January 23, 2012
The F-35's First Night Flight
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The F-35's First Night Flight
The F-35 is the state-of-the-art strike fighter destined to become the standard allied military jet of the 21st century.
Hoping to maintain approval for the F-35, Lockheed Martin's public relations team is not letting up in its efforts to keep the fighter in the public eye and they've released some pretty cool pictures of the fighter's first night flight.
At the same time, Lockheed has been fighting to get the Marine Corps' version of the strike plane off the "probation" imposed upon it by former defense secretary Robert Gates, and back on track — following the success of this flight — it looks like they've succeeded.
The F-35A performed well in straight approaches at dawn, and dusk, with the cockpit lighting described as the best test pilot Mark Ward had ever seen.
While not the F-35B model threatened by Gates, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta pulled the Marine's model off probation and put it back on course.
Wild Thing's comment.........
Awesome photos of the F-35.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Marine Amphibious Warfare Taskforce ( totally cool a MUST see Video)
The group's ongoing work will give the Marines "the seed corn for the changes" needed to update amphibious ops to the modern day battlefield, Mills said during his speech at the Surface Warfare Association's annual symposium.
WASHINGTON: A special Marine Corps task force created specifically to drag the service's amphibious operations into the 21st century will be sticking around for awhile longer, according to a top service general.
The current Amphibious Capabilities Working Group will be renamed the Ellis Group and be permanently assigned to Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Lt. Gen. Richard Mills, head of Marine Corps Combat Development Command said last week. The name pays homage to former Marine Lt. Col. Earl Ellis, considered to be the founding father of amphibious warfare. The group's ongoing work will give the Marines "the seed corn for the changes" needed to update amphibious ops to the modern day battlefield, Mills said during his speech at the Surface Warfare Association's annual symposium. Created last September, the group already wrapped up its initial review of Marine Corps amphib ops, the three-star general said. Group members will submit their final recommendations to top service brass by the end of this month, according to a service spokesman. Those recommendations will likely be folded into the Corps' upcoming large-scale amphibious exercise, dubbed "Bold Alligator", set for next month.
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Wild Thing's comment..........
This is so neat how they do this. God bless our troops..
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:47 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 14, 2012
Tebow and Our Troops! Loving This Photo!
H/T: The Right Scoop
Wild Thing's comment........
I love this, God bless our troops they truly are awesome. And God bless Tebow!
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (3)
January 13, 2012
Our Media and Taliban Leaders Condemned The Video of US Marines pi$$ing on three dead Taliban fighters ~ Apparently It is OK Though When Taliban Behead Our Troops!
Panetta assures Afghans of full probe into video
Here is the link to the full article.......CLICK HERE.
The Taliban is upset with the video even though they use snuff videos of attacks on US Marines as a recruiting tool.
The AP reported:
The reaction from Afghanistan was angry.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the video as “completely inhumane.” The Afghan Defense Ministry called it “shocking.” And the Taliban issued a statement accusing U.S. forces of committing numerous “indignities” against the Afghan people.
“First they killed the Afghans with mortars, and they then urinated on their bodies,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said. “We strongly condemn this inhumane action by the wild American soldiers.”
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Wild Thing's comment........
So what! Our troops are awesome! Good for them!! The R.O.E.’s they have had to be under from the vile Obama, no wonder our troops get ticked off and frustrated. The community organizer Obama has not clue what our troops are up against and could care less about them. He is not worth one ounce of respect from our troops.
And what does the Taliban do to our troops? They behead them, cut the ones up in little pieces they have kidnapped. But oh that’s right the media does not care about that, they only want to make a big deal about what our troops do. sheesh!
I realize our troops are supposed to be good and good examples of America. BUT I am so fed up with how Obama and his ilk have treated our troops. And the Code Pink people etc. holding signs saying Kill the Officers, Kill our troops. Enough!
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)
January 06, 2012
Hero Navy Seal Sharpshooter Chris Kyle Shares His Story On Opie and Anthony Radio Show
Navy Seal Sharpshooter Chris Kyle talks to Opie and Anthony about the time he punched Jesse Ventura in the face.
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If you are interested like I am here is the full interview with this wonderful Hero.
Wild Thing's comment......
Thank you Chris Kyle for all you have done!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 PM
January 01, 2012
Occupiers Kicked Out Of Iowa Coffee Shop ~ Good!!!
Occupiers were shown the door when the owner of an Iowa coffee shop had heard enough.
"We all have our rights," said Amy Brehm, who runs Java Joe's, where MSNBC had set up broadcast facilities in Des Moines, "but not in my place."..."I'm not one to sit by and watch things happen"
Wild Thing's comment......
Good for this coffee shop owner! More people should do this.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (4)
December 26, 2011
Military Wives in UK Have Music Hit With Their Song ‘Wherever You Are’
The "Military Wives" singing group topped the charts in the UK this year with their smash hit "Wherever You Are."
What a beautiful song and a wonderful story.
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This video below is of them singing )Wherever You Are" .........................
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Wild Thing's comment.......
This is very special.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:50 AM | Comments (1)
December 24, 2011
Wounded Marine Inspires AP Photographer's Search
United States Marine Cpl. Burness Britt reacts after being lifted onto a medevac helicopter from the U.S. Army's Task Force Lift "Dust Off," Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment. Britt was wounded in an IED strike near Sangin, in the Helmand Province of southern Afghanistan. At the Hunter Holmes Medical Center in Richmond, Va., Britt is facing a long recovery after a large piece of shrapnel cut a major artery on his neck. During his first operation in Afghanistan he suffered a stroke and became partially paralyzed.
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United States Marine Cpl. Burness Britt walks on the grounds of the Hunter Holmes Medical Center in Richmond, Va., wearing a helmet protecting his head after part of his skull had been removed. Britt is facing a long recovery after a large piece of shrapnel from an IED in Afghanistan in June 2011 cut a major artery on his neck. During his first operation in Afghanistan he suffered a stroke and became partially paralyzed. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) PART OF A 14-PICTURE PACKAGE BY ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS; ITALY OUT
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Wounded Marine inspires AP photographer's search
by AP photojournalist Anja Niedringhaus has covered war and conflict for 20 years. She has received a Pulitzer Prize and the Courage in Journalism award for her work. She has spent considerable time covering the Afghan conflict and spent 2 1/2 weeks in June with the U.S. Army's "Dust Off" Medevac unit in southwest Afghanistan.
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Inside the medevac helicopter in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Cpl. Burness Britt bleeds profusely from his neck. He and two other Marines have just been hit by shrapnel, with Britt's injuries the most serious. The medevac crew chief clutches one of Britt's blood-covered hands as he is given oxygen. I take hold of the other.
With my free hand, I lift my camera and take some pictures. I squeeze Britt's hand and he returns the gesture, gripping my palm tighter and tighter until he slips into unconsciousness. His shirt is ripped, but I notice a piece of wheat stuck to it. I pluck it off and tuck it away in the pocket of my body armor.
In my 20 years as a photographer, covering conflicts from Bosnia to Gaza to Iraq to Afghanistan, injured civilians and soldiers have passed through my life many times. None has left a greater impression on me than Britt.
I knew him only for a few minutes in that helicopter, but I believed we would meet again one day, and I hoped to give him that small, special piece of wheat.
As Britt underwent surgeries and painful rehabilitation, I returned to my job with The Associated Press, yet Britt was never far from my mind. I searched for him on the Internet. I called hospitals. I wondered if he remembered me.
It's been just over six months since that day in the wheat field not far from his small combat outpost "Kajaki Dam," named for a mammoth structure the U.S., British and NATO troops have been trying to protect and repair to help produce electricity.
Afghanistan was Britt's first combat deployment and he was in Sangin, a town in Afghanistan's southwest Helmand province that has seen some of the bloodiest fighting. He knew the mission was dangerous.
He was leading a group of 10 Marines through a wheat field when there was an explosion. He doesn't know how far away, maybe a few yards. He was thrown into the air, and landed with a thump in the field, a searing hot pain raging in his neck. He had been hit by a huge piece of shrapnel from a bomb and a major artery was cut. Britt believes the improvised explosive device was hidden and somebody triggered it from a distance, though he can't say for sure.
"My only thought was my wife," he said recently from his hospital bed in Richmond, Virginia, where the 22-year-old Marine has been recuperating and rebuilding his life and health.
His speech comes with a great deal of difficulty these days, and sometimes he is hard to understand. During the many surgeries that followed his injury, he had a major stroke and is partially paralyzed on his right side.
His smile, though, is unchanged. The nurses at the Hunter Holmes Medical Center in Richmond, where we met for the first time since the helicopter ride, call him "Sunshine" because their youngest patient is always joking and in a good mood.
It was his courage and smile I remember so vividly. After he was wounded, he smiled briefly when he reached the helicopter, as if to reassure us he would be OK.
It was June 4. I was embedded with the U.S. Army "Dust Off" medevac unit, a group that moves quickly, with little concern for their own safety. When the call came that Britt had been hit, the description of his wounds let everyone know it was serious. Within five minutes, the unit was at his side.
Marines from the 2nd Battalion 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division rushed out of the nearby bushes carrying Britt. We were quickly airborne.
In the helicopter, the scene was one of quiet courage. No words were spoken, no screams of pain. Blood was everywhere.
Britt was moving his legs, checking to see if they were still there. When he realized they were, he smiled once again. The crew chief, Jennifer Martinez, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, held Britt's hand. Another wounded Marine, Lance Cpl. Joshua Barron, looked at his buddy and cried. I had Britt's other hand in mine.
We left Britt at our small outpost called Camp Edi, where medical staff provided the first round of treatment before transferring him to Camp Bastion. From there, he went to the U.S. Military Hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. He was then taken to Bethesda Hospital in Washington and finally to Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center in Richmond.
I traveled to Germany, and then to Switzerland where I am based for AP. I kept the piece of wheat with me, carefully stowed away in a small jewelry box.
My search for Britt started almost as soon as I got back to Geneva. I emailed the Marines and the Army, but all they said was that Britt was still in serious condition.
I got in touch with patients at Walter Reed Hospital, where many of the seriously wounded were taken, but they didn't know Britt.
I searched the Internet for his name for weeks. Then one evening, like so many before, I was on the Web and I thought I would play around with the spelling of his name. I immediately discovered I had his first name wrong. That day in the helicopter, I was told his name was Burmess. It was actually Burness.
When I entered the correct name, I found articles about Britt. His local paper in Georgetown, South Carolina, had done a story on him.
I wrote the newspaper several times but got no reply. Then I called the AP bureau in South Carolina. The news editor there gave me the phone number of Britt's father, Neal.
I thought my perseverance had paid off, but there was another setback — the number was out of order.
I refused to give up. A few weeks later, the news editor found another phone number. This time it rang, but no one picked up. I kept calling, every evening for about a week.
Eventually, I found Britt on Facebook. He accepted my friend request and at last, it looked like I we would finally be able to connect. But when I sent him messages, there was no reply.
I worried that he didn't want to reconnect. Maybe he wanted to forget that day in Helmand and everyone involved.
I soon found out that wasn't the case. His paralysis made it nearly impossible for him to chat over the Internet, but I noticed on his Facebook page that he was at the hospital in Richmond. I tracked down the number with the help of an AP photographer in Richmond and when I called, a nurse answered.
I heard her yell: "Britt, there is a phone call for you from a photographer in Switzerland who was there in Afghanistan when you got picked up."
The next thing I heard was Britt's voice. He sounded relieved that I had found him by phone. The memories of Helmand flooded through my head. I fumbled my words. I wanted to come to Richmond, meet him, interview him, show him the images of that day, give him the wheat sheaf and talk about his recovery. I had so many questions.
He listened and in a gentle, soft voice, he said: "Yes, ma'am, I would like to see you. Come."
When we finally met Dec. 13 at the hospital, I saw him in the distance. He walked with difficulty, trying to control his right arm and leg. He was wearing a plastic helmet to protect his head where part of the skull had been removed. His brain had swollen to nearly twice its size because of his injuries and doctors had to open the skull to relieve the pressure.
His helmet had a camouflage cover on it emblazoned with the 3rd Marine Division emblem on its side.
He saw me and that warm smile crossed his face again. He hugged me. Like that day in the helicopter when I held his hand, it seemed he did not want to let go. He kept repeating: "Oh man, it is so good to see you."
In his room, his dark brown eyes sparkled and he tried to tell jokes. He explained what he had been through since we had last seen each other.
Doctors put him into a coma for a month and when he woke up, he was he was at the hospital in Virginia.
He had just started to regain his speech, working his way back from months of "thumbs up, thumbs down conversation," says his 22-year-old wife, Jessica.
He will undergo more surgeries next year to rebuild his skull.
Sitting on his bed, he looked at me and asked: "Did you bring some pictures with you?" He wanted to see those moments in the helicopter.
He studied each photo. When he looked up, he had tears in his eyes. "Thank you so much," he said.
I pointed to one of the pictures with the piece of wheat. I told him I had brought it with me. He couldn't believe it.
We reminisced about Afghanistan. He talked about his Marine buddies, those he had served with and friends who were seriously injured or killed.
He lifted his left arm to his chest, where he has a Marine Corps tattoo.
"The love for the Marines is deep in my heart, they are my family," he said. "I want to return immediately back to Afghanistan to help them keep fighting."
I left the piece of wheat with Britt. He said it was his new lucky charm.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Marine Cpl. Burness Britt thank you for your heart and pasion of love for our country and for your service. We will never ever forget the sacrifices you have made along with all that have served and serve today.
You will be in our thoughts and prayers along with our gratitude.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:50 AM | Comments (1)
December 19, 2011
North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Il is Dead ~ GOOD! See Video Of His Killing Fields of Death and Torture
North Korean Announcer Reveals News that “Dear Leader” Kim Jong-il is Dead
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North Korean Killing Fields 1 - A modern-day Mauthausen: Camp 22, North Korea, a hidden place of death and torture for the 50,000 men, women, and children who live and die there.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
The news said his son will take over and he is supposed to be just like his father.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (6)
November 25, 2011
'Company Policy: We are not hiring until Obama is gone' ~ Good For This Patriot!
A west Georgia business owner is stirring up controversy with signs he posted on his company's trucks, for all to see as the trucks roll up and down roads, highways and interstates:
"New Company Policy: We are not hiring until Obama is gone."
"Can't afford it," explained the employer, Bill Looman, Tuesday evening. "I've got people that I want to hire now, but I just can't afford it. And I don't foresee that I'll be able to afford it unless some things change in D.C."
Wild Thing's comment........
The only people IMO that would not like this would be Obama voters. This is a brave man and doing the smart thing. How the heck can a person expand their company etc. when Obama keeps destroying everything in sight.
God bless this man!
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (2)
November 22, 2011
Lech Walesa Unveils Reagan Statue in Warsaw: “Without Reagan There Would Be No Poland”
Walesa unveils one more for the 'Gipper'
The former Solidarity leader said that “as a participant in these events,” it was “inconceivable” that such changes would have come about without the last American president during the post-1945 cold-war era.
Walesa added that thirty years ago, it seemed that the fall of the communist system would not be possible without a nuclear war.
The bronze statue of Reagan has been installed not far from the American Embassy, on Ujazdowskie Avenue, one of the capital’s most picturesque thoroughfares.
A statement from President Barack Obama was read out to the guests attending the ceremony, which said that: “The location of this monument is a fitting reminder of the close ties between the American and Polish people, and a tribute to the strong support the United States gave Poland during its long struggle to free itself from communist rule”.
The three-metre high monument, designed by sculptor Wlaydyslaw Dudek, depicts Reagen nicknamed ‘the Gipper’ making his famed 1987 speech at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
During the Berlin address Reagan called on his Russian counterpart, President Gorbachev, to “tear down this wall.”
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Wild Thing's comment........
God bless Poland and Walesa.
Eat your heart out Obama the most hated President.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (6)
November 16, 2011
At Tomb of the Unknown ....Guard Silences Disrespectful Crowd
Tomb of the Unknown Guard Silences Disrespectful Crowd
ARLINGTON, Va. - Video posted online shows a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia silencing a crowd after laughter is heard.
Usually the guards patrol in silence.
However, after the disruption, the solder stops and addresses the onlookers.
"It is requested that everyone maintains a level of silence and respect," he said as he stopped in stance.
The crowd fell silent.
The guard continued his patrol.
No other disruptions were reported that day.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Horrible how people treat being there with such disrespect. HORRID!
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (3)
November 15, 2011
Former NYPD Officer and Marine Drags Out The Door A Filthy Occupier Trying To Disrupt Swearing-In Ceremony For NY GOP Rep. Bob Turner
Meet New York’s newest hero.
Kevin Hiltunen, a former NYPD officer, yesterday grabbed an Occupy Wall Street demonstrator by the collar and dragged him out of a Queens school where he’d been heckling US Rep. Bob Turner at the congressman’s swearing-in ceremony.
“I guess you could say I sorted him out,” said Hiltunen, 48, his jacket and tie barely mussed after dragging the scruffy protester out on his rear end.
“All I was doing was trying to stop this historic occasion from being disrupt-ed. There is a time and place to exercise your First Amendment rights,’’ said Hiltunen, of Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, who was identified by people at the ceremony as an ex-Marine.
“This was not the time or the venue,” Hiltunen added.
Adam Weissman, 33, of Astoria, was one of three demonstrators to disrupt Turner’s local swearing-in ceremony at Metropolitan HS in Forest Hills.
Turner won the congressional seat once held by disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner by defeating Assemblyman David Weprin.
“Bob Turner has only been in office for two months and . . .” was all that the bearded heckler could blurt out before he was taken down by Hiltunen.
Holding a sign that read, “Rep. Turner [heart] the 1%,” Weissman remained seated and quiet until Turner, who was there with his wife, Peggy, took the stage about 1:30 p.m. and began to speak.
“He was close by to where I was standing, and he started yelling something about Bob Turner,” said Hiltunen, who described himself as a Turner supporter and a volunteer for his congressional campaign.
“So I grabbed him by his sweat shirt and escorted him out. I just had to do what was right. I was just here to witness this historic occasion.”
Afterward, Turner blasted the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators and praised Hiltunen.
“Protesters are on the wrong track. Socialism has been tried again and again, and it doesn’t work,” said Turner. “He picked the wrong guy to pee off.”
The no-nonsense Hiltunen said he hadn’t known Weissman was part of the raucous demonstration based at Zuccotti Park since Sept. 17.
“I’m a citizen who believes in democracy. I did not ask this man if he was part of any movement,” the former cop said.
Hiltunen was a member of the NYPD from February 1994 until June 2009, when he retired in good standing on a disability caused by an accident, a source told The Post.
Weissman, meanwhile, was unapologetic for disrupting the ceremony. After getting the boot, he was distributing OWS fliers on Metropolitan Avenue.
“Before I got grabbed by those people, I wanted to say that Bob Turner has only been in office for two months and he has already sold out his supporters,” said Weissman, adding that he twisted his ankle in the melee but otherwise was “OK.”
“How can you support a man who is a backer of free backdoor trading with China?” he asked.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Heh heh ha ha ho ho, I love it when Veterans protect us. And he is also a retired policeman. Great stoyr and yesss take out that garbage occupier jerk. tah dah!
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (3)
October 22, 2011
Adorable Kitty Rescue
The tiny kitty in the video above was stuck in a drainpipe outside an Indianapolis school for 48 hours. Using a snake camera, a plumber rescued the little cutie. A staff member from the school adopted the kitten and named it Stormy after its drainpipe adventure.
Wild Thing's coomment.......
So cute, thank God they were able to get the kitty.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (2)
October 18, 2011
The Horse Soldiers of 9/11
Wild Thing's comment........
This is fantastic. Thank you and God bless these Horse soldiers.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (4)
October 10, 2011
Code Pink Protest’s 10K Run Benefiting WOUNDED WARRIORS – Rep Allen West
30,000 people were expected to compete in the 27th annual Army Ten-Miler on Sunday.
This year saw the introduction of a new start and finish line for the runners. The race began on route 110 and finish in the Pentagon North Parking Lot. In between, runners crossed into Washington, D.C. via the Memorial Bridge, circled around the Watergate complex and skirted the south side of the National Mall before doubling back and recrossing the Potomac via the George Mason Memorial Bridge.
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Code Pink Protest’s 10K Run Benefiting WOUNDED WARRIORS – Rep Allen West
From LTC Rep. Allen West:
Just finished running Army Ten Miler…and unofficial time was 1 hr 29 mins and change, great seeing many old friends and former bosses.
However, what struck me as shameful was Code Pink being out on the run course protesting. There were many Wounded Warriors doing the wheelchair race and running with their prosthetic devices. Perhaps Code Pink does not realize that those “Army Strong” men and women make it possible for them to stand on Independence Ave and demean their service, sacrifice, and commitment…….Land of the Free because we are the Home of the Brave!” Army Strong!
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Wild Thing's comment........
Code Pink is so horrible, they really are sub human beings.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (5)
September 24, 2011
Mitt Romney and Why Liberals and RINO's Like Him
Wild Thing's comment........
Not what I would wish for as a candidate.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)
September 17, 2011
Reno Air Show Plane Crash Airplane Crashes Into Stands At National Championship
Plane Crashes Into Crowd at Nevada Air Race, Killing 3, Injuring More Than 50
RENO, Nev. — An airplane crashed Friday into a crowd attending an air race here, injuring dozens in what one event official described as a “mass-casualty situation.”
A medical official later said more than 75 people had been injured, including 25 critically. There was no official word on deaths, though one report put the toll as high as 12 and the crash near the grandstands left a horrific scene of bodies and wreckage.
A World War II-era fighter plane flown by a veteran Hollywood stunt pilot plunged Friday into the edge of the grandstands during a popular air race, killing three people, injuring more than 50 spectators and creating a horrific scene strewn with smoking debris.
The plane, piloted by 74-year-old Jimmy Leeward, spiraled out of control without warning and appeared to disintegrate upon impact. Bloodied bodies were spread across the area as people tended to the victims and ambulances rushed to the scene.
Authorities were investigating the cause, but an official with the event said there were indications that mechanical problems were to blame.
Maureen Higgins of Alabama, who has been coming to the air races for 16 years, said the pilot was on his third lap when he lost control.
She was sitting about 30 yards away from the crash and watched in horror as the man in front of her started bleeding after debris hit him in the head.
"I saw body parts and gore like you wouldn't believe it. I'm talking an arm, a leg," Higgins said "The alive people were missing body parts. I am not kidding you. It was gore. Unbelievable gore."
Among the dead was Leeward, of Ocala, Fla., a veteran airman and movie stunt pilot who named his P-51 Mustang fighter plane the "Galloping Ghost," according to Mike Houghton, president and CEO of Reno Air Races. Officials earlier said Leeward was 80.
Renown Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Kathy Carter confirmed that two others died, but did not provide their identities.
Stephanie Kruse, a spokeswoman for the Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority, told The Associated Press that emergency crews took a total of 56 injury victims to three hospitals. She said they also observed a number of people being transported by private vehicle, which they are not including in their count.
Kruse said of the total 56, at the time of transport, 15 were considered in critical condition, 13 were serious condition with potentially life-threatening injuries and 28 were non-serious or non-life threatening.
"This is a very large incident, probably one of the largest this community has seen in decades," Kruse told The Associated Press. "The community is pulling together to try to deal with the scope of it. The hospitals have certainly geared up and staffed up to deal with it."
The P-51 Mustang, a class of fighter plane that can fly at speeds in excess of 500 mph, crashed into a box-seat area in front of the grandstand at about 4:30 p.m., race spokesman Mike Draper said. Houghton said Leeward appeared to have "lost control of the aircraft," though details on why that happened weren't immediately known.
Houghton said at a news conference hours after the crash that there appeared to be a "problem with the aircraft that caused it to go out of control." He did not elaborate.
He said the rest of the races have been canceled as the NTSB investigates.
KRNV-TV weatherman Jeff Martinez, who was just outside the air race grounds at the time, said the plane veered to the right and then "it just augered straight into the ground."
"You saw pieces and parts going everywhere," he said. "Everyone is in disbelief."
Tim Linville, 48, of Reno, said the pilot appeared to lose partial control off the plane when he veered off course and flew over the bleachers near where Linville was standing with his two daughters.
"I told the girls to run and the pilot pulled the plane straight up, but he couldn't do anything else with it," Linville told the AP. "That's when it nosedived right into the box seats."
Linville said after the plane went straight up, it barrel rolled and inverted downward, crashing into an area where at least 20 people were sitting.
"If he wouldn't have pulled up, he would have taken out the entire bleacher section," and hurt thousands of people, Linville said.
Linville said the plane smashed into the ground and shattered like an enormous water balloon, sending shrapnel and debris into the crowd.
"It was just flying everywhere," he said.
Leeward, the owner of the Leeward Air Ranch Racing Team, was a well-known racing pilot. His website says he has flown more than 120 races and served as a stunt pilot for numerous movies, including "Amelia" and "Cloud Dancer."
In an interview with the Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner last year, he described how he has flown 250 types of planes and has a particular fondness for the P-51, which came into the war relatively late and was used as a long-range bomber escort over Europe. Among the famous pilots of the hot new fighter was WWII double ace Chuck Yeager.
"They're more fun. More speed, more challenge. Speed, speed and more speed," Leeward said.
Leeward talked about racing strategy in an interview Thursday with LiveAirShow TV while standing in front of his plane.
"Right now I think we've calculated out, we're as fast as anybody in the field, or maybe even a little faster," he said. "But uh, to start with, we didn't really want to show our hand until about Saturday or Sunday. We've been playing poker since last Monday. And uh so, it's ready, we're ready to show a couple more cards, so we'll see on Friday what happens, and on Saturday we'll probably go ahead and play our third ace, and on Sunday we'll do our fourth ace."
Houghton described Leeward as "a good friend."
"Everybody knows him. It's a tight-knit family. He's been here for a long, long time," Houghton said.
He also described Leeward as a "very qualified, very experienced pilot" and that he was in good medical condition. He also suggested Leeward would have made every effort to avoid casualties on the ground if he knew he was going to crash.
"If it was in Jimmy's power, he would have done everything he possibly could," Houghton said.
The National Championship Air Races draws thousands of people to Reno every year in September to watch various military and civilian planes race. They also have attracted scrutiny in the past over safety concerns, including four pilots killed in 2007 and 2008. It was such a concern that local school officials once considered whether they should not allow student field trips at the event.
The competition is like a car race in the sky, with planes flying wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet off the sagebrush at speeds sometimes surpassing 500 mph. Pilots follow an oval path around pylons, with distances and speeds depending on the class of aircraft.
The FAA and air race organizers spend months preparing for air races as they develop a plan involving pilot qualification, training and testing along with a layout for the course. The FAA inspects pilots' practice runs and brief pilots on the route maneuvers and emergency procedures.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Very sad!! Prayers for all involved.
This is the report from the official press conference they did and some of the things in this report are more accurate then the article above:
3 Dead, including the pilot.
54 transported to hospital, 8 serious condition.
Pilot was 74, and a true expert.
Did NOT crash “Into the stands”!
Did crash a few (unspecified) yards in front of the box-seat stands, shrapnel from the crash caused death & injury.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (3)
September 09, 2011
Massive Power Outage Hits 5 Million in San Diego and Other US Southwest Areas and Mexico
Segments of the California National Guard were placed on alert Thursday night that they needed to be ready to mobilize immediately if called upon by communities affected by the power outage.
Massive power outage hits San Diego
SAN DIEGO
A major power outage hit San Diego County, Imperial County and parts of Orange County Thursday, leaving residents throughout the region without power.
The outage knocked out power at the Fox 5 studios at about 3:40 p.m.
San Diego Gas and Electric officials were scrambling to find out the cause of the outage. They said they would have a news conference when they have more information. The utility used Twitter to send the following message: “We understand power is out, we are working on the cause and solution. We do not have a restoration time yet”
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that its substations all over the county were without power. In addition, viewers from Chula Vista in the south to Oceanside in the north and as far east as Alpine called Fox 5 to report they were without power.
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Fox 5 Facebook fans report that the outage has also affected Tijuana and parts of Orange County.
KTLA, Fox 5’s sister station in Los Angeles, reports that parts of Orange County are without power, but Los Angeles has not been affected.
Authorities said power was out in El Centro in Imperial County. KSWT-TV reported that power was out in Yuma, Ariz., although Phoenix had power.
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Wild Thing's comment.....
WOW this is a huge area to go without power.
A frieind of mine in AZ, and said her’ power came back on . She said it was the strangest thing. She was watching tv, and Obama came on, and the second he opened his mouth to speak, they lost their power. She did find that kind of hilarious.
The News said some parts have been restored, but many areas are still without power...so not sure at this posting if all the areas have power now or not.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (6)
August 26, 2011
Faithful Dog Named Hawkeye Stays Near Casket of Fallen Navy SEAL Throughout Funeral Service
Faithful Dog Named Hawkeye Stays Near Casket of Fallen Navy SEAL Throughout Funeral Service
Here is video on the funeral for Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson, who died in the chopper crash earlier this month after it was shot down in Afghanistan by Taliban fighters. Petty Officer Tumilson was buried in Iowa this week, and at the funeral, his devoted dog Hawkeye, stayed by his casket throughout the service.
Thank God for brave heroes like Jon Tumilson. His life and service is an example to us all, and we all stand on the shoulders of patriots like him who have literally given their lives for our nation.
Wild Thing's comment........
This made me cry.
With my whole heart I hope our troops and Veterans know how much their sacrifice means to me and how grateful. Not one will be forgotten......Never.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (3)
August 23, 2011
Surfing Dog, Ricochet, Helps Disabled Surf
Turning disappointment into joy: From Service Dog to SURFice Dog
Surfing Dog, Ricochet, Helps Disabled Surf
There are dogs who play ball, dogs who chase cats and dogs who catch Frisbees. But near San Diego there is Ricochet, a 3-year-old golden retriever who catches waves and captures hearts.
Ricochet helps teach disabled people how to surf by acting as a canine co-pilot.
"She stabilizes the board," said Sabine Becker, who was born with no arms. "Somehow, she does it so we're not off balance. She is just standing there and just surfs with us."
Surfing isn't even Ricochet's first career. From birth, she was trained to be a service dog, a companion to someone who needed help with everyday tasks. But she is a little mischievous and likes to chase birds, poor traits for a companion who needs to provide constant attention.
Owner Judy Fridono discovered Ricochet had other ways to help.
"I wanted her to make a difference in one life, and she's touched millions and millions now," Fridono told ABC News.
Ricochet started boogie boarding at 8 weeks old and is now a pro on the surfboard. Fridono swears she adjusts her balance and stance depending on the disability of the person she is surfing with.
Ricochet is just as valuable on land: She has raised more than $100,000 for different charities on her Facebook page and her videos have gone viral, garnering more than 3 million views.
She is also a finalist for the annual "Hero Dog Award" from the American Humane Association, where she is up against a guide dog and even a military dog, all amazing animals. And while they all might rate a 10, only Ricochet can hang ten.
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Wild Thing's comment......
I love this and stories like this. Animals are so special and really make life better.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (5)
August 15, 2011
D-Day Vets: Wind Turbines Off Normandy Beaches A ‘desecration’
D-Day vets: Wind turbines off Normandy beaches a ‘desecration’
'It will change the entire seascape, destroying a view which evokes memories of the most astonishing invasion in military history.This is sacred ground, and the French should not be allowed to alter its character'
American D-Day veterans are crying foul over a French initiative, approved last month by President Nicolas Sarkozy, to construct over one hundred 525-feet wind turbines just off the Normandy landing grounds.
Gérard Lecornu, president of the Port Winston Churchill Association of Arromanches, says the giant structures, expected to be built seven miles offshore, will be visible from the Normandy battleground beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
“Three million tourists come from the world over to the landing beaches. The first thing they do is look at the line of horizon from where the landings came,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “D-Day is in our collective memory. To touch this is a very grave attack on that memory.”
American veterans are weighing in with opposition and dismay. Bob Sales, the only survivor from his landing craft on D-Day, and Omaha beach veteran Bob Slaughter told The Daily Caller that the beaches are “sacred ground” and expressed their strong opposition to the building of the turbines.
Hal Baumgarten, who was wounded five times on Omaha beach, added that he considers the beaches a “shrine” to those who died and said that constructing windmills off the coast would be a “desecration.”
“I landed with the first wave on Omaha beach,” said Baumgarten. “Of course it is hallowed ground. I have been going back for the last 15 years straight — except I missed last year and this year … When I look at it I see all the bodies — we lost a lot of people on D-Day, especially on my beach where we couldn’t get any reinforcements.”
“[The windmills] will take away from the scene” Baumgarten added. “People that I know who have gone there for the first time and they are standing at the beach at low tide — even the generals — Ernie Pyle put [it like this] in his book: ‘If I didn’t see it with my own eyes I wouldn’t have believed it.’”
The need for renewable energy is not lost on these veterans. They readily acknowledge the need to find and harness new forms of energy, but the beaches of Normandy, they say, should not be tampered with.
“Obviously the need for renewable energy is an important consideration in these times,” Tim Holbert, executive director of the American Veterans Center, told TheDC. “However, that need must be balanced against the need to preserve history that was made sacred by the sacrifices of thousands of Allied men on D-Day. We owe it to them to treat their legacy with the respect it deserves.”
Military historian Paul Stillwell explained that the steadfast opposition by surviving D-Day veterans is more than understandable.
“In effect that has become sacred ground and it is a huge intrusion to put some kind of distraction like that nearby,” Stillwell said. “You could compare it to the Battle of Gettysburg. Some years ago an entrepreneur put up a large observation tower [on the Gettysburg battleground], which was considered a desecration and public opinion was such that it was finally demolished.”
“Obviously the world needs to find alternative sources of energy, but I do not think that is the place,” he added.
“I think it’s a disgusting affair,” Jack Martin, a Canadian who was among the soldiers on Juno Beach, weighed in on CTV Edmonton in Canada. “I saw so many of my buddies and friends die on Juno Beach that I figure it is very hallowed grounds.”
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Wild Thing's comment.........
I hate things anyway and to find out they are wanting to do this makes me sick. There is something seriously wrong with the people that even thought of this.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (4)
August 14, 2011
Pawlenty Drops 2012 Presidential Bid
Tim Pawlenty announced an end to his presidential candidacy Sunday after what he called a “disappointing” third place finish in the Ames, Iowa, straw poll.
The former Minnesota governor said he had hoped to get a jolt from the preference poll that is an early indicator of a candidate’s potential strength in the primary season.
“I’m ending my campaign for president,” Pawlenty told ABC’s “This Week,” noting that he wished the scenario had been different but voters were looking for something else.
The message Pawlenty was offering "didn't get the kind of traction or lift that we needed and hoped for coming into the and out of the Ames straw poll. We needed to get some lift to continue on and to have a pathway forward. That didn't happen," he said.
"Obviously, we had some success raising money, but we needed to continue that, and Ames was a benchmark for that. And if we didn't do well in Ames, we weren't going to have the fuel to keep the car going down the road," he added.
Pawlenty received 13 percent of the vote in the Saturday poll, which is not generally a marker of the future presidential nominee. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann received 28 percent of the nearly 17,000 votes cast followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who earned 27 percent. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum earned 9 percent and businessman Herman Cain received 8 percent.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Did anyone notice that yesterday in Iowa he was generally unable to look anyone in the eye while greeting them?
Kind of odd especially if a person wants to connect with the other person.
I am glad, Pawlenty has a way about him that rubs me the wrong way. Something in his personality that seems angry and a chip on his shoulder.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:47 PM | Comments (2)
July 29, 2011
"The eagle couldn't have picked a better person"
Frank Glick, an amateur photographer, captured this amazing image at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota. The eagle is perched on the gravestone of Sgt. Maurice Ruch a World War II US Army marksman.
A photograph taken by "chance" or a grace note added to a good man's life?
"Paul wondered whether a relative of the soldier might want a copy. The tail of the eagle partially covered the man's name, but Paul did some research and looked up the soldier's name in newspaper obituaries. The eagle had landed on the grave of Sgt. Maurice Ruch, who had been a member of the St. Anthony Kiwanis Club, the obituary said. Paul called the club, and it put him in touch with Jack Kiefner, Ruch's best friend. When Glick took his photo, he never could have guessed how much it was going to mean to Kiefner and Ruch's widow, Vivian.
READ on about this very special story....................
It was a crow that first caught Frank Glick's attention. It was flying around erratically, so Glick got out his Nikon camera and followed it. It was around 6 a.m. on a hazy spring day and he was driving through Fort Snelling National Cemetery because he was early for a training meeting at Delta Airlines, where he works.
Glick is an amateur photographer, but he always carries his camera, just in case. So he followed the crow, in some cultures a symbol of good luck and magic, until he saw it: a huge eagle perched on a tombstone, its eyes alert, its head craned, looking for prey. In the foreground, dew glistened on the grass.
Glick got his shot.
He didn't think too much about the photo, until he showed it to a co-worker, Tom Ryan, who e-mailed it to his brother, Paul.
Paul wondered whether a relative of the soldier might want a copy. The tail of the eagle partially covered the man's name, but Paul did some research and looked up the soldier's name in newspaper obituaries. The eagle had landed on the grave of Sgt. Maurice Ruch, who had been a member of the St. Anthony Kiwanis Club, the obituary said.
Paul called the club, and it put him in touch with Jack Kiefner, Ruch's best friend. When Glick took his photo, he never could have guessed how much it was going to mean to Kiefner and Ruch's widow, Vivian.
One day this week, I met with Kiefner and Vivian Ruch in her St. Anthony condo. The actual print would be delivered later that day, but Vivian held a copy of the statuesque photo and her voice broke as she talked about Maurie, his nickname, who died from a form of Parkinson's in 2008 at age 86.
"I'm sorry," she said. "This is very emotional for me."
Maurie graduated from college in mechanical engineering in December of 1941 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Known for his keen eye, he became a rifle marksman and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands. He served four years in the military and earned a bronze star.
To those who knew Maurie, he was a calm and deliberate giant. He stood 6 feet, 4 inches tall, with broad shoulders, but he was also unassuming and unpretentious.
"Used to call him Mr. Precise," because of his love of order and knack for fixing things, said Vivian. The Ruches had a rotary telephone long after they became obsolete because Maurie scavenged parts and kept the phone working.
"He could work a slide rule like nobody else," said Kiefner, who was a manager at Honeywell when Maurie was there as an engineer. Kiefner and Maurie were friends for more than 60 years. Not many people can say that anymore.
Maurie also loved nature and photography, so "he would have absolutely loved this picture," Vivian said. "I told him his first love was his rifle."
On a rainy morning, Vivian spread photos of Maurie in the service, and the two old friends sat and ate banana bread and talked about a man they both loved.
They got that opportunity because a guy they didn't know, Frank Glick, caught a special moment, and he and his friends took the time to seek them out and share the photo.
I told Vivian that some cultures believe the eagle is a symbol, not only of patriotism and dignity, but a messenger between heaven and earth. She nodded solemnly.
"I'd say the eagle had a very good eye when he landed on Maurie, and he was respected," she said.
"I miss him," said Vivian as she picked up the photo. "He was a good man and a good provider."
"The eagle couldn't have picked a better person," said Kiefner. He paused. "This has been kind of fun hasn't it?"
Tears welled in Vivian's eyes.
"Yes, it's been wonderful."
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Wild Thing's comment.......
With all the bad happening. The tremendous stress these last few years has been, to be able to share a story like this makes my heart smile and thank God for these special times that NO leftie can touch.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (4)
July 27, 2011
72-Year-Old Retired U.S. Marine Robbed At Gunpoint; Runs Down, Kills Thug
72-Year-Old Retired U.S. Marine Robbed At Gunpoint; Runs Down, Kill
A man who robbed a 72-year-old Texas business owner at gunpoint is dead after the owner, a Marine Corps veteran, jumped in his car and chased after him, ramming him against a metal fence.
According to the Houston Chronicle, a tall man forced his way into Kenneth Kobobel, Sr.’s office Friday morning where Kobobel had been chatting with his brother. He put a 9mm handgun to Kobobel’s head, demanded money from them and screamed “You’re dead!”
He emptied the contents of the brother’s wallet and Kobobel handed him $20. Not satisfied with the amount, Kobobel said the man patted him down and upon finding a wad of bills totaling $800 yelled, “You lied to me! You’re dead!”
Kobobel said robber struck him on the head with the barrel of the gun and ran off, warning them to wait before calling 911.
Once he left, Kobobel called 911 and went outside, asking neighbors if they had seen which way he went. He then got into his car and sped off in pursuit.
Kobobel’s son, Kenneth Kobobel, Jr., who pulled up just as his father was leaving, said he wasn’t surprised his father went after the robber.
“He’s an ex-Marine,” he told the Chronicle. “He doesn’t put up with a whole lot of nothing.”
Kobobel said he spotted the robber in a strip mall parking lot, and when the robber saw Kobobel coming he raised his gun and fired at least once. Kobobel rammed him with his car, then did so again when the man prepared to fire again.
Police are calling details about the incident sketchy and are trying to determine if another vehicle might have assisted Kobobel.
Once Kobobel got out of his car, he said he saw the man lying on the ground and kicked the gun away.
“I thought it was good that I caught this jerk who’d robbed me,” Kobobel told the Chronicle. “But what I didn’t like was that this man was laying there and his life was ebbing away. I’m a Christian, and I wouldn’t want to see anybody die.”
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Wild Thing's comment.....
Good for this Marine! If more thugs were taken down like this it would discourage it happening so often. The liberal judges let them out of jail and back on the street.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (2)
July 24, 2011
Walter Reed To Close After More Than A Century
Walter Reed to close after more than a century
WASHINGTON (AP)
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Army's flagship hospital where privates to presidents have gone for care, is closing its doors after more than a century.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., many of them wounded warriors, make the five-mile move to the National Naval Medical Center.
The relocation will mark a historic moment in both iconic institutions’ histories and one of the final milestones before they officially merge to become the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which the staff here refers to simply as “Walter Reed Bethesda,” promises to take military medicine to a whole new level as it provides a central hub for specialized care, Bitonti said.
Hundreds of thousands of the nation's war wounded from World War I to today have received treatment at Walter Reed, including 18,000 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
President Dwight Eisenhower died there. So did Gens. John J. Pershing and Douglas MacArthur.
It's where countless celebrities, from Bob Hope to quarterback Tom Brady, have stopped to show their respect to the wounded. Through the use of medical diplomacy, the center also has tended to foreign leaders.
The storied hospital, which opened in 1909, was scarred by a 2007 scandal about substandard living conditions on its grounds for wounded troops in outpatient care and the red tape they faced. It led to improved care for the wounded, at Walter Reed and throughout the military. By then, however, plans were moving forward to close Walter Reed's campus.
Two years earlier, a government commission, noting that Walter Reed was showing its age, voted to close the facility and consolidate its operations with the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and a hospital at Fort Belvoir, Va., to save money.
"For many of the staff members, even though they know that this is the future of the military health system, in a way, it's still like losing your favorite uncle, and so there is a certain amount of mourning that is going on and it is an emotional time," said Col. Norvell Coots, commander of the Walter Reed Health Care System.
The new facility will be called the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. It will consolidate many of Walter Reed's current offerings with the Navy hospital.
"Frankly, I will say it's with a heavy heart that Walter Reed closes. I don't know. I know that there was a process for that decision, but we've lost a great, important part of history," said Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the former president.
She recalled bringing to the hospital a birthday cake she had baked for her grandfather, who spent the last several months before his death in 1969 in a special suite where politicians and foreign leaders visited him.
There are countless pieces of history throughout the campus.
At the rose garden, some nurses from the Vietnam War era were said to have married their patients. The memorial chapel is where President Harry S. Truman went for his first church service after taking office, following a visit with Pershing, who lived in a suite at Walter Reed for several years, said John Pierce, historian for the Walter Reed Society.
A marker identifies the spot on the hospital grounds where, long before the hospital was built, Confederate sharpshooters fired near President Abraham Lincoln, leading an officer to call Lincoln a "damned fool" and order him to the ground, according a brochure produced by Walter Reed about its history.
President Calvin Coolidge's teenage son died in the hospital from an infected blister he received while playing tennis at the White House, Pierce said. A black and white photo from 1960 shows then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson, a vice presidential candidate at the time, visiting the bedside of Vice President Richard Nixon, who was being treated for a staph infection.
Presidents now are sent to Bethesda for treatment because it's considered more secure, said Sanders Marble, senior historian with the Office of Medical History at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
The hospital was named to honor Maj. Walter Reed, an Army physician who treated troops and American Indians on the frontier. Among his medical achievements was life-saving research that proved that yellow fever was spread by mosquito. He died in 1902 at age 51 of complications related to appendicitis with a friend and colleague, Lt. Col. William C. Borden, treating him.
"I'm sure (Borden) felt very guilty about that, and over the course of the next several years, he campaigned to get money for a new hospital and of course, wanted to name it for his good friend Walter Reed," Pierce said.
The original redbrick hospital had about 80 beds, but inpatient capacity grew by the thousands during the wars of the last century. Today, it treats about 775,000 outpatients annually, and has an inpatient load of about 150. It wasn't just service members and military retirees treated at the hospital over the decades, but their families, too. Countless babies were born at the hospital into the 1990s.
Rehabilitation for the wounded, including care for amputees, has been an important part of the mission since it opened. The wounded commonly spend a year or longer at the hospital now, although they are more quickly moved to outpatient care.
Photos from World War I show troops at Walter Reed learning skills such as typing and knitting. During World War II, brochures distributed to the war amputees featured pictures of amputees smoking and shaving. The message was, "Your life isn't over, don't get down," Marble said.
“National Naval Medical Center will go into the history books, just like Walter Reed Army Medical Center will go into the history books as we come together to form Walter Reed Bethesda,” Bitonti said. “This will be two powerhouses coming together to form a new powerhouse that is quantifiably better than either of them separately.”
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Sad news and Walter Reed has touched so many of our lives.
They will officially merge to become the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (1)
July 23, 2011
Death Toll Rises to 91 After Pair of Attacks in Norway
Death Toll Rises to 91 in Norway Attacks
OSLO — The Norwegian police on Saturday charged a 32-year-old man, whom they identified as a Christian fundamentalist with right-wing connections, over the bombing of a government center here and a shooting attack on a nearby island that together left at least 91 people dead.
The police said they did not know if the man, identified in the Norwegian press as Anders Behring Breivik, was part of a larger conspiracy. He is being questioned under the country’s terrorism laws and is cooperating with the investigation, they said.
“We are not sure whether he was alone or had help,” a police official, Roger Andresen, said at a televised press conference, adding: “What we know is that he is right-wing and a Christian fundamentalist.” So far Mr. Breivik has not been linked to any anti-jihadist groups, he said.
The police said the suspect had used “a machine pistol” in the attack, but declined to provide further details.
Of the at least 84 people killed on the island, some were as young as 16, the police said on national television early Saturday. They said the death toll could rise further as they continue to search for bodies in the waters around the island.
Terrified youths jumped into the water to escape. “Kids have started to swim in a panic, and Utoya is far from the mainland,” said Bjorn Jarle Roberg-Larsen, a Labor Party member who spoke by phone with teenagers on the island, which has no bridge to the mainland. “Others are hiding. Those I spoke with don’t want to talk more. They’re scared to death.”
Many could not flee in time.
“He first shot people on the island,” a 15-year-old camper named Elise told The Associated Press. “Afterward he started shooting people in the water.”
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Norway police seek to charge 3 over bomb plot
Norwegian security police are seeking charges against three men suspected of planning Scandinavian bomb attacks in an alleged plot with possible al Qaeda connections, state broadcaster NRK reported Friday.
After their arrest last July the three told different stories -- one admitting a plot to blow up China's embassy in Norway, one saying his target was a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad, and one professing his innocence.
The Norwegian Police Security Service had no immediate comment when contacted by Reuters Friday, and NRK did not say what charges the service proposed in a recommendation to Norway's prosecuting authority.
The presumed leader of the trio, Mikael Davud, an ethnic Uighur from China with Norwegian citizenship, "had plans for a bomb that was supposed to be exploded at the Chinese embassy," his attorney, Carl Rieber-Mohn, told NRK last September.
Suspect Shawan Sadek Saeed Bujak, an Iraqi Kurd with Norwegian residency, confessed to planning a bomb attack against Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that published the Mohammad cartoons in 2005, the police have said.
The third suspect, David Jakobsen, an Uzbek with Norwegian residency, has denied any illegal activity and was released from custody in October after the Norwegian Supreme Court rejected a security service appeal to keep him jailed.
On announcing their arrest last year, security service chief Janne Kristiansen said: "We believe this group has had links to people abroad who can be linked to al Qaeda, and to people who are involved in investigations in other countries, among others the United States and Britain."
In a separate case, a Danish court Friday extended the detention of four men charged with plotting an act of terrorism against the paper that published the cartoons of the Prophet. The drawings, including one showing him with a bomb in his turban, caused widespread outrage among Muslims.
(Reporting by Oslo newsroom, Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
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The 17-story building … also houses Norway’s biggest tabloid newspaper VG.”
“NATO member Norway has sometimes in the past been threatened by leaders of al Qaeda for its involvement in Afghanistan, but political violence is virtually unknown in the country.”
“CNN: Is reporting that a second explosion took place after the first one, this is a hallmark of al-Qaeda attacks, multiple bombs set to kill and maim responders and onlookers from the first attack.”
The jihadi forums are reportedly celebrating the blasts.
Update: According to The Guardian, NRK is reporting that an unknown group called “Helpers of the Global Jihad” have posted a message that this is only the beginning of the reaction to Norwegian periodicals publishing the Muhammed cartoons, according to Andrew Boyle, a journalist in Norway.
The NY Times has more on the terror group:
A terror group, Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (the Helpers of the Global Jihad), issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, according to Will McCants, a terrorism analyst at CNA, a research institute that studies terrorism. The message said the attack was a response to Norwegian forces’ presence in Afghanistan and to unspecified insults to the Prophet Muhammad. “We have warned since the Stockholm raid of more operations,” the group said, apparently referred to a bombing in Sweden in December 2010, according to Mr McCants’ translation. “What you see is only the beginning, and there is more to come.” The claim could not be confirmed.
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Wild Thing's comment......
It is confusing, some reports say it was the one person then others say the bombing was not done by the killer in the above photo at the top of this post.
Prayers for the loved ones of these victims. What a horrible thing to happen!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM
July 17, 2011
Hanoi Jane Fonda Criticizes and Spews Hate for QVC and the Far Right After Canceled TV Appearance ~ Thank You QVC, Jane's Treason will always be TREASON!
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Jane Fonda Criticizes QVC, the Far Right After Canceled TV Appearance
"I am, to say the least, deeply disappointed that QVC caved to this kind of insane pressure by some well-funded and organized political extremist groups," the actress wrote on her website Saturday.
Actress Jane Fonda took to her website on Saturday criticizing the cable shopping network QVC after it canceled her appearance to promote her new book on aging, Prime Time: Love, Health, Sex, Fitness, Friendship, Spirit.
The Oscar-winning actress was set to appear on the network on Saturday, but the network felt pressure from angry callers who threatened to boycott if Fonda appeared.
"I have never shied away from talking about this as I have nothing to hide," Fonda continued. "I could have pointed out that threats of boycotts are nothing new for me and have never prevented me from having bestselling books and exercise DVDs, films and a Broadway play."
She added: "Most people don't buy into the far right lies. May people have reached out to express how excited they were about my going onto QVC and hearing about my book."
Fonda, who has criticized the U.S.' occupation of Iraq, addressed her critics. "Bottom line, this has gone on far too long, this spreading of lies about me! None of it is true. NONE OF IT!," Fonda wrote. "I love my country. I have never done anything to hurt my country or the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for us."
"I do not understand what the far right stands to gain by continuing with these myths," she explains further. "In this case, they denied a lot of people the chance to hear about a book that can help make life better and more fulfilling. I am deeply grateful for all of the support I have been getting since this happened, including from my Vietnam Veterans friends."
Fonda's book Prime Time, published by Random House, is in stores Aug. 9. Fonda has previously released My Life So Far, an autobiography that followed her life in three acts.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
"I have never done anything to hurt my country or the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for us."
BS
We will never forget Hanoi Jane in a VC uniform and helmet, manning the AA guns and yukking it up with Charlie (Viet Cong).
Good for QVC.Damn her to Hell. God bless our Vietnam Veterans and God hold dear our heroes who gave it all.
She has Americans blood on her hands.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (8)
July 16, 2011
Russian Immigrant Living the American Dream
"Hot for Words" founder Marina becomes U.S. citizen
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Congratulations Marina!
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (5)
July 15, 2011
‘Transition’ Flying Cars Approved as ‘Street Legal’
‘Transition’ Flying Cars Approved as ‘Street Legal’
the Transition(R) "Flying Car" has now been unveiled to the world.
The vehicle costs roughly $250,000 and requires a $10,000 deposit to order one. But while that may seem pricey, owners who buy one might actually end up saving some money: developers say the vehicle gets about 30-35 miles per gallon on the road.
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Terrafugia has been developing the futuristic vehicle since 2008. Below, you can catch a glimpse of the vehicle in action courtesy of the company:
Caradvice.com confirms the Transition is the first of its kind, and gives some of the specs:
The Transition requires a 520 metres strip to take off over a 15m tall obstacle and is capable of cruising at around 200km/h. The unique craft also has a range of around 700km before it needs to land and refuel. Interestingly, the Transition apparently has an average fuel consumption of 7.8L/100km on the road.
The automobile can convert in about 30 seconds with a touch of a button, and is operated by both a steering wheel and a joystick:
It measures 19ft long and just 5ft 6ins wide when the wings are folded up, but they have a full span of 27ft.
It has a top speed of 65mph on the road, but that soars to 115mph in the air.
Drivers can convert it from a two-seater road car to a plane in less than 30 seconds with the touch of a button.
It doesn’t have a gearstick, but on the road can be controlled with brake and accelerator pedals and a steering wheel like an ordinary car. In the air it is operated with a joystick near the steering wheel.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
God bless America! I love that the American attitude is not dead. Keep inventing, keep dreaming and creating.
This car/plane is cool!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:50 AM | Comments (3)
July 09, 2011
Former First Lady Betty Ford Dies at 93
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Wild Thing's comment........
Prayers for the family. Rest in Peace, Mrs. Ford.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (1)
July 08, 2011
Casey Anthony To Be Out Of Jail Next Week
Casey Anthony, acquitted of killing her daughter Caylee, will be released from jail next Wednesday, her attorney told ABC News.
Anthony, 25, was ordered today to remain in jail after Judge Belvin Perry sentenced her to four years in jail and a fine of $4,000 on her conviction of lying to law enforcement officials.
The judge gave her four consecutive jail sentences, but she has already served nearly three years and would get credit for time served as well as good behavior. Perry originally estimated Anthony could be freed in late July or early August, but Anthony’s attorney Jose Baez told ABC News that she will be released July 13.
Wild Thing's comment......
Caylee was such a beautiful little girl, this really breaks my heart.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)
June 30, 2011
Obama's Department of Veterans Affairs At Fault! VA in Houston Bans Word's Lilke "God", "God Bless You", At Funerals!
American Legion member Willie Beck discusses the federal lawsuit against the Houston National Cemetery and the VA after a hearing on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes.
The VA in Houston has banned using offensive words like “God,” “God bless you” and “God bless” at the Houston National Cemetery.
Local veterans and volunteer groups accuse Department of Veterans Affairs officials of censoring religious speech — including the word “God” – at Houston National Cemetery.
In one example cited in documents filed this week in federal court, cemetery director Arleen Ocasio reportedly told volunteers with the National Memorial Ladies that they had to stop telling families “God bless you” at funerals and that they had to remove the words “God bless” from condolence cards.
“It’s just unfair that somebody would ask us to take God out of our vocabulary,” said Cheryl Whitfield, founder of Houston National Memorial Ladies.
“I could’ve kept my mouth shut and let things happen, but when it comes to standing up for your belief in God and giving comfort to the families, I don’t want to regret not saying anything,” Whitfield said. “We all had to stand up for what we believe in.”
The new allegations of “religious hostility” by VA and cemetery officials follow on the heels of a controversy over Pastor Scott Rainey’s prayer in Jesus’ name at a Memorial Day service in the cemetery.
U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled May 26 that the government couldn't stop Rainey from using the words "Jesus Christ" in his invocation. Hughes issued a temporary restraining order to prevent VA from censoring Rainey's prayer.
Discrimination alleged
Attorneys with the nonprofit Liberty Institute, which represented Rainey, filed an amended complaint this week after allegedly finding other instances of religious discrimination by cemetery officials against members of The American Legion Post 586, Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4 and the National Memorial Ladies, a volunteer group that attends funerals of fallen service members.
The complaint accuses VA of "a widespread and consistent practice of discriminating against private religious speech" at the cemetery.
Ocasio is on vacation and could not be reached for comment. Her assistant, Amanda Rhodes-Wharton, said she could not discuss the matter due to ongoing litigation.
According to court documents, Ocasio banned veterans organizations and volunteer groups from using certain religious words such as "God" or "Jesus," censored the content of prayer and forbade the use of religious messages in burial rituals unless the deceased's family submitted the text for prior approval.
The documents allege that VA prohibited volunteer honor guards from providing optional recitations to families for consideration, and that when burial teams conduct military honors for a veteran's funeral, a government official monitors what is said.
Chapel a 'meeting facility'
Court documents also describe the closure of the cemetery's chapel after Ocasio's appointment as director two years ago.
"The doors remain locked during Houston National Cemetery operating hours, the cross and the Bible have been removed, and the Chapel bells, which tolled at least twice a day, are now inoperative," the complaint reads. "Director Ocasio only unlocks the chapel doors when meetings or training sessions are held at the building. Furthermore, it is no longer called a 'chapel' but a 'meeting facility.' "
VA spokeswoman Jessica Jacobsen confirmed the chapel is closed but she said it has nothing to do with the litigation. "It was closed prior to Memorial Day, and it was closed because of construction," she said.
The chapel is scheduled to reopen in September when construction is complete, she said.
Jeff Mateer, general counsel for Liberty Institute, doesn't buy that explanation. The chapel's closure predates any construction, he said.
Judge grills VA's attorney
A standing-room only crowd jammed a federal courtroom in downtown Houston on Tuesday afternoon for a status conference on the case. White-haired vets lined the pews, decked out in honor guard uniforms or blue blazers decorated with American flag lapel pins. Crammed next to them were people wearing T-shirts emblazoned with eagles and Old Glory, and women costumed in the trademark black vests and white blouses of the Memorial Ladies.
Judge Hughes denied the government's motion to dismiss the case, but not before upbraiding VA's attorney, Fred Hinrichs, for being unable to answer his questions.
When Hughes asked whether the chapel was open, Hinrichs said he didn't know.
"Why not?" the judge shot back. "A phone call to the cemetery could ascertain if that is true or not."
"Yes, your honor," the attorney said.
"So the VA has been investigating for a month and hasn't come to any conclusions?" the judge pressed.
Hinrichs said some of the claims in the complaint aren't factually correct, but he wasn't prepared to give specifics.
"I don't know that they're true," the judge said, "but an afternoon on Veterans Memorial Drive and you should be able to document most of this stuff."
He gave the government until July 21 to investigate and respond to the claims in the complaint.
Veteran feels belittled
After the hearing, Vietnam veteran Nobleton Jones spoke up at a Liberty Institute press conference.
Jones said he has presented shell casings from the gun salute to veterans' grieving family members at funerals in Houston National Cemetery for the past three years.
But after a burial ceremony May 16, Jones said a government official told him he could no longer recite the words he always says when he hands over the shells: "We ask that God grant you and your family grace, mercy and peace."
The 66-year-old Houstonian said he felt belittled.
"That makes me feel smaller, even after I spent my time in the military, fighting so that people should be able to say that," he said.
"I did all this for my country and you are going to tell me what I can and can't say?"
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Obama and his administration need to be tried for TREASON!!!!!! And punished to the max!!!!
Obama's administration is at it again, but looks like the Houston judge is not buying.
"Judge Hughes denied the government's motion to dismiss the case, but not before upbraiding VA's attorney, Fred Hinrichs, for being unable to answer his questions."
Information on this Obama bitch! I never used the language I have used since obama became president. BUT honestly it is the only way I can let some of this tremendous anger out. I have such a rage toward everything he does, and everyone and everything connected to him.
Houston VA Cemetery Number (303) 914-5700
Regional Director VA Cemetery (281) 447-8686
Arleen Ocasio phone onumber 281-447-8686 (extension 206)
and her e-mail her at Arleen.ocasio@va.gov
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (5)
June 22, 2011
Different Face and Body BUT The Same...Useless Jon Huntsman and John McCain BOTH Kiss Ass To Obama!
Jon Hunstman:
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman joined the Republican presidential contest on Tuesday, pledging to run a civil campaign and claiming that he and President Barack Obama both love the United States but have different visions of its future.
Huntsman,said he respects Obama but added that he and the president have "a difference of opinion on how to help the country we both love."
“ I don’t think you need to run down anyone’s reputation to run for president,” Huntsman told the crowd of 100 gathered at a pavilion jutting out into the Hudson River. “I respect my fellow Republican candidates. And I respect the president. He and I have a difference of opinion on how to help the country we both love.”
“But the question each of us wants the voters to answer is who will be the better president, not who’s the better American,” Huntsman said.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Our country is at war and I am NOT talking about the many wars our troops are fighting in for all of us. I am speaking about the war against the enemy within, the enemy in our Oval Office and many of the other offices in our government. Obama's administration all of them.
The last thing we need is a kiss up to obama in any way.
Nothing like starting your campaign by saying your opponent loves his country ,while watching that opponent sell us out at every turn.
To hell with civil! I want black eyes, bloody noses, loose teeth, boxed ears and b!tch slapped RINOs.
I want to hear the wailing and gnashing of liberal teeth as they scream of injustice, unfairness, and mean-spiritedness! I want the candidates going into a debate wondering if they are going to walk out. No podiums to hide behind and maybe have the debate in a chain link cage.Then we'll see who is really committed.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (8)
June 06, 2011
Remembering D-Day June 6, 1944
On June 6, 1944, a date known ever since as D-Day, a mighty armada crossed a narrow strip of sea from England to Normandy, France, and cracked the Nazi grip on western Europe.
June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which "we will accept nothing less than full victory." More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day's end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy.
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George S. Patton speech.......................... Somewhere in England June 5th, 1944
"Be seated."
Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about America wanting out of this war, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bullshit. Americans love to fight, traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle.
You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your homes and your loved ones. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight. When you, here, every one of you, were kids, you all admired the champion marble player, the fastest runner, the toughest boxer, the big league ball players, and the All-American football players. Americans love a winner. Americans will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Americans have never lost nor will ever lose a war; for the very idea of losing is hateful to an American.
You are not all going to die. Only two percent of you right here today would die in a major battle. Death must not be feared. Death, in time, comes to all men. Yes, every man is scared in his first battle. If he says he's not, he's a liar. Some men are cowards but they fight the same as the brave men or they get the hell slammed out of them watching men fight who are just as scared as they are. The real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared. Some men get over their fright in a minute under fire. For some, it takes an hour. For some, it takes days. But a real man will never let his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his innate manhood.
Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base. Americans pride themselves on being He Men and they ARE He Men. Remember that the enemy is just as frightened as you are, and probably more so. They are not supermen.
All through your Army careers, you men have bitched about what you call "chicken shit drilling." That, like everything else in this Army, has a definite purpose. That purpose is alertness. Alertness must be bred into every soldier. I don't give a fuck for a man who's not always on his toes. You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready for what's to come. A man must be alert at all times if he expects to stay alive. If you're not alert, sometime, a German son-of-an-asshole-bitch is going to sneak up behind you and beat you to death with a sockful of shit! There are four hundred neatly marked graves somewhere in Sicily, all because one man went to sleep on the job. But they are German graves, because we caught the bastard asleep before they did.
An Army is a team. It lives, sleeps, eats, and fights as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse shit. The bilious bastards who write that kind of stuff for the Saturday Evening Post don't know any more about real fighting under fire than they know about fucking! We have the finest food, the finest equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the world. Why, by God, I actually pity those poor sons-of-bitches we're going up against. By God, I do.
My men don't surrender, and I don't want to hear of any soldier under my command being captured unless he has been hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight back. That's not just bull shit either. The kind of man that I want in my command is just like the lieutenant in Libya, who, with a Luger against his chest, jerked off his helmet, swept the gun aside with one hand, and busted the hell out of the Kraut with his helmet. Then he jumped on the gun and went out and killed another German before they knew what the hell was coming off. And, all of that time, this man had a bullet through a lung. There was a real man!
All of the real heroes are not storybook combat fighters, either. Every single man in this Army plays a vital role. Don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Every man is a vital link in the great chain. What if every truck driver suddenly decided that he didn't like the whine of those shells overhead, turned yellow, and jumped headlong into a ditch? The cowardly bastard could say, 'Hell, they won't miss me, just one man in thousands.' But, what if every man thought that way? Where in the hell would we be now? What would our country, our loved ones, our homes, even the world, be like? No, Goddamnit, Americans don't think like that. Every man does his job. Every man serves the whole. Every department, every unit, is important in the vast scheme of this war. The ordnance men are needed to supply the guns and machinery of war to keep us rolling. The Quartermaster is needed to bring up food and clothes because where we are going there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last man on K.P. has a job to do, even the one who heats our water to keep us from getting the 'G.I. Shits.'
Each man must not think only of himself, but also of his buddy fighting beside him. We don't want yellow cowards in this Army. They should be killed off like rats. If not, they will go home after this war and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men. Kill off the Goddamned cowards and we will have a nation of brave men. One of the bravest men that I ever saw was a fellow on top of a telegraph pole in the midst of a furious fire fight in Tunisia. I stopped and asked what the hell he was doing up there at a time like that. He answered, 'Fixing the wire, Sir.' I asked, 'Isn't that a little unhealthy right about now?' He answered, 'Yes Sir, but the Goddamned wire has to be fixed.' I asked, 'Don't those planes strafing the road bother you?' And he answered, 'No, Sir, but you sure as hell do!' Now, there was a real man. A real soldier. There was a man who devoted all he had to his duty, no matter how seemingly insignificant his duty might appear at the time, no matter how great the odds.
And you should have seen those trucks on the rode to Tunisia. Those drivers were magnificent. All day and all night they rolled over those son-of-a-bitching roads, never stopping, never faltering from their course, with shells bursting all around them all of the time. We got through on good old American guts.
Many of those men drove for over forty consecutive hours. These men weren't combat men, but they were soldiers with a job to do. They did it, and in one hell of a way they did it. They were part of a team. Without team effort, without them, the fight would have been lost. All of the links in the chain pulled together and the chain became unbreakable.
Don't forget, you men don't know that I'm here. No mention of that fact is to be made in any letters. The world is not supposed to know what the hell happened to me. I'm not supposed to be commanding this Army. I'm not even supposed to be here in England. Let the first bastards to find out be the Goddamned Germans. Someday I want to see them raise up on their piss-soaked hind legs and howl, 'Jesus Christ, it's the Goddamned Third Army again and that son-of-a-fucking-bitch Patton.' We want to get the hell over there." The quicker we clean up this Goddamned mess, the quicker we can take a little jaunt against the purple pissing Japs and clean out their nest, too. Before the Goddamned Marines get all of the credit.
Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake!
When a man is lying in a shell hole, if he just stays there all day, a German will get to him eventually. The hell with that idea. The hell with taking it. My men don't dig foxholes. I don't want them to. Foxholes only slow up an offensive. Keep moving. And don't give the enemy time to dig one either. We'll win this war, but we'll win it only by fighting and by showing the Germans that we've got more guts than they have; or ever will have. We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-bitches, we're going to rip out their living Goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun cock suckers by the bushel-fucking-basket.
War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt off your face and realize that instead of dirt it's the blood and guts of what once was your best friend beside you, you'll know what to do!
I don't want to get any messages saying, 'I am holding my position.' We are not holding a Goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's balls. We are going to twist his balls and kick the living shit out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. We are going to go through him like crap through a goose; like shit through a tin horn!
From time to time there will be some complaints that we are pushing our people too hard. I don't give a good Goddamn about such complaints. I believe in the old and sound rule that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder WE push, the more Germans we will kill. The more Germans we kill, the fewer of our men will be killed. Pushing means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that.
There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. You may be thankful that twenty years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you WON'T have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, 'Well, your Granddaddy shoveled shit in Louisiana.' No, Sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, 'Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great Third Army and a Son-of-a- Goddamned-Bitch named Georgie Patton!'
"That is all."
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NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 and the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery site, at the north end of its ½ mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial are inscribed 1,557 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
We should never forget the debt we owe to such fine men who tread into harm's way to save the world from tyranny and injustice. The calling they heard, being scared half to death, but did it anyway, a debt we can never repay. The road to Heaven is lined with servicemen and women who stood their ground and gave to the world freedom. God bless them one and all. We shall honor them by never forgetting and being ever grateful.
There is a quote by Gen. Omar Bradley that is my all time favorite. It says so much and truly says volumes about our Veterans, our troops and our Freedom.
"Freedom! No Word Was Ever Spoken That Held Out Greater Hope, Demanded Greater Sacrifice, Needed More To Be Nurtured, Blessed More The Giver, Cursed More Its Destroyer, Or Came Closer To Being God's Will On Earth.And I Think Thats Worth Fighting For." ~ General Omar Nelson Bradley
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)
June 04, 2011
'Gunsmoke' Legend James Arness Dies at 88
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Wounded at Anzio, Bronze Star
James Arness was severely wounded in WWII at Anzio, and his war wounds pained him ever since.
The 6-foot-7 actor, who also starred in the 1950s sci-fi classics "Them!" and "The Thing From Another World," thanks fans for their support with a posthumous letter on his website.
James Arness, the tall man who towered over TV screens for 20 seasons as the iconic Marshal Matt Dillon on CBS’ Gunsmoke, has died. He was 88.
Hollywood's Notable DeathsThe 6-foot-7 actor, who also starred in the 1950s sci-fi classics Them! and The Thing From Another World, passed away of natural causes Friday in his home in Brentwood, according to his business manager, Ginny Fazer. His death comes 14 months after his brother, Mission: Impossible actor Peter Graves, died of a heart attack at age 83.
“I had a wonderful life and was blessed with some many loving people and great friends,” he said. “I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years.”
As the stoic Marshal Dillon, Arness kept the peace in rough and tumble Dodge City, Kan., on Gunsmoke, which aired on CBS from September 1955 to March 1975 for a total of 635 episodes. It set a record for the longest-running, live-action primetime series by seasons, since tied by NBC’s Law & Order.
Arness was born James King Aurness in Minneapolis on May 26, 1923. He served in the army during World War II, was wounded in his right leg and received the Purple Heart.
James Arness was studying at Beloit College when the war broke out. His ambition was to become a navy pilot, but his height, six feet and seven inches, disqualified him. His Anzio wounds landed him in the hospital for 18 months, and during that time he became involved with an acting group.
On the advice of Graves, Arness applied for and earned a job as an announcer for a radio station in the Twin Cities, then moved to Los Angeles and landed a role as Loretta Young’s brother in the 1947 film The Farmer's Daughter.
After starring in the title role as a thawed-out alien bent in eating humans in The Thing, he was spotted by John Wayne, who signed him to a contract with his production company, Batjac Prods. The actors worked together on such films as Big Jim McLain (1952), Island in the Sky (1953), Hondo (1953) and The Sea Chase (1955).
Wayne recommended Arness for the role of Marshal Dillon on Gunsmoke, which was coming to TV after beginning as a radio program in 1955. (The show ran on radio until 1961, with the rotund William Conrad voicing the lawman.)
“Go ahead and take it, Jim,” Wayne urged him. “You’re too big for pictures. Guys like Gregory Peck and I don’t want a big lug like you towering over us. Make your mark in television.”
Survivors include his wife Janet, sons Rolf and Jimmy and six grandchildren. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to United Cerebral Palsy.
James Arness was a Republican. I remember seeing him interviewed a few years ago. James Arness was a conservative and a class act. An era that slipped away forever.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM
| Comments (4)
Wild Thing's comment........
R.I.P. James Arness
May 21, 2011
End Of The World Today ???? LOL
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The earthquake was scheduled to begin in Australia last night and the destruction and devastation roll through the timezones.
Here is their web site...Family Radio
Harold Camper said it will happen at 6 PM, on a time-zone by time-zone basis. So some folks will get a heads up. LOL
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (6)
May 17, 2011
Newt Gingrich 15 Minutes of Fame Are Done....And He Did It To HImself!
On Sunday Newt Gingrich backed Obamacare's Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance (Newt praises Romneycare)
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Charles Krauthammer on Newt Gingrich: “This is a Capital Offense Against (Reagan’s) Eleventh Commandment. He Won’t Recover”
As the day has progressed, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s comments on Sunday’s “Meet the Press” attacking House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget plan have come to haunt him. On Monday’s “Special Report,” syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer became the latest conservative figure to criticize Gingrich, calling his bid for the presidency “over.”
“This is a big deal,” Krauthammer said. “He’s done. He didn’t have a big chance from the beginning but now it’s over. Apart from being contradictory and incoherent as we saw in those two bytes you showed where he contradicted himself in the course of one day on the individual mandate – calling the Republican plan, which all but four Republican members of the House have now endorsed and will be running on, calling it radical and right-wing social engineering is deadly.”
Krauthammer’s criticism of Gingrich echoed that of many other conservatives who said that Gingrich’s words will be used against fellow Republicans in future congressional campaigns.
“I mean, I think every one of these Republican candidates running for the House is going to have a Democratic opponent who’s going to run an ad you can write today. It’s going to start even conservative Newt Gingrich, the former leader of the Republicans in the House, says ‘It’s radical, it’s social engineering.’”
Krauthammer added that Gingrich’s remarks violated Reagan’s “11th commandment.”
“Reagan had the 11th commandment,” Krauthammer said. “Thou shalt not attack fellow Republicans. This is a capital offense against the 11th commandment. He won’t recover.”
House GOP fires back at Newt Gingrich...from Politico
Various comments made by other Republicans about Newt.
Rush on Gingrich‘s ’Inexplicable‘ and ’Mind-Boggling’ Obamacare Comments
Limbaugh characterized Gingrich‘s support for a variation of Obama’s individual insurance mandate as “inexplicable” and “mind-boggling.” The top conservative radio host refused to defend Gingrich’s comments, and even was visibly annoyed while describing Gingrich’s position.
“I am not going to justify this. I am not going to explain it. The attack on Paul Ryan, the support for an individual mandate in health care? Folks, don’t ask me to explain this. There is no explanation! What do you mean, if I don’t explain it, who will? There is no explanation for it. First off, it cuts Paul Ryan off at the knees. It supports the Obama administration in the lawsuits that 26 states have filed over the mandate. I guess, what? Back in 1993, Newt supported an individual mandate, everybody should buy insurance. I am as befuddled as anyone else is what I’m telling you.”
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Paul Ryan Responds to Newt Gingrich Attack on His Medicare Plan: “With Allies Like That, Who Needs the Left”
Paul Ryan yesterday on the Laura Ingraham Radio Show reacting to comments by Newt Gingrich on Sunday attacking his plan to save Medicare. Ryan said, “With allies like that, who needs the Left!” Ryan disagreed with Gingrich’s criticism, and said the “radical” thing to do is to keep doing the same thing and let the “whole system implode on itself.”
Brit Humes just ripped Newt for his attacks on Paul Ryan plan
He looked and sounded angry and disgusted.
Hume Slams Gingrich's Hypocrisy: "Provocative Thinker" But "Promiscuous Talker"
"Now he's [Gingrich] not only disparaged a man who is a hero to many Republicans, he has handed Democrats a potent weapon against Ryan and Republicans at the moment they stand accused by the Democrats of trying to destroy Medicare. They were requiring all be responsible for healthcare. he called the idea a variation of the mandate to buy insurance which Mitt Romney passed in Massachusetts. Today, Gingrich is trying to undo it all, claiming he is against a mandate and great admirer of Paul Ryan and so on. Eepublicans must wonder what he will say next and why he said what he did. This is all vintage Gingrich who is what he has always been: A provocative thinker and promiscuous talker," FOX News' Brit Hume said on "Special Report" this evening.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Times have changed and Newt was not paying attention. He and any other rino needs to wake up and realize we have a real live walking talking enemy within! His remarks on Sunday showed how he does not get it at all.
We are facing obamacare, cap and trade, and to many things to even list here. A country that is going broke because of the spending mostly by the left.
Now he is spending his time trying to fix what he said but if you are reading this Newt forgetaboutit! That was the REAL you on Sunday and all this bs yakking now from you is just that BS.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (5)
May 10, 2011
California Balks at Public Display of American Flag Says It’s an impermissible “public expression.”
California Balks at Public Display of American Flag
Says It’s an impermissible “public expression.”
In the small town of Orcutt, California, a private association has raised donations to erect a flagpole and monument between a highway exit and a park-and-ride lot, at the entrance to the community’s Old Town section. The pole would hang the American flag, encircled by five pillars, one each for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. The California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), however, has stymied the effort, calling it an impermissible act of “public expression.”
The Orcutt Pioneer reports that, although the Old Town Orcutt Revitalization Association (OTORA) “intends its flag as a tribute and symbol of freedom” — which would seem to be how most Americans would view their nation’s flag — “CalTrans sees it as a form of speech or expression, something more personal than patriotic.”
OTORA, a typical Tocquevillean-style private civil association, has been fundraising for over a year to collect the necessary $60,000 to build the flagpole and monument, above which would wave a 12-by-18-foot iteration Stars and Stripes. But CalTrans has declared that its policy forbids such efforts. In a letter to OTORA, CalTrans explains that it developed its policy in response to a ruling released by a 3-judge panel of the notorious Ninth Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, a ruling that was issued in response to impromptu flag-hanging in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The panel’s ruling demanded “viewpoint neutrality.” That is, if CalTrans was going to allow the hanging of the American flag on public land, then it must also allow the hanging of all flags — whether the British flag, the Nazi flag, or the Jolly Rogers — as well as “expressive banners” of all sorts. In its letter to OTORA, CalTrans writes,
To answer your question regarding the court’s decision in Brown v. California Department of Transportation pertaining to flying the American Flag in the State right of way, it was established that, “The display of the United States flag constituted expressive activity, within the meaning of the First Amendment.”
The concern that we have in this situation is that, whether a flag hanging on a bridge [not OTORA’s proposal], or a monument placed within a park and ride lot [the proposal], we would be placed in a position of having to permit all forms of expression as encroachments in the right of way if we were to allow yours. As such, the department has determined that the state highway system is not a forum for public expression except as expressly allowed.
Last summer, a few days before the Fourth of July, CalTrans painted over a 35-foot American flag mural on a hillside in the East Bay, several hours north of Orcutt, which had been completed in the wake of the terrorist attacks. CalTrans painted over the mural with gray paint. Even before the Fourth, a couple of industrious citizens painted it red, white, and blue again. After being heavily criticized, CalTrans apologized.
Wild Thing's comment........
How horrible what is wrong with these people. How can they not love America, love our Flag..... it is very upsetting.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (8)
April 24, 2011
Mississippi Town Destroys Westboro Baptist Plans
Mississippi Town Destroys Westboro Baptist Plans
by Joni
The Westboro Baptist Church once again makes the headlines. This time however, the good news is that they were foiled in their attempts to disrupt another serviceman’s funeral. Mississippi gives the Westboro the kind of welcome that we would all like to give.
Since we have reported on the Westboro Baptist Church a few times here, it is fitting that we update you on the latest.
Last Saturday, USMC Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers was laid to rest in Brandon, Mississippi. He was killed in action in Afghanistan on April 7th. Many of the town’s residents paid homage along the route of the fallen hero as his body was transported home.
Most notably absent were the Westboro protestors who planned a large demonstration at Sgt. Rogers’ funeral. According to an Ole Miss message board, a tidbit of info.....
“A couple of days before, one of them (Westboro protestors) ran his mouth at a Brandon gas station and got his arse waxed. Police were called and the beaten man could not give much of a description of who beat him. When they canvassed the station and spoke to the large crowd that had gathered around, no one seemed to remember anything about what had happened.
Rankin County handled this thing perfectly. There were many things that were put into place that most will never know about and at great expense to the county.
Most of the morons never made it out of their hotel parking lot. It seems that certain Rankin county pickup trucks were parked directly behind any car that had Kansas plates in the hotel parking lot and the drivers mysteriously disappeared until after the funeral was over. Police were called but their wrecker service was running behind and it was going to be a few hours before they could tow the trucks so the Kansas plated cars could get out.
A few made it to the funeral but were ushered away to be questioned about a crime they might have possibly been involved in. Turns out, after a few hours of questioning, that they were not involved and they were allowed to go on about their business.”
It might be legal for the protestors to be there, but it isn’t right. Thankfully, the citizens of Brandon agreed and arranged for these slight incidents to keep the unwanted pests away. The Westboro mob never made it to the funeral and Sgt. Rogers was laid to rest without incident.
Fred Phelps, who is the leader of Westboro mob, is a disbarred lawyer and Democrat activist. Other members of his family hold law degrees. They use our court system often and have sued and won countless times all with financial gain to themselves, helping to fund their sickening activities. Undoubtedly, Phelps will plan a lawsuit against someone in Mississippi because his grand plans were thwarted. Mississippi folks says let him. There isn’t a jury in the whole state that will see things his way.
While I understand the Supreme Court ruling allowing Phelps and his gang to demonstrate, I sure appreciate the fact that citizens take it upon themselves to do the right thing. If it takes the community to gather around the bereaved to keep these thugs away, then so be it. I hope every town learns from the example set by people of Brandon, Mississippi.
Update to this story:
Due to all of the comments regarding Phelps being called a Democrat activist, I have added this update.
Although other Democrats may not agree with Phelps, he has been very politically active in the Democrat party, starting in the ‘80’s. He has run for office on the Democratic ticket many times as a mayor, governor, and as a senator; garnering a percentage of Kansas voters. Plus, it is a matter of public record that Phelps has been closely associated with Al Gore for years. Fred Phelps Jr. was Gore’s delegate in the Democratic convention and the family hosted the Gore fundraiser in Topeka in 1988 while claiming to have ‘run’ the Gore campaign in Kansas that year.
So while Democrats may want to distance themselves from what Phelps is doing and rightly so, but as a 6 time Democratic candidate, Phelps is clearly a Democrat activist. Admittedly, Phelps currently seems to be serving his own interests more than those of the Democratic Party.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Awesome! What the westboro people do is evil and has nothing to do with God. I am so glad this town took a stand against them.
Rest in peace, Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers .
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (5)
April 23, 2011
As Libyan Rebel's Beheading a Libyan Soldier Is Nnot Bad Enough , McCain Wants To Increase Aid To These Rebels Even With Their al Qaeda Conncection
The rebels cart dead soldiers through Misrata
....as Qaddafi commits atrocities, the rebels are engaged in some of the same violence.
Libya rebels will receive $25 million from U.S.
Dismissing concerns over possible links between Libyan rebels and , the Obama administration has notified Congress it is providing $25 million in nonlethal aid to the rebels’ effort to drive Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s regime from power.
Questions have emerged in recent weeks about the connection between some of the Libyan opposition and the al Qaeda terrorist group.
McCain: Increase Military Support To Libyan Rebels
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP)
U.S. Sen. John McCain called for increased military aid Friday for Libya's rebels, including weapons, training and close air support for the opposition's battle to oust Moammar Gadhafi.
A day after the U.S. began flying armed drones to bolster NATO firepower and try to break a battlefield stalemate with Gadhafi's forces, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee gave a full-throated endorsement of the rebels.
The United States and other nations should recognize the rebels' political leadership as the "legitimate voice of the Libyan people," McCain said.
He called the rebels "patriots" with no links to al-Qaida, in contrast to what some critics have suggested, and he said they should receive Gadhafi assets frozen by other countries.
"They are my heroes,” McCain said of the rebels as he walked out of a local hotel in Benghazi. He was traveling in an armored Mercedes jeep and had a security detail. A few Libyans waved American flags as his vehicle drove past.
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton announced yesterday that the US would provide $25m of non-lethal items such as vehicles, radios and medicines to opposition forces.
Wild Thing's comment........
John McCain is making a jackass out of himself. He doesn’t get the “culture”. “The rebels are patriots”!, he asserts. Give me a break. sheesh. We have heard so much that many of the rebels are al-qaeda.
IMO there are no good guys in this. I wish we would stay ouit of this in Lybia.
The Jawa Report posted video of our new allies beheading a Libyan soldier. He has a video in which they chant Allahu Ackbar as they saw off a Libyan regime soldiers' head. And these are the people McCain wants us to call friend.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (5)
April 18, 2011
Nha Trang, Vietnam: Sun, Scuba and All-Night Parties
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Nha Trang Vietnam Resorts, Vietnam Nha Trang Hotels, Nha Trang Hotels and Resorts, Nha Trang Beach Hotel
Nha Trang, Vietnam: Sun, Scuba and All-Night Parties
Nha Trang, a seaside resort town located on the south central coast, is Vietnam's beach capital. Nha Trang attracts many types of visitors, from sun worshipers, to scuba diving enthusiasts, to the hard core party goers. If you are looking to explore another side of Vietnam and still catch a few historical sites between mojitos and all-night dance parties, then Nha Trang is your ultimate destination. This idyllic seaside community with its backdrop of jutting mountain tops, palm tree lined white sand beaches, and turquoise colored water dotted with islands offers a plethora of activities to keep you busy.
The number one attraction in Nha Trang is the beach. For beach bums, the best time to visit is June to October in the dry season but the beach is usually busy with tourists and locals year round. Nha Trang's 6 kilometer stretch of white sand beach is lined with palm trees, water front promenades, and oceanfront resorts from budget to 5-stars.
During the day, the beach is full of activity with vendors selling everything from cigarettes to sunglasses to lunch. Local vendors steam up lobsters, prawns and other delicious seafood in large cast iron pots, and slice up exotic fruits for tourists right next to where they are laying in the sand. In addition to catching rays on the beach, you can rent a pool side deck chair and enjoy the western style beach resort atmosphere at either one of Nha Trang's popular pools: Nha Trang Sailing Club or the Louisiana Brewhouse.
Nha Trang offers an assortment of water sports and activities. For the adrenaline junkies, the best time to visit is October through February in the wet season when the sea is rougher. Numerous shops along the beach offer equipment rental and lessons for kayaking, wake boarding, wind surfing, sailing, jet skiing, paragliding, body boarding and snorkeling. Nha Trang is also the number one scuba diving destination in Vietnam offering the best visibility and cheap PADI certification.
If you aren't into adventure you can enjoy more relaxing water based fun at Phu Dong Water Park located near the beach or the island resort of Vinpearl Land accessible by a scenic cable car with amusement park style rides, arcade games and a water park. A great way to also enjoy the water is on a boat tour of the outlying islands of Nha Trang. For dirt cheap you can take a boat tour visiting four of the nine islands: Mieu Island, Ebony Island, Swallow Island and Bamboo Island. For a break from the sun and surf visit one of the many spas offering cheap massage. The Thap Ba Hot Springs, located a few kilometers outside of Nha Trang, provides the ultimate in relaxation with hot springs, mud baths and a hot artificial mineral waterfall. You can organize a private spa trip with a group of friends for a discount or be a big spender and enjoy the VIP spa.
The best way to see the city's cultural sites is by bike. Po Nagar (Thap Ba) Cham Towers are located north two kilometers outside the city across the Cai River. The towers were built by the Cham civilization between the 7th and 12th century and sit on top of a hill providing beautiful views of the harbor below. Only four of the eight original towers still stand with the tallest being 23 meters high. On your way back to town take some time to visit the fishing village located between the old and new bridges and the "real" Nha Trang, a bustling Vietnamese city vastly different than the seaside resort town along the coast. To the west of town is Long Son Pagoda, a Buddhist temple founded in the late 19th century, still home to resident monks. At the top of the hill, behind the pagoda, is a 79-foot tall giant white seated Buddha visible from town. Climb to the top of the hill for stunning panoramic views of the city and bay. Take a ride south and visit the Oceanographic Institute and Bao Dai's Villas, a beautiful example of French colonial architecture and the former residence of the last king Bao Dai. The grounds are lush and well manicured and it's a great place to enjoy a leisurely lunch overlooking the sea on a hot day.
At night, a different side of Nha Trang comes alive. Known as the Cancun, Mexico of Vietnam, you can party all night in Nha Trang. Most nights the beach district is teeming with locals and tourists drinking at bars, dancing at clubs and partying in the streets. The best place in town to dance is the Nha Trang Sailing Club, which hosts its very own version of Koh Phangan's famous all night Full Moon Party called Insomnia. Another way to join in on the debauchery of Nha Trang is to take a booze cruise, an all-you-can-drink party boat on a scenic trip around the bay. If you aren't ready to shake it, head to one of Vietnam's tradition local bars called a "bai hoi" for cheap keg beer curbside. The city also offers a more relaxing evening at one of the many waterfront restaurants along the beach. There's a wide range of choices, from Western to Vietnamese cuisine to local seafood specialties. For cheaper food try the restaurants in town or the waterfront restaurants away from the main tourist district. A popular option is Lac Canh, one of the busiest local restaurants in Nha Trang located near the Cai River area.
Nha Trang Bay is widely considered among the world's most beautiful bays and is fast becoming a popular destination with international travelers of all ages. Whether you spend your days kayaking the bay or relaxing on the beach, Nha Trang has an assortment of activities to please just about everyone.
Wild Thing's comment........
Amazing to see this.
....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.
Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:48 AM | Comments (3)
April 15, 2011
Japanese Risk Radiation to Rescue Stranded Dogs
Japanese risk radiation to rescue stranded dogs
TOKYO
When Etsumi Ogino saw a news photo of a pack of shelties wandering through an abandoned town near Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant, she thought of her own 13-year-old canine Kein and jumped into action.
"My heart trembled," said Ogino, a 56-year-old volunteer at an animal shelter in Chiba prefecture. "They looked just like my dog. I started searching for them right away."
She and others around Japan called Asahi.com, the website of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, which had run the photo. An Associated Press photographer had snapped that photo and others of the dogs on an empty street in Minami Soma city, an area evacuated because of radiation fears.
On Saturday, the AP gave her details of where the dogs were spotted.
Ogino relayed the information to a team of animal rescuers called Sheltie Rescue. By then, the group had been getting emails from dog lovers around the country about the abandoned pack.
Through emails and Internet research it was established that the owner of the dogs was a breeder in Minami Soma. The group contacted the Fukushima city branch of the Japan Collie Club, tracked the owner down by phone at a shelter and got her go-ahead to rescue the dogs.
In the wee hours of Sunday morning, seven volunteers left Tokyo and drove over broken roads and past demolished houses to meet three other volunteers in the ghost town that Minami Soma has become. Some had prepared radiation suits and others wore simple vinyl raincoats.
The first two to arrive found the pack around the Odaka train station, near the owner's home, where the AP team had last seen them.
"They were waiting for their owner," said Tamiko Nakamura, a volunteer who went with the group from Tokyo.
The dogs had been left some dry food, and weren't starving.
It took a while to entice them with snacks, and six or seven were bundled into each car. The group saved 20 dogs in all.
Most were taken to a veterinary clinic in Kanagawa prefecture just west of Tokyo. Others are being cared for by individuals in other areas.
The owner, worn down by the disaster and worrying about her dogs, was "extremely happy," Nakamura said. She said the owner did not want her identity revealed.
Nakamura only regrets that some of the dogs in the pack ran away and countless others are still stranded in the evacuation zone.
"There are still some left behind," she said. "I'm concerned about them and want to pull them out."
Wild Thing's comment.........
What an incredibly touching story.
I always worry about the animals when there are disasters that occur. The bottom line is also that dogs would do anything for us, even if they were aware of the radiation they would come to our rescue. We have all heard of fantastic stories of an animal coming to help their owner or even others they do not know at great risk to their own lives.
....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.
Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (2)
April 06, 2011
Japan Defense Minister Kitazawa Thanks USS Ronald Reagan Crew For Relief Efforts
PACIFIC OCEAN (April 4, 2011)
Adm. Patrick M. Walsh, commander of Joint Support Force, Japan Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, John V. Roos, U.S. Ambassador to Japan arrive aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) to address the ship's crew during an All Hands Call in one of the hangar bays. During the visit Japanese and American officials thanked Ronald Reagan Sailors for relief efforts during Operation Tomodachi. Minister Kitazawa also spoke with members of the Black Knights of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 4 in their ready room. Ronald Reagan is off the coast of Japan to provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to Japan as directed in support of Operation Tomodachi. (U.S. Navy video/Released)
Japanese and U.S. military ships and helicopters trolled Japan’s tsunami-ravaged coastline looking for bodies Friday, part of an all-out search that could be the last chance to find those swept out to sea nearly three weeks ago. More than 16,000 are still missing after the disaster, which officials fear may have killed some 25,000 people.
Altogether, 25,000 soldiers, 120 helicopters, and 65 ships will continue searching through Sunday. If U.S. forces spot bodies, they will point them out to the Japanese military rather than trying to retrieve them. So far, more than 11,700 deaths have been confirmed.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Our troops risked a lot in helping Japan, I am proud of them. But I also pray there will not be any health problems from being so near the dangerous areas.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (4)
April 04, 2011
Akiane Kramarik 12 Year Old Girl Paints Heaven, Unbelievable!
Wild Thing's comment......
What an awesome talent she has, God Bless her!
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (4)
March 21, 2011
Arab League Express Reservations About Wide Coalition Bombing Campaign in Libya
Arab League Expressing Reservations about Wide Coalition Bombing Campaign in Libya
The Arab League is apparently expression reservations about the breadth of the bombing campaign being undertaken by Coalition Forces against Moammar Gadhafi in Libya. Rather than praising the efforts so far, the spokesman for the Arab League would only say they had asked the U.N. to impose a “no-fly zone” over Libya. He would not comment on the military steps taken thus far.
Wild Thing's comment........
I am so tired of these gigantic sacks of corrupt camel poo and their so called religion. How the HELL do they think a ‘no-fly zone’ is created? with flying carpets?
Who could`nt see this coming? So much for the commies “coalition.” Condemnation from the UN will be next, and Canada and our European allies will start backing out, leaving the US holding the bag.
The moment the Arab League said that, I would have halted all military action and withdrawn our forces to a safe distance.
Then tell the Arab League, you're right. Our efforts to enforce a no-fly zone and protect the people of Libya has caused civilian causalities. We have ceased all action and withdraw to a safe, non-intervention distance.
You have spend countless billions of dollars on building your military forces. We will sit back and take notes as you show us how to deal with this issue without causing any civilian causalities or collateral damage. The world is watching and so are we. This is your problem in your neighborhood. Show us your solution.
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:48 AM | Comments (5)
March 15, 2011
Miracle Baby Girl Found In Rubble: Four-month-old Reunited With Her Father After Incredible Rescue
The member of Japan's Self-Defence Force member holds the four-month-old baby girl in Ishinomaki, northern Japan after her rescue
Miracle of the baby girl plucked from the rubble: Four-month-old reunited with her father after incredible rescue
The sound of a baby’s cry amid the rubble seemed so impossible that soldiers searching a tsunami-smashed village dismissed it as a mistake.
But it came again. And they realised they had not been hearing things.
They pulled away wood and slate, dug back thick oozing mud – and there was the child they were to describe as a ‘tiny miracle’.
The four-month-old girl had been swept from her parents’ arms in the shattered village of Ishinomaki when the deadly wave crashed into the family home.
For three days, the child’s frantic family had believed she was lost to them for ever.
But yesterday, for a brief moment, the horrors of the disaster were brightened by one helpless baby’s story of survival.
Soldiers from the Japanese Defence Force had been going from door to door pulling bodies from the devastated homes in Ishinomaki, a coastal town northeast of Sendai.
Most of the victims were elderly, unable to escape the destructive black tide.
But for this precious moment, at least, it was only the child who mattered to the team of civil defence troops who found her.
One of them picked her up in his arms, wrapped her in a blanket which had been handed to him and cradled the child as his colleagues crowded around, not believing that someone as young as this had survived when all hope had been lost.
The tiniest survivor was cold and wet and crying, but she is believed to have suffered no other injuries. Why she did not drown remained a mystery.
But the soldiers were somehow able to trace her overjoyed father, who had been taking refuge in his wrecked home with the rest of his family.
Even then, the nightmare wasn’t over. For just minutes after the emotional reunion, the shell-shocked survivors were told that a second tsunami might be on its way.
The panicked father begged the soldiers to take the baby to safety on higher ground.
But the 11am alarm proved to be false and the reunited family returned to try and rebuild their home.
Amid the devastation, there have been precious few tales of survival.
But the discovery of the unnamed child has given fresh hope that others might be found alive in the shattered landscape which covers scores of miles of the east coast of Honshu island.
Yesterday, it emerged that witnesses looking down from the second floor of a house in one of the worst hit areas thought they noticed some movement in the back of a wrecked car by the side of the road and soldiers discovered an elderly woman who had been trapped in the passenger seat for more than 20 hours.
Although she was traumatised by her ordeal, the victim was said to be otherwise unhurt.
As the Mail reported yesterday, Hiromitsu Shinkawa was found sitting on the roof of his floating home about nine miles from shore. Waving a red cloth, he was picked up by a boat. His wife is missing.
‘Several helicopters and ships passed but none of them noticed me,’ he said. ‘I thought that was going to be the last day of my life.’
A man in his 70s was also pulled from a collapsed building in Sendai, a port town badly hit by the double disaster.
Before the baby’s discovery, searchers found at least 2,000 bodies cast up along the shoreline of the badly-hit Miyagi prefecture.
All had drowned, according to police, and as the search through the debris continued throughout the day officials conceded that what had started out as a rescue effort would become a recovery operation.
And then came the cry of a little girl.
‘Her discovery has put a new energy into the search,’ said a civil defence official. ‘We will listen, look and dig with even more diligence after this.’
.......And fear: Upon hearing another tsunami warning, a father tries to flee to safety with the baby girl he has just been reunited with.
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Wild Thing's comment......
Some welcome GOOD news! Thank God. The smile of the soldier holding the baby says it all.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (3)
March 14, 2011
USS Carrier Ronald Reagan Moved After Detecting Radioactive Plume Off Japan
What is Low Dose Radiation Exposure
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USS Carrier Ronald Reagan Moved After Detecting Radioactive Plume Off Japan
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and other US Navy ships in the waters off the quake zone in eastern Japan were repositioned after the detection of a low-level radiation plume from the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant located 100 miles away.
According to 7th Fleet Commander and Spokesman Jeff Davis, the ships were moved away from the downwind direction of the plant as a precautionary measure on Sunday.
The carrier is one of seven US Navy ships that were quickly moved to the eastern coast of Japan to assist with relief operations after Friday's earthquake and tsunami.
The ship's crew was exposed to a very low level of radiation.
"The maximum potential radiation dose received by any ship's force personnel aboard the ship when it passed through the area was less than the radiation exposure received from about one month of exposure to natural background radiation from sources such as rocks, soil, and the sun, " Davis said.
According to Davis, the radiation was first detected by air particulate detectors aboard three helicopters located 60 miles away from the shoreline.
The helicopters were returning to the carrier from a relief mission to the quake and tsunami ravaged city of Sendai.
Davis said the source of the radiation was a radioactive plume emitted by the plant.
After the helicopters landed on the carrier, radioactive contamination was found on the exterior surface of three aircrafts.
Following decontamination protocols, the 17 crewmembers aboard and the three helicopters were tested and found to have been exposed to low levels of radiation.
Most of the radiation was found on the crewmembers clothes, but radiation was detected on the skin of one of the crewmembers.
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Wild Thing's comment........
This is really horrible what is happening. I can't imagine being in their situation. Prayers for our troops and that Japan can get conrol of their various reactors.
The last I have heard Japan is having trouble with have problems with #1, #2 and #3 reactors.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (5)
Teacher's Pet: Oscar The Classroom Labrador Wins Award For The Dog Who Most Improves Children's Behaviour
Paying attention: Oscar the teacher's pet keeps a close eye on events in Cantell Maths and Computing College in Southampton
Teacher's pet: Oscar the classroom labrador wins award for the dog who most improves children's behaviour
School in Southampton has cut trouble by amazing 40%
A school has taken the idea of 'teacher's pet' to a whole new level - by getting its own dog.
Chocolate labrador Oscar was brought in to Cantell Maths and Computing College to help with some pupils' behavioural problems.
And incredibly those problems have been almost halved since he arrived.
The friendly rescue dog is part of the school's restorative approaches (RA) policy for pupils who cause trouble in class or have fallen out with friends.
As part of the scheme, students are provided with a secluded classroom, where they can carry on with their work, or seek comfort from staff - including Oscar.
Since he was introduced to the school in Southampton a month ago staff have noticed a dramatic 40 per cent cut in student misbehaviour.
RA co-ordinator Des Anderson said: 'He's a best mate for the kids.
'Sometimes we get students who come in and they're angry and Oscar goes over and calms them down, because it's very difficult to be angry with a labrador.
'It means we can work with them within the hour, rather than having to wait until the next day.
'Rather than having a punitive approach we have a restorative approach where we try to get them to acknowledge what they've done wrong.
'It might be falling out, it might be bad behaviour, it might be having a bad time somewhere else.
'Our mantra is this is a safe place to have a difficult conversation.
'We record everything and I would say we've reduced the incidents that we have to deal with by 40 per cent since September.
'But what's really key is we've improved the students' ability to put things right.' Oscar spends every day in the school's RA base, where he plays with the children or simply sits while they read to him or just sit and stroke him.
Year 7 pupil Matthew Manning, 12, added: 'Oscar is really fun and he's really cute. I love him to bits.
'All the times I've been upset he's come over to me to cheer me up.'
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Wild Thing's comment........
Great story.
Awhile back I recall an article here where a teacher started bringing her dog (lab) into a remedial reading program.
Of course, being kids, they did not want to read aloud or even read at all...as it was difficult for them. The teacher found that they LOVED to read to the dog; and it worked incredibly well.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (4)
March 07, 2011
Obama Rosemonday Carnival Parade in Cologne, Germany
A carnival float shows US president Obama pushing a camel to go through the eye of a needle symbolizing the peace process in the middle east during the traditional Rosemonday carnival parade in Cologne, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2011.
Floats fill the streets during the traditional Rosemonday carnival parade in Cologne, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2011. The Rosemonday parade in Cologne, visited by one million spectators, is one of the highlights of the street carnival season.
Source Denver Post
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A carnival float depicting Libyan Leader Moammar Gadhafi with a barrel of oil is kissed by a man symbolizing Europe with a sack of money, is part of the traditional carnival Rosemonday Parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2011. The foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, are the highlights in Germany's carnival season on Rosemonday. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein
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A carnival float shows Wikileaks' Julian Assange dropping the trousers of Wladimir Putin of Russia, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and State Secretary Hillary Clinton of the US during the traditional Rosemonday carnival parade in Cologne, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2011.
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A carnival float depicting Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a swastika running away from fire is part of the traditional carnival Rosemonday Parade in Dusseldorf, Germany, Monday, March 7, 2011. The foolish street spectacles in the carnival centers of Dusseldorf, Mainz and Cologne, watched by hundreds of thousands of people, are the highlights .
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Wild Thing's comment......
There are more photos at this LINK.
This is the one they did when Bill Clinton was president.:
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:35 PM | Comments (4)
March 06, 2011
Aimee Mullins: The Opportunity Of Adversity
Aimee Mullins: The Opportunity Of Adversity
Double amputee Aimee Mullins brings her indomitable spirit to every person she meets. Born without fibulae, Amy’s legs were amputated when she was just a year old. She did not just overcome what could be called adversity, she has excelled in virtually every part of her life.
She was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and is an American athlete, actress, and fashion model best known for her collegiate-level athletic accomplishments, despite a medical condition that resulted in the amputation of both of her legs.
Mullins was born with fibular hemimelia (missing fibula bones) and, as a result, had both of her legs amputated below the knee when she was a year old. She is a graduate of Parkland High School in Allentown and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
While attending Georgetown University, she competed against able-bodied athletes in NCAA Division I track and field events. She competed in the Paralympics in 1996 in Atlanta, in which she ran the 100-meter dash in 17.01 seconds and jumped 3.14 meters in the long-jump
If you have 20 minutes to watch her story, you will not be sorry. This was an amazing speech.
Aimee Mullins: The opportunity of adversity
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Wild Thing's comment........
She is a real inspiration. I love stories about theh human spirit, it truly is stronger then many think. So we celebrate that spirit within each of us and thank you Aimiee.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (2)
January 20, 2011
More Than 120 Busted in Northeast Mafia Crackdown
More than 120 busted in Northeast mafia crackdown
More than 120 organized crime associates face charges including murder, extortion and narcotics trafficking in one of the largest Mafia crackdowns in FBI history, prosecutors announced Thursday.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said at a news conference Thursday in New York City that the 127 defendants include high-ranking members of the Gambino and Colombo crime families and the reputed former boss of organized crime in New England. All five of New York's five major crime families were targeted.
The charges cover decades worth of offenses, he said, including "classic mob hits to eliminate perceived rivals," a killing during a botched robbery and a double shooting in a barroom dispute over a spilled drink.
More than 100 of the defendants were arrested Thursday as some 800 federal agents and police officers made busts in several states. One person was arrested in Italy.
Other charges include alleged corruption among dockworkers who were forced to kick back a portion of their holiday bonuses to the crime families.
Holder called the arrests "an important step forward in our nation's fight against organized crime."
The crimes include two murders dating back 30 years, and another as recently as 2002. One of the defendants, among the scores arrested, is a former New York City police officer.
Authorities say the investigation was aided by informants who recorded thousands of conversations by suspected mobsters.
Luigi Manocchio, the reputed former head of New England's Patriarca crime family, was arrested Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the U.S. attorney's office in Providence said. An indictment accused him of collecting protection payments from strip club-owners. Also arrested was Thomas Iafrate, who worked as a bookkeeper for strip clubs and set aside money for Manocchio, prosecutors said.
The takedown was the result of multiple investigations. Federal probes aided by mob turncoats have decimated the families' ranks in recent years and have resulted in lengthy prison terms for several leaders.
On Friday, a federal judge in Brooklyn sentenced John "Sonny" Franzese, 93, to eight years in prison for extorting Manhattan strip clubs and a pizzeria on Long Island.
In October, Mafia turncoat Salvatore Vitale was sentenced to time served after federal prosecutors praised his total betrayal of his own crime syndicate — and after he apologized to the families of his victims. Authorities said he had a hand in at least 11 murders, including that of a fellow gangster in the fallout from the infamous Donnie Brasco case.
The evidence provided after his arrest in 2003 helped decimate the once-fearsome Bonanno organized crime family, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Andres said.
Wild Thing's comment........
hmmmm Mafia takedown, but I guess they did not go after any in Chicago. In Chicago they call them Rahm Emanuel’s campaign staff.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:30 PM | Comments (6)
January 16, 2011
The Touch Table
Take look at this short video from PBS. This is program about a touch-table. (It's Google-Earth on steroids!!!!) About half way in the video it shows Iran 's nuclear facility and does an interesting thing. It moves the satellite pictures as a function of time in years and lets you see what has really has been happening there!
And what they "hid" or thought they "hid" underground!
Wild Thing's comment........
This is so interesting! It really is a glimpse of how our government can see other countries and what is going on. I have seen some similar things on some of the TV shows like CSI Miami, but nothing to compare to this. Fantastic!
....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.
Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (3)
January 12, 2011
Westboro Baptist "Church " From Hell Going Even Lower
Arizonans Rally to Prevent Westboro Church Disruption of Shooting Victims' Funerals
By Judson Berger
Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Funeral of 9-Yr-Old Girl Murdered in Tucson
Arizona residents are locking arms to stop the Westboro Baptist Church from disrupting the funerals for victims of Saturday's shooting in Tucson, with bikers and others organizing a massive counter-protest and state lawmakers fast-tracking a bill to hamstring the group.
The Kansas-based Westboro church is notorious for showing up at the funerals of dead soldiers and other high-profile gatherings wielding anti-gay signs.
But when the church announced it would picket the funeral Thursday for the 9-year-old girl fatally shot over the weekend at a Tucson grocery store by a gunman who allegedly killed five others and injured 14 others attending a town-hall session by Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson- and Phoenix-area residents started organizing immediately.
They may not be able to stop them, but they plan on giving the grieving family as much of a buffer as possible between the protesters and the service.
Arizona state lawmakers approved emergency legislation that would order protesters to stay 300 feet away from the funeral. The bill passed unanimously in the House and the Senate is now headed to Gov. Jan Brewer for her expected signature
Wild Thing's comment.........
They have the gall to call themselvres a Baptist church!! These are very sick people!!!!!!
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (13)
January 08, 2011
US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of AZ. Shot In Head and Others Shot
FOX News : Bret Baier on shooting in AZ.
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Arizona Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot today in Tucson, Arizona during an event outside a Safeway Grocery Store. A man reportedly approached the event and opened fire on Giffords and others, wounding Giffords and others.
Fox News is saying Giffords has been shot in the head.
10 Patients- 1 has died. Several – Five are in critical condition.
Federal Judge John M. Roll Was Shot & Killed at Tucson Shooting
The Congresswoman is in critical condition. She was shot in the head one time.
Channel 9 WSYR reported:
Congressional officials say an aide to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has died after an attack in Tucson, Arizona.
A hospital official there says the congresswoman herself is alive but in critical condition after being shot in the head.
The AP reports that the gunman is identified as Jared Laughner; he is in custody.
From Jared’s YouTube account.
His name is spelled Loughner:
His name is spelled Loughner:
I attended school: Thornydale elementary,Tortolita Middle School, Mountain View Highschool, Northwest Aztec Middle College, and Pima Community College.
Interests:
My favorite interest was reading, and I studied grammar. Conscience dreams were a great study in college!
Movies:
(*My idiom: I could coin the moment!*)
Music:
Pass me the strings!
Books:
I had favorite books: Animal Farm, Brave New World, The Wizard Of OZ, Aesop Fables, The Odyssey, Alice Adventures Into Wonderland, Fahrenheit 451, Peter Pan, To Kill A Mockingbird, We The Living, Phantom Toll Booth, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Pulp,Through The Looking Glass, The Communist Manifesto, Siddhartha, The Old Man And The Sea, Gulliver’s Travels, Mein Kampf, The Republic, and Meno.
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Hospital Presser on Giffords Shooting .......says they have 10 patients.
Update: Report from the University Medical Center press conference:
A nine-year old child has also been killed.
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The shooter of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and several other people in Tucson – lists “The Communist Manifesto” and “Mein Kampf” as among his favorite books:
America: Your Last Memory In A Terrorist Country!
Gateway Pundit has posted this video, which was “favorited” by alleged shooter of Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords – Jared Lee Loughner. The video is favorited in Loughner’s YouTube account. It shows a bizarre figure wearing a trashbag and a coat, with a mask over his face while he sets a United States Flag on fire.
On his apparent YouTube page, Loughner also lists the “Communist Manifesto” and “Mein Kampf” as among his favorite books.
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Update: Rep. Giffords husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, rushing to be by wife’s side.
It has been reported that Mark Kelly was traveling by private jet and expected to arrive in Tucson at 3:00pm. A family friend, who owns the jet has been quoted as saying “We have a positive outlook. We think she’s going to pull through.”
Gabrielle Giffords married Mark Kelly back in November of 2007. 46 year old, Kelly has flown a total of three shuttle missions for NASA. his first flight in space was as the pilot for STS-108 Endeavour December 5–17, 2001. He flew again as the pilot of STS-121 Discovery July 4-17, 2006. Then went on to serve as commander of STS-124 Discovery May 31 to June 14, 2008. Kelly’s next mission is scheduled for launch on April 1, 2011.
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More information:
Authorities Suspect Gunman in Arizona Rampage Posted Pre-Shooting Video Online
Jared Loughner, the 22-year-old man who sources identify to Fox News as the gunman in custody in the deadly shooting rampage Saturday in Arizona, is suspected of posting a series of YouTube videos that show a focus on literacy and currency -- as well as his distrust in the government.
"Hello, my name is Jared Lee Loughner," one of the videos says, in words appearing on the screen. "This video is my introduction to you! My favorite activity is conscience dreaming; the greatest inspiration for my political business information. Some of you don't dream - sadly."
The video, posted Dec. 15, later turns more political.
"The majority of citizens in the united states of America have never read the united states of America's constitution. You don't have to accept the federalist laws," the video's titles say. "In conclusion, reading the second United States constitution, I can't trust the current government because of the ratifications: the government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar. No! I won't pay debt with a currency that's not backed by gold and silver! No! I won't trust in god!"
Records obtained from the Pima County, Ariz. criminal database show Loughner was arrested in 2007 for possessing drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor charge. The records suggest that Loughner paid a $20 fee and completed a court-ordered program for drug offenders.
Three months later he was cited for running a stop sign, according to court documents.
Another record shows a 2008 arrest for what’s described as a “local charge” in Marana, Ariz., 20 miles northwest of Tucson. The non-criminal charge was dismissed.
Loughner's page on YouTube lists Tucson as his hometown. He also said he attended Northwest Aztec College and Pima County Community College. And in one of the videos, he says he is a military recruit.
The Army provided this statement:
"The Army has confirmed that the suspect was never in the Army. He attempted to enlist in the Army but was rejected for service. In accordance with the Privacy Act, we will not discuss why he was rejected."
In other videos, Loughner calls the people of District 8, his Ariz. district, illiterate.
In a bizarre equation that Loughner appears to mean as example of deductive reasoning, he concludes that "the police are unconstitutional."
In yet another rant verging on the paranoid, he says:
“I know who’s listening: Government Officials, and the People. Nearly all the people, who don’t know this accurate information of a new currency, aren’t aware of mind control and brainwash methods. If I have my civil rights, then this message wouldn’t have happen.”
He lists reading under interests, as well as "conscience dreams," and among his favorite books are "Mein Kampf," the "Communist Manifesto," "Animal Farm" and "Brave New World."
In a comment posted on MySpace three months ago in connection with a video about Pima Community College, Loughner wrote: "Hello, I know you’re illiterate! This is the greatest protest for exposure into a wrongful act. The school is breaking the constitution. If you watch the video then you’ll understand. The teachers are taking advantage of you in the first and Fifth Amendment. The United States Constitution, which is the law, can be broken at this school. Thank you and goodnight! Jared"
His last writing on his MySpace page just hours before the shooting was "Goodbye friends."
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Wild Thing's comment.........
How horrible , prayers that no one else will die and they will recover.
This is heartbreaking.
Greg Segalini, an uncle of Christina, the 9-year-old victim, told the Arizona Republic that a neighbor was going to the event and invited her along because she had just been elected to the student council and was interested in government.
Christina, who was born on Sept. 11, 2001, was involved in many activities, from ballet to baseball. She had just received her first Holy Communion at St. Odilia's Catholic Church on in Tucson, Catholic Diocese of Tucson officials told The Arizona Daily Star.
And from a friend of mine on Facebook that lives in AZ and near where the shootings occured.
"Christina had been taken to this event by a neighbor specifically to meet Gabby; she had just been elected to her 3rd grade student council. "
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 PM | Comments (5)
January 07, 2011
Homeless Man With Golden Radio Voice in Columbus, OH. ( VIDEOS)
This is a great story. Above is the original video of what has been called “the homeless man with the golden voice.”
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Now, it appears Williams is getting offers for work from everywhere – including the Cleveland Cavaliers, NFL Films
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Wild Thing's comment........
What a great story, I love to hear that a person changes their life around. I like in the second video where he says he prayed his mom would live to see the day he did turn his life around and would be ok.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:25 AM | Comments (4)
January 01, 2011
Special Rose Parade Float Honors 9/11 Victims
Thousands of volunteers were hard at work in Pasadena and Irwindale getting the floats ready for the 122nd Rose Parade Presented by Honda, but one float in particular is much more than just a float.
"It's a dream come true for me. This is something I've wanted to do for nine years," said Jerry Thomsen, a firefighter specialist.
When America was attacked more than nine years ago, a group of Los Angeles firefighters headed to Ground Zero to help, and Thomsen was among them. Now he and his L.A. firefighting buddies are honoring their fallen comrades in a uniquely Californian way.
"I've heard 'never forget' for a long time, and I think we've forgotten about our heroes that we lost," he said.
The front of the float honors the hijacked United 93 flight. The middle commemorates the Pentagon. The rear depicts New York City.
The float will be lined with roses, each of them with a different 9/11 victim's name on it. A fire hydrant found in the Ground Zero rubble will also be on the float.
Merill Mielke, who has worked on floats for 38 years, says this one is most special.
"It has a lot more meaning behind it. It's not just a beautiful thing. It's really bringing memories back," she said.
For Thomsen, the float's message, "Remember, Reflect, Renew," fits perfectly with the overall Rose Parade.
There was jubilation as hundreds of high school musicians from Pennsylvania arrived at the Continental Airlines terminal at LAX on Tuesday night.
In particular, they are members of the Downingtown East High School band, one of only a dozen marching bands in the country selected to perform in Saturday's Tournament of Roses Parade.
The 350 band members were bused to Newark on Monday where they were scheduled to catch their flights, but the blizzard conditions caused cancellations and almost shattered the hopes of the students. That was until the airline came through and rebooked them on flights this Tuesday evening.
"It's unbelievable to come to California and perform in front of 40 rows of people," said band member Ashley Brown.
The theme of the parade is "'Building Dreams, Friendships and Memories."
There is a California Firefighters Honor Guard Pipes and Drums which will march in the parade.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
This year 2011 will be the 10 yrs. anniversary of 9/11.
Here is the video preview of 9/11 float: Excellent video about the float.
Thanks goodness somebody’s doing something. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been 10 years. And the sickening thought it only took 8 years to put Barack Hussein Obama in the White House. UNFORGIVABLE! It’s so unbelievable how many forgot.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:55 AM | Comments (3)
Rose Parade Float Honors President Ronald Reagan
Artist's rendering of Jelly Belly sponsored float celebrating the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan in the Rose Parade. The float will be accompanied by a military honor guard. Reagan's 100th birthday is February 6.
The 55-foot-long float is designed by Fiesta of Irwindale. It features a 26-foot-high bald eagle and 11 black-and-white photographs of Reagan, which will be decorated with onion seeds, poppy seeds and crushed sweet rice. "President Reagan always believed America's best days were ahead. At a time when many Americans look forward to a New Year with a similar optimism and pride, we at the Reagan Foundation are honored to be invited to participate in the 122nd Rose Parade," said Stewart McLaurin, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. "Sponsoring the first-ever presidential themed float in the Rose Parade may seem an outside-the-box idea for a presidential library. It is," McLaurin said. "But 2011 is an extraordinarily special year." The front of the float will feature a replica of the Ronald Reagan statue that stands in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. The 11 photographs depict Reagan at various stages in his career. Included are photos of Reagan on his horse "El Alamein" Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan in the White House, Reagan the movie star and Reagan delivering a speech at the Berlin Wall in which he exhorted Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall. Mark Harmsen, a Tournament of Roses volunteer for the past 30 years, said he believes the float marks the first time a president has been honored with an entry. Presidents that have traveled down Colorado Boulevard include Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Although never a grand marshal himself, Reagan once broadcast the parade on radio, Harmsen said. And, in some ways the 40th president was the quintessential Californian.
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Wild Thing's comment........ Awesome! A float honoring America's greatest President!! Jelly Belly is co-sponsor of the float. He loved his Jelly Belly's. While he was governor of California, he quit smoking and ate jelly beans to help overcome the cravings. Jelly Belly was a new and very small confectioner that supplied him then, and throughout his presidency. They really are the best. I hope and pray that the 100th anniversary year of the Gipper’s birth blesses our country with a new wave of patriotism and conservatism. President Reagan loved his country, her heritage, and her military!! And had GREAT respect for the Office of the President.
Rose Parade float honors Ronald Reagan
PASADENA - The centennial celebration of Ronald Reagan's birthday begins New Year's Day, when a float dedicated to the 40th president will make its way down Colorado Boulevard.
The Simi Valley-based Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library will be in partnership with Jelly Belly as sponsors of the float, officials said. "That's one of the things that the foundation had in mind," Harmsen said. "His roots were here and the Rose Parade is a present to the country and the world - and a great way to kick off the celebration of the centennial of Reagan's birth in February."
Dumb like a fox, did his version of “Rope a Dope” on the left so many times. Which is why the left still scorns him. He beat them at their own media game by going around the media and right to the American people. Besides his 1987 amnesty deal (nobody's perfect) he was truly the greatest 20th century President. AND he kicked Kadafi’s ass to boot.
There is also this.........Ronald Reagan Stamp Commemorating 100th Anniversary of His Birth
On December 13, 2010, the United States Postal Service unveiled a centennial postage stamp at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA in honor of Ronald Reagan's birthday in Tampico, IL on February 6, 1911. It is the third time President Reagan has been honored with a stamp by the USPS.
The stamp is to be released four days after what would have been Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday. Reports are that this will be a special stamp with the 44 cent value replaced with the word "Forever" meaning that the stamp will always maintain first class delivery status regardless of future postal rate increases. This would be fitting for Reagan's handwritten letters to citizens which have been profiled in Dear Americans -- Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan was based on over 3,500 handwritten letters from the President to every day Americans. A volume of handwritten correspondence unequaled and all delivered with first class postage!
The stamp was made from a portrait based on a 1985 photograph of Reagan at his "Ranch in the Sky".
Here is a video of the Ronald Reagan Stamp Unveiling - December 13, 2010
This speech he made is one of my many favorites: Whoever did the video also did a great job with it.
"The time has come! For surely the tide is crashing against the shores of this great nation, ever receding the sands of time. A history of greatness waiting to be replenished with the glistening sands of truth! "
"A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one." Alexander Hamilton
Let's set the record straight. There is no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace--and you can have it in the next second--surrender.
Admittedly there is a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson in history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face--that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight and surrender. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, eventually we have to face the final demand--the ultimatum. And what then? When Nikita Khrushchev has told his people he knows what our answer will be? He has told them that we are retreating under the pressure of the Cold War, and someday when the time comes to deliver the ultimatum, our surrender will be voluntary because by that time we will have weakened from within spiritually, morally, and economically. He believes this because from our side he has heard voices pleading for "peace at any price" or "better Red than dead," or as one commentator put it, he would rather "live on his knees than die on his feet." And therein lies the road to war, because those voices don't speak for the rest of us. You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. If nothing in life is worth dying for, when did this begin--just in the face of this enemy? Or should Moses have told the children of Israel to live in slavery under the pharaohs? Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots at Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the shot heard 'round the world? The martyrs of history were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the Nazis didn't die in vain. Where, then, is the road to peace? Well, it's a simple answer after all.
You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, "There is a price we will not pay." There is a point beyond which they must not advance. This is the meaning in the phrase of Barry Goldwater's "peace through strength." Winston Churchill said that "the destiny of man is not measured by material computation. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we are spirits--not animals." And he said, "There is something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."
You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:50 AM | Comments (5)
Bob Hope Remembered On City of Burbank Float in Rose Bowl Parade
On Saturday, February 20 the City of Burbank will turn 100. There is a lot of history in Burbank, history of the wonderful years of showbiz that most of us have loved. The years when Stars more then most loved to entertain the troops and many as well served in our military.
The Design Committee solicited ideas for images to use in a "filmstrip" around the base of the float. Bob Hope was one of the many candidates that everyone liked. Walt Disney, Johnny Carson, and Dr. Burbank will be the others.
Wild Thing's comment........
This will be a wonderful Rose Bowl Parade this year. I am so glad they included Bob Hope with this float. Carson too, no one has replaced either one of them.
.....Thank you Mr.Happy for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at 08:45 AM | Comments (2)
December 18, 2010
Hundreds Of Toys ( Toys For Tots) For Needy Kids Stolen In Orangevale
Hundreds Of Toys For Needy Kids Stolen In Orangevale
(Toys for Tots , at a Sacramento suburb)
ORANGEVALE (CBS13)
Hundreds of toys set aside for kids in need have been stolen just days before Christmas.
The toys were taken from the lobby of the Orangevale Chamber of Commerce Monday night.
They were donations to the Toys for Tots program.
And chamber employees have a message for the people who stole them.
“If you need help with anything, I mean the chamber is here to help. They just had to ask rather than just to take. But I hope you find it in your heart to take them to the U.S. Marine Corp and give them to the kids that need them,” said Lisa Montes of the Orangevale Chamber Of Commerce.
In the meantime, they’re looking at surveillance tapes to see if they can find a clue into who may have taken those toys.
News Video at LINK
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Good grief. How depraved do you have to be to steal toys from a charity right before Christmas?
They need to let the Marines deal with these low life's!!!
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM
December 11, 2010
Racist Cupcakes? Duncan Hines 'hip-hop' Video Ad Under Fire
Duncan Hines is doing this marketing campaign where they’re giving “artists and directors the chance to create Duncan Hines commercials which will be promoted and sent out online.”
The First ad has been accused of being racist.
Duncan Hines pulled its ad for 'hip-hop' cupcakes after complaints that the video featured cupcakes with black face and exaggerated lips
Racist Cupcakes? Duncan Hines 'hip-hop' Video Ad Under Fire
Cupcakes aren't tasting so sweet for some Duncan Hines marketing execs who were forced to pull a video for their "Amazing Glazes" frosting line after viewers and bloggers complained the dancing cupcakes were racist.
The commercial, which features chocolate-frosted cupcakes singing a harmony, was released on YouTube with the title "Hip Hop". Along with that title, the cupcakes featured exaggerated lips and eyes and more hummed a melody – that was decidedly un-hip hop.
"If you're going to call them hip-hop cupcakes, then shouldn't at least one of them at least do a verse?" a blogger wrote on the Racialicious blog wrote. In a press release, the company said it wanted to inspire creativity in its new commercial.
"I wanted to create an entertaining and engaging way to show bakers that this glaze makes everything you top taste better and more exciting," the commercial's director Josh Binder said in a statement released by the company when the controversial ads were launched.
The commercials were removed by the company but not before generating more than 19,000 views on YouTube, the Toronto Sun reported.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Good grief, hahaha ok but it is a clever ad and how else can they make the lips show up without making them the way they did.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (6)
November 25, 2010
USS George Washington en route to South Korea
A US nuclear aircraft carrier is en route to South Korea to carry out scheduled war games in a show of force against Noth Korea.
USS George Washington getting under way and heading to waters off South Korea as part of the U.S. response to North Korea’s artillery attack on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island yesterday. The attack killed two South Korean Marines and at least two civilians as well. Dozens more were injured in the unprovoked attack.
Obama has condemned the attack, and ordered the USS George Washington to head to region where it will join more than 28,000 U.S. Troops stationed in South Korea. The USS George Washington leads a carrier strike group that will take part in naval exercises with South Korea in the Yellow Sea next week.
FOX News
The Pentagon has dispatched the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS George Washington to the Yellow Sea for naval exercises with South Korea following the exchange of artillery fire between the North and South.
The exercises are likely to anger China which in the past pressed Washington not to send its aircraft carriers to the sea.
The U.S. military command in Seoul announced that the carrier will take part in exercises in “waters west of the Korean peninsula” from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 st.
The aircraft carrier George Washington, which makes its home port in Yokosuka, Japan, and sails with a complete wing of combat aircraft, will lead four other American warships in the joint exercise.
Military officials said the George Washington had been preparing to sail from its home port to participate with the Japanese navy in a joint exercise to begin Dec. 3. Following the artillery exchange between the two Koreas, it was ordered to exercise with the South Korean navy before joining the exercise with the Japanese.
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South Korea orders evacuation of the islands near the border with the North Korea
The U.S.-South Korean drills scheduled for Sunday and involving the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, although previously scheduled, are sure to infuriate North Korea.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration has urged China to rein in its ally North Korea, with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, saying, "We really think it's important for the international community to lead, but in particular China."
Yesterday’s North Korean artillery attack killed two South Korean marines, generated international outrage and ratcheted up fears of a major conflict between the two Koreas.
Around 50 North Korean shells hit a small island near the border, setting houses on fire. South Korea responded with its own artillery attack.
And the government has ordered the evacuation of these islands.
Residents of Yeonpyeong who evacuated the island and began arriving at the South Korean port of Incheon on Wednesday told harrowing tales of fiery destruction and narrow escapes.
Ann Ahe-ja, one of hundreds of exhausted evacuees from Yeonpyeong island arriving in the port of Incheon on a rescue ship, said the artillery barrage that killed four people — two of them civilians — had caught her by surprise.
"Over my head, a pine tree was broken and burning," Ann told AP Television News on Wednesday. "So I thought 'Oh, this is not another exercise. It is a war.' I decided to run. And I did."
About 10 homes suffered direct hits and 30 were destroyed in the midafternoon barrage, according to a local official who spoke by telephone from the island just seven miles (11 kilometers) from the North Korean shore. About 1,700 civilians live on Yeonpyeong alongside South Korean troops stationed there.
It's too dangerous to have people on these small and remote island communities so they're bringing them in via ferry.
Remaining residents to evacuate Yeonpyeong Island
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Wild Thing's comment........
So this ship was planned to arrive months ago before current events. Is this posturing by Obama and is there more to this. It is hard to tell from Obama, I don't trust Obama.
I just hope the people of South Korea will be ok. And to add to the mix the UN is of course catering to North Korea.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (3)
November 22, 2010
Service Dogs Help Veterans With PTSD
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Paws for Purple Hearts is the first program of its kind to offer therapeutic intervention for our military servicemen and women through training service dogs. Under the guidance of Rick Yount, founder of Paws for Purple Hearts, service dog training provides service members the ability to reintegrate into civilian life. Once training is complete, the service dogs are paired with veterans who have sustained mobility-limiting injuries–thus building on the time-honored tradition of veterans helping veterans.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Great idea, animals are wonderful companions. I am so glad they are donig this.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:40 AM
November 20, 2010
Bristol Palin on 'Dancing With the Stars"
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Earlier this week a Wisconsin man shot up his TV and pointed a gun at his wife after watching Bristol compete in the dance competition.
Wisconsin Man Shoots TV, Points Gun at Wife After Seeing Bristol Palin on 'Dancing With the Stars'
A Wisconsin man shotgun-blasted his television after seeing Bristol Palin on 'Dancing With the Stars,' resulting in a 15-hour standoff with police just outside the town of Black Earth.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Steven Cowan, 66, was watching the ABC program with his wife on Monday when he jumped up and began shouting about "the (expletive) politics" when Sarah Palin's daughter appeared. Cowan was drinking and has been receiving care for stress and a mental health issue.
"Cowan went upstairs for about 20 minutes and returned, demanding his pistols, which had been taken by his daughter about a month ago for safety reasons. He was carrying a single-shot shotgun, which he loaded and fired into the television," the Journal reports. "Cowan continued to yell, demanding his pistols. He re-loaded the shotgun and pointed it toward his wife. She left the house and drove to Black Earth, where she called 911. She told police she was afraid for her safety."
Sheriff's deputies showed up at the home and remained outside until 11AM, when Cowan surrendered. A criminal complaint charged Cowan with second-degree reckless endangerment.
According to Cowan's wife, part of his rage came from the fact that he didn't believe Bristol deserved to be on the show given her dancing abilities.
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Bristol Palin was threatened yesterday. A letter with white powder was sent to the Dancing With the Stars finalist.
In a breaking story, TMZ is reporting that police officers were dispatched to CBS Television Studios late Friday after a white powder substance was discovered by a member of Dancing With The Stars staff and sources report that Bristol Palin was the intended target with the powder included in a piece of fan mail addressed to Palin.
UPDATE 8:20 PM PT — A rep for the FBI tells TMZ … “The L.A.P.D., L.A. City and FBI Hazardous Materials officials responded to a report of a threatening letter containing white powder received at CBS Studios in Los Angeles.”
UPDATE #2 8:27 PM PT — A rep for ABC tells TMZ the substance was determined to be talcum powder by the LAFD and adds, “Measures were taken to secure the area and ensure the safety of personnel.”
The rep continues, “Initial field screening was negative for hazardous substances but will be transported to a regional lab for further testing. A joint investigation is continuing.”
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Leftists doing what they do best
The left...so afraid to death of Sarah Palin so much, so they go after her children. We saw this during the presidential campaign and it continues. They have already threatened their lives many times. These “people” and I use the term loosely, are insane.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (8)
November 16, 2010
Authorities Find Body of Missing 5-Year-Old North Carolina Girl ~ She Was Dismembered
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Authorities Find Body of Missing 5-Year-Old North Carolina Girl
A missing 5-year-old whose mother was accused of offering her for sex was found dead off a heavily wooded road in a rural area Monday, ending a weeklong search, police said.
Searchers found Shaniya Davis' body early Monday afternoon about 100 feet off a road southeast of Sanford, in central North Carolina, Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Theresa Chance said. She declined to comment on a cause of death or the condition of Shaniya's body.
"We've got a lot of people out at the scene right now that are torn up," Chance said. "Detectives have been running off adrenaline to find this little girl and to bring her home alive. You have a lot of people in shock right now."
Two people have been charged in her disappearance, one of them her mother, Antoinette Davis, 25. Police charged Davis with human trafficking and felony child abuse, saying Shaniya was offered for prostitution.
Davis was calm and quiet during a five-minute court appearance in Fayetteville on Monday afternoon. She provided one-word answers to the judge's questions and held her hands in front of her, without handcuffs. She requested a court-appointed attorney and did not enter a plea.
Her sister, Brenda Davis, 20, said outside that she does not believe the charges.
"I don't believe she could hurt her children," said Brenda Davis, who was able to speak to her sister at the jail Sunday.
Authorities also charged Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, with kidnapping after they said surveillance footage from a Sanford hotel showed him carrying Shaniya there. Authorities said McNeill admitted taking the girl, though his attorney said he will plead not guilty.
Davis reported Shaniya missing Tuesday. Authorities first arrested a man named Clarence Coe, but charges against him were dropped a day later when investigators tracked down McNeill after receiving a tip from a hotel employee.
Additional information led investigators to a search site near Sanford on Sunday. They continued searching Monday, scouring miles of landscape, roads, ravines and fields on four-wheelers and with helicopters.
After Shaniya's body was found, a solemn group of searchers met quietly at a nearby fire station to ensure that all volunteers were accounted for.
"We were hoping that someone could carry her home," said Syd Severe, 42, who came from Raleigh to help with the search. "It's just sick."
A cluster of emergency vehicles and law enforcement personnel gathered where Shaniya's body was found, about a quarter mile from N.C. Highway 87. Authorities blocked access to the road, a rural area popular with hunters that is less than a mile from a large lakeside community.
Chance said later Monday that authorities were waiting for an official identification but had called off the search for Shaniya. State investigators were planning to remove her body from the scene.
Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, said he raised his daughter for several years but last month decided to let her stay with her mother. He had pleaded for her safe return.
Lockhart told The Associated Press on Saturday that he and Davis never argued about him raising Shaniya, and Cumberland County courts had no record of a custody dispute. He described his relationship with Davis as a "one-night stand" and said he did not know McNeill.
Davis struggled financially over the years, but she recently obtained a job and her own place, so Lockhart said he decided to give her a chance to raise their daughter.
"I should've never let her go over there," he said Saturday night.
Before Shaniya's body was found, he said on CBS's "The Early Show" Monday that he remained hopeful someone would bring his daughter somewhere safe, such as a police station or hospital.
"They can drop her off at Walmart, I don't care," he said.
A friend at Lockhart's home Monday afternoon said Lockhart did not want to speak with reporters.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Breaks my heart! Just a beautiful, beautiful little girl.
She’d been in the news as a picture of her being carried into a hotel by some creep had been found by video cameras.
She looked so trusting, just an innocent. OMG
This evil, I just can't imagine. so sickening! Absolutely horrifying.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:48 AM | Comments (2)
November 15, 2010
American Ingenuity ~ The Ford Model T
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Wild Thing's comment........
This was just GREAT!!!! WONDERFUL!
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:48 AM | Comments (4)
November 14, 2010
Navy's Newest Destroyer USS Jason Dunham Enters the Fleet
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Corporal Jason L. Dunham, 22, of Scio, N.Y. selflessly sacrificed his life in Iraq on April 14, 2004.
CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, First Marine Division (Reinforced), on 14 April 2004. Corporal Dunham's squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in the town of Karabilah, Iraq, when they heard rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire erupt approximately two kilometers to the west. Corporal Dunham led his Combined Anti-Armor Team towards the engagement to provide fire support to their Battalion Commander's convoy, which had been ambushed as it was traveling to Camp Husaybah.
As Corporal Dunham and his Marines advanced, they quickly began to receive enemy fire. Corporal Dunham ordered his squad to dismount their vehicles and led one of his fire teams on foot several blocks south of the ambushed convoy. Discovering seven Iraqi vehicles in a column attempting to depart, Corporal Dunham and his team stopped the vehicles to search them for weapons. As they approached the vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a grenade. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat. Aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty, Corporal Dunham gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
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Navy's Newest Destroyer USS Jason Dunham Enters the Fleet
Under blue skies and the Florida sun, the Navy's newest Arleigh Burke Class Aegis Guided Missile Destroyer the USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) was commissioned today in Port Everglades, entering full status as a ship of the United States Navy.
Deb Dunham, ship sponsor and mother of Marine Corps Corporal Jason Dunham, stood on deck as she gave the command to “Man the Ship and Bring Her to Life!” Dan Dunham, father of Corporal Dunham, set the first watch and passed the long glass to LTJG Andrew Gray. The watch, which will now continue for the entire period of time the ship is in service, will ensure the safety and security of the ship and its crew.
Six weeks earlier, Deb and Dan stood on the bridge of the ship on a cloudy overcast day as it left Bath Iron Works, Maine where the ship was constructed to begin its journey to Port Everglades. Today the ship and her crew stand ready to continue to fulfill Corporal Jason Dunham’s mission of protecting the United States.
Keynote speaker General James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, stated “Dan and Deb Dunham, none of this would have been possible without you. You have borne the heaviest burden – the sacrifice of a son. But Jason’s actions will not be forgotten. Your son – honored through this ship – stands together with the greatest men and women in our Nation’s history. Thank you for all you have given and all you continue to give. You embody all that is great in our American Family.”
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Godspeed to our brave aboard this ship. And bless the Dunham family for their incredible sacrifice and my heart-felt prayers to the Dunham family.
Corporal Jason L. Dunham, 22, of Scio, N.Y.
We remember our heroes! Rest In Peace.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:50 AM | Comments (6)
November 07, 2010
The Reaper by General Atomics in San Diego
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THE REAPER, BY GENERAL ATOMICS IN SAN DIEGO
BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AP).
"The airplane is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It is outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and with a ton and a half of guided bombs and missiles.
The Reaper is loaded, but there is no one on board. Its pilot, as it bombs targets in Iraq will sit at a video console 7,000 miles away in Nevada .
The arrival of these outsized U.S. "hunter-killer" drones, in aviation history's first robot attack squadron, will be a watershed moment even in an Iraq that has seen too many innovative ways to hunt and kill.
That moment, one the Air Force will likely low-key, is expected "soon," says the regional U.S. air commander. How soon? "We're still working that," Lt. Gen. Gary North said in an interview.
The Reaper's first combat deployment is expected in Afghanistan, and senior Air Force officers estimate it will land in Iraq sometime between this fall and next spring. They look forward to it.
"With more Reapers, I could send manned airplanes home," North said.
The Associated Press has learned that the Air Force is building a 400,000-square-foot expansion of the concrete ramp area now used for Predator drones here at Balad, the biggest U.S. air base in Iraq , 50 miles north of Baghdad . That new staging area could be turned over to Reapers.
It is another sign that the Air Force is planning for an extended stay in Iraq , supporting Iraqi government forces in any continuing conflict, even if U.S. ground troops are drawn down in the coming years.
The estimated two dozen or more unmanned MQ-1 Predators now doing surveillance over Iraq, as the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, have become mainstays of the U.S. war effort, offering round-the-clock airborne "eyes" watching over road convoys, tracking nighttime insurgent movements via infrared sensors, and occasionally unleashing one of their two Hellfire missiles on a target.
From about 36,000 flying hours in 2005, the Predators are expected to log 66,000 hours this year over Iraq and Afghanistan .
The MQ-9 Reaper, when compared with the 1995-vintage Predator, represents a major evolution of the unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV.
At five tons gross weight, the Reaper is four times heavier than the Predator. Its size "36 feet long, with a 66-foot wingspan" is comparable to the profile of the Air Force's workhorse A-10 attack plane. It can fly twice as fast and twice as high as the Predator. Most significantly, it carries many more weapons.
UNDER THE RADAR: Air Force ramps up in Iraq
While the Predator is armed with two Hellfire missiles, the Reaper can carry 14 of the air-to-ground weapons, or four Hellfires and two 500-pound bombs.
"It's not a recon squadron," Col. Joe Guasella, operations chief for the Central Command's air component, said of the Reapers. "It's an attack squadron, with a lot more kinetic ability."
"Kinetic"" Pentagon argot for destructive power" is what the Air Force had in mind when it christened its newest robot plane with a name associated with death.
"The name Reaper captures the lethal nature of this new weapon system," Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, said in announcing the name last September.
General Atomics of San Diego has built at least nine of the MQ-9s thus far, at a cost of $69 million per set of four aircraft, with ground equipment.
The Air Force's 432nd Wing, a UAV unit formally established on May 1, is to eventually fly 60 Reapers and 160 Predators. The numbers to be assigned to Iraq and Afghanistan will be classified..
The Reaper is expected to be flown as the Predator is by a two-member team of pilot and sensor operator who work at computer control stations and video screens that display what the UAV "sees." Teams at Balad, housed in a hangar beside the runways, perform the takeoffs and landings, and similar teams at Nevada 's Creech Air Force Base, linked to the aircraft via satellite, take over for the long hours of overflying the Iraqi landscape.
American ground troops, equipped with laptops that can download real-time video from UAVs overhead, "want more and more of it," said Maj. Chris Snodgrass, the Predator squadron commander here.
The Reaper's speed will help. "Our problem is speed," Snodgrass said of the 140-mph Predator. "If there are troops in contact, we may not get there fast enough. The Reaper will be faster and fly farther."
The new robot plane is expected to be able to stay aloft for 14 hours fully armed, watching an area and waiting for targets to emerge.
"It's going to bring us flexibility, range, speed and persistence," said regional commander North, "such that I will be able to work lots of areas for a long, long time."
The British also are impressed with the Reaper, and are buying three for deployment in Afghanistan later this year. The Royal Air Force version will stick to the "recon" mission, however no weapons on board.
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General Atomics gets $51.5 million Predator contract
The Defense Department has awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in Poway $51.5 million for spare parts, deployment readiness packages and ground support equipment for the MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned aerial vehicle that’s also known as the Predator B drone.
The company designs and develops the Reaper at its plants in Poway and Sabre Springs. The drone is heavily used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The new contract will be carried out behalf of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Wow awesome. I love technology that helps our troops.
....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.
Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:50 AM | Comments (3)
October 30, 2010
Congress Building to Break Promises
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Congress Building to Break Promises
At a breakfast meeting with a select group of defense reporters at a posh Washington, DC hotel, one of the most vocal members of the Senate Armed Services Committee uttered words likely to strike fear into the hearts of the Army and Marine Corps' most senior leaders.
No, this was not about the cancellation of a pet weapons system or the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. It was about something potentially far worse. Based on the pullout from Iraq and a planned withdrawal from Afghanistan beginning next summer, Sen. Jim Webb -- former Navy Secretary and Marine platoon leader in Vietnam -- said the Pentagon should plan to hand out pink slips to a fresh crop of Soldiers and Marines who only a year ago joined to service behind the promise of a larger force to meet steadily-building global missions.
"We eventually should and will reduce the size of the Army and Marine Corps as we wind down in Iraq and Afghanistan," Webb said.
With flags waving and fists thumping in righteous indignation, lawmakers foisted upon the Army and Marine Corps an increase in manpower -- about 80,000 overall -- in 2007. For years, opponents of the Bush administration's war policy criticized the Pentagon's under resourcing of the fight in Iraq, pointing to Soldiers and Marines with back-to-back deployments as victims of a "broken" military and an ill-planned invasion. The way to fix it, Congress argued, was to boost the size of the Army and Marines -- the two services doing the bulk of the fighting there.
Despite repeated cajoling from anti-war lawmakers only too happy to show their "support for the troops" by increasing end strength, the service chiefs respectfully declined to take the legislative branch up on its offer, fearing a repeat of the crushing reduction in forces imposed by then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in the waning days of the Cold War. The last thing the service chiefs want to do is hire a bunch of new employees then turn around and fire them without offering a reasonable chance at a career. Congress, naturally, blamed Rumsfeld for the services' intransigence, claiming he was pressuring the chiefs to deny the need for more troops.
But after years of pressure, the chiefs acceded to lawmakers' demands and agreed to a modest increase -- about 55,000 Army and Guard troops and about 25,000 Marines -- that would be fully implemented within three years. That was 2007.
A year later, the economy tanked and recruiting stations were inundated with applicants. The Marine Corps reached its new goal in less than two years and the Army made a year after that. Now those so-called "dwell times" are finally increasing, Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey noted, with Soldiers able to spend an average of two years back home to every one year deployed. What Casey didn't say, though, was that the dwell time increase had more to do with 100,000 fewer troops deploying to Iraq, than with the 55,000 extra Soldiers Congress had given them.
Yet what Congress giveth, Congress taketh away. With an economy gasping for air, unemployment stuck at 9 percent and a national dept climbing into the trillions, both parties are shifting their sights to savings in the $660 billion defense budget. Fearing a dramatic backlash over the military/civilian "social contract," lawmakers are loath to raise military health care premiums, cut troop pay, or risk jobs in their districts by cancelling weapons programs.
So guess what, the political capital Congress earned from advocating a larger military during the darkest days of the Iraq war will soon pay for the "domestic investments" they need make to stay in office. According to Army officials, every 10,000 new Soldiers cost taxpayers about $1.2 billion per year.
"We want to compensate our people well, but the end-strength numbers drive costs," Webb said, expressing what many in Congress think as they look for buckets of money to pay for other "priorities."
"Do we need this size of our ground forces if we are properly going to reshape our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan?" he added. "I think you can cut back."
So get ready Generals Casey and Amos. Those bright new faces you brought in with the promise of a military career and a lifetime of service to their country, those new billets you created to meet the demand, and those new facilities you built to house and train them are all about to take a hit. Congress has shifted its ephemeral gaze once again and you're going to be left in the cold. And remember this broken contract the next time Congress pledges support for the military, not the mission.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Cuts backs will hurt us one day big time, imo. All the spending Congress does on BS things and then they want to cut back on our Armed Forces???? They spent our tax dollars in their stimulus bills to have tattoo's removed from prisoners and other wasted spending but God forbid they spend money to keep a strong force to protect our country. sheesh
And one more thing, where are the politicans telling how upset they are about the military voting problems. Has anyone heard even ONE politician say anything about this????
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (4)
October 26, 2010
Michigan Woman Faces Civil Rights Complaint for Seeking a Christian Roommate
Michigan Woman Faces Civil Rights Complaint for Seeking a Christian Roommate
A civil rights complaint has been filed against a woman in Grand Rapids, Mich., who posted an advertisement at her church last July seeking a Christian roommate.
The ad "expresses an illegal preference for a Christian roommate, thus excluding people of other faiths,” according to the complaint filed by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.
"It's a violation to make, print or publish a discriminatory statement," Executive Director Nancy Haynes told Fox News. "There are no exemptions to that."
Haynes said the unnamed 31-year-old woman’s case was turned over to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Depending on the outcome of the case, she said, the woman could face several hundreds of dollars in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again.”
Harold Core, director of public affairs with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, told the Grand Rapids Press that the Fair Housing Act prevents people from publishing an advertisement stating their preference of religion, race or handicap with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling.
"It's really difficult to say at this point what could potentially happen," he told the newspaper, noting that there are exemptions in the law for gender when there is a shared living space.
But Joel Oster, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the woman free of charge, describes the case as "outrageous."
"Clearly this woman has a right to pick and choose who she wants to live with," he said.
"Christians shouldn't live in fear of being punished by the government for being Christians. It is completely absurd to try to penalize a single Christian woman for privately seeking a Christian roommate at church -- an obviously legal and constitutionally protected activity."
Haynes said the person who filed the initial complaint saw the ad on the church bulletin board and contacted the local fair housing organization.
The ad included the words, "Christian roommate wanted," along with the woman's contact information. Had the ad not included the word "Christian," Haynes said, it would not have been illegal.
"If you read it and you were not Christian, would you not feel welcome to rent there?" Haynes asked.
Oster said he hopes the case will eventually be dropped and that he's sent a letter to the state asking the authorities to dismiss the case as groundless.
"The First Amendment guarantees us Freedom of Religion," he said. "And we have the right to live with someone of the same faith. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is denying her rights by pursuing this complaint."
But Haynes said officials plan on pursuing the matter.
"We want to make sure it doesn't happen again," she said.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
The inmates are running the asylum.
“...could face several hundreds of dollars in fines and “fair housing training so it doesn’t happen again.”
Sheesh!!!
If she’d asked for a Moslem, Pagan or atheist roommate, we’d have never heard of her, guaranteed!
The land of the FREE and the BRAVE is being enslaved by PC people. Heck I would run the ad again and this time add to it. The person must also love animals, and be a conservative.
This crap infuriates me. What has happened to OUR rights???? And someone in the congregation complained? The story stated that someone in her own church turned her in. Maybe they’re in the wrong building.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (9)
October 22, 2010
Obama To Blame!!!! Illinois Soldiers Wait for Ballots. Prisoners Get Hand Delivery
Illinois Soldiers Wait for Ballots. Prisoners Get Hand Delivery
Over 35 counties in Illinois missed the deadline to mail military ballots to our soldiers defending America. But in Chicago, county election officials have taken special steps to ensure that no inmates at the Cook County Jail are unable to cast a ballot.
The Chicago Board of Elections hand delivers ballots to the jail. They don’t even wait for the inmates to apply – they bring the applications with the ballots! Over 2,600 inmates have cast ballots so far – strikingly similiar to the 2,600 soldiers who will likely not recieve a ballot for the Nov 2 election.
After the 2008 election, there was much controversy over the fact that over-seas military ballots were not counted, or were not returned quick enough or never even got out to the troops in the first place. Was that an oversight error or a conspiracy?
Since it occurred predominantly in blue districts and states, I say conspiracy. In other words, the troops voices were not accidentally silenced. Oh no, they were purposefully left out of the process.
Because two thirds of military personell tend to vote conservative, dhimmicrats are not interested in their opinion or their vote.
The MOVE act of 2009 was passed, yes by a dhimmicrat controlled congress and signed into law by the dhimmi-est of dhimmicrats- Obama; but in their minds it was just a smoke screen, tossing a bone to the barking dogs. They knew that 2 years out they would ignore it and again make sure that Americans "stupid enough to serve their country" would again be denied the opportunity to participate in the leadership selection process.
And yep , the deadline for shipping out the ballots has come and gone. Once again thousands and thousands of conservative votes have ALREADY been dismissed. In this election, especially in Illinois, more ballots from dead people and convicts will be counted than ballots from soldiers.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Disgraceful does not begin to describe nor come close to how I feel about this happening. It makes my blood boil how our warriors are treated.
Democrats do not want our military to vote. Time after time they prove this.
This is yet another slap in the face to Americans. The liberals fight tooth and nail to make sure it is easy for illegals of all strips to vote. All the while making it as difficult as possible for those who pay the bills with blood and treasure.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (5)
October 20, 2010
Military Recruiters Must Accept Gay Applicants
The military is accepting openly gay recruits for the first time in the nation's history, even as it tries in the courts to slow the movement to abolish its 'don't ask, don't tell' policy.
AP
The Pentagon is instructing military recruiters to accept the applications of gays and lesbians who wish to join the military, but must inform potential recruits that a moratorium on "don't ask, don't tell" could be lifted at any moment.
The guidance issued to military recruits is consistent with the Defense Department's plans to abide by a federal judge's injunction on the 17-year ban on gays in the military. The Pentagon advised senior military leaders late last week not to ask service members or military applicants about their sexual orientation, to treat the rank and file with dignity and respect and maintain good order and discipline.
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Marine General Sheehan discusses why he opposes repeal of DADT.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
This is going to change so many things. Are they planning on having seperate sleeping quaters or what.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (5)
October 15, 2010
Brooklyn Bum Fakes War Wound For Cash
Robert Mc Mahon appears an arm short.
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Brooklyn bum fakes war wound for cash
Semper fake!
For years, Brooklyn commuters have opened their wallets for Robert McMahon, handing cash to this heroic and heartbreaking figure, a Vietnam vet in combat fatigues, his left arm missing and his right leg crippled, as he panhandles on Ocean Parkway in Kensington.
While begging for cash in Brooklyn, he plays up his phony stints in Vietnam
He plays to their patriotism, having scrawled his nickname, "Rambo," on the back of his camouflage jacket, along with his years of service with the Marines and two stints in 'Nam that saw heavy action. The top of his empty left sleeve is pinned to his uniform shoulder, and he drags his bum leg behind him.
When drivers stop for red lights, McMahon, 53, hobbles over and salutes gallantly, juggling a paper cup and a cardboard sign that reads, "Vietnam vet." They give freely.
They are being scammed.
At day's end, he counts his cash - with both fully functioning arms
McMahon has two arms -- and was seen using them last week to count the wads of cash he took off kindhearted New Yorkers.
He is not crippled, as was readily apparent when he swiftly dodged inquiring Post reporters.
And it seems he never served in the Marines nor in Vietnam, according to Corps and Veterans Administration officials who could not find any record of him.
But he carries on with his wounded-soldier act, day after day, weaving through traffic and occasionally cursing out people who refuse to give. He's been at it since at least 1987, when he pretended to have a missing leg and pushed himself around in a rusty wheelchair, according to a friend.
Tuesday, The Post spotted the bearded, one-armed bandit at 4:30 p.m. at Ocean and Foster Avenue, where he limped over to the windows of idling vehicles and held up his cup.
Many gave dollar bills. He yelled an expletive at a driver who turned him away.
Some gazed at the back of his jacket, which claims he served in Vietnam from 1972 to '73.
At 5:09 p.m., McMahon quit for the day, darted across Ocean Parkway's seven lanes with surprising agility and walked briskly east along Foster.
Two blocks later, McMahon adjusted himself and quickly thrust his left arm out from under his jacket. He used both hands to count his cash.
When he realized a photographer was taking his picture, McMahon tried to hide his left arm by putting it behind his back, then spat and screamed obscenities at the lensman, threatening to kill him. "I'll put a bullet in the back of your head," he howled.
The ugly scene was not unfamiliar to police and prosecutors.
They say McMahon is a menace with a rap sheet of 20 arrests, many for disorderly conduct and "fraudulent accosting" -- legalspeak for scamming victims on the street. His most recent collar came on May 27, when 66th Precinct cops found him blocking traffic at Ocean Parkway and Beverly Road at 12:50 p.m.
Wednesday, a reporter posing as a passer-by asked how he lost his limb. He winced in mock pain: "I don't like to talk about it."
Asked about his service, he claimed he was with the Marines' 2nd Division and fought in Vietnam in 1972 and '73.
Robert Gainey, a 68-year-old vet who did two tours in Vietnam as an explosives expert, has known McMahon for 23 years -- and doubts he was in the war.
"Us guys who are still around, we can spot each other right away," he said. "We've talked about the war. And he's said things to me that you can read in a book or see in the movies. He didn't say anything to convince me he was really there."
Gainey said he first spotted McMahon in 1987 in a wheelchair on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, pushing himself among motorists and begging for money.
"He had his leg tucked up underneath him," said Gainey. "He was pretending he lost it. Later I saw him around here and said, 'Oh, s--t, this guy's from Brooklyn.' "
The leg apparently recovered. But then the arm went.
"He's been doing the fake-arm thing for at least 20 years," said Gainey. "He's crazy as a bat. Everyone around here knows about it."
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Anyone who traffics in stolen valor is despicable !!!
He says he is 53 years old, that means he was born in 1957 and claims to have served in VN in '72-'73 when he was 15-16 years old. No way that ever happened.
This guy is 100% Bravo Sierra.
....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.
Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (11)
October 13, 2010
Chilean Miners Rescue and Their Awesome President Sebastián Piñera
The collapse occurred on 5 August 2010, at 2:00 p.m. local time according to statements from the Empresa Minera San Esteban mining company.
The disciplined leadership of shift supervisor Luis Urzúa, was credited with keeping the men alive on an emergency food supply during their first 17 days without contact from the outside world. This leader of these men, will be the final man to make the exit.
It takes about half an hour to raise and lower the rescue capsule with a miner inside.
The estimated total time for the rescue operation is approximately 16 hours. This particular capsule is called Fénix (Phoenix). Three of these units will be used.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Incredibly wonderful news! The rescue effort, an unparalleled technological, logistical tour-de-force!
I think the drill was built in PA. The Roanoke Times had a story about the company a few weeks ago. The best mining drills in the world are made in Latrobe, PA. Company called Kennametal.
Article here .....Salem firm gives trapped Chilean miners its best shot
The second guy they sent down is their equivalent of Navy SEALs, I believe they even train with the SEALs. He's a tactical diver/medic with 10 years of experience. He'll probably be the last person out, which has got to be nerve wracking.
When they first went down to get the first miner, the President of Chile was praying and making the sign of the Cross. To absolute hell with PC!! Viva El Presidente’ We won’t see that kind of thing from Obama.
Then those waiting began singing........singing - is that possibly the Chilean National Anthem???Not sure.
Man with white hat on is the President of Chile and he is hugging the miner.
America, you want to see a GREAT President and First Lady? Watch these two loving and standing by each family member!!!!!!!!! He is giving a hug to each one as they come out. So far as I am writing this there are two miners out.
He was hugging everyone. When he saw the first lady, he takes of his hardhat and with a nod of his head says “Senora.” Then they hug — even in his excitement he showed manners.
OBAMA... TAKE NOTICE!!! THAT is a PRESIDENT!!!!
The President of Chile Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique, gave a long speech after the first miner came up and he was so full of emotion and DID NOT have to use a teleprompter!!!
Obama would have been too busy golfing or hanging out with his SEIU thug buddies then to give a damn about trapped miners. Or also Obama would be busy making speeches about banning mining!
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Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, center top, cheers as rescued miner Mario Sepulveda Espina, center, salutes after being rescued from the the collapsed San Jose gold and copper mine where he was trapped with 32 other miners for over two months near Copiapo, Chile, early Wednesday Oct. 13, 2010.
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Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (4)
October 12, 2010
UK Prime Minister David Cameron: 'We are the radicals now'
Highlights of his speech, and then below if you wish I have posted the links to his entire speech.
Part 1 of 4: David Cameron's Conservative conference speech.
Part 2 of 4: David Cameron's Conservative conference speech.
Part 3 of 4: David Cameron's Conservative conference speech......THIS ONE is REALLY good!!!
Part 4 of 4: David Cameron's Conservative conference speech.
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David Cameron: 'We are the radicals now'
His conservative manifesto
On Wednesday, David Cameron, who became UK prime minister in May, addressed the annual conference of his Conservative Party. His speech explained why voters had rejected the liberal, Labour Party, and his vision of a “big society” driven by people, not government. Though the problems he addressed were British, his points about debt and spending resonate in America’s own midterm elections. An excerpt:
Let’s start by being honest with ourselves. The mess this country is in — it’s not all because of Labour. Of course, they must take some of the blame. Alright — they need to take a lot of the blame.
Let me just get this off my chest. They left us with massive debts, the highest deficit, overstretched armed forces, demoralized public services, endless ridiculous rules and regulations and bureaucracy and nonsense. Yes, they deserve some blame, and we’ll never let them forget it.
But the point I want to make is this. The state of our nation is not just determined by the government and those who run it. It is determined by millions of individual actions — by what each of us do and what we choose not to do.
Too many people thought: “I’ve paid my taxes, the state will look after everything.”
But citizenship isn’t a transaction in which you put your taxes in and get your services out. It’s a relationship — you’re part of something bigger than you, and it matters what you think and feel and do.
So to get out of the mess we’re in, changing the government is not enough. We need to change the way we think about ourselves, and our role in society. The old way of doing things: the high-spending, all-controlling, heavy-handed state, those ideas were defeated. Statism lost . . . society won.
From state power to people power. From unchecked individualism to national unity and purpose. From big government to the big society. It’s not government abdicating its role, it is government changing its role.
Back in May, we inherited public finances that can only be described as catastrophic. This year, we will borrow more money than we spend on the National Health Service. Just think about that.
Every doctor’s salary. Every operation. Every heating bill in every hospital. Every appointment. Every MRI scan. Every drug. Every new stethoscope, scalpel, hospital gown. Everything in our hospitals and surgeries — paid for with borrowed money, much of it from abroad. And then think about the interest.
This year, we’re going to spend £43bn on debt interest payments alone. £43bn — not to pay off the debt — just to stand still.
Do you know what we could do with that sort of money? We could take 11 million people out of paying income tax. We could take every business in the country out of corporation tax.
That’s why we have acted decisively — to stop pouring so much of your hard-earned money down the drain.
The spending cuts we do have to make, we’ll make in a way that is fair. And I think it’s time for a new conversation about what fairness really means.
Yes, fairness means giving money to help the poorest in society. People who are sick, who are vulnerable, the elderly — I want you to know we will always look after you. That’s the sign of a civilized society, and it’s what I believe.
But you can’t measure fairness just by how much money we spend on welfare, as though the poor are products with a price tag, the more we spend on them the more we value them. For too long, we have measured success in tackling poverty by the size of the check we give people. We say: let’s measure our success by the chance we give. Let’s support real routes out of poverty — a strong family, a good education, a job.
The other part of the equation is who gives that help, through their taxes. Taking more money from the man who goes out to work long hours each day so the family next door can go on living a life on benefits without working — is that fair?
Fairness means giving people what they deserve — and what people deserve depends on how they behave.
Let me tell you what I believe. It will be the doers and grafters, the inventors and the entrepreneurs, who get this economy going.
Yes, it will be the wealth creators — and no, those aren’t dirty words. When you think of a wealth creator, don’t think of the tycoon in a glass tower. Think of the man who gets up and leaves the house before dawn to go out and clean windows. Think of the woman who sits up late into the night trying to make the figures add up to make sure she can pay her staff.
I’ll always remember what the owner of a small business told me once. He said: “When I was starting out, the government didn’t lift a finger to help me. Then as soon as I start making money they’re all over me trying to take it away.”
That is completely the wrong way round. We need to get behind our wealth creators. That’s what we’re doing.
We are the radicals now, breaking apart the old system with a massive transfer for power, from the state to citizens, politicians to people, government to society. That is the power shift this country needs today.
And let me tell you why we desperately need this change. It’s because the old way, of just pouring money into public services from on high, didn’t make the difference it promised to.
But as with any radical changes, there’s going to be opposition. I want to give you an idea of the mentality we’re fighting.
Ed Balls, the man who used to be in charge of education in our country, said one of the dangers of our schools policy was that it would create “winners.”
Winners? We can’t have that. The danger that your child might go to school and turn out to be a winner. Anti-aspiration. Anti-success. Anti-parents who just want the best for their children.
Society is not a spectator sport. This is your country. It’s time to believe it. It’s time to step up and own it. So mine is not just a vision of a more powerful country. It is a vision of a more powerful people.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Obama has never once said he loves America. He hates our country, what a huge difference in these two people. I hope this man David Cameron is able to get the things done he speaks about. Maybe it will motivate our conservatives that are thinking of running for office here in our country.
Some highlights........
He gave a renewed vow to eradicate the deficit by imposing spending cuts and signalled wholesale welfare reform. He said the era of claimants “sitting on their sofas waiting for their benefits” was over.
He issued a “call to arms” to unite behind painful action to cure the economy and radical reforms to modernise the nation.
“When we say, We are all in this together' that is not a cry for help but a call to arms,” he declared in his first speech as Prime Minister to the Conservative party conference.
Mr Cameron called for a “new conversation about what fairness really means”. It meant giving money to the poor and sick, said the Prime Minister, but it should also mean reforming the welfare state to reduce “dependency” and make work pay.
“Taking more money from the man who goes out to work long hours each day so the family next door can go on living a life on benefits without working — is that fair? Fairness means giving people what they deserve, and what people deserve depends on how they behave. If you really can't work, we'll look after you. But if you can work but refuse to work, we will not let you live off the hard work of others.”
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (2)
September 16, 2010
Carla Bruni Shares Some Insight On Michelle hater of America Obama
Catty Carla Bruni lifts lid on Michelle Obama's 'hellish' job
Michelle Obama thinks being America’s First Lady is ‘hell’, Carla Bruni reveals today in a wildly indiscreet new book.
Miss Bruni reveals that Mrs Obama replied when asked about her position as the U.S. president’s wife: ‘Don’t ask! It’s hell. I can’t stand it!’
Details of the private conversation, which took place at the White House during an official visit by Nicolas Sarkozy last March, emerged in Carla And The Ambitious, a book written in collaboration with Miss Bruni.
In it, she says one term as French president ‘will be enough’ for her husband and suggests he might take tips from his friend Tony Blair: ‘Why not start making money?’
According to a friend quoted in the book, the Sarkozys have been ‘impressed and inspired’ by Mr Blair’s fortune built up since he left Downing Street.
Miss Bruni also takes a thinly veiled swipe at Princess Diana when talking about a visit to an African hospital full of Aids victims earlier this year.
She says she refused requests by French cameramen for a photograph of her carrying a baby in her arms ‘like Lady Di’, adding: ‘There’s something obscene in promoting yourself when you are giving of yourself.’
In the book, the Italian model 42, accuses French government officials of trying to ‘kill’ her husband with too much work, and claims Mr Sarkozy lets himself be ‘bullied’ into complying.
Comparing herself to other leaders’ wives, Miss Bruni says: ‘I’m so different. I was a model. I sing, and I want to continue to sing. And on top of that you expect me to be subtle?’ And she admits: ‘I am a femme fatale, my dear.’
She also recounts a telephone row with Mr Sarkozy’s ex-wife Cecilia, who warned her that Mr Sarkozy had ‘not yet turned a new page’ after their marriage.
Miss Bruni replied: ‘Not only has he turned a page but he’s changed books altogether. And you are the only person on earth not to have noticed it.’
Wild Thing's comment........
Believe me Carla, it is Hell for us having Michelle Obama as First Lady. Poor Michelle ( NOT) traveling the world on taxpayer funded junkets while wearing outlandish outfits that make you look like a reject from the bar scene in Star Wars.
I think this is hilarious, this will tick of Michelle I would suppose and that makes it a double pleasure. Michelle was giving Carla lots of mean looks when they had to be together in France for a few days. I don't think Michelle or Obama have any real happiness in either one of them. They just look really miserable all the time.
Regarding the title they gave for the write up..."Catty Carla Bruni lifts lid on Michelle Obama's 'hellish' job"......yes Carla is a tad catty. hahahha but if I had to spend time forced on me to be with Michelle Obama I would be worse then catty. hahaha I would probably call in sick. hahha
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:55 AM | Comments (6)
September 14, 2010
Cuba to Cut 500,000 From State Payroll
Cuba to cut 500,000 from state payroll
Communist Cuba will shift hundreds of thousands of state employees to the private sector in 2011 as the government prunes more than 500,000 workers from its payroll.
The official trade union federation said on Monday that eventually more than a million jobs would be cut.
“Job options will be increased and broadened with new forms of non-state employment, among them leasing land, co-operatives and self-employment absorbing hundreds of thousands of workers in the coming years,” the union statement said.
According to a document circulating within the higher ranks of the Communist party in preparation for the “reorganisation of the labour force” announced on Monday, 465,000 non-state jobs would be created in 2011, of which some 250,000 would fall under the category of new licences for self-employment.
Self-employment, begun in the 1990s, covers everything from family-run restaurants to car repair shops, construction and artisans. Non-state jobs included workers hired by the self-employed, ex-state employees such as taxi drivers who would move to a leasing arrangement, and employees of small state businesses that went over to a co-operative form of administration, said sources who have seen the plan.
The plan represents the most important reform undertaken by President Raúl Castro since he took over from his brother Fidel in early 2008, and the biggest shift to private enterprise since all 58,000 small businesses were nationalised in 1968.
Raúl Castro has fostered discussion in the media and grassroots meetings on the problems afflicting the socialist economy, but he has made mostly minor changes up till now. The exception has been agriculture, where Mr Castro has leased state lands to 100,000 farmers and loosened the state straitjacket on sale of farm inputs and produce.
The government reported more than 85 per cent of the Cuban labour force, or about 5m people, worked for the state at the close of 2009. There were 591,000 workers in the private sector, with most of those being farmers and 143,000 self-employed.
The massive layoff of 10 per cent of the state labour force is scheduled to begin in October and stretch through March. New licences for self-employment would be issued beginning in October , the sources said. Geographical limitations on self-employment and prohibitions on obtaining bank credits, doing business with state entities or hiring labour outside the family, would be eliminated.
Better accounting would be demanded of businesses, and the way they were taxed would be changed. As well as taxes on income, the self-employed would pay a sales tax and 25 per cent social security tax for themselves and each employee, the sources said, while co-operatives would pay a tax on profits and social security.
The state expected tax revenue from the self-employed to jump from 250m pesos ($9.4m) this year to about a billion pesos in 2011, the sources said
Wild Thing's comment........
Obama is thinking of adding 500,000 public sector workers.
We are trending against Cuba, who would have thunk the US would be more Communistic than they are?
This is nuts!
Castro has said communism does not work, tough the media again kept that quiet for the most part.
They are now looking at he private sector while we move into socialism and if this man in the white house had his way communism. They and Europe are going right and we’re the only ones going left, frigging wake up you dope media and left wing nuts.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
OMG Obama’s left of Castro. God help us, the world really is upside down.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:47 AM | Comments (4)
September 10, 2010
Restoring Honor Rally: Closing Prayer and Song
Dave Roever gives the closing prayer at the Restoring Honor Rally, and then a beautiful song to close out a historic day.
Dave Roever grew up in a loving, committed family in South Texas. The last thing on his mind was going to war. At the height of the Vietnam War, he received his draft notice. He joined the Navy and served as a river boat gunner in the elite Brown Water Black Beret in Vietnam.
Eight months into his tour of duty in Vietnam, Dave was burned beyond recognition when a phosphorous grenade he was poised to throw exploded in his hand. The ordeal left him hospitalized for fourteen months, where he underwent numerous major surgeries. His survival and life are miraculous.
Today, with his humorous style, Dave Roever is enthusiastically received both nationally and internationally as a public speaker. He is a gifted communicator and speaks in a variety of settings including public schools, military installations, business, men' s and youth conventions, etc. Dave is a frequent guest on national television talk shows. He established compassionate, ongoing missions work in Vietnam and is involved in other nations.
In every setting, Dave's message is one of hope. Using his life as an example, he addresses issues relevant to his audience and presents concrete solutions to life' s problems. Often drawing upon his war experiences of loneliness, peer pressure, disfigurement and pain, as well as life' s triumphs, Dave weaves a message of courage, commitment and survival that touches and transforms those who hear him. The foundation of his hope is his faith, supported by the wholesome relationships with his parents, wife, children and grandchildren.
Thirty-four years after his injuries, the Department of the Navy corrected its oversight by awarding Dave his Purple Heart, along with several other service medals.
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Dave Roever part 2 of 3 - Memorial Day Event - Westcliffe CO
Dave Roever spoke at the Westcliffe CO Memorial Day event. He has Eagles Summit Ranch that touches the lives of many wounded veterans and their families.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
America has been given a gift from God to have men like Dave and all our Veterans and troops today. For those that read this blog and lurk please thank a Veteran when you see one, when you meet one even if you don't know them. A lot of our Veternas wear baseball caps when out and about and it makes it so easy to see their cap and just walk up to them and say looking straight into their eyes......thank you. Over the years I promise you I have met so many wonderful men and women and had an opportunity to say thank you.
I am so glad Glenn Beck asked Dave Roever for his rally. Beck made some awesome choices in his decisions of guests that day. Thank you Glenn and thank you Dave Roever.
....Thank you Jack for sending this to me.
United States Army
1965-1971
Army Combat Engineers
Quang Tri & Chu Lai '68 -'69
67-69
Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (3)
September 08, 2010
Fox's Brian Kilmead Not Prepared For Guest ~ LOL
Fox Runs B-Roll Instead of Showing Transgendered Guest--Host Kilmeade Tries Not To Laugh
It turns out Kimberly Richards - A Public and Legislative Affairs Director for S. California Transit Advocates - is not a she. She is a HE who used to be a SHE.
As you will see at the opening of this clip, Fox's Brian Kilmead was not prepared for this guest!
Then the Fox producers - through the rest of the segment - stick to B Roll (read: a still picture of a subway turn style!) rather than show the face and the voice that doesn't match the face.
There was not even an attempt by Kimberly to SOUND like a woman.
Wild Thing's comment........
LMAO this is hilarious, and I can just imagined how surprised Fox's Brian Kilmead myst have been. hahahahaha
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (7)
August 13, 2010
Tell The Terminally Ill To 'trust God,' get Yourself Fired
Tell the terminally ill to 'trust God,' get yourself fired
Tribunal affirms town decision to dismiss counselor over remark
The dismissal of a town employee who had an unblemished record of counseling housing clients for 18 years has been affirmed by a job tribunal because he mentioned God to a terminally ill woman.
The startling decision is being reported by the Christian Legal Centre, which argued the case on behalf of Duke Amachree against the decision by the Wandsworth town council.
"We are stunned that the tribunal failed to recognize the draconian way in which Mr. Amachree was treated," said Andrea Minichiello Williams, director of the organization that advocates on behalf of religious rights across the United Kingdom.
"We are dismayed that they found that Mr. Amachree had not been discriminated against on the grounds of his faith. This decision will send yet more shock waves through the Christian community when they realize that a couple of comments encouraging faith in God can lead to a person being dismissed for gross misconduct," Williams said.
Officials said an appeal will be filed in the case, in which Amachree was fired for "gross misconduct for suggesting to a client with an incurable illness not to give up hope and to try putting her faith in God."
Wandsworth fired Amachree, and an employment tribunal now has determined that action was reasonable.
"The tribunal also found that the council had not discriminated against Mr. Amachree on the basis of his religion. In addition, the tribunal took the view that Duke had breached confidentiality by publicizing his case," the report said.
Duke, a committed Christian and father of two, lost the job he'd held for 18 years for the incident. His comments came in one brief visit to a client, and resulted in six months of investigations and three interviews by town officials.
His defense counsel even was told by the city that saying "God bless" would require an investigation if word was brought to officials.
The Christian Legal Centre reported gross misconduct more often covers behavior including violence or theft.
The town had accepted that the motivation for the speech was one of compassion and evidence indicated Amachree never had been told small talk in a housing interview was prohibited.
"I am devastated by the outcome," Amachree said in a statement released by the center. "This is a sad day for Christians who simply want to live out their faith in the workplace without fear."
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Wild Thing's comment.......
My gosh it really is like the entire world is upside down.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (2)
August 11, 2010
Students Told to Stop Singing National Anthem at Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C
Students Told to Stop Singing National Anthem in D.C.!
A group of students were taking a monument tour of the nation’s capital when they made a spur-of-the-moment decision to sing the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial, but were told to stop by U.S. Park Police.
Police tell students to stop singing national anthem at Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Yes, the one in America!
Students at Lincoln Memorial Told to Stop Singing National Anthem
A group of high school students attending a conservative leadership conference in Washington, D.C. said they were ordered by a security guard to stop singing the national anthem during a June 25 visit to the Lincoln Memorial.
“They told them to stop singing,” said Evan Gassman, a spokesman for the Young America’s Foundation. “I was taken aback. You wouldn’t expect a display of national patriotism to be censored."
U.S. Park Police confirmed that the students were in violation of federal law and their impromptu performance constituted a demonstration in an area that must remain “completely content neutral.”
“The area they were standing in and singing is an area that is restricted for this type of activity,” said Sgt. David Schlosser. “The United States Park Police is absolutely content-neutral when it comes to any sort of demonstrations in these areas.”
Schlosser explained that performances, regardless of content, are banned to “maintain a contemplative and reverent area for the Lincoln Memorial, for the other guests and visitors.”
The incident occurred on June 25 as students were taking a monument tour of the nation’s capital. The decision to sing the national anthem at the memorial was a spur of the moment event, according to Shawn Balcomb, of Richmond Hill, GA.
“We got maybe two lines in and a police officer came over and he was yelling,” Balcomb said in a telephone interview. “He quieted us down.” Balcomb, 17, said the officer told the group they were being too loud. “I was dumbfounded,” he said.
“I didn’t realize there was something wrong with singing the national anthem.”
Schlosser said the students would have been in compliance had they moved approximately 25 steps from where they were standing.
“It’s not the content of their activity – that being the national anthem – it’s the location,” he said. “A couple steps and it would have been no problem whatsoever.”
Instead of doing as they were instructed, Gassman said the students resumed the song – an impromptu form of civil disobedience.
“If their idea of civil disobedience is singing the national anthem, then so be it,” Gassman said. “Let them disobey.”
YAF posted video reportedly shot just after the alleged encounter with the security officer. It shows students loudly singing the anthem.
“That’s the most offensive thing out of all this,” he said.
“They really did not provide the students a reason,” said Gassman. Balcomb, who is a high school senior, said they didn’t intend on creating a ruckus – they just wanted to show their patriotism.
“It’s not like we sounded great or anything,” he said.
“We just wanted to pay respect to our nation – in our capital.”
Schlosser, who commended the students on their musical ability, said the students were not cited and to his knowledge no report was filed.
“We need to make certain that all other visitors that don’t want to be a part of that or just choose to be tourists are able to do so in the same light that probably President Lincoln wanted – which is completely content neutral,” he said.
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Wild Thing's comment........
The “content” is why the memorial is there in the first place!
God forbid you sing America’s National Anthem at a National Memorial in America!
They’re not in a library, or China, for that matter. They’re in America. We have the right to openly express our patriotism in a public place such as this.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (12)
August 10, 2010
Love This! Second Try at Lemonade Stand Nets Huge Profit
Wild Thing's comment........
I love happy endings and this is one of them.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (2)
July 20, 2010
Teen Charged After Crash of Horse and Buggy in Chase
Teen charged after crash of horse and buggy in chase
LEON—An Amish teen who tried to flee police faces charges of alcohol possession and “overdriving an animal” after he crashed his getaway vehicle— a horse and buggy.
Cattaraugus County sheriff’s deputies reported over the weekend that Levi E. Detweiler, 17, ran a stop sign and refused officers’ attempts to stop the buggy. Deputies chased Detweiler for about three quarters of a mile, and when he tried an unsafe turn into a driveway, he crashed the horse and buggy in a ditch. The teen then fled on foot but was found later in the area.
The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Bureau completed an investigation and charged the youth with possession of alcohol by someone under 21, overdriving an animal, seconddegree reckless endangerment, failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle in the incident that occurred at about 1:30 a. m. last Monday. He is free on $500 bail.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Wow…so not a story you hear every day!
I don't like that he mistreated the horse and left it hooked up with the buggy overturned.
Did they drive up on the kid and hit the siren?
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (5)
July 14, 2010
Thousands of Laptops Stolen During Nine-hour Heist
On March 6, as many as seven people broke into iGov Technologies at 9211 Palm River Road and stole 3,000 laptops and other electronics, according to a search warrant.
Thousands of laptops stolen during nine-hour heist
Thousands of laptops have been stolen from the Florida office of a private contractor for the U.S. military's Special Operations Command.
Surveillance cameras caught up to seven people loading the computers into two trucks for nine hours.
U.S. Special Operations Command coordinates the activities of elite units from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. A spokeswoman said Tuesday that none of the stolen laptops contained military information or software.
The Virginia-based company iGov was awarded a $450 million contract earlier this year to supply mobile technology services linking special operations troops worldwide. A company executive says iGov is cooperating with authorities and the March 6 break-in at its Tampa facility remains under investigation.
Laptops stolen from government contractor
TAMPA, Fla., July 13 (UPI) -- Thieves allegedly took an estimated 3,000 laptop computers from the Florida warehouse of a military contractor, police said.
The thieves arrived by car at iGov Technologies in Tampa, a contractor for the top secret U.S. Special Operations Command, and broke in through the roof, the St. Petersburg Times reported Monday.
The heist took place during a 9-hour period on March 6 -- a Saturday, when no one was around. The intruders loaded up two semi-trailer trucks with the computers and other equipment, police said.
The Times said the details of the alleged burglary came to light only recently, when a sheriff's detective, having notified the FBI, requested a search warrant in Hillsborough County Circuit Court to find phone records for one of the suspects, which he obtained on June 23.
The warrant sought the phone records for Oddit Perez-Reyes, 39, the owner of the car that pulled up to the warehouse, records showed.
Based on the phone information, the FBI and the Miami-Dade Police Department said they found 1,911 items of the stolen goods in a warehouse in Miami.
Earlier this year the Department of Defense awarded iGov a $450 million contract to provide mobile technology services connecting special operations troops all over the world.
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Thieves swipe thousands of laptops from Special Ops contractor
TAMPA — The thieves hit on a weekend when no one was around.
The target: a military contractor for the super secret Special Operations Command, the elite commandos who help coordinate the war on terror.
The intruders entered through the roof, gaining access to iGov Technologies, which occupies suite 110 in the beige corporate center at 9211 Palm River Road.
For the next nine hours, they loaded up more than 3,000 laptop computers and other equipment into two waiting semitrailer trucks .
Those details came to light only recently, when a Hillsborough County sheriff's detective filed a search warrant in Hillsborough County Circuit Court seeking phone records for one of the suspects.
What was on the laptop computers? Was it a crime of economics or a crime of security? Did the burglary compromise the safety of any troops?
The answers remained a mystery Monday.
A SOCom spokeswoman said officials are aware of the iGov break-in, but she could not immediately provide a response.
Earlier this year, iGov was awarded a $450-million contract by the Department of Defense to supply mobile technology services linking special operations troops all over the world.
The company is headquartered in McLean, Va., with locations in Springfield, Va., and near Tampa. An iGov facility manager referred calls to the corporate office. Officials there did not return a call for comment.
According to the warrant, the operation went down on March 6, a Saturday. A surveillance camera captured images as a red Lincoln Navigator drove up to the business and as many as seven people piled out.
They broke in through the roof and spent nine hours gathering loot, which included about 3,000 Panasonic Toughbook laptops and other electronics.
The Sheriff's Office notified the FBI. Sheriff's Detective David Thatcher obtained a search warrant June 23.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said that she was unaware of the theft and that Thatcher no longer had the case. It was assigned to a second detective who also was transferred, and she did not know which detective was now handling it.
The Sheriff's Office records division was unable to find a report of the break-in on Monday. A clerk did locate a record of when the call was received and which officers responded.
The warrant seeks phone records for the owner for the Lincoln Navigator, a man named Oddit Perez-Reyes, 39.
Perez-Reyes' cell phone was in contact with four phone numbers the day of the heist. Satellite records tracked each of the four phones to the iGov office that day, the warrant stated.
Sprint Communications said the phones were on prepaid accounts and cautioned that subscriber names could be fictitious, the warrant said.
Detectives filed for access to Perez-Reyes' cell phone for records that include contact information, messages, calls and pictures and videos.
As a result of the investigation, the FBI and the Miami-Dade Police Department located a warehouse in Miami that was used to store the stolen property, the warrant stated, and about 1,911 items were recovered.
A spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department said Monday he could find no record of property seized at the warehouse within the past four months.
Hillsborough sheriff's records show iGov's facility manager, Mike Kalinowski, reported the missing computers to the Sheriff's Office after he arrived at work March 8.
However, when a Times reporter asked him about the case, Kalinowski responded: "I don't even know anything about that."
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Wild Thing's comment.......
OMG 9 HOURS???? 9 HOURS!
They have everyone who every email/text/voice call records in analytics systems 24/7. This had to be an inside job.
They say they don't know if any data was compromised? They don't even know what detective is investigating the case?
This stinks of an inside job all the way!
It says it happened on March 6th. And this is the first they are sharing about what happened.
....Thank you JohnE PFC U.S. Army for sending this to me.
Soldier/Generator Mechanic
Companies: 288TH Q.M. Co
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:49 AM | Comments (3)
July 08, 2010
A Humble Act of Patriotism: Homeless Man Saves Fallen American Flag...Thank you Sir!
"The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing." (USC Title 4. Chapter 4. § 8j)
During a weekend storm last Sunday, an American Flag displayed on a pole outside of a federal contractor's (METI Inc.) building in El Paso, Texas fell to the ground in driving wind and rain. When employees arrived the following morning, they found their flag folded military style and the pole secured alongside the building. Mystified as to how Old Glory found such a cozy resting place, they turned to their surveillance cameras only to find that the patriotic act was the handiwork of a simple passer-by; a Good Samaritan who happened to be walking past the location when the flag fell to the pavement at 1:40 AM.
The story would have been heartfelt and may have even invoked a sense of pride in this great nation and its loyal citizens if the heroic tale ended there, but this story revealed an even greater picture of devotion to one's country regardless of the hand that may have been dealt to an individual in this Land of Opportunity.
The Good Samaritan; the altruistic passer-by; was a homeless man. Gustus Bozarth to pay him his full respect. He lives in a makeshift apartment in the back of a nearby warehouse. He was simply walking by the night the flag fell amidst an onslaught of wind and rain and felt a duty to his country and all that it represents to show our national symbol the respect that it deserves.
The video above , tells the tale of Gustus traveling the country and once working as a security guard in Tampa where he learned how to properly fold a flag. It also features a few words from this wonderful patriot where he tells the reporter that the flag symbolizes Freedom.
One man - a homeless man- understands the duty owed to his nation's flag, and despite all that he must overcome on a daily basis, still has enough admiration and respect for his great nation that he would never allow the Stars and Stripes to be soiled. He said "It's a small respect, folding the flag like that." After all that he has undoubtedly overcome and all that he must continue to face on a daily basis, he still has love for the nation that affords him the opportunity to live as he chooses and doesn't begrudge that nation for his current situation.
I have searched endlessly for more information on Gustus and have yet to find anything related to his current situation, how he got there, or what lies ahead for him. The local Fox affiliate posted on its webpage that it received hundreds of emails and phone calls from people around the country wanting to lend a hand to Gustus. I can only hope that these wonderfully compassionate people and those in his local community are able to reach out to Gustus and do whatever they can to show this wonderful patriot the respect that he so effortlessly and brilliantly showed them and their great nation through this humble act.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
“...One man - a homeless man- understands the duty owed to his nation’s flag, and despite all that he must overcome on a daily basis, still has enough admiration and respect for his great nation that he would never allow the Stars and Stripes to be soiled...”
Gustus is more man than Obama will or could ever be! Thank you, Sir! God bless you.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:55 AM | Comments (5)
Dodge Challenger Car Commercials
The new Chrysler that is certainly trying to appeal to the patriotism of Americans. It shows an impending Revolutionary War battle when suddenly three Dodge Challengers come to the rescue, led by one driven by George Washington himself. At the end of the ad, it says:
“Here’s a couple of things America got right: Cars….and Freedom.”
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2010 Dodge Challenger: Designed by people who really really love cars for people who really really love cars to drive past people who really don't care about cars at all.
TAKE THAT enviroMENTALists!!!!!!!!! ~ Wild Thing
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:40 AM | Comments (4)
June 24, 2010
Missouri Man's Sign on U.S. 71 Draws Fire
A Missouri man’s sign painted on the side of an empty trailer along U.S. 71 has been torched twice in recent weeks. David Jungerman placed the trailer and sign in his field along the major highway, saying:
Are you a Producer or Parasite
Democrats – Party of the Parasites
David Jungerman farms 6,800 acres of river bottom land in western Missouri.
He’s not the kind of guy who posts on Twitter or has a Facebook profile.
So when the 72-year-old Raytown man wanted to speak out politically, he used what he had handy: a 45-foot-long, semi-truck box trailer.
Are you a Producer or Parasite
Democrats - Party of the Parasites
He planted the trailer with its professionally painted message in his Bates County cornfield along heavily traveled U.S. 71 about an hour south of Kansas City. He wanted lots of people to see it.
They did. Including at least one with a good case of outrage, matches and a can of gas.
On May 12, Jungerman’s trailer was torched. The Rich Hill volunteer fire department responded. A week later, it was set afire again. The firefighters put it out again.
Then flames erupted in an empty farm house that Jungerman owns.
“They don’t like free speech,” said Jungerman. He put out a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The sign is harder to read now because some of the letters are charred; the trailer tires burnt to nothing.
“Things are getting a little out of hand out there,” said Chief Deputy Justin Moreland of the Bates County Sheriff’s Office.
Local Democrats don’t want to be linked to the arsons. Jungerman has every right to speak his mind, said Kay Caskey, a Bates County Democrat and wife of longtime state Sen. Harold Caskey.
“Obviously our country is in disarray now because of economics, jobs and foreclosures,” she said. “We are hurting as a country. But there are too many people who want to tear it down instead of build it up. Yes, there is anger out there, and we are a long way from Washington.
“This man has a right to do what he did, but around here some people might wonder at what point do you cross the line?”
Jungerman said he didn’t mean to direct his sign at local Democrats. Many of those are old-fashioned Harry Truman Democrats, he said.
“They’re more conservative than many Republicans,” he said. “I should have put an ad in the paper to explain that. No, I meant the national Democrat parasite base that is sucking this country dry. The ones that just take from the government and not give anything back.”
Jungerman says he’s not even a die-hard Republican. He voted for Claire McCaskill when she won a U.S. Senate seat in 2006.
He put the sign out to make a point, but also to stir up some fun.
“You should have heard the truckers talking on the CB radio,” he said with a chuckle. “One would like the sign and another would tell him to pull over up ahead so he could whup him.”
Jungerman grew up on a farm, but got tired of the tail of a Jersey milk cow hitting him in the face so he told his father he was going to town to get a job.
“I’ve worked 80 to 90 hours a week ever since,” he said.
He’s a staunch believer in personal responsibility. In 1990, he and his daughter confronted four teens they caught fishing in a pond on their Raytown land. The boys called them names and threatened them, Jungerman said, and one spit on Jungerman’s daughter.
Jungerman pulled a snub-nosed .38-caliber and held them until police arrived.
The police, however, arrested him, took his Rolex watch and threw him in jail. The next day when he made bail, police did not return the watch. They said they didn’t remember him having one.
He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge.
Five years later, against advice, he sued the city of Raytown for the value of the watch. He represented himself in a three-day trial that he won. But the judge overturned the verdict and the jury’s award of $9,175.
Jungerman appealed, won again and got his money.
Today, he owns a baby furniture company. He manages to get down to his farmland two or three times a week.
His problem now is that corn is looking good. Soon, it will obscure his trailer sign from highway traffic.
“Well, I would have pulled it out of there by now if they hadn’t burned the tires off.”
Wild Thing's comment........
I guess the truth isn’t particularly palatable to the parasites. This man is absolutely right! They are parasites.
Posted by Wild Thing at 01:55 AM | Comments (11)
June 21, 2010
Remembering Bob Hope's Service
I LOVE ths scene with Bob Hope!!
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Remembering Bob Hope's Service
"Who was Bob Hope?"
To anyone over 35, that seems like such a strange question. Bob Hope, everyone knows, was one of the greatest American entertainers of the 20th century, and whose greatest public service was his decades-long commitment to U.S. troops all over the world for many decades, which earned him the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among other honors.
And yet it's quite possible that a senior graduating from high school this month would scrunch up his face with a puzzled look over the question. It is why it was refreshing to hear that the Library of Congress has a new exhibit called "Hope for America: Performance, Politics and Pop Culture," drawn from the Bob Hope Collection, which was donated to the Library by the Hope family in 1998.
Unfortunately, as with so much that affects our popular culture, this man's legacy is also an excuse to unveil a leftist political agenda, the likes of which Hope would be the first to denounce.
On display are items from Hope's personal papers, joke files, films, and radio and TV broadcasts. This exhibit really makes you feel that the 20th century was more like distant history. It follows that it would be educational to walk students through exhibits like this to give them information that we older people have deeply ingrained in our memories.
Alan Gevinson, the Library of Congress exhibit curator, told CNSNews.com that Hope's daughter Linda and son Kelly have seen the exhibit and approved of it. But that doesn't mean a Bob Hope fan wouldn't expect more than this.
Unfortunately, this exhibit seems to consider Hope merely an excuse for a much broader exhibit sprawling all over a myriad of topics. It gives the impression that what the library calls its "treasured" Hope Collection would fit in about three boxes. Much of its Hope Collection material is contained in the very back of the exhibit space in dimly lit corners where it's hard to even read the exhibits.
Instead, the first thing a visitor would notice and absorb is the video presentation, hosted by Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert. Think of all the archival television material they could use to showcase Bob Hope entertaining the troops, and remembering all the stars who generously donated their time to bringing the home front to the war front, especially at Christmas time. But the Library of Congress displays its boredom with Hope in the interests of a broader topic. But while they broadened the subject, the exhibit didn't have the slightest whisper of interest in who's been entertaining the troops in the last few decades, and honoring them.
Instead we get Colbert, in his usual self-absorbed shtick, showing clips of himself joking with Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton: "Why are you undressing me with your eyes now?"
The library's bureaucrats found room for a section touting "Government Support for the Arts," and how "federal support for the arts remained unrealized until the twentieth century," with the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts. There was no space for debating the wisdom or the controversies of that agency.
But there was space for debating Bob Hope. A letter is on display written by feminists who claim they want to stage their own U.S.O. show, since Hope was an incorrigible sexist. "Since this is a counter-U.S.O. show, we think that the script should have none of the sexist scenes in it that Bob Hope specials have, dancing girls or any portrayal of Women (sic) being inferior to men (which they aren't)," the feminists declare.
Political correctness seems to overwhelm the supposed exhibit topic of "American comedians commenting on the political scene in satires that have entertained and rattled the political establishment." In the video, Colbert proclaims Hollywood movies "draw the nation's attention to matters of urgent importance," with scenes shown from the union-glorifying film "Norma Rae" and the movie "Milk," Sean Penn's portrayal of a slain gay San Francisco city councilman.
Under the title "Causes and Controversies," exhibit highlights include video footage of Jane Fonda visiting North Vietnam, the polar opposite of Bob Hope. There's an exhibit on "A Climate of Fear," how "the entertainment industries suffered greatly" from McCarthyism.
This isn't about comedians or satire at all.
In this exhibit in our nation's capital, Bob Hope deserves better than to be treated as a mere introductory point to shoehorn in every other political controversy of the last century.
An unabashed Republican, Hope bent backward to keep politics out of his performances when entertaining troops or doing anything as an "ambassador" of the United States. It's why he was beloved by people in both parties. If people wanted today to find a role model for national unity and civility, they could no better than that.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Bob and his wife Dolores were wonderful. They were real and truly loved America and our troops and Veterans.
Every time liberals get their hands on anything they try to destroy it. Especially history the way they re-write it, and to do anything that is less then praise of Bob Hope really ticks me off.
No other way to say it, Colbert and the feminists can kiss my ass!!!!
Thank God there was a Bob Hope. I cherish my memories of him.
......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.
RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company
13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam
Posted by Wild Thing at 07:47 AM | Comments (5)
June 18, 2010
Ooh-rah! Mass. Governor Signs Bill, Saves Marine's Job
On June 9th I posted about Maj. Stephen L. Godin
Marine: "Union bullying me to pay $500"
And there is a wonderful UPDATE to the story!!!
Ooh-rah! Mass. Governor Signs Bill, Saves Marine's Job
The Massachusetts governor signed a bill on Wednesday afternoon that saves the job of a retired Marine and public high school ROTC instructor who refused to pay teachers union fees.
Gov. Deval Patrick signed a supplemental bill that included language added as an amendment by state senator Richard R. Tisei that exempts Junior ROTC instructors at public high schools across the state from having to pay union fees. Juan Martinez, Patrick's press secretary, confirmed that the ROTC provision was signed.
It was passed by the Massachusetts Senate and House earlier this week.
Sen. Tisei introduced legislation last week on behalf of Maj. Stephen L. Godin, a retired Marine and senior naval science instructor at the Naval Junior ROTC at North High in Worcester. Godin told who said he receives medical and dental benefits and half his salary from the military and refused to join the union or pay it's "agency fee," which is assessed to offset the union's collective bargaining costs.
On Monday, Tisei, who is also running for lieutenant governor on the Republican ticket, reintroduced the bill as an amendment to a supplement bill that was passed by the Massachusetts Senate and House. The language added to the bill exempts public school junior ROTC teachers across the state from having to pay union fees.
Patrick, a Democrat is running for re-election against Republican Charlie Baker, whose running mate is Tisei.
Godin has told FoxNews.com that he has been teaching in Worcester for 15 years without having to join the teacher's union or pay the agency fee. But last month he said he received a letter from school officials telling him he'll lose his job if he doesn't pay up by Tuesday.
"I just want to save my job here," the 58-year-old father of two told FoxNews.com. "I've been doing this for 15 years. Nobody has ever told me to join the union or be terminated."
An official with the Massachusetts Teachers Association said state law requires public employees--including teachers at public schools--to join unions as a condition of employment or to pay an agency fee.
Godin, who earns roughly $75,000 a year, said he has asked for arbitration no fewer than five times, but never heard back from the teacher's union. Now, he’s waiting to hear back from the school district as the Tuesday deadline nears.
"It's really nothing," Godin said of the $500 fee. "It's the principle of the matter. I think they're trying to extort money from me. They do nothing for me."
Godin says he should be exempt from the law since he receives military benefits, including medical and dental insurance.
"So that's nothing to do with Worcester there," he said. "Neither the union nor the Worcester Public Schools have allowed me to make that argument. It's just the union that wants my money."
Godin, who retired from the Marines in 1994 after logging more than 2,000-plus hours flying F-4 Phantoms and five overseas deployments, said he has not hired an attorney.
"That would cost me money, too," he said.
Several messages seeking comment from officials at Education Association of Worcester and North High School, including Principal Matthew Morse, were not returned.
In a statement to FoxNews.com, Dr. Melinda Boone, superintendent of Worcester Public Schools, said she had not issued "any official position statement" to Godin or the union.
"I've asked our legal counsel to research my responsibility and obligations as superintendent in this matter," Boone said in a statement.
Wild Thing's comment........
This makes me very, very happy!
They just got their head handed to them on a plate. Unions 0; Military 1.
Even Deval the Dunce couldn’t ignore this issue. But do not be fooled: Deval Patrick is Obama’s Mini-Me. And he's running for re-election.
Good for Major Godin!
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (3)
Twin Baby Moose in Sprinkler
If you listen really close in the audio you can hear the woman who is recording this trying to keep her kids quiet in the background.
Worth listening to several times, and the music is absolutely perfect for the video.
Wild Thing's comment.........
I love this so much. With all that is happening, I really needed this, what a wonderful thing to see.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)
June 14, 2010
Country Music Legend Jimmy Dean Dies at His Virginia Home ~ 1928-2010
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Jimmy Deans PT-109 Theme Song Set To The Movie Of The Same Name Staring Cliff Robertson
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Jimmy Dean: 1928-2010
Country music legend dies at his Virginia home
The legendary country singer Jimmy Dean has passed away unexpectedly in Richmond, Virginia at the age of 81. Dean is best known for his hit song “Big Bad John” and for the sausage company he started that bears his name.
CBS News: Country music singer and business entrepreneur Jimmy Dean has died at the age of 81.
The country music legend, singer, television host, actor, and businessman died Sunday night inside his Henrico (Va.) home overlooking the James River, reports CBS station WTVR in Richmond.
The station spoke with Dean’s wife, Donna, Sunday night. She was grieving and said the following:
“I definitely need my privacy right now, and am not available for interviews. My husband died of natural causes, and funeral services are pending”.
Donna Dean told the station her husband died at 7:54 p.m. Sunday night.
She told The Associated Press that he had some health problems but was still functioning well, so his death came as a shock. She said he was eating in front of the television. She left the room for a time and came back and he was unresponsive.
"He was amazing," she said. "He had a lot of talents."
Four months ago, Dean, who had a number one hit "Big Bad John" in 1961, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Born in 1928, Dean was raised in poverty in Plainview, Texas, and dropped out of high school after the ninth grade. He went on to a successful entertainment career in the 1950s and '60s that included the nationally televised "The Jimmy Dean Show."
In 1969, Dean went into the sausage business, starting the Jimmy Dean Meat Co. in his hometown. He sold the company to Sara Lee Corp. in 1984.
Dean lived in semiretirement with his wife, who is a songwriter and recording artist, on their 200-acre estate just outside Richmond, where he enjoyed investing, boating and watching the sun set over the James River.
In 2009 a fire gutted their home, but his Grammy for "Big Bad John," a puppet made by Muppets creator Jim Henson, a clock that had belonged to Prince Charles and Princess Diana and other valuables were saved. Lost were a collection of celebrity-autographed books, posters of Dean with Elvis Presley and other prized possessions.
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Wild Thing's comment........
I’m sorry to hear this....RIP Big Jim!
May God bless his family.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM
June 13, 2010
Barbara Boxer: Our Greatest National-Security Threat Facing Our Troops and USA ...Carbon Dioxide
We've had four terrorist attacks in less than a year, two of which succeeded in killing people and another two which only failed because of the incompetence of the terrorist. Iran is a year or less away from getting a nuclear weapon. Turkey is rapidly sliding towards Islamism. North Korea is doing their best to restart the Korean War.
And what does Barbara Boxer think is the greatest national-security threat facing us in the next generation? Carbon dioxide.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Please God make it stop!
She has the IQ of a roll of toilet paper I swear!
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (13)
June 09, 2010
Marine: "Union bullying me to pay $500"
Marine: Union bullying me to pay $500
A retired U.S. Marine who runs a high school ROTC program in Worcester says he faces the boot for refusing to pay local union dues, leaving the 58-year-old father of two crying foul and school administrators bewildered.
“It just seems crazy that they’re gonna fire me over $500,” said Maj. Stephen L. Godin, senior naval science instructor at the Naval Junior ROTC Unit of North High School. “Everyone’s talking about finding good teachers - I haven’t missed a day in 14 years.”
Indeed, North High School Principal Matthew Morse praised Godin yesterday as an “excellent” instructor who has turned his program into a top junior ROTC academy.
Godin, a 20-year Marine veteran until 1994, who flew F-4 Phantoms and was deployed five times, said he refuses to join the union because he receives all his benefits, including health insurance and half his salary, from the military. Unlike other teachers, he doesn’t earn a stipend for after-school activities, such as the hours he spends coaching the high school’s regional champion drill team. His salary is dictated by the U.S. Military, not labor negotiators, Godin said.
Officials from the Education Association of Worcester did not return repeated calls, and the Massachusetts Teachers Association declined comment.
State law requires certain public employees to join unions as a condition of employment or pay a so-called agency fee, which goes toward the cost of collective bargaining. But Godin said he shouldn’t have to pay the $500 fee because he receives no benefit from the local union. He provided a letter from the local union demanding he join or pay the fee by the school year’s end. Godin said in 14 years of teaching in Worcester public schools, he’s never been asked to pony up for the union.
“I’ve always worked hard,” he said. “I’m a loyal Marine. Now they’re chasing me away.”
Worcester schools superintendent Melinda J. Boone said she has asked the district school attorney to investigate a way to keep Godin on board, but added, “this is really a union matter.”
Wild Thing's comment.......
Way to go, Marine...Maj. Stephen L. Godin!. God bless this man.
I have yet to ever read how wonderful Unions are..... because they aren't. Not across the board how they do things, treat people and run things. THUGS just like Obama!
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:49 AM | Comments (8)
June 04, 2010
Brecksville-Broadview Heights Ryan Nowlin Heading to The United States Marine Band
Under the direction of Ryan Nowlin, Rachel Mangan practices with the Marching Bees for the 2009 high school football season.
Brecksville-Broadview Heights ( OHIO) Marching Bee band director Ryan Nowlin heading to The United States Marine Band
Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Band Director Ryan Nowlin announced his new position of staff arranger for“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C.
Nowlin said the five-month long audition and interview for the staff arranger job was kept “close to his heart” throughout the process. He said he was not actively looking to leave his present position, which he’s held for the past five years.
“The hardest day for me, without a doubt, was the day I told the students,” Nowlin said. “The students were especially proud of me once they heard what I was doing. They were very encouraging and I was very touched. The impact of these students, my colleagues, and the community on my life and family has been enormous and I am forever grateful.”
Nowlin learned about the pending vacancy of the Marine Band staff arranger through a musician friend in the band. Once he submitted his resume, Nowlin had to arrange several musical arrangements before the selection process began.
After the semi-final decision, he learned he was selected as one of the top two finalists upon returning from the BBHHS band trip to Walt Disney World in April.
After the review of more musical arrangements, Nowlin learned that he had been selected for the position. The other finalist was the staff arranger for the United States Air Force Band, so Nowlin thought he would be selected.
“I thought it was fun while it lasted,” said Nowlin, noting that the other finalist, originally from Medina, showed up for the final interview in his Air Force dress uniform.
“This career change is something I never foresaw,” Nowlin said.
Nowlin said he is pleased to say that three of his grandfathers were all in the military during World War II.
“I wasn’t that man, but I can serve this way,” he said. “I feel I have the skill set for this - not as the person who won five Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts like my grandfather.”
Before beginning his position in late summer, Nowlin said he will have to officially become a Marine, meet with his Marine Corps recruiter here, transfer to Washington, DC, and undergo two to four weeks of training.
The Marine Band is comprised of 130 members who perform in four musical groups; the marching band, the chamber orchestra, the concert band and chamber ensemble. The group performs at state functions for the President, including the presidential inauguration.
Additionally, the band tours nationally and performs as a back-up to musical guests at the White House among other duties.
Nowlin said his music department colleagues at BBHHS and the middle school, Jason Wyse, Steve Cocchiola, Chuck Valley, Brady Sark, Ivory Kovach, and Debbi Scheufler, and Julie Sterman have been supportive and very excited for him.
Wild Thing's comment........
How exciting for Ryan Nowlin to be chosen for this. News like this is so great to hear about with so many things happening that make us angry and frustrated.
CONGRATULATIONS Ryan Nowlin!!
.... Thank you Jan for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (3)
June 01, 2010
The Avenue of the Flags
American flags for as far as the eye can see greet visitors as they enter the Hillcrest Memorial Park in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. The park is visited by people from all over the world.
The Avenue of the Flags: A Graphic Demonstration of American Patriotism
The Iranian hostage crisis triggered a resurgence of patriotism in our nation. Because not only 53 citizens, but America herself was held hostage for 444 days.
Hope and confidence were sustained by a renaissance of American patriotism. Nowhere in the country was this spirit more graphically demonstrated than in Hermitage, Pennsylvania with The Avenue of Flags.
These bright banners, each flag representing one day of captivity, became the internationally recognized symbol of American's support for the hostages and our hope for their safe return.
Eight members of our nation's armed forces gave their lives in the ill-fated attempt to rescue the prisoners. The citizens of Scranton joined Hermitage in expressing the national spirit by contributing a beautiful permanent monument in memory of these brave men, to be placed in The Avenue of Flags.
The days of captivity are over. The hostages have returned home to enjoy, once again, the freedom of life in the United States. But the memory of those fateful days and the fire of patriotism that they kindled live on.
At Hillcrest Memorial Park in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, the 444 banners of freedom still wave, and the eternal flame shines steadily before the monument to the eight who have their lives in the mission to free their countrymen. This patriotic display is open to the public year-round.
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The Hermitage Historical Society
Over 1,000 flags were used to keep the flags flying during the original 444 days, as the flags needed to be replaced three to four time a year. All but 100 of these original flags were donated by supporters from all around the world. Most of them had once draped the casket of an American veteran. The flags represented periods in history from the Spanish-American War through the Vietnam conflict. One Canadian flag also flies on the Avenue in recognition of the Canadian embassy's help in saving six hostages from captivity and eventually returning them to freedom.
Donations of flags or money for the purchase of flags are still received. However, today most of the flags are purchased new by Hillcrest at an annual investment of over $12,000. The flags fly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but are lowered to half-mast for such solemn occasions as the Challenger space shuttle explosion.
On days when the sound of these 444 symbols of American pride can be heard flapping in the wind from a distance, visitors are filled with a sense of pride and remembrance of a time when America was held hostage, and many have been seen to leave the park with tears filling their eyes.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
This is so special and really wonderful that they did this. I am thrilled too that they keep it going. Fantastic!!!
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:48 AM | Comments (4)
May 27, 2010
Art Linkletter Passed Away At 97 R.I.P. Thank You For The Laughter Art!
Art Linkletter died yesterday at the age of 97. Linkletter was a household name TV Host for decades, known for his segment on “House Party,” called “Kid’s Say the Darndest Things.” The video gives a good taste of what Linkletter was like.
These kids are soooo adorable, I laughed all the way through the video. ! Wild Thing
Art Linkletter, the genial radio and television host who spent more than two decades interviewing children and getting them to say "the darndest things," has died. He was 97.
He died today at his home in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported, citing his son-in-law, Art Hershey.
Linkletter gained fame as a sympathetic interviewer on "House Party," a daytime variety show that aired on CBS radio and TV from 1945 to 1969. In the show's best-known segment, "Kids Say the Darndest Things," Linkletter would draw amusing answers from schoolchildren by asking who did the housework at home, or whom they wanted to marry.
He capitalized on the popularity of the routine through a series of books, including "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (1957), which topped the best-seller list for two straight years. CBS revived the concept and title for a primetime show in 1998, with Bill Cosby as host and Linkletter as a contributor.
Linkletter also hosted the NBC program "People Are Funny," which ran from 1954 to 1961. The show put ordinary people into extraordinary situations to capture their varying reactions. Some critics now call it one of television's first reality shows.
Linkletter said his first radio interview with a child was in 1943 with his son Jack, then 5. Asked about his first day at school, Jack said he wasn't going back.
"I said, why not? He says, 'Well, I can't read and I can't write and they won't let me talk.'"
More than 25 years of such interviews followed. "Kids under 10 and people over 70" were best on the show, Linkletter said. "The old people don't care, and the kids don't know what they're saying," he said.
Asked what's good about aging, Linkletter gave the answer he once got from a 100-year-old woman: "There's so little peer pressure.'"
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (2)
May 24, 2010
Gov. Jindal Blasts Obama Inaction, Moves on Sand Booms
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says with oil pushing at least 12 miles into the state's marshes and two major pelican rookeries coated in crude, the state is working on a chain of sand berms to protect the coastline from the leaking crude oil. (May 23)
Gov. Jindal blasts Obama inaction, moves on sand booms
Jindal tired of waiting for approval, to build sand booms
This is leadership on the front lines, not just on the sidelines. Louisiana GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal has been working non-stop over the past month to protect his state from the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill — and from the bureaucratic delays in the Obama administration.
Click HERE to watch the full video of his latest press conference as Gov. Jindal explains what he is doing to contain the damage:
Gov. Jindal was critical of the amount of boom his state received to ward off the oil seeping toward the coastline. But his major gripe comes at the expense of the Army Corps of Engineers, who have yet to give the go-ahead for the building of sand booms to protect the Louisiana wetlands. He used photographic evidence of oil breaking through hard booms, soft booms and another layer of protection, before being finally being corralled by a sand boom built by the National Guard.
"It is so much better for us. We don't want oil on one inch of Louisiana's coastline, but we'd much rather fight this oil off of a hard coast, off of an island, off of an island, off of a sandy beach on our coastal islands, rather than having to fight it inside in these wetlands," Gov. Jindal said, making the case for sand booms.
The governor said he has been forced to protect Louisiana without the approval of the Army Corps of Engineers, which is weighing the ecological impact of the construction of more sand booms.
"We are not waiting for them. We are going to build it," Jindal said.
"We can either fight battle -- we can fight this oil -- on the Barrier Islands 15 to 20 miles off of our coast, or we can face it in thousands of miles of fragmented wetlands," Gov. Jindal said, clearing favoring the first option. "Every day we're not given approval on this emergency permit to create more of these sand booms is another day when that choice is made for us, as more and more miles of our shore are hit by oil."
The oil spill, which has lasted 33 days since the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, has yet to be stopped by British Petroleum at the source. The situation is dire for Gulf coast states.
"It is clear the resources needed to protect our coast are still not here," Gov. Jindal said. "Oil sits and waits for cleanup, and every day that it waits for cleanup more of our marsh dies."
At least one federal official is taking some responsibility:
The oil mass continues moving west, and as the toxic sludge begins to make landfall in Terrebonne, Capt. Edwin Stanton, who heads up the Coast Guard’s response, is taking blame.
“The governor is right. It’s too slow, and if it’s anybody’s fault, it’s mine, for not pushing (BP) hard enough perhaps,” Stanton said.“We did have a problem with getting boom down here to begin with, but there seems to be boom that is in the staging areas that needs to be put out.”
Then, in an exchange with a reporter, he went further.
Stanton: “It’s my job to direct this response in Louisiana.”
Reporter: “Why didn’t you do it?”
Stanton: “Well, the why — is that really important?”
Reporter: “Yes sir, we live here.”
Stanton: “Well, I guess I’m just slow and dumb.”
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Louisiana Officials Threaten Action if Spill Response Proves Inadequate
Gov. Bobby Jindal recited a timeline of his requests to BP and the Coast Guard for containment boom, skimmers and other supplies, saying that the resources were still far from adequate weeks later.
Around 65 miles of Louisiana coastline had been “oiled,” he said, as local officials held aloft pictures of oil-coated pelicans and a porpoise.
Saying that promises of more supplies frequently fell through, Mr. Jindal said he was going to send members of the Louisiana National Guard and Wildlife and Fisheries agents to monitor the oil and even to locate boom and other response supplies, which he and other officials said were available but sitting unused.
Mr. Jindal also urged the Army Corps of Engineers to immediately approve a plan to build artificial barrier islands out of sand to hold back the oil, a plan widely praised by local parish officials but questioned by some experts. He said he would raise the issue with President Obama in a conference call on Monday.
In response to increasing criticism that the White House has not acted aggressively enough on the spill, the Obama administration is sending Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano into the region on Monday at the head of a bipartisan Congressional delegation.
Continue with article HERE
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ABC News Absolves Obama of Oil Spill Blame by Bashing Sarah Palin...from Newsbusters
ABC News on Sunday marvelously absolved President Obama of any blame concerning the Gulf oil spill by bashing former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.
After "World News Sunday's" opening segment about the crisis and how local citizens are being impacted, anchor Dan Harris said, "As we reported, the President is turning up the heat on BP, but the President is also feeling some heat himself with many critics questioning the way the White House is handling this crisis."
He then asked senior Washington editor Rick Klein, "Is there any evidence to substantiate the claim that the White House has been somehow abdicating responsibility and allowing BP to pick up too much of the heavy-lifting in this crisis?"
Strangely, Klein's response involved Palin .
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Wild Thing's comment........
Considering that Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama all went for McCain in 2008, it is clear Obama does not give a crap what happens to those states and their coastal industry. It also explains why Tennessee hasn’t gotten much help with their flooding.
Jindal is the only government official taking decisive action, and the obamanoids don't like it. They have instructed the media whorehouse to raise a blanket of silence against his creative and innovative steps, and the obaman EPA will do everything in its power to see that the environment suffers maximum damage.
If Bush was President they be crucifying him for doing nothing! Obama, again, gets a pass from the MSM!
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:49 AM | Comments (4)
May 17, 2010
7 Year Old Sings National Anthem
This young man sings the National Anthem prior to a college basketball game.
Notice two of the players in tears. He is only 7 years old.
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Wild Thing's comment........
This is wonderful, he is good and I would bet his parents are not lefties either.
God bless the children.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:47 AM | Comments (2)
May 08, 2010
Graham Prays at Pentagon, says 'Islam got a pass'
Graham prays at Pentagon, says 'Islam got a pass'
Evangelist Franklin Graham prayed on a sidewalk outside the Pentagon Thursday after his invitation to a prayer service inside was withdrawn because of comments that insulted Muslims.
"It looks like Islam has gotten a pass," he told reporters. "They are able to have their services, but just because I disagree ... I'm excluded."
In 2001, Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, described Islam as evil. More recently, he said he finds Islam offensive and wants Muslims to know that Jesus Christ died for their sins. The Pentagon's chaplain office called those comments inappropriate and, at the request of the Army, withdrew Graham's invitation to attend a multi-denominational "National Day of Prayer" service that was held in the Defense Department auditorium.
He came anyway, arriving in the Pentagon parking lot just before 8 a.m. EDT - his party of a half dozen people forming a circle on the sidewalk and praying.
They stood there for about five minutes, heads bowed, as people arriving for work passed by - a man with a briefcase, one on a bike, a woman carrying breakfast pastry in a bag and another man carrying a skateboard.
Then the group walked to the Pentagon's Sept. 11 memorial roughly a couple of hundred feet away, where media had gathered because it's one of the few places were cameras are allowed on the Pentagon property. There, Graham held a news conference that lasted nearly twice as long as the prayer.
Asked why he had come, Graham said it was to pray for the men and women serving at the warfront, including his son, who he said had already been wounded in Iraq and now serves in Afghanistan.
He said he doesn't believe "all religions are equal" but does believe there is only "one way to God" - and that is through Jesus.
Asked if he still believes Islam is evil, he said: "I believe the way they treat women is evil, yes I do." And, can he understand how some of his comments would be offensive to Muslims? "Oh, I'm sure," he said. "But I find what they teach and what they preach and what's on the Internet - I find that to be offensive, too."
Another moment in the news conference, he said people shouldn't be offended because it's simply a disagreement in what people believe.
Graham said many American Christians "feel we are losing our freedoms while people of other faiths are gaining their freedom. It's a perception, whether it's right or wrong."
While Graham spoke outside, some 80 people attended a service inside the Pentagon that included Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant chaplains.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Good! This is political/social/cultural jujitsu — using the opponents own moves, size, strength, against them.
I weep that our nation has become so enslaved to the Muslim demands, to the demands of THOSE who have members who would KILL US, that our own MILITARY would demand that a Christain minister be dis-invited to participate in an AMERICAN DAY OF PRAYER! Nothing Franklin said was a LIE! And worse....this man has a SON serving our nation right now!!!
I HATE THIS ADMINISTRATION. And I mean HATE! Anyone with a ounce of common sense and decency should abhor the actions of the absolute crazy people that make up this joke of an administration in DC.
.... Thank you Jim for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (6)
May 07, 2010
Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees
Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees
Freedom of expression or cultural disrespect on Cinco de Mayo?
On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.
Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.
"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."
The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.
"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.
The boys really had no choice, and went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset, calling what happened to their children, "total nonsense."
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."
But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.
"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."
As for an apology, the boys and their families say, 'fat chance.'
"I'm not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong," Galli said. "I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I'm an American and I'm proud to be an American."
The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district and the school do not see eye-to-eye on the incident and released the following statement:
The district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration's interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions.
The boys will not be suspended and were allowed to return to school Thursday. We spotted one of them when he got to campus -- and, yes, he was sporting an American flag T-shirt.
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Thanks for the graphic with Obama.
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Wild Thing's comment........
How dare they kick the kids out of school for wearing the American Flag..what in the HELL is wrong with these idiots!!!!
They act like this is really Mexico and we are the occupiers.
They should come back wearing a Remember the Alamo t-shirt.
One more thing, this holiday is NOT celebrated in Mexico, and not even in in Puebla. It is NOT Mexican Independence Day, which is Sept. 16. Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of the defeat of the French in the city of Puebla, Mexico. It is a minor event to most of Mexico as they don’t celebrate it. It seems a little strange, because people in Mexico — or at least, people in Mexico City — don’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo. No one has the day off.
......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.
RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company
13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam
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....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (5)
Jim Cramer Talking Through Violent Dow Jones Swing; Sources Say Caused by "Trader Error"
Here is amazing video from CNBC this afternoon of stock guru Jim Cramer on air with Erin Burnett and others as they watched the Dow drop to nearly 1,000 points down and then rebound dramatically to a drop of less than 400 points.
When the video begins, it shows Cramer talking about Proctor & Gamble being down to $47.01, off over $15 for the day. Cramer said PG was worth more than that, and urged people to buy it at that price. By the time the video ends, it had rebounded to over $60 a share, and was only off a little more than $1 for the day.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Amazing!! Can you imagine being there when all this happened. The panic they had to feel.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (2)
May 01, 2010
Mark Levin Caller: Man That Said He Was On Oil Rig Explosion was NOT Terrorism
Mark Levin has posted that audio from the caller, labeled “Part 1 of Mark’s interview” on his website. This video above is part 2.
LINK for Levins page
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Wild Thing's comment......
It is very sad. The world will wring its hands over oily birds, but the men lost are not mentioned
Eleven men were missing presumed dead after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded last week.
Dale Burkeen, 37, was a crane operator on the platform and was trained to lower crew members to boats in an emergency.
He had returned to the rig from Neshoba, near Philadelphia, about a week before the explosion. He and wife, Rhonda, have two children, Aryn, 14 and Timothy, 6.
Donald Clark, 49, of Newellton, Louisiana, was expected to leave the rig the day after the explosion for a three-week break. He was an assistant driller.
Roy Wyatt Kemp, 27, has two children, Kaylee, 3, and 3-month-old Maddison, with his wife, Courtney.
He loved fishing and the outdoors and attended a Baptist church in Jonesville, Louisiana, where a memorial service for him will be held today.
Jason Anderson, was a father of two from Bay City, Texas.
Stephen Curtis was an assistant driller on the rig from Georgetown, Louisiana.
Gordon Jones, 28, of Louisiana, was expecting to become a father to a second son with his wife, Michelle.
Karl Kleppinger, 38, of Natchez, Mississippi was a Desert Storm veteran who spent more than ten years working on oil rigs. He was a floorman who made about $75,000 a year working off the Louisiana coast.
Blair Manuel, 56, resident of Gonzales, Louisiana, was a chemical engineer on the rig.
Dewey Revette, 48, from State Line, Mississippi, was a father who had worked for the company as an oil driller for 29 years.
Shane Roshto, 22, was from Franklin County, Mississippi. His family were named on law suits filed by Louisiana’s fisheries industry, accusing BP and Transocean, the rig operator, of negligence.
Adam Weise, 24, of Yorktown, Texas, came straight from high School to work on the rig in 2005. He loved to hunt and fish and play football. He was the youngest of four children.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:48 AM | Comments (2)
April 29, 2010
High Court Says Mojave Cross In Calif. Can Remain
US Supreme Court rules Mojave cross can stay, rejecting the church-state challenge by the ACLU. This was a huge defeat for American communists.
The Supreme Court has said a federal court went too far in ordering the removal of a congressionally endorsed war memorial cross from its longtime home in California.
The justices said Wednesday that federal judges in California did not take sufficient notice of the government’s decision to transfer the land in a remote area of California to private ownership to eliminate any constitutional concern about a religious symbol on public land.
The ruling was 5-4, with the court’s conservatives in the majority.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars erected the cross more than 75 years ago atop an outcropping in the Mojave National Preserve.
It has been covered with plywood for the past several years following the court rulings. Court papers describe the cross as 5 feet to 8 feet tall.
Wild Thing's comment........
Thank God!
The ruling was 5-4 ...
I hate Liberals, Progressives or whatever label those four, Godless commies are hiding behind. God help us if that court ever flips so that the majority are liberal. It is insane that 4 voted against it.
Leftist liberals are a cancer upon any nation. The only freedoms they rally for always seem to cause destructions of cherished values. They thrive in this nation paid for with the blood of patriots .
....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.
Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:55 AM | Comments (9)
April 24, 2010
Navy To Name Next Ship After Late Rep. John Murtha ~ Shame On The Navy!
Navy to name next ship after late Rep. John Murtha
JOHNSTOWN, Pa.
The Navy is naming its next amphibious ship after the late western Pennsylvania congressman John Murtha.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus made the announcement Friday at the Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. Murtha's family and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were in attendance.
Murtha, a former Marine, represented the Johnstown area for more than 35 years. He died in February at age 77 from complications of gallbladder surgery.
The USS John P. Murtha will be a 10th San Antonio Class Amphibious Transport vessel. With a crew of more than 360, it will transport 700 Marines, their equipment and supplies.
The keel for the ship is expected to be laid in about a year. It should set sail three years after that.
Wild Thing's comment........
The traitor was giving aid and comfort to the terrorist enemy during the height of the Iraq war and now they want to name a Navy ship after him????
You have got to be effing kidding me. I'm going to be sick.
Here's the message - slander our troops while they fight America's enemies in foreign lands, while you as a elected official are ass-deep in all kinds of corruption, graft, bribery and other unsavory corporate largess, and you too can have your name on a Navy ship.
It's sickening.
It should be a garbage scow,or a gunnery target ship, and call it the USS POS!
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (10)
Feds Invade Farm For 5 a.m. Inspection
Feds invade farm for 5 a.m. inspection
Federal agents invaded an Amish farm in Pennsylvania at 5 a.m. to inspect cow-milking facilities then followed up the next day with a written notice that the farmer was engaged in interstate sale of raw milk in violation of the Public Health Services Act.
A failure to correct the situation could result in "seizure and/or injunction," the warning letter from Kirk Sooter, district director of the Philadelphia office of the Department of Health and Human Services, told farmer Dan Allgyer of Kinzers, Pa., on Wednesday.
The farm invaded Tuesday is the one agents visited in February, driving past "Private Property" signs to demand Allgyer open his property for their inspection, saying, "You have cows. You produce food for human consumption."
The case is being publicized by the National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association, which promotes traditional methods of linking farmers with consumers.
Spokeswoman Deborah Stockton told WND Allgyer "is the type of farmer who exemplifies what we are trying to restore." On her organization's website is the commitment "to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products."
She reported she got details directly from Allgyer of Tuesday's early-morning inspection, which highlights the growing conflict between farmers who want to provide health food locally and federal regulators.
Allgyer could not be reached immediately for comment.
The farmer told NICFA he came out of his house about 4:30 a.m. for his milking routine and noticed a lot of traffic on Kinzer Road.
Shortly later, the cars were coming up his lane.
"I stood back in the dark barn to see what they were going to do. They drove past my two 'Private Property' signs, up to where my coolers were, with their headlights shining right on them," Allgyer reported.
He called to the five men as they were preparing to knock on his home, where his wife and family remained asleep.
"Two were from the FDA, agent Joshua C. Schafer who had been there in February and another. They showed me identification, but I was too flustered to ask for their cards. I remember being told that two were deputy U.S. marshals and one a state trooper. They started asking me questions right away. They handed me a paper, and I didn't realize what it was," he said.
"Schafer told me they were there to do a 'routine inspection.' At 5:00 in the morning, I wondered to myself? 'Do you have a warrant?' I asked, and one of them, a marshal or the state policeman, said, 'You've got in your hand buddy.' I asked, 'What is the warrant about?' Schafer responded, 'We have credible evidence that you are involved in interstate commerce,'" the farmer reported.
WND telephone calls and e-mails to the FDA requesting comment did not generate a response.
Allgyer said he confirmed his identification but then said he wouldn't answer anything further.
He said he questioned their arrival at his farm at 5 a.m. when the warrant clearly stated it was valid during "reasonable times during ordinary business hours," but one of the agents said "ordinary business hours for agriculture start at 5 a.m."
The agents spent their time "rooting around, like a couple of pigs, in the freezer and cooler area and took many pictures," Allgyer reported.
"They came in the dark, shining bright flashlights while my family was asleep, keeping me from milking my cows, from my family, from breakfast with my family and from our morning devotions, and alarming my children enough so that the first question they asked my wife was, 'Is Daddy going to jail?'" Allgyer said.
The subsequent warning letter was an all-inclusive notice that federal regulations prohibit "the delivery into interstate commerce of milk and milk products in final package form for direct human consumption unless they have been pasteurized."
"It is your responsibility to ensure adherence with all requirements. … Failure to make prompt corrections could result in regulatory action without further notice," the letter said.
The letter directed Allgyer to notify Compliance Officer Richard Cherry of the corrections.
Stockton warned the requirement now is for federal agents to claim they have "credible evidence" regarding a case, but a proposed federal change would strike those words in the law and replace them with "reason to believe."
"The phrase 'reason to believe' would be inserted 14 times into the code with S. 510," she said. "If this bill goes through, the FDA will have control of farms. They will not need 'credible evidence' to act. They will essentially be given a free hand to act as they want. And look at how they already act, even with the existing constraints in place."
Allgyer previously had told the officers that as a private farmer, he does not sell to the public.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Sheesh.....those Amish radical jihadists.At least to Obama's government anyway.
I never had raw milk and so am not familar about it at all. But this kind of thing in the article we need to know about I think because they can do this with other things too.
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....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:48 AM | Comments (6)
Fantastic Video ...."Behind the Scenes of "Hummingbirds"
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Wild Thing's comment.....
This is an amazing video on hummingbirds.
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....Thank you Jack for sending this to me.
United States Army
1965-1971
Army Combat Engineers
Quang Tri & Chu Lai '68 -'69
67-69
Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (4)
April 23, 2010
One Of The Three US Navy SEALs Cleared In Iraq Abuse Case
EXCELLENT video on what happened......It was 2004: Fallujah, Iraq. Four civilian U.S. contractors were transporting supplies for a catering company. They were ambushed, killed, their bodies burned and dragged through the streets, then hung from a bridge on the Euphrates River. A NAVY SEAL TEAM captured one of the military's "most wanted" terrorists, the one responsible for the heinous crime.
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One of the Navy SEALS was cleared of charges in Iraq yesterday.
The SEALS were accused of mistreating a wanted Iraqi terrorist who was behind the murder of 4 US contractors in Fallujah in 2004.
U.S. military jury cleared a Navy SEAL Thursday of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors.
The contractors’ burned bodies were dragged through the streets and two were hanged from a bridge over the Euphrates river in the former insurgent hotbed of Fallujah, in what became a major turning point in the Iraq war.
The trial of three SEALs, the Navy’s elite special forces unit, has outraged many Americans who see it as coddling terrorists.
On Thursday, a six-man Navy jury found Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas not guilty of dereliction of duty and impeding the investigation. The jury heard too many differences between the testimony of a sailor who claimed he witnessed the Sept. 1 assault at a U.S. base outside Fallujah and statements from a half-dozen others who denied his account.
Smiling and composed as he left the courthouse at the U.S. military's Camp Victory on Baghdad's western outskirts, Huertas said he felt vindicated.
"It's a big weight off my shoulders," said Huertas, 29, of Blue Island, Illinois. "Compared to all the physical activity we go through, this has been mentally more challenging."
Huertas said he would rejoin the SEALs, the Navy's elite special forces, as soon as possible. His was the first trial of three SEALs accused in the assault of Ahmed Hashim Abed and its alleged cover up.
The case has drawn fire from at least 20 members of Congress and other Americans who see it as coddling terrorists to overcompensate for the notorious Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Thursday's verdict was met by anger and sad shrugs from Iraqis who said they no longer expect to see U.S. troops held accountable for atrocities or other abuses.
Huertas did not take the stand to defend himself, but is expected to testify in Keefe's trial, which begins Friday at the military base in Baghdad. Lombardi said Huertas is expected to offer few, if any, details of the case, and will testify that he was cleared of the same charge that Keefe also is accused of: dereliction of duty. Many of the same witnesses in Huertas' trial also will testify in Keefe's, although a new jury will be seated.
Only McCabe, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was charged with assaulting Abed, and his is the only trial to be held at the Virginia Naval base where the three SEALs are stationed. His trial is scheduled to begin May 3.
Wild Thing's comment........
These guys shouldn't even be on trial. That alone is a gross injustice! To put these men & their families through this is so wrong. It makes my blood boil.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:55 AM | Comments (4)
April 21, 2010
MRFF Group Wants Evangelist Franklin Graham Pentagon Event Canceled
Sunday, May 24, 2009 file photo, Franklin Graham prepares to give the invocation before the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C
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MRFF (Military Religious Freedom Foundation )
Group wants evangelist's Pentagon event canceled
A watchdog group objected Tuesday to an evangelist's invitation to speak at the Pentagon next month, saying his past description of Islam as "evil" offended Muslims who work for the Department of Defense and the appearance should be canceled.
Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said inviting evangelist Franklin Graham to speak May 6, the National Day of Prayer, "would be like bringing someone in on national prayer day madly denigrating Christianity" or other religious groups.
It would also endanger American troops by stirring up Muslim extremists, Weinstein said.
Graham is the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham and president and CEO of both Samaritan's Purse, a Christian international relief organization in Boone, N.C., and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, in Charlotte, N.C.
He said through a spokesman that he will be a guest of the Pentagon and will speak only if he's still invited. A military spokeswoman said she was locating officials to respond to the criticism.
After the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Graham said Islam "is a very evil and wicked religion." In a later op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal, Graham wrote that he did not believe Muslims were evil because of their faith, but "as a minister .... I believe it is my responsibility to speak out against the terrible deeds that are committed as a result of Islamic teaching."
Graham hasn't changed his views on Islam, said his spokesman, Mark DeMoss.
DeMoss quoted Graham as saying,
"As the father of a son serving in his fourth combat tour, I'd be glad to know someone was leading a prayer service at the National Day of Prayer, or any other day."
Weinstein, the foundation president, also criticized the Pentagon's working relationship with the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a Colorado group that organizes Christian events for the prayer day, designated by Congress.
Weinstein said that while he doesn't object to the day of prayer, the Pentagon chaplain's office has effectively endorsed the task force by using its materials and routinely inviting its honorary chairman to speak at the Pentagon. Weinstein said that amounts to preferential treatment in violation of Defense Department rules.
Graham is honorary chairman this year for the National Day of Prayer Task Force, based in Colorado Springs. A spokesman for the task force didn't immediately return a telephone message.
Weinstein said the task force is entitled to organize Christian-oriented events. But he said the Pentagon chaplain shouldn't be closely affiliated with the task force because it requires that all its events be conducted by Christians, although those with other beliefs are welcome to attend.
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Penetration Even At The Pentagon: Muslim Spies Setting Muslim Policy
The internal threat from Muslim extremists in the military extends to high-level Defense Department aides who have undermined military policy. In fact, one top Muslim adviser pushed out an intelligence analyst who warned of the sudden jihad syndrome that led to the Fort Hood terrorist attack.
An honored guest of the Ramadan dinner at the Pentagon this September was Hesham Islam, who infiltrated the highest echelons of the Ring despite proven ties to U.S. terror front groups and a shady past in his native Egypt.
As senior adviser for international affairs to former deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, Islam ran interference for the Islamic Society of North America and other radical fronts for the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood, the subject of my new book "Muslim Mafia."
For example, Islam persuaded brass to sack a Pentagon analyst, Stephen Coughlin, after he advised cutting off outreach to ISNA, which he accurately ID'd as part of a covert terror-support network in the U.S. -- something the Justice Department recently confirmed in a major terror finance trial.
Islam invited ISNA officials to lunch with the avuncular England, known by insiders as Gullible Gordon, who in turn spoke at ISNA confabs. Islam also helped set up a Pentagon job booth at one recent ISNA convention to recruit Muslim chaplains and linguists.
Most disturbing, Islam met regularly with Saudi and other embassy officials lobbying for the release and repatriation of their citizens held at Gitmo. He in turn advised England, who authorized the release of dozens of Gitmo detainees. Some have resumed terrorist activities.
No one really knew who Islam was when he was promoted -- in fact, the Pentagon removed his bio from its Web site after reporters noted major inconsistencies in it -- yet he was allowed to get inside the office of the Pentagon's No. 2 official.
"In effect," a senior U.S. Army intelligence official told me, "we've got terrorist supporters calling the shots on our policies toward Muslims from the highest levels."
Meanwhile, politically incorrect prophets like Coughlin have been frozen out. After the betrayal at Fort Hood, the military could use his analysis of Islamic doctrine more than ever.
I attended a private briefing by Coughlin in February. In a PowerPoint presentation, he detailed how jihadists use the Quran to justify their actions. Some of his slides matched almost word-for-word Hasan's own PowerPoint slides extolling the virtues of jihad and martyrdom. Both, for instance, quoted from the same Quranic passage known as the "Verse of the Sword."
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Wild Thing's comment.......
More crapola from supporters of Islam. Islam IS evil. I hope they let Graham keep his invitation and be there.
The group against Graham is called the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and its AGAINST religious freedom.
Typical leftists
Mikey Weinstein is a vicious anti-Christian bigot and a liar. Whenever he speaks about Christianity it is with hatred and he consistently uses disease metaphors to refer to Christians and Christianity. He falsely accused Christian Air Force Academy Cadets of harassing his son.
Meanwhile, politically incorrect prophets like Coughlin have been frozen out. After the betrayal at Fort Hood, the military could use his analysis of Islamic doctrine more than ever.
Coughlin predicted Hasan's mind-set. He first began briefing the Pentagon on this jihadist doctrine in 2002. So brass can't say they didn't know.
They were warned that the enemy was drawing on religious principles, and that our own Muslim soldiers could succumb to such thinking.
And they were warned that by using ISNA and other radical Brotherhood fronts to endorse Muslim chaplains and recruit Muslim soldiers, they were courting enemies of the U.S. — and courting disaster. But they were too drunk with political correctness to listen.
The 82nd Airborne is based out of Fort Bragg, which is part of North Carolina state Sen. Larry Shaw's home district. Shaw is CAIR's new chairman. He is also a minority contractor who operates Shaw Food Services Co. near Fort Bragg. According to the legislator's financial disclosure form, Shaw Food customers include the Defense Department.
Yet CAIR, like ISNA, is an unindicted terrorist co-conspirator. The FBI says CAIR is a terrorist front group and has cut off formal ties to it. So should the military.
Also I highly recommend Major Coughlin's Thesis as a good reference tool as well among your favorites.
“TO OUR GREAT DETRIMENT”: IGNORING WHAT EXTREMISTS SAY ABOUT JIHAD
Posted by Wild Thing at 12:40 AM | Comments (3)
April 20, 2010
Aged Tires: A driving hazard! Please Watch This Video!
Aged Tires: A driving hazard.
The video is well worth watching. Please watch until the end, because some of the most important stuff you need to hear and see are past the middle of the segment. It could save your life or that of someone you love.
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Wild Thing's comment........
Please also forward the video to others.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (5)
Right To Laugh Trailer
A Preview of the new show Right To Laugh on RightNetwork.
Find more at http://rightnetwork.com
Join some of the most popular stand up comedians around for an evening of big laughs, political satire, pop culture skewering and a message we can all get behind... more laughter in our lives.
This is their YouTube page
http://www.youtube.com/user/RightNetwork
This is new so we will have to see how it really is once it gets started. But I am all for good things that our side does.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:49 AM
April 14, 2010
Bill Mauldin Stamp Honors Grunts' Hero
More photos HERE click LINK
The post office gets a lot of criticism. Always has, always will.
And with the renewed push to get rid of Saturday mail delivery, expect complaints to intensify.
But the United States Postal Service deserves a standing ovation for something that's going to happen this month: Bill Mauldin is getting his own postage stamp.
Mauldin died at age 81 in the early days of 2003. The end of his life had been rugged. He had been scalded in a bathtub, which led to terrible injuries and infections; Alzheimer's disease was inflicting its cruelties. Unable to care for himself after the scalding, he became a resident of a California nursing home, his health and spirits in rapid decline.
He was not forgotten, though. Mauldin, and his work, meant so much to the millions of Americans who fought in World War II, and to those who had waited for them to come home. He was a kid cartoonist for Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper; Mauldin's drawings of his muddy, exhausted, whisker-stubbled infantrymen Willie and Joe were the voice of truth about what it was like on the front lines.
Mauldin was an enlisted man just like the soldiers he drew for; his gripes were their gripes, his laughs were their laughs, his heartaches were their heartaches. He was one of them. They loved him.
He never held back. Sometimes, when his cartoons cut too close for comfort, his superior officers tried to tone him down. In one memorable incident, he enraged Gen. George S. Patton, and Patton informed Mauldin he wanted the pointed cartoons -- celebrating the fighting men, lampooning the high-ranking officers -- to stop. Now.
The news passed from soldier to soldier. How was Sgt. Bill Mauldin going to stand up to Gen. Patton? It seemed impossible.
Not quite. Mauldin, it turned out, had an ardent fan: Five-star Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe. Ike put out the word: Mauldin draws what Mauldin wants. Mauldin won. Patton lost.
If, in your line of work, you've ever considered yourself a young hotshot, or if you've ever known anyone who has felt that way about himself or herself, the story of Mauldin's young manhood will humble you. Here is what, by the time he was 23 years old, Mauldin had accomplished:
He won the Pulitzer Prize. He was featured on the cover of Time magazine. His book "Up Front" was the No. 1 best-seller in the United States.
All of that at 23. Yet when he returned to civilian life and he grew older, he never lost that boyish Mauldin grin, he never outgrew his excitement about doing his job, he never big-shotted or high-hatted the people with whom he worked every day.
I was lucky enough to be one of them; Mauldin roamed the hallways of the Chicago Sun-Times in the late 1960s and early 1970s with no more officiousness or air of haughtiness than if he was a copyboy. That impish look on his face remained.
He had achieved so much. He had won a second Pulitzer Prize, and he should have won a third, for what may be the single greatest editorial cartoon in the history of the craft: his deadline rendering, on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, of the statue at the Lincoln Memorial slumped in grief, its head cradled in its hands. But he never acted as if he was better than the people he met. He was still Mauldin the enlisted man.
During the late summer of 2002, as Mauldin lay in that California nursing home, some of the old World War II infantry guys caught wind of it. They didn't want Mauldin to go out that way. They thought he should know that he was still their hero.
Gordon Dillow, a columnist for the Orange County Register, put out the call in Southern California for people in the area to send their best wishes to Mauldin; I joined Dillow in the effort, helping to spread the appeal nationally so that Bill would not feel so alone. Soon more than 10,000 letters and cards had arrived at Mauldin's bedside.
Even better than that, the old soldiers began to show up just to sit with Mauldin, to let him know that they were there for him, as he, long ago, had been there for them. So many volunteered to visit Bill that there was a waiting list. Here is how Todd DePastino, in the first paragraph of his wonderful biography of Mauldin, described it:
"Almost every day in the summer and fall of 2002 they came to Park Superior nursing home in Newport Beach, California, to honor Army Sergeant, Technician Third Grade, Bill Mauldin. They came bearing relics of their youth: medals, insignia, photographs, and carefully folded newspaper clippings. Some wore old garrison caps. Others arrived resplendent in uniforms over a half century old. Almost all of them wept as they filed down the corridor like pilgrims fulfilling some long-neglected obligation."
One of the veterans explained to me why it was so important:
"You would have to be part of a combat infantry unit to appreciate what moments of relief Bill gave us. You had to be reading a soaking wet Stars and Stripes in a water-filled foxhole and then see one of his cartoons."
Mauldin is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This month, the kid cartoonist makes it onto a first-class postage stamp. It's an honor that most generals and admirals never receive.
What Mauldin would have loved most, I believe, is the sight of the two guys who are keeping him company on that stamp.
Take a look at it.
There's Willie. There's Joe.
And there, to the side, drawing them and smiling that shy, quietly observant smile, is Mauldin himself. With his buddies, right where he belongs. Forever.
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Bill Mauldin, on top of a jeep (his favored mode of transportation), was a hero to soldiers for his cartoons.
The cartoonist beloved by GIs and regular guys
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Wild Thing's comment........
This is GREAT news I love that they are doing this.
....Thank you Tom for sending this to me.
Tom
US Army Aviation
Vietnam 1966-68
US Army Special Forces
1970-72
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:50 AM | Comments (8)
April 12, 2010
The implosion of Texas Stadium
This is the implosion of Texas Stadium yesterday morning, April 11, 2010. Texas Stadium was the home of the Dallas Cowboys from 1971-2008. They moved into Cowboys Stadium to begin the 2009 season.
Wild Thing's comment.....
This was kind of sad to me. When I lived in Dallas I went to a ton of the Cowboy games so there are a lot of memories of this Stadium.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM | Comments (2)
April 10, 2010
Polish President Lech Kaczynski dies in plane crash
A plane carrying Lech Kaczynski, the Polish president, has crashed near Smolensk airport in western Russia, killing all on board, Russian officials have reported.
Polish officials confirmed on Saturday that Kaczynski was on board the flight with his wife, as well as Slawomir Skrzypek, the president of Poland's central bank, Andrzej Kremer, the deputy foreign minister and the army chief of staff.
The crash occurred about 1.5km from Smolensk airport in foggy conditions.
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President Lech Kaczynski and scores of other senior Polish figures have been killed in a plane crash in Russia.
“They were in Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, when Soviets killed thousands of Poles.
The Russian emergencies ministry told Itar-Tass news agency the plane crashed at 1056 Moscow time (0656 GMT).”
SNIPPET: “Smolensk regional governor Sergei Antufiev told Russian TV that no-one had survived.
“As it was preparing for landing, the Polish president’s aircraft did not make it to the landing strip,” he said.
“According to preliminary reports, it got caught up in the tops of trees, fell to the ground and broke up into pieces. There are no survivors in that crash.”
Polish TV worker Slawomir Wisniewski said he had seen the crash from his hotel near the airport.
"I saw through the fog, the aeroplane flying very low with the left wing pointing to the ground," he said.
"I heard something being broken and then that thudding sound. Two flashes of fire next to each other."
Mr Putin visited the crash site, after saying he would personally oversee the investigation into the crash.
"Everything must be done to establish the reasons for this tragedy in the shortest possible time," he said.
He was to meet his Polish counterpart, Mr Tusk, in Smolensk.
Russian officials said all the bodies had been recovered from the scene and were being taken to Moscow for identification.
Russia's Emergency Minister Sergei Shoigu said both of the plane's flight information recorders had been found and were being examined.
Partial list of those dead:
Lech Kaczyński - the President
Maria Kaczyńska - the First Lady
Ryszard Kaczorowski - last Polish President in exile
Jerzy Szmajdziński - Vice Speaker of the Lower House (left wing leader)
Krzysztof Putra - Vice Speaker of the Lower House
Władysław Stasiak - chief of the President's Chancellary
Aleksander Szczygło - chief of the Office for National Security
Paweł Wypych - presidential Secrtetary of state
Mariusz Handzlik - as above
Andrzej Kremer - vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
gen. Franciszek Gągor - chief of staff of the Polish Army
Przemysław Gosiewski - rigth wing prominent politician
Zbigniew Wassermann - as above
Janusz Kochanowski - Polish ombudsman
Sławomir Skrzypek - chief of the Polish National Bank
Janusz Kurtyka - chief of the institute for the National Rememberance
Bishop Tadeusz Płoski - Catholic field bishop of the Polish Army (head Catholic chaplain)
Archbishop Miron Chodakowski - Orthodox field bishop of the Polish Army
And many, many, many others ....
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Wild Thing's comment........
Greatest country in Europe these days. Long live Poland. What a loss! What an unimaginable tragedy! Prayers for Poland. A terrible loss for all freedom loving people. How terribly sad.
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:20 PM | Comments (3)
4 Missing Miners Found Dead in West Virginia Coal Mine
4 Missing Miners Found Dead in West Virginia Coal Mine
Search teams found the bodies of four men missing almost a week since an explosion rocked a West Virginia coal mine, bringing the death toll to 29 in the worst U.S. mining disaster in a generation.
Crews who held out hope that survivors might have made it to an airtight chamber awaiting rescue instead discovered their bodies Friday in the Upper Big Branch Mine, officials said.
"We did not receive the miracle that we prayed for," Gov. Joe Manchin said early Saturday. "So this journey has ended and now the healing will start."
Officials say the mission now is to recover all 22 bodies still inside the Upper Big Branch mine 30 miles of Charleston. Seven other bodies were recovered after the blast Monday and two other miners were injured.
The raised death toll makes it the worst coal mine disaster in the U.S. since 1970 when 38 were killed at Finley Coal Co. in Hyden, Ky.
Wild Thing's comment.....
I HATE this. I hate that miners have to die. God be with the families and watch over them. Coal mining is a very dangerous business, God protect our miners. This is so sad, so terrible.
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:50 AM | Comments (4)
April 08, 2010
Taiwanese Talent Show Contestant Blows Minds of Everyone
Lin Yu Chun, a contestant on the Taiwanese Talent show 'Super Star Avenue,' is the latest to rock the Internet with his version of Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You.'
Chun is a favorite to win the million dollar grand prize on the show — and they are already calling him the next Susan Boyle.
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Wild Thing's comment.........
Amazing how he hits such high notes and does not scream. He is really good.
......Thank you RAC for sending this to me.
RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company
13th Combat Aviation Battalion - 1st Aviation Brigade - Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:47 AM | Comments (2)
April 07, 2010
25 Killed In West Virginia Mine Blast ~ Prayers For These Families
Montcoal, West Virginia
The death toll from the massive explosion at a sprawling coal mine in West Virginia rose to 25 early Tuesday, making it the deadliest U.S. mining disaster in 25 years. Crews halted their efforts to reach four miners still unaccounted for at the Upper Big Branch Mine following the blast Monday afternoon.
Concentrations of methane and carbon monoxide inside the mine made it a safety risk for crews to proceed, said Kevin Stricklin of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration at a 2 a.m. briefing to reporters. Officials planned to drill bore holes from the surface 1,200 feet into the mines to help ventilate it and to collect samples. However, they will first have to use bulldozers to clear a path to reach the part of the mine where they can drill.
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Wild Thing's comment........
This is so sad, prayers for these families and loved ones.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:40 AM | Comments (3)
March 24, 2010
Check Out The Various Cockpits Of Your Favorites ~ Awesome!
This is awesome and it is at Code One website. Code One Magazine is a quarterly publication of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.
After connecting to the site, click on any plane & and it will show you the cockpit of that airplane!
Click on: COCKPIT
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Wild Thing's comment......
This is really neat to be able to see the different cockpits, I like how the site is set up too.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:45 AM | Comments (2)
March 15, 2010
Actor Peter Graves Dies at 83
Peter Graves, the cool spymaster of television’s “Mission Impossible” and the dignified host of the “Biography” series, who successfully spoofed his own gravitas in the “Airplane” movie farces, died Sunday. He was 83.
He died of a heart attack at his home in Pacific Palisades, Calif., said Fred Barman, his business manager.
It was a testament to Mr. Graves’s earnest, unhammy ability to make fun of himself that after decades of playing square he-men and straitlaced authority figures, he was perhaps best known to younger audiences for a deadpan line in “Airplane!” (“Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?”) and one from a memorable Geico car insurance commercial (“I was one lucky woman”).
Born Peter Aurness in Minneapolis, the blond, 6-foot-2 .Mr. Graves served in the Army Air Force in 1944-45, studied drama at the University of Minnesota under the G.I. Bill and played the clarinet in local bands before following his older brother, James Arness, to Hollywood.
A journeyman actor with more than 130 film and TV credits listed on the Internet Movie Database Web site, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last Oct. 30.
The younger brother of Jim Arness of "Gunsmoke" fame, Graves made his film debut in the 1951 crime drama "Rogue River." Two years later, he portrayed a German spy placed among allied prisoners of war in "Stalag 17."
One of his early TV credits was as Jim Newton on the Saturday morning children's series "Fury," about a horse and the boy who loved him, which ran from 1955-60.
In 1967, Graves was cast to replace Steven Hill as the leader of the Impossible Missions Force following the first season of the CBS spy drama "Mission: Impossible."
Graves played Jim Phelps, who would receive instructions for his team's next mission via a tape that would memorably self-destruct in five seconds, until the series' cancellation in 1973. Graves reprised the role on a 1988-90 revival on ABC.
In a departure from most of his dramatic roles, Graves starred as Capt. Clarence Oveur in the classic 1980 spoof of disaster movies "Airplane!"
Graves parlayed his portrayal of authority figures on "Mission: Impossible" and "Airplane!" into the hosting role on A&E's "Biography" from 1994-2006.
Graves' other movie credits included "The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell"; "A Rage to Live"; "The Raid"; "The Ballad of Josie"; "The Long Grey Line"; "Texas Across the River"; "Five Man Army"; "Spree"; "Number One with a Gun"; "Savannah Smiles"; "Survival Run" "Cruise Missile"; "Black Tuesday" and "Fort Defiance."
Graves also appeared in the ABC miniseries "The Winds of War" and its sequel, "War and Remembrance."
His last performance was as the narrator in 2010's "Darkstar."
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Wild Thing's comment........
Rest in Peace Peter Graves. I met his brother, James Arness is 86, one time, a really nice man.
Graves was great in Stalag 17, but absolute perfection in Airplane.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:45 AM | Comments (2)
March 12, 2010
Skydiving from 120,000 Feet
Felix Baumgartne, skydiving expert and test to jump pilot, discusses his attempt to break the record for highest skydive.
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Record-Breaking Skydive This Year Will Include First Supersonic Free Fall
The Red Bull Stratos mission endeavors to shatter many long-held records in parachuting and balloon aviation
A privately funded team will attempt this year to break a 50-year-old record for the highest-altitude parachute jump, floating a balloon well into the stratosphere before its pilot leaps out for a supersonic free fall.
If all goes as planned, a towering helium balloon will loft Austrian-born skydiver and BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner, 40, roughly 37 kilometers into the air before he begins his descent. (BASE stands for "buildings, antennas, spans, Earth"—the places and structures from which a BASE parachutist jumps.) Baumgartner could set new records for the highest manned balloon flight and the longest free fall as well as become the first person to break the sound barrier without a protective craft. Baumgartner said he would exceed the speed of sound within about 35 seconds of free fall but would not pull his chute for another five minutes.
"It's human nature to want to go faster, farther," said Joe Kittinger, 81, the retired U.S. Air Force pilot who made the highest jump on record in 1960, parachuting from a balloon 31 kilometers above Earth's surface. Kittinger is the Stratos mission's capcom (short for capsule communicator), which means that he will be the voice in Baumgartner's helmet. Kittinger's advice to his successor: "Have fun, enjoy it, and tell us all about it when you get down."
Baumgartner, who called Kittinger a "childhood hero," is perhaps best known for gliding across the English Channel in 2003 with a carbon-fiber wing strapped to his back. Baumgartner said that jump, from about 10 kilometers, is his highest to date. The Stratos mission is incremental, with two lower-altitude jumps set to precede the final attempt; even the first jump, from roughly 20 kilometers, would double Baumgartner's personal altitude record.
The Stratos team claimed that Baumgartner's jump will be more than a dangerous stunt—Kittinger said that the collection of physiological data is central to the mission. Medical director Jonathan Clark noted that Kittinger's 1960 jump as part of the Air Force's Project Excelsior was in some ways a precursor to manned U.S. space missions, which began the next year. Similarly, Clark said, investigating the effects of a high-altitude bailout could benefit the fledgling commercial spaceflight industry.
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The current record has stood for 50 years and his held by Joseph Kittinger, a retired United States Air Force Colonel. It was set on 16 August 1960 and stands at 102,800 feet.
Felix Baumgartner otherwise known as “Fearless Felix” or “God of the Skies” is a renowned skydiver who has become known for his high adrenalin stunts and BASE jumping. Some of his feats include BASE jumping from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; landing on top of the Turning Torso building in Malmö, Sweden, only to then BASE jump off it! Now thats one creative way around all the security!
Felix also became the first person to cross the English Channel in free-fall, by using a carbon-fibre wing to fly. He jumped from 32,000 feet and used the altitude to get himself across to France.
The Red Bull Stratos project has collected some of the leading specialists in aerospace, medicine and engineering to ensure the success of the record attempt. They will use a stratospheric balloon to carry Felix to the edge of space, 120,000ft.
He will also attempt to become the first human to break the speed of sound during his free fall, getting up to Mach 1.0 (about 690 mph or 1,070 km/h). In comparison, during a normal jump a skydiver reaches a top speed of about 120 mph (190 km/h) during free fall in a standard belly down position.
The current record for speed during free fall, is held by Col. Joseph Kittinger is 614 mph (equivalent to Mach 0.9 or 980 km/h).
If successful, Fearless Felix will also hold the record for the highest manned balloon flight. The current record of 113,740ft, was established on May 4, 1961, and is held by Lt. Cdr. Victor A. Prather, Jr., and Cdr. Malcolm Ross.
And yet another record would be the longest free fall duration, which would most likely be approximately 5 minutes and 35 seconds before his main parachute deploys. The current record is 4 min and 36 secs, held by Col. Joseph Kittinger on the same record breaking jump 50 years ago.
The original record jump was done to collect useful medical and scientific data for the American space program. Now 50 years later Felix’s jump will also be used to collect useful scientific information, especially the next generation of full pressure suits. Perhaps with this research, we could bring astronauts back to earth safely on their own.
50 years is a long time for a record to stand. There have been many attempts, some even ending in the loss of life. The most recent was made by the Frenchman Michel Fournier in 2008, who planned for years and then watched helplessly as his balloon broke free, before he could get aboard and climbed into the stratosphere without him
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Wild Thing's comment........
Wow! This is fascinating.
Posted by Wild Thing at 06:45 AM
March 08, 2010
Sheppard AFB Was Under Lock Down, Man With Gun Arrested
Sheppard AFB On Lock Down
Wichita Falls KS
Updated: Mar 08, 2010 12:42 AM EST Sheppard AFB Police have confirmed to Newschannel 6 that Sheppard Air Force Base is under lock down, and all incoming traffic is being halted.
Sheppard AFB Police have confirmed to Newschannel 6 that Sheppard Air Force Base is under lock down, and all entrances and exits have been sealed until further notice.
George Woodward, Sheppard's Public Information Officer, tells Newschannel 6 that police apprehended a man carrying a shotgun on base.
There were no shots fired or hostages taken, he said.
All airmen have been accounted for as Sheppard continues to operate under lock down until further notice.
Newschannel 6 will continue to monitor the situation. Stay tuned for updates throughout the night and tomorrow morning.
UPDATE:
George Woodward, Sheppard’s Public Information Officer, tells Newschannel 6 that police apprehended a man carrying a shotgun on base.
There were no shots fired or hostages taken, he said.
All airmen have been accounted for as Sheppard continues to operate under lock down until further notice.
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UPDATE:
Gun scare at Sheppard Air Force Base
Officials at Sheppard Air Force Base say a man was arrested late Sunday night following reports of an armed man on base.
The public affairs office tells 7News officers located the man, who did have a gun, and took him into custody. Sheppard officials say contrary to rumors, no shots were fired and no hostages were taken. A lock down at the base was expected to be lifted shortly after midnight Sunday.
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Wild Thing's comment.......
Not much info—but prayers up for the safety of our military.
Sheppard AFB is a technical training center. All Air Force Basic training is at Lackland, in San Antonio.
There is also this from last Friday on another Base. I have been to Nellis AFB many, many times.
Man Held After Bomb Threat at Nellis Air Force Base
The main gate at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas was locked down on Friday afternoon after a man made a bomb threat, according to local reports.
Metro Police said the man had been taken into custody without incident and is now in the hands of federal officials, www.ktnv.com said.
The main gate remains closed while the investigation continues.
A spokesman at Nellis told Fox News the gate was closed because of what he described as a minor incident, although he did not have details.
He called the situation "routine" and said there was "no ongoing threat to the public."
The base's other gates remain open.
Traffic around the area was diverted after the incident at around 3 p.m.
Nellis is the location of the United States Air Force Warfare Center and is a major training location for both U.S. and foreign military aircrews.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM
Compilation of Some Explosions and JDAMs ~ Awesome!
Wild Thing's comment.......
Booom! Shaka laka, Boom! LOVE it!
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:49 AM | Comments (2)
March 02, 2010
GM To Recall 1.3 Million Compact Cars
GM To Recall 1.3 Million Compact Cars Automaker cites power steering motors that can fail in Chevys, Pontiacs
By JUSTIN HYDE
WASHINGTON
General Motors said tonight it will recall 1.3 million cars in North America to replace a power steering motor that could fail, following a federal probe launched in January.
GM said the recall would cover 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalts, 2007-10 Pontiac G5s and similar models sold in Canada and Mexico.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Agency in January had opened a probe of 905,000 Cobalts from the 2005 through 2009 model year following 1,132 complaints of power steering failures that could make the cars hard to control. The complaints included reports of 14 crashes and one injury.
"After our in-depth investigation, we found that this is a condition that takes time to develop. It tends to occur in older models out of warranty," said Jamie Hresko, GM vice president of quality, in a statement. “Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers' peace of mind.
GM said even if the problem occurred, the vehicles are “safe to drive” but would require more steering effort under 15 m.p.h., with a chime and “Power Steering” warning light coming on.
The recall, the largest by GM in a number of years, comes as Congress scrutinizes the auto industry’s regulation by NHTSA following a string of Toyota recalls linked to sudden acceleration problems.
GM recalled 2.2 million vehicles in 2009, and its total number of vehicles recalled had been falling in recent years as the company said it was catching problems earlier in production.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Shouldn’t they call Obama since he is the highest ranking person involved with the owners of GM?
When there isn't the same treatment Obama’s thugs gave Toyota this will be the proof that they are abusing the government apparatus to promote Government Motors.
Knowing this and what is happening with Toyota:
"Toyota executives have been summoned to testify before congressional committees investigating the company's actions and whether the NHTSA did enough to make sure the Toyotas are safe."
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:55 AM | Comments (6)
March 01, 2010
Desperation Grows In Chile After 8.8 Magnitude
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Death Toll is now 708. This is so horrible, so sad.
One of the world's most powerful earthquakes in a century battered Chile on Saturday.
Buildings caught fire, bridges collapsed and debris blocked streets across swathes of central Chile.
A 15-storey building collapsed in Concepcion, the closest major city to the epicenter, and overturned cars lay scattered below a fallen overpass in the capital Santiago. Telephone and power lines went down, making it difficult to assess the full extent of the damage and loss of life.
"It came in waves and lasted so long. Three minutes is an eternity. We kept worrying that it was getting stronger, like a terrifying Hollywood movie," said Santiago housewife Dolores Cuevas.
But it was the fifth-largest earthquake since 1900 and dealt a blow to the economy and infrastructure of the world's No. 1 copper producer and one of Latin America's most developed and stable countries.
"This will be a major blow to the country's infrastructure; there has been major damage to roads, airports, which are now suspended, ports and also in housing," Chilean President-elect Sebastian Pinera said.
The quake halted operations at two oil refineries and two major copper mines and the government said an estimated half a million homes were severely damaged.
President Michelle Bachelet said a huge wave hit the Juan Fernandez islands, an archipelago where Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was marooned in the 18th century, inspiring the novel Robinson Crusoe.
"There was a series of waves that got bigger and bigger, which gave people time to save themselves," pilot Fernando Avaria told TVN television by telephone from the main island. Three people were killed and four missing there, he said.
Chilean seaside resort of Pelluhue has been washed away; municipality had about 1,000 residents
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Wild Thing's comment......
There are a lot more dead than being reported then first reported. The numbers grow as they find the missing people. Prayers for those that survived in Chile.
One news commentator said that Chile had high building standards because they were so earthquake-prone. That probably helped keep the damage down. Even so, an 8+ is going to do damage.
Posted by Wild Thing at 02:45 AM | Comments (2)
February 26, 2010
Top US Marine Rejects Obama Plan To Repeal Gay Ban
General James Terry Conway, USMC
34th Commandant of the Marine Corps (2006 - present)
Commandant of the US Marine Corps General James T. Conway . The head of the US Marines said on Thursday he opposed ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, the first top officer to break openly with President Barack Obama over the issue.
The head of the US Marines said on Thursday he opposed ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, the first top officer to break openly with President Barack Obama over the issue.
General James Conway told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he disagreed with Obama's plan to repeal the ban.
"My best military advice to this committee, to the (defense) secretary, and to the president would be to keep the law such as it is."
Conway said the current policy worked and any bid to lift the ban should answer the question: "do we somehow enhance the war fighting capabilities of the United States Marine Corps by allowing homosexuals to openly serve?"
Conway's public rejection of his commander-in-chief's stance is sure to fuel debate in Congress on the issue and reflects apprehension among some senior military officers about changing the 1993 law.
The chiefs of the US Army and Air Force also expressed doubts about lifting the ban at congressional hearings this week, saying they were concerned about putting the military under further strain in the midst of two wars.
But Conway went further, making it clear he opposed lifting the ban that requires gay service members to keep quiet about their sexual orientation or face expulsion from the military.
His comments contrasted sharply with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, who has spoken forcefully in favor of ending the ban.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has called for a review of the issue to survey service members and examine the possible effect of changing the law, known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Senator Joe Lieberman disagreed with Conway, saying he believed the review would show that allowing gays to serve openly would bolster the military's battle readiness.
"This has to pass the test of military readiness. I believe it will based on my knowledge of what's happened in other militaries," he said, citing British and Canadian forces who serve alongside American troops inAfghanistan.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Latest military polling indicates the same sentiments.....
Posted by Wild Thing at 04:50 AM | Comments (10)
February 02, 2010
Lech Walesa.... "America is Moving Towards Socialism"
Lech Walesa tells his American Audience that the United States no longer leads the world politically or morally Interviewer asks President Walesa if he thinks America is slipping toward Socialism. His Answer? Yes!
Andrzejewski is running on a platform of forensically auditing Illinois’ books and exposing corruption by making the details of the audit available to the public.
Wild Thing's comment.......
Lech would certainly know communism and socialism when he sees it and right now he is seeing red.
We have passed socialism and are moving straight ahead to communism!
The free market (Capitalism) did not cause this crisis, the government (Socialism) did.
The free market did not take us off the gold standard, the government did.
The free market did not dump trillions of dollars of cheap money into the system, the government did.
The free market did not create multiple trillion-dollar entitlement programs, the government did.
The free market did not create Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Sallie Mae and Ginnie Mae, the government did.
The free market did not write a tax code that favors one product (real estate) over others, the government did.
The free market did not destroy our public school system and graduate (or fail to graduate) generations of civically and financially illiterate citizens, the government did.
The free market did not pass laws that force banks to lend to those who do not qualify for a loan, the government did.
The free market does not try to engineer society or buy votes, the government does.
The government caused this crisis, the free market did not.
The government cannot fix the crisis, the free market can.
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:40 AM
January 31, 2010
Mother Teresa: Should a Saint Get Postal Service's Stamp of Approval?
The stamp features a portrait of Mother Teresa painted by award-winning artist Thomas Blackshear II of Colorado Springs, CO.
Mother Teresa: Should a Saint Get Postal Service's Stamp of Approval?
If anything qualifies as a no-brainer, it would seem to be honoring Mother Teresa of Calcutta on a stamp. Not really the biggest laurel the late Nobel Prize winner and sure-fire saint will ever merit, but nothing to sniff at -- especially given the price of a stamp these days.
But of course, you knew someone would find something objectionable about the decision, and in this case it is The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a leading atheist organization that is organizing a boycott and letter-writing campaign against the stamp, which was one of 23 new issues the United States Postal Service recently unveiled for 2010.
The thing is, the atheists have a point.
Now before you start sputtering in the comment boxes, note the Postal Service's own list of a dozen criteria for who can qualify for "stamphood," specifically item No. 9:
"Stamps or stationery items shall not be issued to honor religious institutions or individuals whose principal achievements are associated with religious undertakings or beliefs."
As FFRF leaders Annie Laurie Gaylor told FoxNews.com, "Mother Teresa is principally known as a religious figure who ran a religious institution. You can't really separate her being a nun and being a Roman Catholic from everything she did."
Well, USPS spokesman Roy Betts tried.
"This has nothing to do with religion or faith," Betts said in response. "Mother Teresa is not being honored because of her religion, she's being honored for her work with the poor and her acts of humanitarian relief." (Actually, the Postal Service press release notes that she followed "a divine inspiration." But Betts is stuck between a rock and a hard place, it seems.)
At First Things, Joe Carter begs to differ and to side with Gaylor -- though with regret, and justifiable annoyance:
"Mother Teresa should certainly appear on a stamp -- but only after we change the law. We shouldn't look for loopholes that require denying the importance of her faith in order for her to qualify. Mother Teresa should be honored for who she really was -- a Catholic nun motivated by the love of Christ -- and not as a faux, secular saint."
Such a change in the law would also help avoid the Postal Service -- and groups like The Freedom From Religion Foundation -- from having to come up with tortured arguments justifying, or criticizing, certain honorees.
For example, previous postal honorees with obvious religious identities include Malcolm X, the former chief spokesman for the Nation of Islam, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1986, the Post Office issued a stamp in honor of Father Edward J. Flanagan, founder of Boys Town, that is still widely used.
In explaining their conflicting positions on those, both the USPS and the FFRF get a bit tied up in contradictions.
Postal spokesman Betts said Flanagan was "honored for his humanitarian work." Annie Laurie Gaylor doesn't agree. But she doesn't have any problem with King or Malcolm X. Martin Luther King "just happened to be a minister," she said, and "Malcolm X was not principally known for being a religious figure."
Gaylor does object to the "darker side" of Mother Teresa's religious activism, chiefly her opposition to abortion. Then again, in its press release objecting to the Mother Teresa stamp, the FFRF urges its followers to buy the Katherine Hepburn stamps the Postal Service is producing this year, because Hepburn publicly described herself as an atheist and was featured in an FFRF ad campaign.
And the Virgin Mary? She has been on Christmas stamps since the 1960s. But she's principally known as a mom. So that's okay.
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Wild Thing's comment........
I see nothing wrong with Mother Teresa being on a stamp. She did a lot for so many people and touched so many lives..
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at 05:50 AM | Comments (9)
January 30, 2010
Buried Body ID'd As Missing Fla. Lottery Winner
Remains Identified as Missing Florida Lottery Winner
PLANT CITY, Fla
Winning millions of dollars in the Florida Lottery should have been the best thing that ever happened to Abraham Shakespeare.
But with his newfound wealth in 2006 — $17 million in a lump sum payment — came a string of hangers-on who constantly hit him up for money. Nine months ago, he vanished.
Friends and family hoped he was on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean. But on Friday, detectives confirmed that a body buried under a concrete slab in a rural backyard was his.
The home Shakespeare was found behind belongs to the boyfriend of a woman who befriended him in 2007. Authorities believe he was murdered and the woman may know something about it, but they do not yet know how he died and have not arrested anyone.
Shakespeare's brother, Robert Brown, said Friday that Shakespeare often wished he had never bought the winning ticket.
"'I'd have been better off broke.' He said that to me all the time," Brown said.
Hillsborough County sheriff's detectives used fingerprints to identify Shakespeare's body, which they found covered by a concrete slab.
Before 2006, Shakespeare was an assistant truck driver who lived with his mother. He was barely literate and had a criminal record. After he won the lottery, he bought a million-dollar home and was extremely generous to others.
"He really didn't understand it at all," said Samuel Jones, a friend since childhood. "It was moving so fast. It changed his life in a bad way."
Jones said Abraham would tell him, "I thought all these people were my friends, but then I realized all they want is just money."
Among those new friends was Dorice Donegan "DeeDee" Moore. She told him she was interested in writing a book about his life, but officials said she was interested in his money.
Moore, whose known phone numbers were all disconnected Friday, became something of a financial adviser to Shakespeare. Property records show her company, American Medical Professionals, bought his home for $655,000 a year ago. Not long afterward, detectives said, she helped him open a company and gave herself the ability to sign for money.
She withdrew $1 million and later told detectives Shakespeare gave her the cash as a gift. She bought a Hummer, a Corvette and a truck, and went on vacation.
"DeeDee Moore is a con artist," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release earlier this month. "DeeDee Moore has cheated Abraham Shakespeare out of his money, and possibly his life."
A tip led detectives to Shakespeare's grave site this week, behind a home owned by 26-year-old Shar Krasniqi, identified by Judd as Moore's boyfriend.
Meanwhile, friends and family puzzled Friday over Shakespeare's rapid rise and fall. Jones said his friend lived a humble life, and just before he bought the winning ticket he joined a church and was baptized.
"When he won the lottery," Jones said, "he forgot about being saved."
Wild Thing's comment.......
From the artilce it sounds like he was turning his life around.
If I won the lotto I would see if I could do it anonymously and not have my name in a newspaper etc. But I am not sure if the law says one has to have the win in print or not.
....Thank you Jack for sending this to me.
United States Army
1965-1971
Army Combat Engineers
Quang Tri & Chu Lai '68 -'69
67-69
Jack's blog is Conservative Insurgent
Posted by Wild Thing at 03:45 AM | Comments (6)
January 25, 2010
McCain-Backed GOP Senate Candidate Carly Fiorina Hearts Jesse Jackson
McCain-backed GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina hearts Jesse Jackson — and radical gender politics
H/t Michelle Malkin
As if California GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina’s massive bailout-supporting economic advice for John McCain wasn’t bad enough (reminder from yesterday’s column: “In California, McCain’s PAC supports former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina – a celebrity name with deep pockets of her own, massive media exposure, and a checkered business record. Fiorina served as the economic adviser to McCain, who supported the $700 billion TARP bailout, the $25 billion auto bailout, a $300 billion mortgage bailout, and the first $85 billion AIG bailout.”), now comes the revelation of that she has had a long political love affair with Jesse Jackson.
It’s on tape, via Neil Stevens of RedState:
“When Carly Fiorina speaks on the campaign trail here in California, running to be the Republican nominee to unseat Barbara Boxer, she tries to prohibit recording of her speeches. However somebody snuck in an audio recorder to an e