Primarily, a place for folks to gather .................. if I {we?} can give you a chuckle, or a bit of hope, GREAT! If I make you think, so much the better ................. and if I encourage you to research for yourselves, to make your own, independent judgments - I will be fulfilled.
as y'all know, we feed the stray cats that are abandoned; many have become feral, and won't allow anyone
to touch them. We've been feeding a mama tabby & her progeny when
she brings them to us for ~ 4 years now. The first kitten of hers I
found was RainGirl, who was about 12 weeks old when I caught her, was
never very healthy, and died young - at least she was well-fed and
treated gently. Next time was a clutch of 3 - Mama by this time was
coming regularly to eat, and she brought some 8 week old kittens that
remained feral, and seemed rather inbred {hip joint and neuro deficits};
they lasted longer than RainGirl, but just didn't ever allow us close,
except for one when it was poisoned. Last time, she brought three 6 week
old kittens that I caught, crated & brought in the house {several
bites & scratches later } to socialize - found homes for all 3.
Yesterday, as we were sitting
outside, the FodGuy was working on the Neon, I was providing 'moral support',
Mama comes up with 1 kitten - eyes/ears still closed, umbilical still
attached, & tried to take over the shed as a nursery. I caught her
before she hid the kitten, put it in a crate, and she went off for
another .......................... and another ......................... AND
another - I crated each one & put her in with them whenever she
wanted - let her out to stretch her legs in the afternoon, the FodGuy & I
were sitting there - she wandered out of sight, trusting
us with her babies, while she took care of personal needs
..................... they're now in the second bathroom, Mama seems
content to keep them in the crate {rather than seeking another hiding
place, say, under the sink}.
Then, today: A lot of secondary roads down here
have shoulders almost as wide as the lanes of traffic; today, after I'd
discharged my civic obligation {jury duty, wasn't selected}, I was on my way home when I saw a
tortoise/box turtle on the shoulder, heading into traffic. I couldn't
immediately stop/turn around/backup, so I went ~ a mile down the road
and came back - by that time, this suicidal critter was in the middle of
the eastbound lane - I got it, brought it home & took it to The Progeny,
who's crazy about them - it's already flipped itself on it's back with
her - I'm thinking the name "Painless" as in Suicide is Painless .................
And to any Jewish visitors,
ברוך אתה יהוה שלנו g-d, ריבון העולמים,
מי מקדשת אותנו עם מצוות, ציווה לנו
כדי להדליק את האור (של שבת של) החג.
{ Blessed art thou, Lord our G-d, Master of the universe, who sanctifies us with Your commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light (of shabbat and of) the holiday.}
any more breathtaking, with calls for "civility" in discourse, Team Øbama gives us the WTF campaign, and now the BFD T-Shirt, via Twitter - please, PLEASE send him & his mooching family back to Chicago next January!!
so I'm in the process of draining the California king waterbed ................................. the FodGuy had to go to work, and the Progeny, while off today, has a BK of a "hegg-ache", so I'm doin' the change-the-orientation-of-the-bed solo ................................ nice thing about the new one, it's a firmness-adjustable type {amount of air}, so it SHOULD be a lot easier to maneuver in the future .................................. in the meantime : ;-)
{~ 30-45 minutes should do}, you need to go read She's a Garand Girl - Ruminations - scroll down and read each & every link: Setting the Stage; Taking Action; Shut Up and Go Away; Ups and Downs.
This is one gutsy lady, who went 'Mama Grizzly' long before it hit the media, or she had children of her own ................................ Bravo Zulu to Garand Girl!! .
For whatever reason, I can't get to the video in this link to Michelle Malkin to post; therefore, I strongly urge you to click the link and at the very least, scroll down to the I Am Andrew Breitbart video ....................
I'm sorry, but the followers of Islam REALLY need to get a grip - threatening folks such as BNI & readers/commenters there, should NOT result in surprise that most folks don't trust Muslims/Islamists at all .................................. so far, in THIS country, "we" still have freedom of speech - "we" can say what we like, and take responsibility for same - and yes, I know this goes against all grains in Islam, but that applies to WOMEN, TOO!!
So, loosen the turbans and chill out ..................................
WORK for a living having vacations {that whole 'earning privileges' concept - out of date, I know} ........................... that said, can someone please explain how Michelle Antoinette Øbama's role is so overwhelming that she has required 15 'vacations' in little over 3 years? When she's not embarrassing the nation {think Queen Elizabeth; 'proud for the first time to be American', etc.}, she's busy haranguing Americans about our diets {has she LOOKED at herself in a full-length mirror recently?}
The FodGuy generally works 7 days a week, to keep us "even" financially, nevermind "getting ahead"; with the exception of TWO days down in Galveston last November, for our anniversary, we have not had any sort of 'vacation' since 2004. He doesn't golf; I don't shop extravagantly, we don't "entertain", and yet, were we to be face-to-face with the Øbamas, I'm sure we'd be told how much "sacrificing" they're going through ........................................ nahh, not a lot of sympathy here ............................ and as the Marine Corps teaches, one can find "sympathy" between "shit" and "syphilis" in the dictionary ................................................
clicking on bookmarks that have served for YEARS, in some cases, only to get "URL not found" and a load of GARBAGE from Yahoo! and Google .......................................... STOP interfering with my surfing - I DON'T visit porn sites, I DON'T visit terrorist sites, and even if I DID, it's NONE of your damn business, and I'm STILL an AMERICAN IN AMERICA - get your damned censoring software out of my way!
Patrick Hayes was one of the kindest, most honorable men it's been my pleasure to call "friend". He welcomed me with open arms when I joined a Marine message board 13 years ago.
When we finally met face-to-face {back in 2000}, it was merely a continuation of the friendship we had developed on the 'Net. He showed me his home there in Massachusetts, taking me around an area I had not visited before. We got into some mischief, but laughed about it for years ................................. he told me things, about combat in VietNam, that as a WM, I couldn't fully comprehend, but non-REMFs would surely understand.
He received excellent care via the VA there in Massachusetts; unlike other VAs, the one in Bedford, Massachusetts seems to really care about their Veterans.
He joins my Dad, my uncle, BullDog, Nomad, AWACS, DittyChaser, Darby and others, guarding Heaven's streets, answering to Chesty Puller ........................................
Semper Fi', my noble Costello!
And when I get to Heaven, St. Peter I will tell, "Another Marine reporting, Sir - "I've served my time in Hell!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven's scenes They will find the streets are guarded By United States Marines.
I'm Fair Dinkum : Chorus I'm Fair Dinkum, bloody oath I am I've loved the smell of gum leaves, since I was in a pram Some places may be greener, but I don't give a damn 'Cause I'm Fair Dinkum, bloody oath I am. Now I was in the doctor's just the other day He told me take an aspirin, the pain would go away So I pulled out my chequebook, 'cause sickness doesn't pay I said, "Are you fair dinkum?" - what did the doctor say?
He said, "Ah so . . ." (Repeat Chorus with Chinese accent) I said, "Well can you recommend a nice little Chinese restaurant?"
Then I whistled down a taxi cab and headed for the east A bad case of the munchies, I was ready for a feast The driver said "Indian?" - I said, "Oh well, I'd rather not" He said, "Why don't you come around to my place, My curry's rather hot".
I said, "Are you fair dinkum?" He said, "Oh . . ." (Repeat Chorus with Indian accent)
Well, I tipped the nice cabbie so he wouldn't make a fuss I shot out like a bullet and I grabbed a Bondi bus I said, "Take me to the waves mate, I'm dyin' for a dip" He said "Now you be very careful and watch you don't slip.
"Oh, are you fair dinkum?" He said, "Ah by gum . . ." (Repeat Chorus with Pommy accent)
Well everybody's claiming Australia as their own I'm no aborigine, so I won't point the bone It shows good taste mate, so I shouldn't moan If you got a problem, get Al Grassby on the phone.
Bridge Yeah, we're Fair Dinkum, bloody oath we are We all love Koalas and singin' round the bar And con somebody's missus to drive the flamin' car Yeah, we're Fair Dinkum, bloody oath we are.
Now give me a home where life is what you make Where I can walk about, just for walking's sake Where I can tell our leaders to go jump in the lake But I'll never knock Australia, you make no mistake.
Funny thing about that Oath - as a friend notes, it does NOT come with an 'expiration date'; it also has this little bit about 'supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States'.
SOPA/PIPA are bills intended to whittle away at our Constitutionally-guaranteed RIGHTS as American citizens - so, in solidarity with others out here in the blogosphere, nothing further will be posted today.
Oath of office: I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
A couple of take-aways:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Article [I]
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Article [IV] The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. {Emphases added - DM}
some neighbors moved out before Christmas, left their dog {~ 2 year old, Yorkie/Silky mix} behind, tied up; I'd seen him wandering the neighborhood, so someone set him free, so he could hopefully find something to eat/drink {cat food I put out for the strays} - this morning, he's laying in a patch of sunshine, at his "home", gets up when I approach - right hind leg is dangling {skin intact, but bones turned to mush, probably hit by a car} - I enticed him close enough to lay hands on with the FodGuy's's last hamburger - brought him in & the FodGuy palpated the leg - the dog NEVER EVEN GROWLED, much less bit - WE are just in no position financially to go the distance for his orthopod work {minimum of possibly setting the leg, & the resulting care/rehab, up to & including amputation}, so I gritted my teeth & took him to the shelter - when I told Animal Control his story, they immediately took us over to the surgery, where he was put in a kennel to await a local rescue organization, which will foot the bill for his surgery {-ies} & then find him a forever home. I was in tears on the way to the shelter, 'cause I was certain I was taking him to be euthanized; I was petting him as I was driving, and he'd just look at me with these soft brown eyes, very patient with everything I did with/to him. I've been involved in humane work for 41 years, and this kind of ignorance/apathy/indifference NEVER gets easier to accept.
Now, his "owners" {may they rot in hell!!} got him as a puppy, for an animated toy for their 3 little monsters - several times, when he was no bigger than a kitten, I had to rescue him, because they had him tied on their front porch, and he'd fall off the steps & hang there by his neck. They ultimately moved him from near the front door, and basically ignored his existence. The rescue is going to have to socialize him, because all he expects from humans is apathy or cruelty - his gentleness and patience with me were absolutely amazing, considering what he's known from humans. The veterinary nurse was amazed that he had never snapped/bit at me, after I told her the history. St. Francis of Assisi was truly smiling on my efforts today .........................................
I let it be known, to anyone who may still be in contact with the "owners" that I had better NEVER see them again ........................
know that one of my quotes @ the bottom is "Sammenhold - Danish for Solidarity"; which I started using, thanks to a retired Captain of Marines' bride, who was born & raised in Denmark, who provided the translation during the Cartoon Rage in Denmark. Like the quote "I am John Galt", or better yet, "I am Spartacus", I find myself more & more respectful of Denmark and her people, and wouldn't mind AT ALL were I to be compared to them and their sense of integrity and national pride ..............................................
Marine Master Sgt. Robert Allen sings a song he wrote for his wife for Christmas. Allen joins the thousands of men and women deployed this holiday season in support of counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan. He said he hopes his Christmas song "will help people understand that though we're willing to do it, it's still heartbreaking." Master Sgt. Robert Allen, Hometown: Pawnee, Okla. Produced by Cpl. Brian Adam Jones, Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. Provided by 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward).
Since I'm working now, didn't do a lot of prep for today; {been working a LOT of hours! ;-) } we're having a pork roast {the FodGuy doesn't "do" fowl willingly} - below is a picture snitched from Old NFO that kinda sums up my attitude toward the stinky OWS crowd .......................
Enjoy yourselves today - tomorrow's gonna be a bear for me {security in a retail environment} - but I'm earning and contributing!! ;-)
Don't know if Blogger will permit all the videos, but let's try - this link is very graphic - DON'T click it unless your anger outweighs your 'sensitivities'.
We were living in Monterrey, NL, Mexico, when 9/11 occurred;
I'd had trouble sleeping the night before, so Dawn answered the door to another American expat, Danny from Chicago. He barged on in, to get to our TV, since we had American satellite. Dawn came & woke me up with "Mom, they've attacked New York City."
I headed down to our TV room, where Danny already had CNN on - it was unbelievable, watching the footage over & over again. The three of us were in shock, trying to comprehend it all. Dawn had 3 friends she went to school with, lost that day. Mike came home & he & Danny polished off almost a full bottle of Scotch. Danny was panicking, because he couldn't get through to his family back in Chicago. The grounding of ALL U.S. flights, the barren radar displays, the sight of military aircraft patrolling the skies - was almost incomprehensible. My primary reaction was pure rage - wanting to kill all responsible & let God sort them out.
We were all glued to the TV for the rest of the day; couldn't get through to family back in Pennsylvania, couldn't get over the border {it was closed until Friday, 14 September} - we were impotent.
I didn't cry until the next day, when I saw the changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, and the Coldstream Guards played our National Anthem; it still makes me cry.
The rage is still there; I doubt it will go away as long as I draw breath.
This was the first time I cried over 9/11, at the changing of the Guard on 12 September 2001
Whenever I see firefighters, especially New York firefighters, I think of my friend O'B, retired Philadelphia firefighter - the courage of any firefighter is awe-inspiring:
This just added to my rage:
And these are various tributes and one-time commercials, aired in support of those lost and injured on 9/11, many only "one-time" commercials, because the businesses weren't interested in profits, but in acknowledging our loss.
Here is the complete text of the Declaration of Independence.
The original spelling and capitalization have been retained.
(Adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776)
The Unanimous Declaration
of the Thirteen United States of America
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.
He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.
He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.
He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:
For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing taxes on us without our consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:
For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:
For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
Source: The Pennsylvania Packet, July 8, 1776
Of course, 36 years later ..............................
This year, July has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This happens
Once every 823 years. This is called money bags. So, forward this to
Your friends and money will arrive within 4 days. Based on Chinese
Feng Shui. The one who does not forward.....will be without money.
Kinda interesting - read on!!!
This year we're going to experience four unusual dates.
1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 and that's not all...
Take the last two digits of the year in which you were born - now add
The age you will be this year,
The results will be 111 for everyone in whole world. This is the year of
The Money!!!
The proverb goes that if you send this to eight good friends money will
Appear in next four days as it is explained in Chinese FENGSHUI.
Those who don't continue the chain won't receive.......
translate into Hebrew for me, the phrase I will not submit, with Hebrew letters of this font (?)
I prefer this font, if that's the proper term, because it is similar to that used on the TV program here, Mysteries of the Bible, and, to me, is the Hebraic version of a beautiful script; too many Americans, when they utilize Hebrew writing, use a 'stick figure' version that just isn't as pretty to me.
As I noted to MK's comment below, I don't like myself too much, finding joy in the death of another, but that's between me & my conscience - I am glad that this particular individual will no longer be fouling the air of planet Earth. Now, if 'we' can only do away with whoever fills the void, ASAP, and whoever comes after him, and whoever comes after HIM, and whoever ...................... 'til there are no more willing to lead, THAT will be an accomplishment!
And, just for the record, I know Øbama is receiving all the plaudits & credit - but dammit, George W. Bush put the troops in place, to BE there, to take care of ridding the world of ObL - credit where credit is due, hmmmmmmmmm?
like most everyone who utilizes this marvel of technology {ie, the 'Net} I receive unsolicited eMails regarding 'mystery shopping' @ Western Union/someone's dying & wants me to receive their money/etc.
The latest was a mystery shop at a Western Union outlet; a "check" in the amount of USD $2,680.00 was FedEx'd to me from Gaffney, SC; took it to a local branch of the bank it was presumptively drawn on, & told'em, if it's legit, I want to cash it, if not, I was turning it over to their fraud/security/investigation department. The branch manager, an absolutely lovely lady, did some research - the "check" had the account holder as a lady in south Texas, who is a REAL PERSON, who has a REAL ACCOUNT with this bank, which numbers were being used. {I was to "keep" $250.00 as my pay, the rest, less WU charges, was to be wired to South Africa.}
Soooo, to string the criminals along, I checked with our nearest Western Union facility {local grocery store}, and asked what the characters/sequence of a WU transfer are; I then made up, out of whole cloth, an MTC number, eMailed it to my "contact". Of course, being bogus, his 'cohort' in South Africa was twiddling his thumbs waiting for the transfer. So, my contact started the phone campaign, with a number showing a landline from Stockton, CA. Last Saturday, the Progeny answered my phone, told him I wasn't available - he tried to go all pseudo-ninja on her, because my phone wasn't on me - she told HIM to cool his jets. ;-)
He eMailed me instructions on the use of cellphones; I responded that I DID NOT require lessons on the use of MY cellphone - my child required it's use, and I was making NO APOLOGIES. He responded grovelingly, & chilled for a bit, other than eMails telling me to scan the receipt from WU.
Thursday, I get FOUR calls; checking the numbers, the calls are originating in South Africa. I answered the 3rd & 4th times - silence the 3rd time, the 4th, he speaks - I identified myself as a federal law type, told him that Diamond Mair was under arrest for attempting to negotiate HIS fraudulent check, and that "we" were tracking him as he & I spoke. He hung up before I could mention to keep looking over his shoulder, that the buzzing sound he heard would be a UAV following him. {Hopefully, he's still defecating large pieces of building materials.} ;-)
I got a little concerned afterward, because I'm NOT any kind of law enforcement type, so I called a local field office, to find out how much trouble I might be in {I mean, I was lying to a criminal on the telephone} - all they said was don't do that, call another federal law agency & let them know about this scam, go forth & sin no more. I called the other agency, told them the whole deal, they said I handled it correctly, except for the part about claiming to be an LEO.
My reasoning for doing this is to take up the time of these products of lower intestinal tracts, since I KNOW they are scamming, so they don't have time to target others. Also, it infuriates that they were stealing from someone who had NO IDEA her bank account had been compromised - I just couldn't let them DO that.
As I told a neighbor, nowadays, one HAS to find one's jollies wherever one can ............................. ;-)
I had gone to the doctor on 25 March; just regular visit. I mentioned the FodGuy's reticence, due to 'come in for visit with doc, come BACK for NPO bloodwork, come BACK AGAIN for results' - doc had streamlined procedures, so it was ONE visit NPO, then results phoned to patient. So, I made FG an appointment for the following Tuesday {29 March}. Fortunately, I needed NPO bloodwork too, so I accompanied him.
While I'm waiting, and Waiting, and WAITING for him, the nurse finally calls me back to his exam room, telling me my options were to take him to the ER IMMEDIATELY, or they were going to call an ambulance - his heart rate was hovering ~ 185 beats/minute {we've known of his intermittent atrial fibrillation for years}; blood pressure was great throughout this whole evolution. So, we hie ourselves off to the ER, where he's kept for ~ 8 hours, trying to medicinally stabilize his heart rate. Finally, they moved him to a high level CCU bed. He was there for a couple of days, then transferred to a step-down unit, where he remained for several days. THEN he was moved to a lower telemetry unit. The cardiac surgeon {arrogant A$$} scheduled him for a cardiac cath with possible stent placement for last Monday {4 April}, at 0700; OK, I spent Sunday night there, we head on down to the cath lab, doc calls, he's "stuck in traffic", resched for 1200 - OK, we troop back up to his room, at 1130, nurse comes in, cardio has "clinical time", resched for 1600 - the FodGuy says NO {he's been NPO since the night before}, do it tomorrow, so I get him some chicken & waffles from IHOP {they grilled the chicken for me ;-) }.
Tuesday comes, doc is there, cath is done, no stent needed. SIGH!! So he's discharged the following day, with lifestyle changes the order of the day. He's been REALLY good about going with non-alcoholic beer, is using his electronic cigarette, is still making faces when I mention chicken, but is eating better, is on decaf coffee, and caffeine-free diet Coke.
agita was brutal, I couldn't stay still, so, rather than toss/turn & keep the FodGuy from getting rest, I got up .................... spent a few hours on the computer, then turned on the boobtube; wouldn't you know, I missed the first hour or so of Finian's Rainbow - missed Sharon's cursing of the Senator & turning him black {one of the funniest scenes in movies EVER} - but I turned to it anyway - I originally saw it when it first hit theaters, back in '68 {I've always loved the opening, where they're wandering all over this beautiful country too many tend to take for granted}.
It's now over 10 years since my Dad died; like Finian McLonergan, the Major was something of a dreamer and a romantic - also like Finian, he had his moments of ...................... not thinking things through sensibly. But, I always KNEW he loved me - he might not have shown it in a way I appreciated at the time, but he was there for me. At the end of the movie today, I was crying like a baby - because, you see, like Finian, it seemed my Dad waited until I was married, to someone he'd met years earlier, when I was active duty, to let go - we were married 27 November 1999 - my Dad died 9 December 1999. Watching Finian take his leave of his Sharon, after her wedding, and wandering over the hills, I just missed my Dad so much today ............................
On the day I was born,
Said my father, said he.
I've an an elegant legacy
Waitin' for ye,
'Tis a rhyme for your lips
And a song for your heart,
To sing it whenever
The world falls apart.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow it over the hill
And the stream.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.
Follow the fellow,
Follow the fellow,
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.
'Twas a sumptuous gift
To bequeath to a child.
Oh the lore of that song
Kept her feet runnin' wild.
For you never grow old
And you never stand still,
With whippoorwills singin'
Beyond the next hill.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow it over the hill
And the stream.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.
Follow the fellow,
Follow the fellow,
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.
So I bundled my heart
And I roamed the world free
To the east with the lark
To the west with the sea
And I searched all the earth
And I scanned all the skies
And I found it at last
In my own true love's eyes.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow it over the hill
And the stream.
Look, look
Look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.
Follow the fellow,
Follow the fellow,
Follow the fellow
Who follows a dream.
Peggy Noonan wrote one of the most roll-up-your-sleeves-&-get-it-done columns, regarding the men who handled the aftermath of 9/11, in Welcome Back, Duke - it's one of my favorite news columns of all times; via Bayou Renaissance Man {even though he's no longer ON the bayou ;-) }, he points us to North's blog, and the post The Passionate Carnivore. I'm thinking North is providing the men's perspective, in many fewer words than Ms. Noonan, but they're both proving the same point - thank GOD for manly men! ;-)
Subject: Scorpions, Chiggers & Sand Fleas
This kid is a Marine and a member of the Knights of Columbus and has a way with words.
From the Sand Pit:
It's freezing here. I'm sitting on hard, cold dirt between rocks and shrubs
at the base of the Hindu Kush Mountains, along the Dar 'yoi Pomir River,
watching a hole that leads to a tunnel that leads to a cave. Stake out,
my friend, and no pizza delivery for thousands of miles.
I also glance at the area around my ass every ten to fifteen seconds to
avoid another scorpion sting. I've actually given up battling the
chiggers and sand fleas, but the scorpions give a jolt like a cattle prod..
Hurts like a bastard. The antidote tastes like transmission fluid, but God
bless the Marine Corps for the five vials of it in my pack.
The one truth the Taliban cannot escape is that, believe it or not, they
are human beings, which means they have to eat food and drink water.
That requires couriers and that's where an old bounty hunter like me
comes in handy. I track the couriers, locate the tunnel entrances and
storage facilities, type the info into the handheld, shoot the coordinates
up to the satellite link that tells the air commanders where to drop the
hardware.
We bash some heads for a while, then I track and record the new
movement. It's all about intelligence. We haven't even brought in the
snipers yet. These scurrying rats have no idea what they're in for. We are
but days away from cutting off supply lines and allowing the eradication
to begin. I dream of bin Laden waking up to find me standing over him
with my boot on his throat as I spit into his face and plunge my nickel-plated
Bowie knife through his frontal lobe. But you know me, I'm a romantic.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: This country blows, man. It's not
even a country. There are no roads, there's no infrastructure, there's no
government. This is an inhospitable, rock pit shit hole ruled by eleventh
century warring tribes. There are no jobs here like we know jobs.
Afghanistan offers two ways for a man to support his family: join the
opium trade or join the army. That's it. Those are your options.
Oh, I forgot, you can also live in a refugee camp and eat plum-sweetened,
crushed beetle paste and squirt mud like a goose with stomach flu, if
that's your idea of a party. But the smell alone of those 'tent cities of the
walking dead' is enough to hurl you into the poppy fields to cheerfully
scrape bulbs for eighteen hours a day.
I've been living with these Tajiks and Uzbeks, and Turkmen and
even a couple of Pushtuns, for over a month-and-a-half now, and this
much I can say for sure: These guys, all of 'em, are Huns... actual,
living Huns..They LIVE to fight. It's what they do. It's ALL they do. They
have no respect for anything, not for their families, nor for each other,
nor for themselves. They claw at one another as a way of life. They
play polo with dead calves and force their five-year-old sons into human
cockfights to defend the family honor. Huns, roaming packs of savage,
heartless beasts who feed on each other's barbarism. Cavemen with
AK-47's.
Then again, maybe I'm just cranky.
I'm freezing my ass off on this stupid hill because my lap warmer
is running out of juice, and I can't recharge it until the sun comes up
in a few hours.
Oh yeah! You like to write letters, right? Do me a favor, Write a letter
to CNN and tell Wolf and Anderson and that awful, sneering, pompous
Aaron Brown to stop calling the Taliban 'smart..'
They are not smart. I suggest CNN invest in a dictionary because
the word they are looking for is 'cunning.' The Taliban are cunning, like
jackals and hyenas and wolverines. They are sneaky and ruthless, and
when confronted, cowardly. They are hateful, malevolent parasites who
create nothing and destroy everything else. Smart. Pfft. Yeah, they're
real smart.
They've spent their entire lives reading only one book (and not a very
good one, as books go) and consider hygiene and indoor plumbing
to be products of the devil. They're still figuring out how to work a Bic
lighter.
Talking to a Taliban warrior about improving his quality of life is like
trying to teach an ape how to hold a pen; eventually he just gets
frustrated and sticks you in the eye with it.
OK, enough. Snuffle will be up soon, so I have to get back to my hole.
Covering my tracks in the snow takes a lot of practice, but I'm good at it.
Please, I tell you and my fellow Americans to turn off the TV sets and
move on with your lives. The story line you are getting from CNN and
other news agencies is utter bullshit and designed not to deliver truth
but rather to keep you glued to the screen through the commercials.
We've got this one under control The worst thing you guys can do right
now is sit around analyzing what we're doing over here, because you
have no idea what we're doing, and really, you don't want to know.
We are your military, and we are doing what you sent us here to do.
Saucy Jack
Recon 4th Marine in Afghanistan
Semper Fi!
"Freedom is not free...but the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your
share".
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a
blank check made payable to 'The United States of America ' for
an amount of 'up to and including my life.' That is Honor, and there
are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.
'Specially for Old NFO .............................. ;-)
Subject: The History of "Aviator"
This explains it all. Aviators come from a long line of a secret society, formed around one thousand years ago. They are warriors, and here is the proof! Ground pounders can read it and weep!
A little known fact is the origin of the word, "Aviator." In the immortal words of Johnny Carson: "I did not know that."
Phu Khen (pronounced Foo Ken) 1169-? is considered by some to be the most under-recognized military officer in history. Many have never heard of his contributions to modern military warfare. The mission of this secret society is to bring honor to the name of Phu Khen.
A 'Khen' was a subordinate to a 'Khan' (pronounced 'konn') in the military structure of the Mongol hordes. Khan is Turkish for leader. Most know of the great Genghis Khan, but little has been written of his chain of command.
Khen is also of Turkish origin. Although there is not a word in English that adequately conveys the meaning. Roughly translated, it means, "One who will do the impossible, while appearing unprepared and complaining constantly."
Phu Khen was one of ten Khens that headed the divisions, or groups of hordes, as they were known, of the Mongol Army serving under Genghis Khan. His abilities came to light during the Mongols' raids on the Turkistan city of Bohicaroo. Bohicans were fierce warriors and the city was well fortified. The entire city was protected by huge walls and the hordes were at a standoff with the Bohicans. Bohicaroo was well-stocked and it would be difficult to wait them out. Genghis Khan assembled his Khens and ordered each of them to develop a plan for penetrating the defenses of Bohicaroo.
Operation Achieve Victory (AV) was born. All 10 divisions of Khens submitted their plan. After reviewing AV plans 1 thru 7 and finding them all unworkable or ridiculous, Genghis Khan was understandably upset.
It was with much perspiration that Phu Khen submitted his idea, which came to be known as AV 8. Upon seeing AV 8, Genghis was convinced this was the perfect plan and gave his immediate approval. The plan was beautifully simple. Phu Khen would arm his hordes to the teeth, load them into catapults, and hurl them over the wall. The losses were expected to be high, but hey, hordes were cheap! Those that survived the flight would engage the enemy in combat. Those that did not? Well, surely their flailing bodies would cause some damage.
The plan worked and the Bohicans were defeated. From that day on, whenever the Mongol Army encountered an insurmountable enemy, Genghis Khan would give the order, "Send some of the Phu Khen AV 8-ers."
This is believed, though not by anyone outside our secret society, to be the true origin of the word Aviator (AV 8-er).
Phu Khen's AV 8-ers were understandably an unruly mob, not likely to be socially acceptable. Many were heavy drinkers and insomniacs. But when nothing else would do, you could always count on an AV 8-er. A Phu Khen Aviator. Denied, perhaps rightfully so, his place in history, Phu Khen has been, nonetheless, immortalized in prose.
Consider it an honor to be a Phu Khen Aviator. Wear the mantle proudly, but speak of it cautiously. It is not always popular to be one of us.
You hear mystical references, often hushed whispers, to 'those Phu Khen Aviators.' Do not let these things bother you. As with any secret society, we go largely misunderstood, prohibited by our apathy from explaining ourselves.
You are expected to always live down to the reputation of the Phu Khen Aviator... a reputation cultivated for centuries, undaunted by scorn or ridicule, unhindered by progress. So drink up, be crude, sleep late, urinate in public, and get the job done.
When others are offended, you can revel in the knowledge that YOU are a PHU KHEN AVIATOR!
I've been assisting the Spousal Unit with our 2 gas hog vehicles; the engine was replaced "professionally" {ie, we paid over $900.00 for the engine, damn near $1,000.00 for the installation}, only to have it bucking at highway speeds. Turns out, the crank positioning sensor was put back with only ONE bolt {it requires 2}. On a '98 Ram 1500, the cps is located at the REAR of the engine - LOTS of fun removing/replacing/removing/replacing that {yes, I intended that repetition}. We also replaced the distributor, and the plug wires, and over the weekend, replaced the rear brakes.
The Rainier decided to 'deflate' the rear air suspension, so THAT made travel ............................ interesting. Turns out, it appears the electrical connections got wet, and once they dried out, the compressor worked for the suspension {it never STOPPED working on the tire inflator in the rear compartment of the vehicle}.
So, anyhoo, I'm up IN the engine compartment to access areas, when a neighbor showed up & just HAD to take a picture. Fine, but I refused to turn & face the camera. Her 'husband' {whom I do NOT speak to, and normally refer to pejoratively with an 8-letter word, or as "Mr. Charm" sarcastically} came over to ask the FodGuy some automotive question, while I was about 30 feet away - the FodGuy referred to me as his "Chief Mechanic's Assistant", to which "Mr. Charm" laughed derisively - but, here's the thing - HIS wife was driving over the summer, in an older minivan, with NO engine coolant {he had taken a hike on her for 3 months} - she'd stop when it would get 'too hot' and spray water over the engine block - *I'm* the one who told her she was risking cracking the engine block, and pretty much forced her into getting coolant. She's a nice lady, heart of gold, but dumber than a box of rocks - "hubby" isn't too much better, since he installed a 'floating floor' with nails, for someone who was paying him; he puts things {his porch} together with nails rather than screws, THAT gives you an idea of his terminal stupidity. He's been rude to me once too often; I refuse to have anything to do with him. The FodGuy thought I was mad at HIM {the FodGuy} for talking with "Mr. Charm" - I said, no, SOMEONE has to talk to him, it just will never be ME ............................ ;-)
this one concerning the issue of women in combat; seems the British MoD {Ministry of Defence} doesn't believe women "belong" in combat operations - I ask Women Can't Fight? - this has been a source of disagreement with some very good friends, but my Marines seemed to agree with me - of course, my "suggestion" for taking care of ObL {Osama bin Laden, for those who've forgotten} MAY have a little something to do with that - these Marines don't want to get on my bad side ....................... ;-)
I DO believe that we ALL need a little Christmas, especially this year - may you not know hunger, or rejection; may you be warm & dry; may you know love .................
my very first article has been posted on NewsRealBlog, which is part of David Horowitz' FrontPage Magazine ........................... aw, garsh, I'm blushing .................................
Back in the mid-70's, we had gone on a visit to my maternal grandmother, in North Philadelphia. She lived in a ROUGH part of the city, where on an earlier visit I had seen neighbors sluicing down the 'payment' {how native pronounce 'pavement'} from an earlier stabbing. THIS trip was November? December? timeframe, pretty chilly, with cold rain, sleet, etc.
We came to a stop light at on a one-way street crossing a major thoroughfare; there was a large dog, walking in the gutter, ignored by all who passed him. He looked forsaken & miserable, a sad, scruffy, unwanted dog. I jumped out of the back seat, & went up to him. Of course, the light changed at that moment, so my Dad had to MOVE the car - he circled the block & picked up the dog & me. Of course, my Dad was NOT pleased with me, for jumping out of the car, in an area I was unfamiliar with, where I stood out like a sore thumb.
We got the dog home - our German Shepherd, Mary II "adopted" him, teaching him where the food & water were, showing him around the property. I named him 'Ben'; even though I was never a big Michael Jackson fan, that was always one of my favorite songs of his - my sweet Ben decided that HE was solely responsible for alerting us to anyone on the property - he adored all of us, & my Dad even came to like him. We weren't able to keep him when we moved, so we took him to the shelter where hopefully, someone realized what a wonderful dog he was.
The picture above reminded me of the day we found Ben.
Ben
Songwriters: Scharf, Walter; Black, Don;
Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With my friend to call my own I'll never be alone
And you my friend will see, you've got a friend in me
Ben, you're always running here and there
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind and don't like what you find
There's something you should know, you've got a place to go
I used to say, "I", And "Me"
Now it's "Us", Now it's "We"
Ben, most people would turn you away
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again if they had a friend like Ben
Like Ben, like Ben
. You voted for Obama to prove you’re not a racist. Now, who are you going to vote for to prove you’re not an idiot?
Just about says it all, doesn't it?
UPDATE: Not to be an "Eeyore" {H/t HillBuzz}, but the following pretty well sums up my concerns with the lame duck session after 2 November .....................
The Scorpion and the Frog
One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.
Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"
"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.
"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"
Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"
"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"
"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.
"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"
So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.
Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.
"I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.
Self destruction - "Its my Nature", said the Scorpion...
Dunno 'bout the rest of y'all, but I CAN SEE Dems playing 6 kinds of hell, before they collectively pick up their marbles & go home - the PROBLEM is, until the new folks could get themselves organized, WE'D be stuck with whatever the old-timers choose to do .............................
SEASON'S GREETINGS
T'was the night before elections
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down
I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political clap-trap
When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out my window
Saw Obama and his boys
They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!
He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink
He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!
'On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi'
He screamed at the pairs!
They took off for his cause
And as they flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!
So I leave you to think
On this one final note—
IF YOU DON'T WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT AND VOTE !!!!
GOD BLESS AMERICA, OUR ONLY HOPE!
Thirty years ago, I was {I thought} one day away from giving birth in Philadelphia; 4 October {feast of St. Francis of Assisi} would've been GREAT - I'd been involved in humane work since I was 14, so my child being born on his feast day would've been icing on the cake ......................... she's STILL the icing on the cake, even though the stinker was born on 6 October, feast of St. Bruno, patron saint of the possessed ............................. she's having "issues" with the 'big 3-0' {it's a hereditary thing - I thought my life was OVER @ 30}- if you're so inclined to tell her it isn't ALL bad, please leave comments here - I will ensure she receives them, on her birthday - a neighbor does wonderful things with cakes/fondant, so the neighbor, a friend & I are going to surprise her at work with it - the cake will be chocolate cake with raspberry ganache, and rum-flavored cake with pina colada-flavored ganache ........................ done up with skulls, of course!! ;-)
I MISS the Northeastern part of the country, this time of year .................................
once ØbamaCare kicks in, here's some warning for all out there -
First of all, I will be 54 in December - I have served my country in the USMC, USNR, and federal civil service, for a total of 21 years. I'm not stupid; I HAVE the sense that God gave a goose, thank you very much, when it comes to my own healthcare decisions.
I have been diagnosed with ulcers since I was 11 years old {that's FORTY THREE YEARS for the mathematically-challenged}; I have gone the gamut from milk, Mylanta/Tums, Librax, Pepcid, Prevacid, AciPhex, Dexilant. The most recent change was to Dexilant {originally Kapidex}, about a year ago.
The FodGuy's company's health insurance changed twice in 6 months - from UniCare to BC/BS to Cigna - we've been with Cigna since June - NOW they are demanding a step back in treatment, ie., I have to go on a 'trial' of Prevacid's generic, because THEY don't have all my history, and are looking to cut costs. When I called, THEIR demand is I go BACK to the doctor {for $20.00} and discuss it with him - if HE affirms that Prevacid is NOT an option, THEN they will "approve" Dexilant.
This was ALL DONE WITHOUT *MY* BEING CONSULTED, which has me so angry, to quote my father, I could smoke a pickle. The absolute ARROGANCE that I don't have the right to have input on MY healthcare is outrageous - and I do NOT see ØbamaCare making this better - if anything, it will make things like this WORSE.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ UPDATE:
Called Cigna again, requested a supervisor - the young lady who answered was able to fix things so that I only need to call my doctor's office, and have THEM call Cigna & document that Dexilant is THE choice for me ..................... I was primed for bear, and I'm STILL angry that I was left out of this 'loop' - I WILL make the point with both our doctor's office and our pharmacy that, when it comes to decisions such as this, where MY body is involved, I will expect to be consulted ..........................
In keeping with the theme generated by the esteemed Curmudgeon Emeritus here, this humble blogster will add his own contribution to the refrain entitled “why didn’t I write that?”.
The following is an open letter to general David Petraeus published by Chuck Prime here.
To one and all: Please steal this and repost it!
OPEN LETTER TO GEN. PETRAEUS (Please re-post to anti-jihad sites)
“Were the actual burning to take place, the safety of our soldiers and civilians would be put in jeopardy and accomplishment of the mission would be made more difficult.”
– Gen. David Petraeus
General, I ask you this: what in hell is your “mission” if We The People jeopardize it by exercising our First Amendment rights in our own homeland? Is your “mission” to defend our rights against foreign enemies, or to defend foreign enemies against our rights?
You made your choice, and you justified by claiming that you and those under your command have been taken hostage by our 7th Century terrorist enemy, and that the ransom demand you deliver to us is that we submit to your captor’s restrictions on our natural and constitutional rights – or they’ll kill you.
I remind you and your captors that we do not negotiate with terrorists.
And I remind you that you are the most revered general in the present day, commanding in the most powerful military in all of history, during the most justifiable war in the last seventy years. So please either remember your priorities and slaughter your captors, or resign in disgrace so that we may replace you with a warrior. And if you resign, you should do so right along with President Obama, Gen. Caldwell, Pentagon Spokesman Lapan, Sec. of State Clinton, Atty. Gen. Holder, NATO Sec. Rasmussen and all others in all branches of government and in all alliances who echoed your request, whether they did so mindlessly or with surrender aforethought.
To have our own military leaders beg us to refrain from exercising our Constitutional rights on our own soil is completely un-American. And to have you make that request of us in the name of cowardice is a shocking and unthinkable perversion I still don’t have the words for.
But I do have the plan for it. We The People will force the issue right here and now. We don’t want harm to come to our military, but if peacefully exercising our rightful freedom on our own property here in our own homeland endangers you, then we will endanger you!
We will burn the Koran for freedom and post the videos for all the world to see. We can be overt or covert, named or anonymous, sparse or numerous – but ultimately we will be unstoppable, and eventually we will be effective.
We will do this because you have no f***ing right to sell our freedom down the river for the sake of our enemy’s sensitivity. We will do it because you more than have the power to defend yourselves against that enemy if only you would use it. We will do it because facing danger to defend our rightful freedom is why we pay you, train you, equip you, promote you, appoint you, deploy you, and – formerly! – revere you.
You work for us, General, not for our enemy. Therefore we will regain control over you and over this war from the command center of our own backyards. We will force you to end any of your appeasement and nation-building which would restrict our Constitutional rights. We will force you to defend yourselves and us, and to do the job you were appointed to do: destroy the enemy in defense of our freedom.
Our military has the power. We hired you to use it. Now we’ll make sure you do.
When Americans can burn our own copies of the Koran on our own soil without credible threats from jihadists or appeasement of those threats from our President and our Generals, then we will gladly stop burning them.
We are a free people, and although we clearly live in occupied territory psychologically, we do not yet live in occupied territory legally or physically. We will do as we please, and we will continue to expect all branches of our government to secure our right to do it.
I remind you that securing our rights is the only legitimate reason that governments are instituted among men in the first place, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
And not everybody among the governed consents to surrendering our rights to terrorists.
If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!!! Crusader Rabbit link
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS AT WAR WITH AMERICANS:
Posted on September 4, 2010 by KG
Is it time yet??
‘FEDS CONVICT TEXAN FOR SELLING A GUN TO ILLEGAL ALIEN WITH TEXAS DRIVER’S LICENSE
In Federal District Court on July 20, 2010, the ATF won a conviction from an Austin jury that defies logic and reason. In a trial before Federal Judge Sam Sparks, government lawyers conceded Texas resident Paul Copeland did not know his buyer was an illegal alien, but the jury they should convict him anyway because he “had reasonable cause to believe” he was selling to an illegal alien because the two men and a boy who were present at his table at the time of the sale: 1) were Hispanic, 2) spoke Spanish, and 3) wore cowboy clothing. And the jury did as asked. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Freel acted as lead prosecutor in the case.
The firearm transaction at issue occurred on January 16, 2010, at a gunshow at the North Austin Events Center, at 10601 N. Lamar Blvd., in Austin, Texas. Undercover ATF agents followed Mr. Huerta, his son, and another Hispanic male, Hipolito Aviles, around the “Texas Gunshow” that day, and claimed to observe Huerta’s transaction. Austin P.D. used Copeland’s case as the reason to close down the gunshow, leading to a protest by Austin residents in front of APD headquarters on January 25.
Mr. Copeland is a 56 year old Cedar Creek resident and Vietnam veteran who liked to buy, sell, and trade firearms as a hobby. On January 16, however, he had the misfortune to sell a handgun to Leonel Huerta Sr., who spoke both English and Spanish. Huerta Sr. negotiated his purchase from Copeland in English, showing Copeland his Texas Driver’s License. At Copeland’s trial Huerta admitted on the witness stand, that he is in the country illegally, (Huerta Sr. had previously admitted this fact to Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Leo Buentello). ATF Agent Shawn Kang claimed he saw Huerta later hand off the gun to Aviles. Despite these admissions, Huerta Sr. was never arrested, charged, or deported. Instead, his presence at the gunshow was used to entrap an American citizen into an unwitting violation of a federal gun control law. Huerta Sr., who is a resident of the City of Austin, appeared as a witness at the trial, admitted he was in the country illegally before federal prosecutors and a federal judge, yet he was allowed to leave the courtroom under his own power. To date Huerta Sr. has not been prosecuted for his purchase, possession, or disposition of the handgun he bought from Copeland, while Copeland is now a convicted felon.
“Instead of busting the illegal alien for buying, they bust the citizen for selling,” commented Paul Velte, attorney and founder of Peaceable Texans for Firearms Rights, a gun-owners rights advocacy group from Austin. Velte asked, “who was in a better position to know the buyer’s immigration status, the buyer or the seller?” He also said, “What happened to Paul Copeland should enrage all Americans. The Federal Government is using illegal aliens to entrap citizens lawfully exercising their right to sell firearms. The illegal alien walks free, but the citizen gets convicted. The same government charged with controlling immigration is the one using illegal immigrants to attack its own citizens. Does this make any sense? It makes no sense unless the purpose is to discourage attendance at gunshows and frighten citizens from selling their firearms to other citizens.”
Velte pointed out that “There is no way for a citizen to know who is here legally or not. In fact, under Austin’s ‘sanctuary city’ policy, not even the police officer at the door of the gunshow was allowed to ask a person’s immigration status, yet the average Texan inside the show is expected to assume that a person standing before them with a Texas driver’s license is in the country illegally just because they look Mexican and speak Spanish.” Velte noted that the federal government’s lawsuit against Arizona was based on that very type of conduct: Concluding someone could be here illegally based on their looks or their language. Velte said gun owners in his group are outraged, and they want to know:
1.. Why is the illegal alien who purchased the gun, Leonel Huerta Sr., still living in Austin?
2.. Why does he still have a Texas Driver’s license?
3.. Why is ATF using illegal aliens to set up and convict American citizens?
4.. What has he been promised for his cooperation?
5.. Why has he not been prosecuted? He committed three distinct crimes: he purchased a firearm knowing he was an illegal alien, he possessed the firearm, and he transferred the handgun to another illegal alien (Hippolito Aviles, who was convicted and given time served on June 30, 2010).
6.. Why has Huerta Sr. not been deported?
Judge Sparks sentenced Copeland on August 27 to six months confinement and 24 months of probation, and called Copeland “a liar” for not admitting guilt. ATF confiscated Copeland’s entire gun collection and initiated forfeiture proceedings. Copeland was also fired from his job due to the indictment, and he would have lost his home to foreclosure, if not for his family stepping in to pay his mortgage while he serves his sentence.’
} to socialize - found homes for all 3. 
