with little cart seat areas in the back made it quite obvious I was "An American Cowboy" as many, many of my wife's family and friends called me.

At one point, at her work, there was a moment straight out of the movies where so many people were pushed up at the door to the management office that when the manager opened the door, they fell through and onto the floor, just to see "the American Cowboy that was taking Annette away" to the US.

The manager was upset and apologized but, it was all good and I made sure he understood I had not one bit of upset over it. It was a very happy and joyful time for me and one I have nothing but fond memories of.

18 years have passed, three kids of our own, one grandson and one son-in-law have added to our immediate family. I've lost my mother, father and a brother in that time too and my wife has felt the loss even more then I have because, they all accepted her as a daughter and made her feel welcome in our family.

It has not been an easy run...we've had fights, some really bad and we even had a short two month seperation at one point a couple of years ago. But we have grown through the times, both good and bad.

We are closer now to each other then ever, Praise to God and by His grace and glory.

If and when you read this my beloved wife, my partner in this life and the one I hold most dear among women and men, know that I am forever and always your husband. That I will love you regardless of anything that happens and will love you beyond death by faith and the grace of the Almighty.

It is my honor and joyous gift to call you wife, lover and soulmate.

I love you always and forever.

Happy 18th wedding anniversary and let's try it out for another year!

Sound principles...

2009-02-19T12:38:00.007-06:00

Below is a quote that is very appropriate I believe given today's way of doing things here in the US and elsewhere...

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that, my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing."

That just about sums it up to the letter I believe....

Round two...

2009-02-17T12:53:00.002-06:00

Mark, over at Texas Fellowship, has a series of programs on preparing for the various crisis flare-ups we can expect in the not so far off future. They're free. They're fun. They could very well make alot of difference in your life as well as your loved ones. This one deals with food preparation...

Give a listen!

And as an added bonus, here is a little challenge he cooked up...pun intended...

Gun Control Idiocy gone mad...

2009-02-12T12:14:00.002-06:00

Long ago, when I was in high school here in Houston, I was on the Pistol Team, Rifle Team and the Drill Team in my NJROTC (Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp) unit.

In fact, I was Captain of the Pistol Team for three of my four years (freshmen could not be Captain or XO), XO of the Rifle Team for three years (My Pistol Team XO was my CO on the Rifle team ironically), and was CPO of the Drill Team.

Needless to say, I was exposed to REAL firearms and FAKE firearms that at one time were real.

We used single pump action air soft pistols that fired a small little pellet. They had a range of about 10-20 yards and were dangerous but unless something went really, really wrong, wouldn't be deadly.

The rifles however were Mossburgs, .22 cal, open site and were very deadly. They were REAL rifles that fired REAL bullets. They used .22 cal LONG ammo mostly though you could use SHORT if you wanted. But we fired these at 100 yards at a minimum and the normal routine was 100 yards, 300 yards, 500 yards. We went to a rifle range and were well schooled in both safety and firearm use protocols. In fact, we had to spend the first three months getting that drilled into us before we ever SAW a bullet. This was EACH year too...regardless.

So it is with great dismay I find that the gun grabbin nitwits at Cherokee Trail High School have gone off the deep end head first and handed a 10 day suspension to a 17 year old lady that not only has never been in trouble before, but is a straight A student and headed to the Merchant Marine Academy.

Her offense?

She forgot she had three drill team dummy rifles in her car and parked on the school campus.

She is the student leader of the Douglas County Young Marines you see. Chris Proctor, the man in charge of the drill team, has even gone and tried to talk to the school officials. But, they have just "rebuffed" him and proceeded with thier stupidity.

Chris Proctor, commanding officer of the Douglas County Young Marines, was rebuffed in his attempt to explain the props to school leaders.

"There's no mistaking that these are not real rifles," said Proctor. "I think somewhere along the line, logic has to take over and they have to be able to make exceptions to the rules."

"Marie is one of the best kids that you could ever imagine," he said.

Marie is taking it all in stride, has even said it was her mistake for forgetting the rifles in her car.
The Young Marines are standing by thier commander too. She is taking the fight all the way to the state capital where, hopefully, she will manage to get the law being used in this stupidity changed. It is sad that these fine young people and thier mentors are having to fight this battle but, I for one hope they win in a big way.

If you look at these "firearms" you can easily see one is not something you would be shooting...ever...and the other two are not real. This is clearly a case of the school officials, who could have chosen NOT to suspend her in the first place, that have personal agendas here about guns.

The fact these same officals could expel her just makes my stomach turn.

I hope everyone will write emails to this school, making thier feelings known about this poor example of responsibility on THEIR part and give encourangement to Marie for actually showing MORE responsibility then the "administrators" of her high school.

Get your free ounce....

2009-02-11T08:25:00.007-06:00

There is an old saying that still very much holds true in today's world, even moreso...

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

And the Boy Scout motto then applies....

"Always be prepared."

Hurricane Ike is a recent reminder to the folks in its path that the two, very often, go hand in hand. If you are prepared for a crisis, you have given yourself a lot of prevention. You may not be able to prevent the crisis itself, but you can prevent an awful lot of the bad things happening that come from it.

For example, my wife wondered why I had a bathtub filled with water, all sinks but one, several gallon milk jugs cleaned and filled, six cases of bottled water...see a pattern here?

I explained that during Alicia, we were without water for three days and then it was not safe to drink for five more. That's eight days without drinkable water for a family of two adults, three teenagers, one toddler and one infant...newborn at that. I was still concerned we didn't have enough water.

I had bleach to purify more, an outdoor cooker/bar-be-que to boil water and cook, a solar still that would give up to a gallon more water a day, a big trash can full of hurricane supplies and more. We fared very well. Neighbors that had not prepared didn't come out so good and we were even able to help them out.

So, what has me going on all this?

Mark, over at Texas Fellowship, has a series of programs on preparing for the various crisis flare-ups we can expect in the not so far off future. They're free. They're fun. They could very well make alot of difference in your life as well as your loved ones.

Give a listen!

Sci Fi Fantasy becomes Reality...

2009-02-06T13:07:00.002-06:00

I am simply amazed at this. I have followed Anime from its Speed Racer days in America. Watching it evolve into the current sci-fi fantasy meets Saturday morning cartoon has been a joy of mine to say the least.

Now it seems that we have come a step closer...a big one...toward robotic combat suits similar to the "Gundams"

Robot Suit HAL is worn over the arms and legs. Through the use of eight electric motors attached to shoulders, elbows, knees and the waist, this device greatly assists body movement.Produced by Cyberdyne Inc, the company expects to make the robot suit available for rental through specific sales outlets in the very near future.

While this particular suit is nowhere near that level of completion nor use, it is a remarkable step toward this. It works off the faint bioelectical signals sent out from the brain and is a powered exoskeleton.

The applications for this are mind boggling.

People paralyzed could now move simply by THINKING about doing what they could already do. People could learn to walk that never had or could before. Industrial exosuits have been used already but this would take it to an entirely new level where the operator THINKS instead of manipulating things with thier feet and hands....

I've included the video with the article and certainly encourage any of you that read my blog to go read the entire article...

This is definately impressive technology!

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T08:42:00.002-06:00

Today, I keep hearing how this Inauguration Day is so historic because, our 44th President is 'african-american'....O_o

First off, Mr. Obama is not really so much 'african-american' as he is Arab which would be more fitting to be historic then saying he's Black...oh..sorry...'african-american'....

Second, his mother was White...oh...sorry...'caucasion-american'...and his father abandoned them so she was also a SINGLE mother...which also would warrant this being a historic day in that a SINGLE PARENT KID made it to be POTUS....THIS folks is the proof of the AMERICAN DREAM...

Yes little John, Suzy, whomever....as long as you are a native US Citizen, you too can be President of the United States of America as long as you work at it REALLY HARD...

Or at least have a team of people that will do it for you....

For those of you that don't know...I think John Wayne said it best about that stupid hyphon. There shouldn't be any "xxx-americans"...you are either an American...or you're not...there is no good reason for that hyphon being there really...it is divisive...it is class and race segregating...and it needs to go..not be proliferated like it is being now. But that's another rant for another post....

Today, I ask you join me in welcoming and praying for our new President as well as wishing well and praying for our outgoing one.

If you ever want to know how hard and draining a job this is....take a look at these men as they go into the office, including Mr. Obama, and then see them on the way out.

They are aged, real age that shows. Its like the life has been litterally sucked out of them by the tasks, the knowledge, the choices they face every day from the time they are elected.

I watched President Obama, and yes I will call him that now for today he will be our President, when he went into his first intelligence meeting. all smiles, waving, happy go lucky, just riding that wave of joy at being the President-Elect.

He came out frowning, stern faced, looking slightly down and seemed tremendously unhappy.

And that was just the first taste of being President vs being President-Elect.

So again, given the tidal wave of crap this man is going to face...is already facing...pray for him even if you didn't vote for him.

I didn't vote for him but I am sure going to be praying for him and his family. He has a job I do not and will never want.

I don't care the perks...it just isn't worth it to me...I've seen what it does to the men who have held it throughout history from George Washington to George W. Bush....and it ain't purty as Hoss would say...

Farewell Mr. Bush (two) and Welcome Mr. Obama (one)...God watch over, protect and guide you still, in all your days.

May He give you the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Samson and the courage of Joshua.

Farewell Mr. Rourke...

2009-01-16T10:45:00.002-06:00

Ricardo Montalban, or Mr. Corenthian Leather as he was sometimes known, was a very good actor and director. He has been mimiced in cartoons like Kim Possible (Senior Senior) and held memorable roles as Mr. Rouke on Fantasy Island and Khan Noonien Singh in both the original series Star Trek and the 1982 film, the Wrath of Khan.

He passed away 14 Janurary, 2009, just a month after Majal Rodenberry.

Into the next voyage sir...hope Herve is waiting for you Boss.

Micheal Moore strike...out...

2009-01-15T16:27:00.003-06:00

I have a RSS Feed on the blog to Michael Yon's blog because I feel he is not only an honest man that supports his country and its soldiers but, he is probably one of the best (and last) journalists of our time.

His writings are provoking to say the least and his pictures are worth FAR more then 1,000 of even his words.

In short, the man is a class A act from ground zero up.

There is another Michael out there...Mr. Moore...that is as polar an opposite from Mr. Yon as night is from day. The stupidity and bias this individual has shown continues in that he has basically STOLEN one of Mr. Yon's PRIZE WINNING PHOTOS to further Mr. Moore's misguided and totaly wrong beliefs. And after SEVEN MONTHS of Mr. Yon trying to discuss the matter with Mr. Moore, and Mr. Moore being silent, Mr. Yon is concidering sueing him.

Mr. Moore portrayed this photo in one of his tripe rants hoping to blame the brave men and women of our armed forces for the child's death. She did die a short time after this photo was taken, despite the desperate attempts of our soliders to save her despite being in a hot zone where a car bomb had just exploded, which was why she was killed.

Of course, Mr. Moore couldn't be bothered with this nor could he be bothered to pay for the photograph because, I believe he knew he would never get permission from Mr. Yon to use it. I may be off base on that though and will let Mr. Yon capably field such ideas and questions.

I personally hope Mr. Yon does go ahead and sue Mr. Moore and ends up bankrupting the fat sod. Maybe then the large sums of money the fat toad gets from the nutjobs and moonbats will finally go to good use as Mr. Yon can sure use the funds.

And please, stop by and give support moral, financial and otherwise to Mr. Yon...

The not so best laid plans of men....

2009-01-13T13:20:00.003-06:00

There is a story out about the removal of feral cats from an island south of Australia named Macquarie and how, while good intentioned, it has backfired on the people doing it due to simple poor planning.

The native seabirds where being killed and eaten I gathered by the cats which, being cats, hunt birds. They were wiping the local avian population out rather handily and, as they were introduced via man instead of good old nature, people felt responsible enough to try to fix the problem...which is a good thing.

So, simple enough, remove the cats right?

Nope...not so much no...you see, the cats weren't the only man introduced thing...there are rats and rabbits too and, guess what else cats eat?

So, with the cats gone, the rabbits and rats had no predators to hunt them and so, boom, baby boom! Rats eat the eggs and chicks, rabbit kill the ground cover the birds need for nests and so, the native birds actually are now taking a BIGGER hit...all because the powers that be didn't fully think through thier action.

So now, they have decided to start using GPS and poison baits against the ferals. One has to hope this will work but, I wonder about the unintended consequences this might make. Poison is always a dicey choice but, given the eradication of the cats...it might be the only option.

Time will tell.

New Arab perversion....

2009-01-08T09:01:00.003-06:00

It has been over 60 years since the beginning of Hitler's program to "make the world a better place" by exterminating the Jewish people. Over SIX MILLION Jews were killed in the Holocaust and now, some moronic twit of waste of flesh in Ft. Lauderdale is calling for Jews to go through it again.

She screamed, "Go back to the oven." and "You need a big oven, that's what you need."

And the group she was with, ANSWER, has denied she is with them and has even tried to justify such speech, as shown in thier response on thier webpage to the FOXNews story. The best they have come up with was the remarks were "insensitive".

No Sh*t Sherlock!

Comparing the genocide of over a decade of enslavement and systematic genocide of men, women, young children and infants in some of the most horrific ways ever seen to mankind, including gassing, mass burials (alive sometimes), torture and experimentation, including being cut open for study of internal organs and bones WHILE STILL ALIVE that ended in some six million deaths to the 700 or so deaths in a WAR FRONT that was CAUSED BY HAMAS SHOOTING ROCKETS INTO A SOVERIGN NATION KILLING ITS CITIZENS is insensitive?

Allow me to wish that a huge iron boot be placed squarely in your rectal canal so far up it that you can taste the result madam and a slightly less instrusive, though no less painful, repeat for this "organizations" complete and total stupidity.

What ANSWER needs to have done, instead of trying to justify such a remark seeing as they are "against bigotry" is to denounce the woman's comments, say she should be punished for them or at least have taken her to the police and asked she be removed from thier protest.

If they really are "against anti-Semitism" then they should have reacted with far more then this little "insensitive" remark after the fact. They should have openly declared she was very wrong in her words and that people such as she are not welcome in thier protests nor are any with a similar mindset.

I am not Jewish nor do I condone inhuman treatment, by anyone or anything including myself, against anyone in general and precious very things in specific (creatures such as folks that mutilate and each babies and the like are IN the torture catagory for me..sorry).

But comparing the handful of deaths, while regretable, in a time of war of a people that laughed, chanted and cheered the deaths of SIX TIMES as many people in the twin towers (yes I remember the Palastienians cheering and being happy about it) to the genocide against the Jews and other people the Nazi's did while they were in power...a genocide that cost six million Jews and as many other people thier lives in camps....and over TWENTY MILLION people in a war they caused...is not only beyond belief...I feel its criminal.

It is a "hate crime" and should be treated as such in my opinion. Fortunately for this female (I refuse to call her even a woman) and this group, my opinion is not law. If it were, the minimum they would be facing is a heavy fine for the group and a nice, long deportation to Gaza for that female.

Let's see what they feel about it when they are up close and personal instead of lounging comfortably in the safety of American power.

Nuff said.

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T08:17:00.002-06:00

I hope you all have a wonderful and joyful new year that lasts until 2010. There is alot of apprehension in the air but, my faith remains.

As the Casting Crowns song says....I will praise Him in this storm.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T14:16:00.004-06:00

The Simeron clan wishes for all to have a wonderful, safe and Merry Christmas.

And please pray for those far from home, defending us and others from those that would seek to kill and maim. Be they of ANY nation...

The First Lady of Star Trek heads into the Final Frontier...

2008-12-22T08:21:00.004-06:00

18 December, 2008 marks the end of an era for me and many Star Trek fans. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry lost her fight against leukemia at her home in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California.

She was concidered the "First Lady of Star Trek" by most, having had a part in some way throughout the many different Star Trek and being married to the man who's dream Star Trek was, Gene Rodenberry.

She even is the voice of the ship's computer in the upcoming Star Trek movie that is supposed to be released in 2009, completing this work just two weeks before her passing.

She loved Star Trek and its fans and was loved by them, including myself, in return. She made trips to convention after convention and seemed a tireless, continuing part of her husband's dream. As long as Majel was around, any of the Star Trek parts of the family seemed to be tied back to the Original Series just a little bit.

She even acted as a calming influence in the rivalry between Babylon 5 and Star Trek fans by having an important role as the "fortune teller" widow of a former emporer of Centari Prime who, tells Lando and Vir they will both become emporer but only after the death of one of them.

She was even the voice of Stewie Griffin's ship on Family guy....

Her passing is one that will deeply effect the Star Trek family as well as her own and I for one will miss her and the talent she brought to the screen.

Fair thee well "Number One", Nurse Christine Chapel, Lwaxana Troi (my personal favorite), M'Ress (a comm officer in the animated series), and the voice of the Enterprise and other Federation starships across every single Star Trek series AND movies including the one that will be released 2009.

Your legacy is great...the shoes left behind are too large to be filled...but we will try.

Warp Speed...

Powerful Truth

2008-12-19T10:25:00.003-06:00

From time to time, I actually do get email that is both telling and helps to bolster my sagging spirit. Often that email turns out to be only a partial truth or completely fake but once in a while, its pure truth and then, its golden.

Below you will see one of those golden nuggets you manage to find from time to time in the mountain of dirt you move called email....I confirmed this at SNOPES.COM and at the Colts website and can only imagine the impact of this speech at the time it was offered.

It is a message that I feel, especially at this particular Christmas, should be spread far and wide...

They were there for breakfast, and they were there to cheer New York Jets running back Curtis Martin.

And it was Martin who received the Athletes in Action Bart Starr Award Saturday morning, but the hundreds who gathered in fourth-floor ballroom at the Marriott Renaissance in Detroit, Mich., on the morning before Super Bowl XL were clearly touched by the featured speaker.

That speaker was Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy.

Two hours into the breakfast, emcee Brent Jones introduced Dungy, who was welcomed with a lengthy standing ovation. Dungy thanked the crowd, shared an anecdote about Martin, then told the crowd he was going to speak for about 15 minutes.

“It’s great to be here,” Dungy told the crowd, then adding with a laugh, “I just wish I wasn’t here in this capacity so many times of being just that close to being in the game and just being an invited speaker.

“My goal is to have our team here one day and have a couple of tables with all of our guys here. Because we have a special group of young men, a great group of Christian guys. It’d be wonderful to have them here so you could see their hearts and what they’re all about.

“It hasn’t quite happened yet, but we’re still hoping one day it will.”

He told them he was going to talk about lessons he had learned from his three sons. The crowd fell silent. Then Dungy spoke.

And although this was a breakfast – and although at many such events speakers speak over the clinking of glasses and murmurs from semi-interested listeners – for most of the 15 minutes the room was silent except for Dungy’s voice.

He spoke of his middle son, Eric, who he said shares his competitiveness and who is focused on sports “to where it’s almost a problem.” He spoke of his youngest son, Jordan, who has a rare congenital condition which causes him not to feel pain.

“He feels things, but he doesn’t get the sensation of pain,” Dungy said.

The lessons learned from Jordan, Tony Dungy said, are many.

“That sounds like it’s good at the beginning, but I promise you it’s not,” Dungy said. “We’ve learned a lot about pain in the last five years we’ve had Jordan. We’ve learned some hurts are really necessary for kids. Pain is necessary for kids to find out the difference between what’s good and what’s harmful.”

Jordan, Dungy said, loves cookies.

“Cookies are good,” Dungy said, “but in Jordan’s mind, if they’re good out on the plate, they’re even better in the oven. He will go right in the oven when my wife’s not looking, reach in, take the rack out, take the pan out, burn his hands and eat the cookies and burn his tongue and never feel it. He doesn’t know that’s bad for him.”

Jordan, Dungy said, “has no fear of anything, so we constantly have to watch him.”

The lesson learned, Dungy said, is simple.

“You get the question all the time, ‘Why does the Lord allow pain in your life? Why do bad things happen to good people? If God is a God of love, why does he allow these hurtful things to happen?’’’ Dungy said. “We’ve learned that a lot of times because of that pain, that little temporary pain, you learn what’s harmful. You learn to fear the right things.

“Pain sometimes lets us know we have a condition that needs to be healed. Pain inside sometimes lets us know that spiritually we’re not quite right and we need to be healed and that God will send that healing agent right to the spot.

“Sometimes, pain is the only way that will turn us as kids back to the Father.”

Finally, he spoke of James.

James Dungy, Tony Dungy’s oldest son, died three days before Christmas. As he did while delivering James’ eulogy in December, Dungy on Saturday spoke of him eloquently and steadily, speaking of lessons learned and of the positives taken from experience.

“It was tough, and it was very, very painful, but as painful as it was, there were some good things that came out of it,” Dungy said.

Dungy spoke at the funeral of regretting not hugging James the last time he saw him, on Thanksgiving of last year.

“I met a guy the next day after the funeral,” Dungy said. “He said, ‘I was there. I heard you talking. I took off work today. I called my son. I told him I was taking him to the movies. We’re going to spend some time and go to dinner.’ That was a real, real blessing to me.”

Dungy said he has gotten many letters since James’ death relaying similar messages.

“People heard what I said and said, ‘Hey, you brought me a little closer to my son,’ or, ‘You brought me a little closer to my daughter,’’’ Dungy said. “That is a tremendous blessing.”

Dungy also said some of James’ organs were donated through donors programs.

“We got a letter back two weeks ago that two people had received his corneas, and now they can see,’’ Dungy said. “That’s been a tremendous blessing.”

Dungy also said he received a letter from a girl from the family’s church in Tampa. She had known James for many years, Dungy said. She went to the funeral because she knew James.

“When I saw what happened at funeral, and your family and the celebration and how it was handled, that was the first time I realized there had to be a God,” Dungy said the girl wrote. “I accepted Christ into my life and my life’s been different since that day.”

Added Dungy, “That was an awesome blessing, so all of those things kind of made me realize what God’s love is all about.”

Dungy also said he was asked often how he was able to return to the Colts so quickly after James’ death. James died on December 22, and Dungy returned to the team one week later. Dungy said the answer was simple.

“People asked me, ‘How did you recover so quickly?”’’ Dungy said. “I’m not totally recovered. I don’t know that I ever will be. It’s still very, very painful, but I was able to come back because of something one of my good Christian friends said to me after the funeral.

“He said, ‘You know James accepted Christ into his heart, so you know he’s in heaven, right?’ I said, ‘Right, I know that.’ He said, ‘So, with all you know about heaven, if you had the power to bring him back now, would you?’ When I thought about it, I said, ‘No, I wouldn’t. I would not want him back with what I know about heaven.’

“That’s what helped me through the grieving process. Because of Christ’s spirit in me, I had that confidence that James is there, at peace with the Lord, and I have the peace of mind in the midst of something that’s very, very painful.

“That’s my prayer today, that everyone in this room would know the same thing.”

Storm clouds on the horizon...

2008-12-15T12:06:00.003-06:00

Back in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, FDR was elected in 1932. He faced a banking crisis that in 1933 forced "banking holidays" more then once, economic crisis on a global scale that took World War II to end, unemployment crisis on a monumental scale and a consumer driven deflation that spiraled us into the Great Depression that only was deepening.

His answer was "The New Deal", a series of government programs that were designed to lower unemployement, regulate banking and otherwise put the government's fingers in alot more pies. The jury is still out on whether this was a good deal or not with about half of the economists out there thinking it was bad and half thinking it for good (49% bad to 51% good). Historians however say almost 3 to 1 that it was a good thing but, when you are talking economics, I'd side with the economists myself.

The problem with such hindsight is you can only see what happened. Not what would have happened if the government had NOT gotten so involved in so many ways in the lives of average Americans. What would have happened if all that money the government taxed away from people and industry had been LEFT in the economy and private hands?

The stock market crash of 1929 was already correcting itself in 1930. The issue at hand was the faith of the American consumer in the American economy. What would have happened had the funds taken for these "New Deal" policies been left in the hands of the American people and the businessmen that had driven America since the Industrial Revolution in the 1850s?

Moreover, in the decades from 1930s to today, some 70 odd years, what would have come from the money saved by not having the huge explosion of national debt that came from these policies during the 1930s and the resultant spending during World War II that drove the deficit to then record levels?

These are questions that we can only think about and guess at unfortunately but, it is VERY important that we do so because, once again, we are at a time that mirrors the 1930s.

Our incoming President is already talking about his "make work" programs, increasing government meddling in banking, auto industry and far more industrial areas with his "green" policies. All in the same veins as FDR's "New Deal" programs and for many of the same reasons.

We have already seen $1,000,000,000,000.00 (ONE TRILLION) dollars spent on bailing out the banking industry. That is ONE TENTH our national debt mind you that everyone is screaming about.

We are looking at another $25,000,000,000.00 to $50,000,000,000.00 ($25-$50 BILLION) for just the big three auto industry, even though that is on hold for now, you better believe it hasn't gone away. Remember, the banking bailout was shot down first time too....

The federal government has borrowed against Social Security to the point the fund is gone, something that was supposed to be strictly ILLEGAL to do. Our baby boomer generation, that huge wave of people born after World War II, is just about to hit retirement age big time. This swell will tax even more an already over taxed health care system that is unable to care for everyone now.

What is going to happen when the coin flips and all these "producers" turn into "drains" on the system?

When you are already running at a negative flow, thus draining the supplies at hand, having very people that were increasing the inflow suddenly not only stop sending more stuff but, in fact, begin to increase the OUTFLOW is a recipe for destruction.

These baby boomers, who over this time have been contributing to Social Security, Medicare, taxes and have been healthy so as to not drain the healthcare system, will soon be wanting to recieve thier benefits.

This means they will be drawing OUT of Social Security, USING Medicare, producing less and so, being taxed LESS, and they will be aging and having more health problems putting a far bigger burden on our already beat down healthcare system.

Unless those that remain out there producing...or at least ABLE to produce...are left with enough funds to make it worthwhile TO produce....then the whole house of cards will come crashing down around out collective ears.

This is a REAL possibility. At my works, we just had someone quit because her working here didn't provide enough "additional income" to outpace what she would "lose" by NOT working and sitting at home drawing Medicare during her pregnancy.

This lady was NOT stupid by a long shot.

She had sat down and figured it all out. Child care expenses for her current child, gasoline, time away from house, "loss" of benefits from Medicare and other government programs and "loss" of financial aid the government provided for her to go to school added up to just under what she would make by working here.

In her words, "It simply isn't worth me having to drive into here to get that small difference."

Think about that...it was such a SMALL DIFFERENCE (and she was getting paid alot more then minimum wage) that it was not "worth it" to come to work.

Instead, it was "worth it" to become a DRAIN on the systems as opposed to a PRODUCER into the system.

How long is a system like that going to survive?

This is where we are headed now folks...a government that is becoming more and more bloated that does things to only cause harm to a healthy system....

And that ain't good...

Happy 3rd Birthday Emma Marie!

2008-12-12T12:05:00.003-06:00

Happy birthday my little one. You turn three today so I'm putting a little something special up on here for you to look at today.

Mommy and Daddy got something special for ya tomorrow too but, don't tell mommy that daddy snuck something special in for today too okay?

***

Ahem...yes, three years ago today, my wife and I were blessed with our youngest child, Emma Marie La Count. She's been a God send to us too...helped keep our marriage afloat by simply being there to keep our bond strong even when it was strained to the breaking point and almost always seems to be a bright spot in our lives.

We are blessed she is not only healthy and happy but, smart as heck and very loving. I admit I am just a tad overprotective of her too because of it. I know all to well there are wolves out there that would take advantage of that sweet, gentle and innocent nature and I'll be the first one in line (well if the wife don't get there first at least) to gut and feed to the pigs anyone that is stupid enough to threaten her.

And if the wife gets there first....GOD won't even be willing to help them....heh.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRECIOUS! Daddy loves you very, very much.

Here's your favorite song...BARBIE GIRL....enjoy your dance music...

Dentists....ugh....

2008-12-09T08:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I have the wonderful priviledge of going to the dentist.

I spent right at $500.00 USD (after insurance covered more).

I spent 2-4 hours of my life in the chair. *seems like alot more for some reason*

I spent from 3pm yesterday forward, to this moment, in pain from my time in the chair.

They scaled my teeth, which for those of you that are not aware of what that is, is where they inject numbing medication into your face from inside your mouth with about a dozen shots that make you wonder if the needle is going to come out of your face from the inside of your mouth...

Then they take an ultra sonic metal hook...you know, because the dentist always tells you NOT to put anything metalic into your mouth or on your teeth right?...and pushes your gums up out of the way to get to buildup under them of bacteria and other what nots.

This is to get ready for the real fun....as they get another even sharper metal hook and then manually rip off bits and pieces of other stuff from your teeth and below the gum line.

Naturally, all this attention causes some blood loss (read about 3 gallons or more I think) and some 'minor discomfort' (read torturous pain) that may last for a bit (read a week or so).

Of course, you don't eat before going to the dentist...wouldn't want dirty teeth when you are going for a cleaning now would we?

And of course after you go, you don't WANT to eat because between the blood, pain and fear of swallowing your own teeth not only do you no longer have an appetite but, you've lost the ability to form words, much less chew and keep food INSIDE your mouth.

Then the drugs that 'numb' you wear off sometime in the night and you roll over and smack your cheek on something or, in my case, our 3 year old has a nightmare and has got between mommy and daddy and decides to use your now fully aware of the damage done mouth as a football and she is kicking the winning field goal in her dream....whack...SWEET MOTHER OF ALL THAT IS HOLY....

And then you will litterally steal the grandbaby's orajel, eat 20 asprin four at a time cursing in a language only GOD can understand and be tested by old scratch wanting you to sell your soul for the pain to go away...all in the span of 5 minutes...

And, once you finally manage to get your face back to a bearable level of pain....you've tossed and turned and finally found a place where you can fall into a semblance of slumber....as your eyes finally close and you are JUUUUUUUST about to finally sleep...

The damn alarm clock goes off and the wife has moved it across the room so I can't murder that little sucker....TIME FOR WOOOORK......grumble...

Here's a little sketch for my fellow dental victims....and yes...I PAID $500 for this....yeesh....

Gun Control advocates take note....

2008-12-02T14:51:00.002-06:00

In India, the police COWERED before the terrorists, even when people begged them to shoot back. India has very strict gun control laws so the hotels did NOT have armed security personnel so, the security guards were gunned down first by the same terrorists that SMUGGLED thier machine guns into the country.

Counter this with Israel's stance of having citizens armed with handguns that are concealed after DECADES of machine gun attacks by terrorists. Because the CITIZENS themselves were armed and the terrorists couldn't know who did and did not have guns, they had to switch to less effective bombs...and even then private citizens still pick them off enough to save countless lives.

Read about all this and more here...and think about that next time you want citizens to NOT be able to defend themselves....

2008-12-02T08:50:00.003-06:00

As Americans, we take an awful lot of ragging by the French. But, the Frenchman that fights for his country, like most that are willing to die for their land, has a slightly different take on things…

This is a letter to his countrymen about the American soldiers that serve with him…it is a telling account of why the American Serviceman and Servicewoman are truly our best and brightest stars.

During this season, they are far from home, in some of the most God forsaken territory you could imagine. Far from their loved ones, from home and hearth, from all that they remember as America, doing a job that is often thankless and all too often berated by the very people that they are doing it for in the first place.

They stand on the front line, guarding the wall, stopping those that would kill us, destroy our way of life and force us to bended knee or cold grave under their belief and yoke.

So, as Thanksgiving has just past and Christmas is charging forward….as we see how people literally crush others under their feet to death for bargains at Wal-Mart or gun each other down at Toys R Us…as we rush around trying to fill that shopping list of presents, getting upset at the lack of parking and how we have to “sacrifice” our time…remember those that have given a black check to Uncle Sam that could be made out in any amount, up to all of their tomorrows and their life just so some within our own country can spit on them, curse them, call them killers and murders and undermine the very things they hold most dear.

I’m an opinionated, loud, old snaggle toothed bear from Texas. I have accepted that my way is mine, that most can not or will not follow it. But one of my many failings is that I can not understand someone that would look at our service personnel and feel anything but pride and humbleness at their honor, sense of duty, willingness to sacrifice so much and to carry the ideals that America represents so well to the far reaches of the globe and even beyond to the heavens above.

Remember that the flag of the United States is still the only one left on the moon that has a country. The Soviets no longer exist and China has not made it there yet…and the men that planted those flags were military men before they were astronauts.

The greatest tragedy of war is that we lose our best and our brightest. The very kind of men and women that should have dozens of children to raise up the next generation in my mind. For it is in our children that the future of our nation is held. It is their responsibility all too soon to carry the banner forward while we sit silent and watch, hoping beyond hope that they will pass the test we know all to well is harder then you think it is before you stand in the breach.

But for now, these young men and women are a testament that at least some of this generation of Ipods, Iphones, youtube, gansta rap and all that crap will, are and have passed that test…with colors still flying high.

Here is the translation of the letter above into English…thanks to Jean-Marc Liotier. And a nod to Bayou Renaissance Man for the good read.

“We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing “ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events”. Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day ? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company.

They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.

Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.

Here we discover America as it is often depicted : their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity lack of privacy and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that : the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location : books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions : the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention.

And they are impressive warriors ! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.

And combat ? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks : they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the ennemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting : they just charge ! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later - which cuts any pussyfooting short.

We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.

To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America’s army’s deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers”.

Stupid test....Thanks to Mostly Cajun...

2008-12-01T10:15:00.002-06:00

I've always been a sucker for these things...even though I know it rarely is scientific...but, here goes....

I did NOT cheat....I took my chances but, I know I have been taught to READ CAREFULLY what the question is...and I have been taught to do things in my HEAD...no need for electronic gizmos and what not for math and memory tests...so...I figured I would do okay....

Here is the test....and this is my results....

Sad thing is...I really don't know which question I missed...lol...

Happy Thanksgiving....

2008-11-27T08:09:00.004-06:00

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Stuff yourself like a pillow! heh

Now here's an idea..wish it would work here in the US...

2008-11-25T16:19:00.004-06:00

I came across an odd little tidbit in my wanderings today...Principality of Hutt River.

Now, at first I figured it was a joke or something so..I SNOPED it...it's no joke...it's real...per se.

Long story short, a farmer, his family and some friends got a tad upset with the Aussie government wanting more wheat and levying a quota. So, they banded together and used an old law from the Commonwealth to secede from Australia when the government threaten to retake thier land under eminent domain.

It gets better...seems someone in the Aussie government made the mistake of addressing Leonard George Casley, the main farmer in question, as The Administrator of the new principality....thus given him "official" recognition...at least in the courts.

He then changed his title to His Royal Highness Prince Leonard of Hutt River to take advantage of a Commonwealth law that a monarch could not only not be charged but that anyone who interfered with his duties could be charged with treason. This effectively stopped the Aussies from mucking with him without the British getting involved...heh. The law has since been changed but, the damage has been done...*chuckle*

Sometimes, true is stranger then fiction but you gotta admit, it sure does seem somehow nice to be able to do something like this even to this day....ah well...George Washington said it best I think...

"No more Kings...."

Still...hats off to his Royal Highness Prince Leonard of Hutt River.

Gettysburg Address...

2008-11-19T09:18:00.008-06:00

145 years ago, President Abraham Lincoln stood before a large crowd at the dedication ceremony of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He had struggled, as many Presidents before and after him, to find the words to express the deep feelings within him at the loss of human life at the Battle of Gettysburg.

7,500 men and over 7,000 horses perished during the battle, which is concidered a turning point in the Civil War. It started when a group of Confederates heard there were shoes stored in the town and decided to raid for them as they had no boots. It quickly escalated into the battle we know.

Lincoln only spoke for two or three minutes, offered 10 sentences and 272 words, depending on who you ask. But the Gettysburg Address made an important change in how the Civil War was fought. It took the fight from preserving the Union and raised it to a crusade to insure freedom and equality to all men, of which the preservation of the Union was only the first of many steps. Some feel the expansion of the federal power is too much, others not enough. Gettysburg was where the declaration that the Federal Government would hold dominion over State's Rights.

It also was the first time Lincoln showed how he felt about the Southern states and the Confederates fighting against the Union in that he offered respect and honor to both Grey and Blue alike. The soldiers buried at Gettysburg recieved full military internments, with full honors and all, be they Union or Confederate, were treated as honored dead.

Something ALOT of people today could learn from on MANY levels.

Today, we face conflict across the world. But the Civil War cost us the most of any war in our history when it comes to Americans killed and wounded. In fact, if you take all the wars fought from the Revolution to Vietnam, remove the Civil War, and look at the two sides....we lost more in the Civil War then all those others combined.

Some say the Revolution was the birth of the United States of America but, the Civil War was where we became an adult. I think that is very much truth.

The Civil War was the first modern war in many ways...railroads to move troops, machine guns (The Gatling Gun was first used in the Civil War), hit and run raids behind enemy lines, guerrilla warface in forest and swamps, ariel recon (balloons), armored ships and even submarines that actually sank an enemy ship all came out during this war.

We still see all this today. It all started with Americans fighting Americans.

Lest we forget who we are, what we are, why we are the best warriors in the world...history speaks out still that we must....we must....temper our warrior spirit with justice, mercy and reverence for human life, even that of our enemies.

For if we do not, then we become that very thing which we set out to fight...

When you stare into the Abyss...the Abyss is also staring back into you...

Word from the past...

2008-11-17T11:16:00.004-06:00

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

Over 230 years ago…these word were written, by Thomas Paine. He wrote them in response to the number of complainers and people leaving the Army during the winter at Valley Forge.

He wrote them, to address the simple fact that people were complaining about the difficulty the new country was having beating the best army the world had at the time, namely the British Army. They complained because we had no victories to speak of, the soldier was not paid, had little food, was demoralized and defeated.

During this time, George Washington was seen to go out into the woods, daily, in snow, cold, wet New England weather. One of the worst winters in our history, called the “Year without a Summer”….to get down on old, tired knees and pray to God.

He returned to his ever shrinking army and spoke to his officers and men, to restore their fading hope and spirits. Many did not heed his words but, enough did that the army survived.

Soon after, these men stood outside Yorktown, bombarding the British Army under Cornwallis who was trapped by the French Fleet, one of the only times the French Navy was able to beat the best navy in the world at the time, the British Navy. The bombardment eventually caused the general to surrender and thus, secured our freedom from King George.

Later, when George Washington was offered to be made king…his reply showed exactly that Thomas Paine wrote about that which we gain cheaply we value little…

George Washington told the men wanting him to be king that he and many other men had fought, suffered and died for over ten long year so that “we would have no more kings” in America.

And so, he became our first PRESIDENT.

Today, we have someone that may think he is king becoming our President. He may not, that is between he and God.

But we have no earthly king in America.

But these are the times that will try our souls. These are the times that we will see who believes and who is just along for the ride. These are the time when we, as individuals and as a nation, will be tempered.

The impurities will be burned away over the next few years and the strong metal of who we are will be left. If the impurities are too much, what we were will be consumed in the fires but, that which is left will be pure, strong and fit once more and this is what we will use to form the foundation of what we are to become.

And if the impurities are not so much as I think and hope, the metal of who and what we are, of the legacy of those that came before have handed to us and which, in time, we will pass on to those that come after, will be purified and refined back into something WORTH having and WORTH holding onto and WORTH fighting for once more.

But regardless, to thy own self be true. Fight for the nation, but for your own peace, remain true to that which is worth more then gold, worth more then petty promises and false hope.

To thy own self be true. For in all the world, we can only hope to control one person…

Ourselves.

And when our time on this earth is done, for the only thing certain is that we will face death sometime, all we can truly control is whether our honor is intact and we face it with dignity.

Greed kills a windfall...

2008-11-13T09:21:00.003-06:00

About a year ago I heard about a contractor in PA that was doing a remodeling job for a friend from high school that cost about $15,000.00 USD. While doing this, they found about $182,000.00 USD in 1939 money, $50, $100 and $500 (which are not printed anymore).

It was a windfall doubled as the money, being in mint condition still, was worth over $512,000.00 to collectors and such.

Not a bad deal for a $15,000.00 run right? Everyone is happy and the contractor has shown he's honest (for telling about the cash) and the home owner is grateful for the great blessing given to them and all is peace, love and joy....until...

GREED shows up.....

The home owner offers 10% of the windfall to the contractor....contractor says 40% as he found it and could have taken 100%....words fly, emotions run high...and then the media plasters it over the world and lo and behold....here come the heirs saying "It's OURS...Gimme"....

So, nobody really ends up with much...the home owner gets a good bit, enjoying a $14,000 trip to Hawaii...but when you concider the sum of $512,000....that ain't much....

The story is blurbed a bit here....

Basically...here is the gist...

If the contractor has been so greedy he kept his mouth shut and simply walked away with the two small green boxes like he could have....he would have pocketed somewhere between $182,000.00 to $512,000.00 plus the $15,000.00 for the work....but he was honest....so...

If the contractor and home owner had been civil and worked to come up with a fair deal both could agree on....they would have split the money and nothing more would have been said...

Instead..because they had to make a big deal out of things, blabbed to the media, the heirs of the man that left the money in the wall got involved and everyone under the sun like me found out about it and so...$60,000 was stolen in a shoe box (yeah right!), these $14,000 trips to Hawaii and the money spent at stores and such come to light, the heirs get a cut...and everyone comes out looking like the greedy little pigs they are...

Reminds me of Humphry the Bear in Walt Disney's shorts....he has an armful of nice, big fish when the ranger tosses two BUCKETS of even BIGGER fish over his head.

He quickly jumps up, tossing the fish he has already caught into the lake in the process, only to miss the ones going too high over his head for him to get. Thus, he ends up with no fish....

Dolts...

Where the HATE comes from...

2008-11-12T15:11:00.003-06:00

Prop. 8 in California was the SECOND time the voters in that state told everyone they did NOT want same sex marriage to be legal in thier state. The first time was in 2000 and four, count them, four judges told over four MILLION voters they were wrong and allowed it.

Prop. 8 told the four judges that fine, now we will change the constitution of California and so, shut the hell up you moronic twits, its ILLEGAL again like, you know, the PEOPLE want.

God forbid the PEOPLE actually RUN thier government right?

Well of course the gays and lesbians are already trying to get the vote overturned in the courts, thier protesting and carrying on like its the end of the world. The fact they have the SAME PROTECTIONS UNDER THE LAW through civil unions means that now, it is about trying to redefine what our basic values are as a country when it comes to marriage and what is and is not accepted as 'normal'.

Alot of laws have been made about 'hate' crimes where if you are motivated by a hatred of someone based on sex, sexual orientation, race..etc...there are added penalties to be looked at when you commit the crime. I've never been a fan of this for the simple reason, I think you can take that into account and increase the penalty under the current laws but, it is as it is.

Seems the "gays" are not so gay when it comes to opposing viewpoints however when they ATTACKED a 69 year old woman expressing her view on the matter at thier rally. They ripped a cross from her hand and stomped it while doing so.

All the while cameras and video were rolling.

So, I think everyone that attacked her needs to be arrested for assault. Those that grabbed the cross and stomped it need to be arrested for "hate crimes" on top of it.

After all, it's only fair.

What you want to bet nothing happens though....

THIS is why people that are homosexual get demonized...not just because intolerant idiots hate thier sexual orientation. Sadly, many, many people that are homosexual are going to be painted with that board brush simply because, like most people get painted, they are going to be lopped in with these idiots.

This isn't how to win "support" you dipwads...but it is a good way to send it to those you are opposing.

I personally hope each and every one of those dolts get not only arrested and found guilty but a nice, LONG stay in jail where they can find some new life partners that will beat them soundly until they understand how to be more...civil...

Not that that kind of thing happens in jail...*rolls eyes*

Happy Veteran's Day....

2008-11-11T09:18:00.008-06:00

Or Armistice Day if you prefer.

One day a year, by law, to honor those that have served our country with honor, duty, sacrifice and so much more. Something we SHOULD do each and every day of our very blessed lives in the US of A.

One other day, Memorial Day, is set aside for the very same people that gave up all their tomorrows for our todays.

Today, thank a Veteran for your freedom, your way of life, for the fact that we don't have armed checkpoints all over the place like many think we do.
And from me to all vets...

Thanks and a hearty SALUTE!

The Senator and the choice...

2008-11-07T09:10:00.002-06:00

A Senator dies and meets St. Peter at the Pearly Gates.

"We're going to give you a choice as to where you'll spend eternity senator." St. Peter explains.

"You'll spend a day in Heaven, a day in Hell and then you'll pick where you will spend it."

So, the senator goes to Heaven for a day. There is harp music, fluffy clouds, nice weather, the people are friendly and dress conservatively but nice. Food is decent and healthy and in general, its a good place to be.

The next day, he heads down into Hell and finds the weather is absolutely perfect, the people are all beautiful and dress in either very sexy clothes or very little, the food is decadently wonderful, the music is modern and the latest and greatest, all the senator's friends are there and they lose by a few strokes every game a golf and the day ends with drinks made perfectly at the club house and they are free.

The next day St. Peter asks for the senator's decision...

"Well St. Peter," the senator says, "Heaven is nice and all. Lives up to its billing. But Hell sure surprised me. It's nothing like what we're told and I have to admit, it sure is alot better then Heaven for me so...I'll pick Hell."

"So be it." sighs St. Peter shaking his head.

The senator appears in Hell and the sky is full of dark, rolling clouds full of fire, ash and acid. The people look like something from a nightmare of Stephen King or worse, the ground is parched, cracked and covered with slimy gunk and even the air burned the senator's lungs. The senator is upset and grabs a nearby demon and demands to see the devil.

When the devil shows up a good while later, the senator is incensed...

"Devil, I see you finally decided to face me. I want to know what happened. When I came down here before, everything was great. Now its like this! What happened!" the senator rants...

The devil smiles back sweetly and says, "Oh, before we were campaigning but now you've voted senator."

*8P

The reality of it all....

2008-11-07T08:45:00.002-06:00

Joe Biden said within roughly three months of Pres. (elect) Obama's taking office that he would be tested.

Don't look like the reality of that statement will take that long....first, the Russians have seized on "the One's" election...then we hear how his last minute campaigners are having a bit of trouble understanding about their pay not being right there, right now...and the economic crisis has already turned around right (checks the DOW)..er...well, at least with the confidence his election brings we have plenty of work...ah...hmmm...

Well, at least the voice of the people has been heard and remains unchallenged...*boggle*

I think I got to stop reads, watching or even paying attention to the news anymore....I got enough of this kind of stuff in my life as it is with people I truely care about without adding more garabage to the plate...yeesh.

So much for "change"....

But to be fair to our newly elected king..er..president...he's not had a chance to impact any of this very much as president....just as senator...

The day after thoughts and reflections...

2008-11-05T09:41:00.002-06:00

I have been around for a bit of time and never before have I heard so many, including myself, saying that an incoming president won't survive his first year in office, some even say to 20 Jan. 2009, then I have with Nobama.

People are saying it and not caring if the CIA, FBI, ATF or any other LEOs hear it because, they believe it.

So much for "unity" Mr. Obama...

Alot of people are reveling in his victory but, it seems more like the drunken orgy of decadence then an enlightened celebration of peace, love and joy. Add to this that the democratic party has a solid control of both houses once again on the Hill and I personally think the next 2-4 years are going to be pretty dim for you, me, our nation and the world in general...but then again, I voted against Obama (for McCain technically but, if they dems had a better candidate, even God help me Hillary, I might have voted dem..).

Given today is 5 November....a date which has a bit of history tied to it...I found myself chuckling a bit...

Mostly Cajun has it up too and, as is fitting given his "This Day In History" posts (Keep em up Cajun) are a regular fair at his blog....I really enjoy reading most of his post though, admittedly, I get a bit glassy eyed come the long posts on eletrical stuff...lol

1605 - The Gunpowder Plot

Given the political climate of today, in the world we live in, it won't be gunpowder in the revolution this time around regardless of what the Wachowski brothers think. Though I do venture to say that V won't be for victory for long.

The enemies of America and the lack luster allies are already hailing the Obama victory. The whole WORLD is so happy....reminds me of 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2...nuff said there.

The man wasn't even crowned yet and already "reality" is smashing his lies..er..promises...

Ah well...I digress....

1937 - Hossbach Conference

This also seems rather fitting given how the MSM and the dimmocrats have acted this election. Backroom planning of a war you are going to launch against people you are supposedly allied with or know you will be fighting anyway was Hitler's best work. And after all, Obama seems to think along the same lines about the "jewish problem" if you listen to what his pastor, Mr. Wright says...

Also we have the massacre of Republican supporters in Piedrafita de Babia , near Leon Spain in the Spanish Civil War by Franco forces that were supported by the Axis powers. Possibly 35,000 executed and dumped into mass graves.

Given the slaughter the Republicans took election day, the civil war that is brewing in America and the new "friends" Nobama is attracting...this would be hilariously funny if it weren't already horridly scary...

So much for our "brave new world" Mr. Bush....sigh.

Vote Today because...

2008-11-04T11:31:00.004-06:00

A grand experiment continues today. Our founding fathers, a bunch of rich white men that got tired of paying taxes to some, a bunch of idealistic rich white men that ended up giving up thier private fortunes and lives for the idea of freedom to others, started this process over 230 years ago. They said it very simply at the start...

WE THE PEOPLE...

For all the fertilizer, smoke and mirrors of American Politics...those three words still say where the ultimate power resides. In the hands of common, everyday folks like you and me.

With Joe and Jane Q. Public...in Anywhere, Anystate USA.

Don't just parrot what others think...myself included...go get informed and then go vote.

Then copy this little pick below and enjoy it. After all, you can't justly COMPLAIN if you don't GO TRY TO CHANGE IT to begin with...heh.

Happy Election day!

Need a real Hero?

2008-11-03T08:31:00.002-06:00

Just look for the Red, White and Blue label that states "Made in America"...

My thanks for Bayou Renaissance Man for the story.

My heartfelt gratitude to SSgt Christopher Waiters for not just serving his country, for being in harms way, for doing what to some is wrong...

But for actually CARING about the men and women around him to the point that the unthinkable is "just doing my job".

I couldn't agree with Bayou more...SALUTE!

This is definately a PPotD.

Quite the Endorsement...

2008-10-31T10:09:00.004-05:00

The video below blows away the "picture is worth a 1000 words" saying so much...I simply can't add anything to it so, I'm shutting up and letting it speak for itself...it's that powerful to me.

"Dear Mr. Obama"...

Behind the name... Halloween

2008-10-31T09:30:00.008-05:00

Or the Hallow E'en as they call it in Ireland , means All Hallows Eve, or the night before the 'All Hallows', also called 'All Hallowmas', or 'All Saints', or 'All Souls' Day, observed on November 1.

In old English the word 'Hallow' meant 'sanctify'. Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Lutherians used to observe All Hallows Day to honor all Saints in heaven, known or unknown. They used to consider it with all solemnity as one of the most significant observances of the Church year. And Catholics, all and sundry, was obliged to attend Mass.

The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up prayers for them, and made oblations to them. The festival was celebrated on February 21, the end of the Roman year. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1.

The Greek Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Despite this connection with the Roman Church, the American version of Halloween Day celebration owes its origin to the ancient (pre-Christian) Druidic fire festival called "Samhain", celebrated by the Celts in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Samhain is pronounced "sow-in", with "sow" rhyming with cow.

In Ireland the festival was known as Samhein, or La Samon, the Feast of the Sun. In Scotland, the celebration was known as Hallowe'en. In Welsh it's Nos Galen-gaeof (that is, the Night of the Winter Calends. According to the Irish English dictionary published by the Irish Texts Society:

"Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalizing the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during which troops (esp. the Fiann) were quartered. Faeries were imagined as particularly active at this season. From it the half year is reckoned. also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess). The Scottish Gaelis Dictionary defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All Soula. Sam + Fuin = end of summer."

Contrary to the information published by many organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to indicate that Samhain was a deity. The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British, and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "lord of death" as such. Thus most of the customs connected with the Day are remnants of the ancient religious beliefs and rituals, first of the Druids and then transcended amongst the Roman Christians who conquered them.

And now you know...

2008-10-28T11:16:00.003-05:00

Mr. Lincoln is one of our most beloved presidents. He was killed in office because of his belief in the Union...our nation...and his murder by a Southern Extremist probably HURT the South far more then the war ever did, leaving lasting scars to this day.

Theodore Roosevelt is another beloved president by many. He loved our country so much that he started the National Park system with Yellowstone. He also hated to see the direction the country was going so much that he formed the Bull Moose party and came the closest any third party has ever become to winning the White House.

And of course, no discussion about great presidents could not include the Father of our Country, George Washington.

This man gave up many, many years of his life in service to our nation. He spent many long years at war, suffering the same fates as his men. He lead from the front lines, spoke against them turning against the civilian government, aged greatly and when the war was finally won and he was ready to return home, he answered the call to be our first king...by saying no.

Think about that...he could have been KING of the United States of America...easily. But unlike Caeser who eventurally took the crown to rule Rome...he stated, quite correctly that he and many people had just fought a long, bloody war so that "we might have no more kings". Instead, he willingly gave up eight more years as president and set the standard for two terms, which apart from one president stood as the standard until made into law.

As president, he again lead by example. He prayed daily, he did he best to make things right and just in the eyes of God and man. He set about keeping the veteran happy as he could, keeping our small military strong and yes, he fought with Congress continually.

We have a legacy of good presidents, some more then others. But one truth still holds very true.

Be it Washington, Lincoln, a Roosevelt or whomever...we, the people, choose our leaders. We pick who gets to make the laws, meet foriegn heads of state and ambassadors. We pick who will represent us in the eyes, and mind, of other world leaders.

But, when you hear how America has a bad image...ask yourself is it because of who we picked as leader? Or is it because of who we, as Americans are?

Do we still stand for what the average person understands is moral, just, right? Do we still shine to a dark world or, are we pandering to the "lowest common" part of the world? Are we dulling our shine because those that despise the Light of goodness are screaming for us to?

Would these men we so honor be proud of this country? Who would THEY pick for our next president?

These are questions you must ask yourself before voting, for whoever you pick, a week from today. You do NOT have to pick EITHER McCain or Obama for president...you can pick yourself if you like. Put pick that person because YOU think they would do the best for the country as a whole...not pander to certain members of it.

After all...this is YOUR country...not just theirs or mine. We have been given this legacy by the price of blood. We must honor that sacrifice by keeping the faith given to us by it. Else we lose it for ourselves...and those that come after us.

When the bullets fly...you want the US, UN or the EU?

2008-10-28T10:02:00.005-05:00

Amid the political and economic news that is flooding us like a storm surge at high tide, we can see some floating debris from the Russian Invasion of Georgia. The EU has basically held off talks with Russia until they see movement on the already agreed to fronts to thier likely. Some of the EU leaders want the talks to resume now, others don't.

And the bottom line is that the Russia troops are still sitting in "Georgian" territory. The breakaway areas have pretty much become official Russian satellite states circa the 1950s again despite being "independant". This is not that big a change as most of the people that live there were on support from Russia in one fashion or another even up to carrying Russian passports.

No, the thing that strikes this old dwarf about this situation is this...

The EU can't agree on how to proceed because there are too many chiefs and if they do manage to come up with something, they have no troops to impose thier choice on anyone, hence, too few indians.

This is a no win scenario for the EU...first, they have a lack of leadership because they "rule by council". You can't do that in a military situation and expect to win because battles are too fluid. It's hard enough to win them with a field commander in charge of things. Secondly, they don't have a clear field army anyway. What are the EU going to do? Try to be the UN and "donate" troops to a "common army" when they have CENTURIES of distrust and outright hatred of each other? I really can't see French troops under British or German leadership or vice versa. I don't see Italy or Spain gaining support to even be concidered for leadership of a combined army and those are just the big players. All this when they face an enemy that has for a very long time been one country with one leader and one army....poorly equipped and/or trained as it were. They are still unified and willing to fight.

Thier hearts are in the trim as Henry V said...

What stopped the Russian advance in Georgian was not the EU at all....it was the US and her warships and ability to stand in the breach once more...to stand eyeball to eyeball with the Red Army once more and say..."This far and no farther. You shall not pass."

Putin is far, far from stupid. He knows just about how far he can push before the US will DRAW that sabre and put it squarely throw his heart via his arse. He is a masterful military man as well as political one. He got what he wanted, tested the fence, found where the US will step up right now and how effective the EU will be. Unfortunately for us...its looking more and more like "The One" will be the next 'commander and chief' of our troops and that will be like putting a 10 week old pampered poodle puppy in the dog fighting ring with a full blooded, six year old, fully trained and battle tested timber wolf and yelling "FIGHT"....

So, we have the UN to help right? Certainly they can handle situations like this after 63 years. They have troops and leadership after all...

Hmm..Oil for food scandal...slavery and war crimes in the Sudan...er...well, they got troops! Yeah...well trained peacekeeping troops!

Well....I don't know about that....seems some people in the Congo don't think too highly of thier ability. The people in Sudan don't either. The people of Iraq see BRITISH and AMERICAN forces as thier heroes, though we did get some great help from Poland, Canada and others.

Even thier own charter makes thier "peacekeeping" forces ineffective.

The UN Peacekeeping Forces may only be employed when both parties to a conflict accept their presence. Accordingly, they may also be used by the warring parties to avoid having a conflict escalate and, in the event, also to have a struggle called off.

Given that by thier own history they started with 20,000 "peacekeepers" in the Congo in 1960 and still have 17.000 there and are being forced back by rebels....

The UN played an important role during the struggles that erupted when the Belgian colony of the Congo achieved independence in 1960. As anarchy and chaos reigned in the area, a UN force numbering almost 20,000 was set up to help the Congolese government maintain peace and order. It ended up being, above all, engaged in bringing a raging civil war to an end and preventing the province of Katanga from seceding. It was while carrying out the UN mission in the Congo that Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was killed in an air crash.

That was then...this is now...

The U.N. response appeared scattered. As some tanks fled the fighting, U.N. officials ordered staff to stay home Tuesday and away from rock-throwing mobs. The commander of the embattled Congo peacekeeping force resigned Monday after just a month on the job, and officials were hastily trying to find a permanent successor.

The chief U.N. mandate is to protect the population. But since the peace deal it also is helping the Congolese army disarm and repatriate Hutu militiamen — by force if necessary.

Yet Bisimwa, the rebel spokesman, claimed Tuesday the Congolese army has abandoned dozens of its positions to Hutu militiamen.

"It's the Hutus who are on the front line and whom we are fighting, not the army," he said. U.N. peacekeepers "leave us no choice but to fight on."

So, in fact, the presence of UN Peacekeepers is CONTINUING the fighting rather then ending it by taking ONE side of the arguement. This is clearly AGAINST THIER OWN MANDATE.

The UN has better equipment and soldiers so why are they losing?

U.N. provincial chief Hiroute Guebre Selassie told angry civil leaders on Monday that Nkunda's fighters were using guerrilla tactics that make it difficult for the conventional U.N. forces to respond.

"We cannot use the helicopters to prevent them advancing, because they hide in the bush, they fight on many fronts, and they hide themselves among the population," she said. "(That) strategy makes it very difficult for us to master the situation."

Civil leaders led by Jason Luneno said if U.N. peacekeepers cannot halt the rebel advance, the peacekeepers should leave Congo and "the people will descend into the streets to demand the government resign."

So....that covers the EU and the UN...both are pretty much no win scenarios for the good guys. You know, the guys and gals that are supposed to be helping "Joe and Jane average"...the population...the men and women and children just trying to live another day on this little ball of dirt circling the sun....so, who does Joe and Jane have to help them...

One of the verses of the Bible that warms my heart says..."I turn my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? It comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth."

They turn thier eyes to the high ground...to the skies...America has long held the moral high ground when it comes to "right and wrong". We've definately slipped some, especially in my lifetime, but even now, we hold a higher spot then most.

We are still strong but, that strength is tempered with mercy and compassion. We do still try to do what is "right" and "just". We have stains on our honor, but we still have honor. We put to trial those that don't uphold what we feel is correct...sometimes too far even...just to make sure we ARE on the side of right.

We, as a nation, are still warriors with a code. A code that is very much like the Templar Knights that means we defend the weak, the defenseless, those that simply seek to have a better life by working hard and doing the right things.

And so, we are hated because we are willing to stand in the breach...

When Iraq invaded Kuwait...we responded IMMEDIATELY...while getting the EU and UN to come along with us later. When North Korea attacked across the 38th, we responded IMMEDIATELY. When it came time to fight Saddam again, we responded IMMEDIATELY. When Russia invaded Georgia...we were already moving as their tanks rolled into the country.

We didn't sit around wondering about what we should do, we didn't hold meeting after meeting forming yet another "think tank" to discuss things, we didn't have to get permission from dozens of countries to use thier troops, we didn't have to find a commander that would stick around, we didn't have to do any of that....it was already done ahead of time and so, we got togehter, talked out a plan and moved.

As for this bit about not being able to defeat the rebels because they hide in the populous, in the forests and trees, in the landscape, fighting on many fronts....uh...can you say FIVE YEARS in Iraq fighting the terrorists? TEN years defeating the Viet Cong only to have the "feel goods" betray our forces there? Can you say fighting in Afganistan? How about the forces of Imperial Japan in the jungles and islands from the mid Pacific to Burma?

Is it hard? Hell yes...can it be done...we have and are doing it....cry me a river there Mrs. UN woman. The problem is not rebel tactics, its that you are either hamstrung by your rules of engagement and/or your troops are not properly lead/trained for the kind of warfare they are being called to fight.

An archer is a piss poor fighter against an armored knight in close combat just like the armored knight sucks at ranged combat. Same goes for a rifleman against a tank or a tank in a forest against anti tank infantry.

The rules of warfare, the real ones about combat, have not changed much.

A good general PICKS the battlefield he fights on, LEARNS all he can about the ones his ENEMY wants to fight on, then makes those battlefields HIS own to fight on thus, giving the enemy a (hopefully fatal) surprise when the fighting starts.

THIS is how the US fights....and is why the US is still the only way to go.

My greatest fear right now is we are looking at getting a commander and chief that simply has no freaking clue when it comes to this. And that will quickly mean we, the US, we get to experience the WORST of both the EU (warfare by committee) and the UN (lack of leadership paralyzing the troops).

Not a good thing for any good, honest, hard working person on the planet IMHO.

2008-10-27T11:01:00.002-05:00

One of the many books I have read seems far more appropriate these days then ever before.

The Wealthy Barber is a really good read...

"How does one build great wealth?" was and is the question.

"Like one builds a great wall, one stone at a time." comes the answer.

The basic idea in this book is this mantra....

10% of all I earn is mine to keep. Before I pay the government, my creditors, my bills, before anyone...1 in 10 cents is mine to keep.

There's alot more meat and potatoes in there but, don't just take my word for it. And like that article, if you get lucky you might just find it at the library but, I venture to say you might just want to BUY one of these.

I believe the latest edition is up to three...

Iraq now....

2008-10-20T16:30:00.004-05:00

How many of us can remember people calling for us to pull out of Iraq? Mr. Reid saying how we are defeated there? The Jackass party (of lawyers) saying how we as a nation have failed there and need to pull our troops home?

Now we have reports that the counter insurgency has dropped attacks 90 percent and that the enemy has, yet again, lost high ranking leaders, specifically thier number two man in Iraq. Our marines left Mosul without much fuss and quietly recently on top of this when not long ago, it was an enemy stronghold.

Thier number two man overall once said how the US had failed in Iraq. Now we see this is much like Baghdad Bob telling us how the US forces attacking Iraq in 2003 would be "defeated" and the other wonderful quotes we have from him.

All this is a clear example of a very simple, yet very crucial fact....nothing great or good is ever achieved without pain, sacrifice and effort. That which is easy holds little value for the true value of something is measured but what you are willing to give up to get it.

I fear the America that has been able to achieve so many great things across the world is coming to her twilight now though. There are many loud voices from within her own borders, including the man the MSM claims has already won the presidential election, Mr. Obama, that simply refused to accept or even acknowledge this simple truth, much less willing to do what it takes to do it.

But, for now at least...the Iraqi people have a shot at being a free people without alot of terrorists killing them...we're not done yet...but we are on the downward run now I think...

And that is a PPotD...

Ewwww

2008-10-16T16:49:00.002-05:00

When you have a 'I Hate My Job' day,(even if retired, you still have those days)! Try this:

On your way home from work, stop at your Walgreens or CVS and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson.

Be very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed.

Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair. Open the package and remove the thermometer. Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not become chipped or broken.

Now the fun part begins:

Take out the literature from the box and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is a statement:

'Every Rectal Thermometer made by Johnson &Johnson is personally tested and then sanitized. '

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, 'I am so glad I do not work in the thermometer quality control department at Johnson & Johnson.'

HAVE A NICE DAY AND REMEMBER, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE WITH A JOB THAT IS MORE OF A PAIN IN THE BUTT THAN YOURS!

And that is the PPotD....

The War Within

2008-10-15T10:13:00.002-05:00

It's been a month or so since Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc with the Houston area (and much more). It's been a trying time, a time of both good and bad things and times. Slowly life is returning to some normality though things are still being stressful.

September marks the beginning of the "dark times" for me personally when it comes to my spiritual, emotional, mental and overall health. As fall heads toward us, I have, for my entire adult life, faced a fall and winter that grows increasingly worse for me until about the end of January or beginning of February. Then its a gradual rise until about the end of June and/or beginning of July.

This has gotten more pronounced depending on how the year has been and recently, its been very hard. On me and those around me because I have gotten vocal in the last two years about not feeling well. I was accused of being vocal before but now, people say that I wasn't because for the last two years, I have made it known I am fighting a war without end against depression that can become manic quickly.

There are many factors...most of my family and friends have died in the last four months of the year, my diabetes seems to get worse due to the change in food offered and consumed, my wieght is a target of more comments because of this (and I have always been 'fat' my entire life) and much more. This all feeds the feelings of loss, aloneness, low energy, feelings that I can't achieve anything or will lose what I have managed to achieve...the whole package.

I'm a born and bred fighter is the only reason I simply don't lay down some days and give up. Something within me simply won't allow me to stop fighting. I personally think this is the Holy Spirit given to me at age 13 plus the natural spirit God gave me when I was concieved. It has been a two edged axe though but overall, its been a blessing.

Still, as I grow older and more and more things hit me and build up, it gets harder and harder to fight this war within. Things get to me more...I want more attention from my wife...my kids. It's harder to stick to a diet, to do blood testing...to face the normal everyday things that upset or even annoy most everyone.

My life is no bad at all...yet it seems as though I trudge along with a huge millstone about my neck. It's a burden to even get up in the mornings and no matter how many hours of sleep I get, I get no rest.

There has been alot of studies about depression and diabeties...but now they think the very drugs used to fight depression can trigger or make worse the diabeties. So it becomes a situation that you can't cure one thing without causing one or more other bad things. That's a downward spiral that only adds to the one I'm already on currently.

The "cure" for me is mostly time....making it through this time to the upticks....but there are other things that have helped me cope...

My wife, God bless her, has been a source of great resolve and strength for me. Sadly, these days, she works so much and does so much for others that by the time she gets to me, she's exhausted. "I'm tired dear." has become the three most said words to me. This when I long to hear those other three words..."I love you." most....

My children have been a solid reason to keep fighting but now, the oldest is married and has a kid of her own...at 16 mind you...but still...she will be fine, I can see. My son is in complete and total rebellion against me with only adds stress to the mix and, little Emma, God bless that gift a thousand times a day, is growing up and starting to be less and less "daddy's little girl" and more and more "Daddy's little girl that is finding out about the world"...meaning she has other things to do then spend time hanging out with daddy far more often now...

My dogs....were always a comfort but, they had to be given up when the wife and I had our seperation for a couple of months and as they added alot of stress, as animals can do, we've never replaced them. We loved our last dogs and are still feeling that loss and while we've started to entertain the idea of getting a dog again...we're simply still not ready or to that place...more bills to get rid of first and our hearts aren't healed from the loss of the other pups...even a year and a half later.

My faith is always there. God is always a source of strength and guidance for me but, now its hard to hear His voice and know the path I should go down. I feel my prayers are falling far short of reaching Him and crashing into molten craters on the ground.

I've tried counciling and it helps a little...for a time...but the cost gets to be too much and the time off from work can only be done so much too. In the end though, it doesn't seem to help me. I just have to grab my bootstraps and pull.

And therein lies the rub....

When you are trapped in this war within...you don't feel like grabbing your bootstraps. You don't feel like you have the energy to grab ahold of anything, much less yank. Anything and everything you do, from working, to posting on a blog, to eating, to bathing and brushing your teeth, to popping you fingers for blood testing, to even taking pills to make you quit hurting or to feel better, is a freaking chore from the lowest levels of the great abyssal planes.

Still...that something within refuses to let me give up...to quit...to stop fighting and just surrender to hopelessness and despair.

A walk in the woods on a lovely day gives enough energy for several days of fighting...a trip to Moody Gardens Aquarium or Rainforest does to though, due to the Hurricane Ike...they are either damaged or unavailable completely. A ride in a boat or on the ferry did it too but again, Ike took those from my list of weapons....trips to parks with Emma help mostly now...and the little time I can get my wife to just be close to me and let me know she still loves me...though I feel this has become a burden to her recently due to her being so tired.

I know its not just an excuse when she tells me that..she really is killing herself at work so that there is very little left by the time she gets home and well, Emma misses mommy and mommy misses Emma and there goes that last bit. Daddy just has to understand.

But daddy is not in a place that lends itself to that much right now..sigh. And even this puts more spin on that downward path...its a catch 22 situation.

Still...I'm a fighter...born and bred. I can't lay down and quit. I can't give up the fight. I can't quit. It's just not acceptable to me at all.

And that is the best positive post I can manage for the day I suppose....

I have a loving wife, decent job, reasonable health though it could be alot better. I have a home, friends and some family left. And I have God and my faith in Him to see me through whatever comes. And I have within me a spirit of determination that won't allow me to stop fighting until God Himself calls me home and tells me my job(s) are done on this side of the veil...and I can finally rest a good, long, rest.

Crawling out from under...

2008-10-13T08:58:00.003-05:00

Still alive...barely.

I apologize for the lack of posts but getting things up and running at work, home and friends has been taking any and all free time I have had. On top of this, I'm once more attempting to the special diet to kick start my wieght loss again so, naturally, my body seems to be rebelling and is giving me fits.

I will catch up by backdating posts as I can...but it will be a slow process I am sure as I still don't have much free time.

Many thoughts on many things...just have not been able to put them down on the electronic paper per se.

But, I do have a PPotD for today....

"Wife has gotten two really good sales and alot of hours to help cover the bills from Hurricane Ike and I have gotten to spend ALOT of time with little Emma so, those are two good things. Of course, now I hope the wife will get some "down time" again to relax and recharge. Working 13 days straight will get to you..heh..."

Still standing...kinda

2008-09-19T14:56:00.002-05:00

Ike drove up I-45 right over my house..litterally. I saw stars in the middle of a type 2 storm.

Power is still out at home...and work...I am at a temperary setup to post this so I have to make it short.

Minor damage to house, cars, garage, fence gone...nerves frazzled...sleep deprived but otherwise, very blessed.

And God gave us a COLD front the day after and kept it here...and that is all a PPotD because to top it all off...nobody is hurt.

We'll try to get back to normal later...heh.

GOD BLESS ALL!

Russian Navy dissed....

2008-09-09T10:25:00.002-05:00

A couple of days back I mentioned that the Russian Navy had plans to join with Chavez's so called navy for some "joint" manuvers. I also mentioned that this would probably result in the Russian Navy sinking on the way there.

This got me two emails actually. Both saying I might want to rethink this because the Russian's have a navy that can make it.

Well...the State Dept has wieghed in on this now too.

"Sean McCormack poked fun at Russia's navy. He said that if Russia really intends to send ships to the Caribbean, "then they found a few ships that can make it that far."

Seems I ain't the only one that is thinking this way guys and I bet Mr. McCormack is more "informed" then any of us yokels.

heh.

PPotD....

"Looks like Ike may decide to hit farther south then Houston. This would mean we would get some needed rain and that is about all. However, Mark over at the Fellowship is in Corpus and will be hit far harder should this play out. Please pray for all of our safety."

What would General Patton do?

2008-09-08T09:07:00.000-05:00

Given the state of the world today, I have thought about what General Patton would think looking around. He was a man that understood warfare quite well. So well in fact that of all the commanders in the field during WWII in the European theater, he alone was most feared by Stalin and the Russians. They, the Russians, understood that General Patton would not be stopped by thier winter or thier muddy spring. They were so aware that not only did Patton want to go to war with them at the end of WWII but that he would win that fight that the US kept his death a secret for many months afterward.

So when I found this little ad lib of the speech George C. Scott did at the beginning of Patton, I had to grab it and put it up...enjoy.

Sadly, this is far to close to the truth and something to be kept in mind.

And now, the PPotD....

"We are fortunate that in America today we still have those willing to stand up, march forward and do battle for our freedoms. As September 11th approaches yet again, please remember these brave men and women, living and dead, in your prayers.

For without them, we would be enslaved to others with far lower ideals for us.

The path of the loser is sorrow filled and miserable. These folks that keep our flag flying high are insuring the blessings of liberty to ourselves and many others throughout the world as we speak."

Russian Navy to join Venezuela in Naval exercise...laugh...

2008-09-07T00:55:00.003-05:00

So the Russians think sending the few ships they have for a navy to a country that really has no navy for naval exercises is going to "show us" something as does Mr. Chavez...

Probably will...show us how their navy sinks in the ocean and needs our navy to come rescue them...

Of course, of greater concern is the Russian unwillingness to remove thier troops from Georgia territory even after the EU has made it clear they are sending in monitors...

I'm telling you...things are going from bad to worse over there....

But, enough of that...time for the PPotD...

"Chocolate....heh.

That one is for my wife and two daughters...they said that one word was a "postive enough post"...at least for women....go figure.

I suppose for most men it would be what comes from GIVING women chocolate...*snicker*"

More sabre rattling...

2008-09-06T12:27:00.002-05:00

It seems Russia has decided that it's a nation to be dealt with in a different way then we have been before and shown this by the invasion and attack on Georgia.

Guess all that aid we gave them has been put to good use...much like the Japanese did before World War II....you know, with all that scrap metal...*rolls eyes*

Ah well, at least the EU and China are not siding with Russia on this...you would think that alone would tell them how isolated they are but...hey...not my call...

PPotD...

"Was a beautiful day today and we enjoyed going on another boat ride and having a wonderful time out as a family. Being able to spend a little cash now and then sure can make your day fun..."

I miss you brother...

2008-09-05T12:19:00.002-05:00

It's been three years now since my brother was killed by a semi pulling into his lane. My daugher Emma will never get to hear his voice, see him or play with him on this side of the viel. My grandson won't either nor will his grandbabies...any of them.

I miss my brother very, very much. We fought at brother do but, we were brothers. We stood against the world for each other because...we were family and that was what our father wanted us to do.

The PPotD today will be a bit harder because, I am saddened that my brother is not here. But, here goes....

"I believe that one day, not too soon I hope but, one day...I will get to see my brother again along with my mother and father when it comes my time to cross over the veil and see what is on the other side. I believe I will meet them in Heaven and that we will be as perfect as we will ever be with no pain, no sadness, no suffering.

It is this hope and belief that gives I, and many more like me, comfort. And that is a good thing."

Russian War with Georgia...

2008-09-04T14:02:00.002-05:00

..continues to be a threat to a far wider conflict. Russian forces are not pulling back and the EU has decided to send in hundreds, if not thousands, of "monitors" to see that they do. Vice President Cheney is talking with the Ukraine about joining NATO as well as other former Soviet republics and we have warships delivering "aid" to a port that is still occupied with Russian troops....

Does anyone else get the feeling this is like building a bonfire with sticks of dynamite, dumping naplam on it and then playing with matches while standing on top of it?

And that brings me to the PPotD....

"I'm thankful that when I want to visit Georgia, all I have to do is drive east for a few hundred miles and the only tanks I will see are US ones and gas tanks....

Kidding aside...I am thankful that I can travel within the whole of the United States and never see a military check point, a military tank or vehicle or even an armed soldier who's current task is to check me out and see if I am doing what I'm supposed to be doing. In the world today, many people are living with this situation, that thier men and women or even foreign men and women are having to do this very thing to stop others from harming them.

I thank the men and women that do this and I thank God that it has not come to reside in the US...at least not yet."

Quick PPotD

2008-09-03T01:59:00.000-05:00

"There has not been a major military confrontation on American soil since the Civil War and only two major attacks, that being Peral Harbor and 9/11.

Though the Japanese did hit the Aluetians...heh."

Coffee and the PPotD

2008-09-02T11:25:00.002-05:00

I mentioned before that I enjoy my coffee rather well. One thing I am a bit sad about is how "burnt" most coffee people drink is, especially from the store. Some of it almost tastes like charcoal to me.

But getting good coffee can be expensive too, especially if you buy it in green form and then custom roast it or have someone like the Coffee Fool do it for you.

There are other ways to go about it though...

For instance, did you know that there is US grown coffee that is wonderful?

Two kinds, Maui and Kona are both grown on the big island of Hawaii and both are very nice. Its VERY hard to get Maui coffee though it's the better tasting to me of the two. BOTH are far better then the stuff you get from the local supermarket.

I would recommend the Maui Coffee Company to get your fix. A bit more expensive then the super market ($21 a pound ain't cheap I tell ya) but you can get a mixed bag and as long as you figure its a treat...it is worth it.

And that brings me to the PPotD...

"It is a blessing to be able to afford a treat such at this coffee. And another blessing to be able to have the time to relax with friends and family to enjoy it with. Make sure to have REAL cream to put in the cup and REAL honey to sweeten it if you like those in your coffee. But you won't need them really...at least...not to me. Enjoy..."

Happy Labor Day!

2008-09-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

A quick post today...

"HAPPY LABOR DAY!"

Enjoy having a day off right after a month with no holiday...lol.

God turned the day around...

2008-08-31T23:39:00.003-05:00

Well the day started out pretty bad today. Wife has a "best friend" that decided to make a grade AAA donkey out of herself and just went off all over the place. Upset my wife, several of thier mutal friends and just generally caused all kinds of problems. Boy got on my last nerve too this morning so, we ended up not going to church which is normally a no no for us.

We actually enjoy going to church because our church does it right. No heavy handedness, just straight from the Bible. They don't pass an offering plate and are debt free and don't borrow money at all. If we can't get enough through donations, then God doesn't want us to have it is the thinking here. Besides, think of all the interest payments saved that go to help the various programs and people of the church instead of lining some bankers pockets!

Instead we headed down to the Kemah Boardwalk and watched the fountains, rode a few rides, including the speed boat one called "The Beast" which was very nice and very wet. Wife and Emma both (me too) enjoyed it very much, even when we got drenched. Wife enjoyed it so much that she forgot her troubles while Emma talked about "going on the boat daddy" almost constantly. This of course made me feel better on top of the fun of the ride. We topped it off with a WONDERFUL meal at the Saltgrass Steakhouse. The service was great (THANKS JADE) and the food was excellent. The Shiner Boch Beer Bread was fantastics, the wife got a sweet potato with her steak and I got to have a good ole normal spud the size of my fists together along with a very well cooked porterhouse along with a nice appitizer, fresh salad chillded just right and good hot tea made by the bag, not the pot. The entire meal was very reasonable and concidering the quality of food AND service, I think it was money very well spent. Not "low cost" mind you but steak never is now is it? heh

We got pictures of us on the boat and around the boardwalk and had a wonderful day so that by the end of our little trip, about six hours, we were tired and happy again.

And the PPotD?

"We plan on going back to the Boardwalk in a few weeks....once we build up a little extra cash again. So, if the wife gets a nice commision check this week...we will be back next weekend!"

Fatherhood and Grandfatherhood

2008-08-30T14:15:00.002-05:00

Today has been an interesting day, much like the ancient Chinese curse "May you like in interesting times"...

I was busy playing with my youngest, Emma, when the cell rang and I got called to work about a break in at the plant. Police had already been dispatched so it was not an overly big concern but mommy and Emma were concerned for daddy. It does warm the heart to know you are wanted and loved I tell you and I need that right now.

My eldest, also my daughter who is now a wife and mother herself at 16, has a kinda odd relationship with me. She cares, likes having me around more times then not but, we've never been the "hug and kisses" kinda of pair. She's not really into the "touch" thing with anyone but her husband in the family so, it doesn't really bother me much and if I really do need some hugs or something, she'll cave for one. And, once in a blue moon, she'll actually come and hug me without warning too so, we're okay when it comes to that stuff. It's just not a constantly ongoing thing...more of a "in the moment" kind of thing.

With Emma, its pretty much all the time, hugs, kisses, the whole shooting match. She's nearly three now so, I'm enjoying this time tremendously. I know it will pass all to soon. Will is there as is my niece Mariel...but its a little bit more special when its your own daughter rather then a grandson or niece.

Don't get me wrong, I'll enjoy having Will doing it as I do Mariel doing it. But I get alot more "play time" with Emma so, I cherish these "eternal moments" as I can find them.

My son and I have, at least at the moment, a very, very strained relationship. We pretty much try to avoid even speaking to one another because, we'll end up having an arguement if we do. He's at a point right now where his pride has gotten in the way of things and being 15, he thinks he has it all figured out. I've "never been there for him" because I have not fit into his idea of what a father should have been. Therefore, he "hates me so much". This does bother me and on the days or times he seems to be trying to provoke me it bothers me more. I have to admit, I am close to the point of giving up and just sending him away to a military school or someplace where perhaps they can give him the discipline that he seems to lack getting under my roof.

I think we endulge him to much and he tries to use his mother against me I think. My wife doesn't think so but others have noticed it too and recently, so has she. It's getting to the point where we are having to "tip toe around our teenagers" a bit too much. But, we will try to keep the peace for some more time, hopefully in a year or three, the problems will be fading memories and we can get on with our lives without alot of drama.

Time will tell...and now for the PPotD part...

"Gustav seems to be heading AWAY from the Houston area and that is a good thing..."

Three years ago today Katrina made headlines...

2008-08-29T14:58:00.003-05:00

We here in Houston watched as Katrina slammed into New Orleans and flushed the city down the sewer. Levies failed and the years of corrupt political machinery of thier govenment was exposed as pumps the federal government sent were found to be missing or not installed, levies were found to have been build wrong and a host of problems from "the rich white folks got thier homes rebuilt" to "let's let all the criminals out and then lose thier records" and then some surfaced.

It wasn't all bad though, it gave people a chance to show thier good side too. I was on one part of the huge front line doing both clean up and helping the Red Cross with victims here in Houston. I met people that were eager to steal...er...get some money in a hand out from the Red Cross but most that came through truely needed the help. I will forever remember two sets of people...one a family and one a mother of five that was the sole survivor of her house.

The mother was a body without a soul. She had lost all five of her children, ages 3 years to 13 years, to the storm. She had been swept out of her house in a nightgown when the levies broke just a few blocks from her home. No warning, just the rush of water and then chaos in the darkness. She managed to survive but the kids were found later drowned. I can't imagine what that is like and I hope I will never know this side of the veil. No words can help at that point so, I simply sighed, asked if I could say a small prayer for her (she just nodded yes) and made a very short and to the point appeal to God to give her as much comfort as she needed to lessen the pain even a little. Then I finished her paperwork and took her to the next place in line and made sure they understood her particular situation. At first, the worker just kinda nodded and didn't seem to truely hear what I had said so, I made it a point to get her attention and specifically told her that this case needed special care and if she couldn't give it, then I needed her to take my spot and I would take hers to see that it did.

This got my point across and when the lady saw the woman's situation, her entire attitude changed. Later, both the victim and the worker thanked me.

The other was a member of the Air Force. He was dislocated from the military base along with his wife, sister, mother and seven kids, five of which were his. I was walking along just moving between stations carrying forms when the sister stops me and asked me a simple question about when they were to show up for help the next day. Seems the people handing out forms didn't explain it to her (or them) so I checked for her.

This caused a bit of a stir among thier group and soon, I found the women all were in the same boat of not knowing how to even begin to get help. Nobody would stop and take the time to answer them or were simply overwhelmed with the 50,000 or so people in the stadium. These people were sleeping in a communal place on cots in very poor conditions but, far better then where they had come from.

Human suffering will always be with us but, I feel each of us are tasked with lessening it as much as we are able. This was unacceptable to me as these folks didn't want to be a bother, weren't asking for special treatment or anything like that. They simply wanted to know what they were required to do in order to get the assistance offered. They wanted to follow the rules and nobody seemed able to help them for whatever reason. So, I helped them. I checked the paperwork, the times and such and made sure to let them know what we required of them. It took me no more then 30 minutes to do it all for all three groups of people.

The mother grabbed my hand afterward and cried on it for the effort and both women gave me a hug with tears in thier eyes. The kids thanked me too and all that was very touching and has stuck with me through it all. But the most telling thing, the thing that has stuck with me all these years...three years now...was how the husband/son/brother reacted...

This man was a military man, fit, trim, proper even in those conditions. He was a sergeant in the Air Force after all and used to being in some control. All this vanished to the point he could not help his family. He was also the only adult male in this group which meant he was shouldering a great deal of it I knew. This man was to the point of tears as he took my hand in a very firm handshake. He thanked me with a deep gratitude that impacted me very much. I told him he need not thank me, that this is why I was here. To help, to aid, to make this burden a bit less for him and all I could. He stared at me a moment, then nodded and once more, thanked me. He pushed the words out with a cracking voice, fighting the urge to cry. I told him if he needed anything to look for me the next day and I would again help him all I could.

The next day they all found me, smiling, and explained how my instructions were "perfect" and they had been able to go through the lines quickly, far more quickly then others, and were going to be able to get temporary housing and work for the man until he was reactivated. He pulled me off to the side and told me again how much he appreciated all I had done.

Now, here in Houston we are watching Gustav closely as it decides where it wants to come visit. Hanna is out there also and might make an appearance. Much preperation is being done all over. We'll see what happens in a few days...that is about all we know.

But that brings me to the PPotD...

"The greatest gift we can offer to others is not money, power or even our knowledge...its our caring and time. A kind word, a caring touch, cost us nothing and are so valuable, they are priceless.

Today, not tomorrow, offer them to someone, be they known to you or not. You never know when you will be in need of either yourself after all."

More from the would be war front....

2008-08-28T10:32:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I posted about the tension over the Russian invasion of Georgia and the mess that is becoming with all the political manuverings.

Today we hear that the US and Poland, a very staunch ally in Iraq and Afganistan and a new member of NATO, signed a deal to put Patriot missle batteries into Poland. The Russians responded by basically saying that if we put the batteries in Poland that they would respond "by not just diplomatic means"...

O_o

Me thinks it is time that the Russians get taught a lesson that they seem to have forgotten. In the 1950s, American pilots in Sabres dogfoght with RUSSIAN pilots in Migs in Korea we know now, not just Chinese pilots. In these duels, American aviators started out weak, having to run many time to fight another day but, as they learned, they got to the point quickly that the Russian planes began falling from the sky so fast that by the truce, few were flying against our men.

In the 1960s, we once again saw this pattern in Vietnam where our kill ratio started out at 3 to 1 and by wars end, became 12 to 1.

In the 1990s, in Iraq, we saw once again the power of our pilots against thier foes being demonstrated and got a first hand look at how our main battle tanks faired aginast Russian main battle tanks. The outcome of that battle was "The Road of Death" where we litterally we chided for "beating up the enemy too much"...

O_o

How you can kill an enemy "too much" in a war is beyond me I fear but, that was the thinking...

Then we once again see the same things in 2003 to present...our forces have shown that not only are they able to take it but they can dish it out with brutal effectiveness.

I don't think that Mr. Putin and his cronies think we will stand up to them and if Barrak Obama gets into the office of President, he's probably right. Just from the speeches and Mr. Obama's answers at the Saturday Forum I can get that much.

However, should McCain get into office, I bet the Russians settle the hell down because he has let the world know exactly how he would do things. He has no qualms about stating his position and his beliefs. This is a quiet strength that I can respect and hope for in our President. I don't agree with everything McCain says and does but at least I know HE believes he is going the right direction.

Obama seems to go where people TELL him to go and that is not a leader, that's a follower.

If the Russians push things farther, we might get to see some shooting start up and once that particular hog gets out of the pen all bets are off. World War III might just have started with a small spark for all we know.

Time will surely tell...

And that brings me to the PPotD...

"In this world today, in our country, only about 1.5% of our people serve in uniform and in reserves. This leaves 98.5% of us to do whatever else is needed or wanted to be done.

Thankfully, even at this small percentage, it seems that this is enough to keep us free and relatively safe."

Of war and peace...

2008-08-27T10:11:00.002-05:00

As many people are doing no doubt, I've been keeping an eyeball or two placed on the Russian invasion of Georgia and the polictical manuverings that this has brought about with a bit of care. Today, a few new rubs have been added...

We've sent a Coast Guard cutter and a destroyer to a port that is technically Georgian but still has Russian troops patroling it that are, in fact, in violation of agreements Russia has signed. These troops are in fact digging in at the only bridge in and out of the city. Some eight to ten NATO warships are around this area and they are facing a Russian naval fleet of about twelve ships on "fleet manuvers". This of course are the surface ships we can see, no telling how many subs are over there but you can bet there are at least two to four for our side.

Our ships are there to deliver "humanitarian aid" and I know they are doing that for certain. They are providing cargo, water, hospitals and other things ships of our fleet can do simply because we build them that way. But, anyone that doesn't believe there are military things being done hasn't lived outside thier bubble enough yet.

The situation is such that the Russians seem to be thumping thier chests in a manner similar to Mr. Krueschev circa the 1960s while Uncle Sam once again stands up and moves to the middle of the ring with horseshoes in his gloves to give an added punch to his blows should it come to this. The fact the Russians basically stole four humvees isn't helping things either I am sure.

This is definately a situation that will continue to warrant watching...

PPotD...

"Sure glad I am not in the country of Georgia right now."