11/05 Morning Report

I do not often trump the Wednesday Hero post. Today, I thought it was appropriate, since we have a new Commander-in-Chief.

I have been super busy lately finishing college. I have been following the election process. I am proud to say that my children have been doing the same, asking some great questions, and learning a lot. I hope, if you have them, you have been doing the same with your children. They will be the ones who assume control and leadership of our nation when after us.

I will say that I am very glad a black man has been elected to the highest office in our nation. That is a huge milestone of change for America. I do, however, think there is too much being made of this issue by the media. They seem to be creating a new group of smoke and mirrors so people are kept from recognizing real issues.

I will also say that I disagree with his ideas. I do not believe that government is the savior of men. I do not believe that government should have the responsibility to say who should have what. I will also say that I intend, however often I can write it down, to continue to point fingers at the media for not doing their job. Bias allows many evils. The media has many liberal biases they need to deal with.

Barak Obama ran a good campaign. He didn’t really do anything more sneaky or behind the back than anyone else in politics. But the result is he becomes the new Commander-in-Chief. As such, I will pray for him, and support him with honor. I will not name-call. I will not slander. I will disagree, because that is my right and my responsibility. And, they are not just mine. We all have the same ones. I hope you all exercise your rights and responsibilities well.

11/5 Wednesday Hero - Cpt. Gussie M. Jones

Cpt. Gussie M. Jones
41 years old from Raleigh, Arkansas
31st Combat Support Hospital
March 07, 2004


Cpt. Gussie Jones was born in Arkansas and was one of eight children. She began her Army career by enlisting in 1988 as a personnel clerk and climbed to the rank of a sergeant.

In 1986, Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Arkansas Central University. She was selected to attend the Army Enlisted Commissioning Program and earned her second bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in 1998. It was in nursing.

Her career as a registered nurse and a commissioned officer began in September 1998 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. In 2002, after completing a course in critical-care nursing, she was assigned to Beaumont Army Medical Center, where she became a mentor.

"She was a very dedicated person and was always smiling, said a co-worker and friend, Capt. Susan Gilbert. If anyone asked her to do something, she would do it. And she was very kind and gentle and patient with the patients."

Cpt. Jones died of a heart attack while on duty in Baghdad, Iraq. During her 15 years of military services, Jones received a Joint Service Commendation medal, four Army Commendation medals and three Army Achievement medals.

"She was so much a part of their team, and so her death must really affect their morale," Gilbert said. "I'm very worried about the other soldiers because they've lost their battle buddy."

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

10/29 Wednesday Hero - SAS Soldier

Wednesday Hero was started to put a spotlight on the men and women of the United States military and the bravery their show day in and day out. But on a few occasions a service members of an allied nation has been profiled. Such is the case this week.

Despite being shot twice during an ambush in Afghanistan, an SAS (Special Air Service) soldier from Australia lashed himself to the front of his patrol vehicle so he wouldn't be left behind if he passed out from loss of blood and kept on fighting.

The Digger is expected to be recommended for a high level bravery award.

Suffering from serious upper body wounds, the soldier struggled on to the front of his SAS long range patrol vehicle (LRPV) and, under heavy fire, used a rope to attach himself firmly between the vehicle's bull bar and radiator.

Once he was secured, and there was no chance that he would fall off if he fainted, he picked up his rifle and resumed firing at the enemy during a two-hour fighting withdrawal.

SAS troops and their special forces comrades from the Commando Regiment are well aware of the slow and painful death that awaits them if they are captured by the Taliban.

The Digger, who cannot be identified, faded in and out of consciousness, emptying several magazines as volleys of enemy rounds and rocket propelled grenades, rained down around him.

He was finally evacuated from the battle field at high speed still lashed to the front of the LRPV.

A source told The Courier-Mail the Digger was now "up and about" and would recover fully from his serious gunshot wounds. His heroic deeds will be recognised when he is recommended for a high level bravery award.

Several others engaged in the do-or-die battle on September 2 are also in line for top honours.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

10/28 Morning Report

The Democrats are guilty of dishonest politics again. They are using misinformation to do it in Texas specifically. Let’s take the battle for Texas courts as an example.

In a campaign called “Fair and Balanced Court”, the liberal s are saying the Republicans are out of line, and side with the rich and corporate interests. The TV ad (see the YouTube video on the web site) includes something else. It says that the Supreme Court is supposed to weigh the evidence and rule accordingly. And, that is not true. All the appeals and Supreme Courts are supposed to do is rule on procedure. In other words, they look at what the lower court did and how it reached it’s decision. It does not rule on the evidence.

While the facts they state, that 82% of cases are overturned, are probably true…maybe that’s because of real errors in the lower courts. After all, that’s how these cases are supposed to be treated in the higher courts. Clearly the liberals are trying to bring increased legislation from the bench in courtrooms across America.


For the absolute record, I’m glad the FBI caught those murdering skinheads. They stepped way outside the boundaries of acceptability in political discourse. It is terrorism, nothing more. The role of American politics is to provide an arena to discuss our differences, and eventually unite behind the leadership chosen by the people. The role of people in American politics is to use discussion and debate, not guns, to reach consensus. Racism, therefore, is just another form of terrorism. None the less, Obama has played the race card repeatedly. And, the media lets him—but no one else—get away with it. The media has even gotten into the act of already blaming possible failure on race. The first possible issue raised by the BBC in their analysis was racial. Anyone making the same comments about an African-American gets crucified. There are plenty of quotes from Obama’s books to demonstrate it. He bluntly says, several times, in both books that he is anti-white. Why is this is not considered racist? But, the media has their “darling.” I would write more, but , Judith A. Klinghoffer did the job well enough I don’t have to.


One final comment on the incongruity of the media…How come they have comments and understanding of every voting group in America…except the Arab-American populations (Christian, Muslim, whatever)? Jonathan mark takes a look at that, and the vagaries of candidates on both sides as it relates to the subject. It’s worth reading.

10/24 Morning Report

Did you know that Obama considers children to be a punishment? While I agree there are situations children may not be an optimal situation to be in, they are NOT a punishment. Punishment is something you work to do away with and avoid. Small wonder that Roe v. Wade is such a water mark legal case. But, it really has defined how our society views children.

Couples, women specifically, are having children later in life--if at all. And, if you boil it all down, the reason is money and control. No children means more money for things, or savings, or whatever. No children means you get to decide what you do with your life, instead of having to meet the needs of another--physical, emotional, and spiritual.

And, men, we can blame women for this all we want to, but us guys are just as much to blame for allowing it, or worse encouraging it. As far as i am concerned, there is no greater joy than being around children--your own children--as they grow up. Passing that up is why Americans specifically, and westerners in general, have such a lousy concept of what a mother and father should really be.

We need to lose this perspective that children are a punishment. When leaders, taking ultimate authority in our nation, publicly declare children something to be avoided or to be done away with, what are my children supposed to learn from that? What are my daughters supposed to learn from that?

Why should someone who says those things about our children be elected to the highest office in the land? What does it say about us as a nation when the majority think this is a good outcome?

10/23 Morning Report

The media seems to be really convinced that Governor Sarah Palin is not qualified to be Vice-President. It is a common theme when the elections are being discussed—by the media. It wasn’t an issue among people. Just the media. Well, I have a question for the media. If the Governor of Alaska is not qualified to be Vice-president, what made the Governor of Arkansas qualified to be President? Or the Governor of Georgia? Apparently, it only matters when it involves conservatives.

(…but…there is certainly no bias in the media…no favoritism at all…)


Speaking of the media nitpicking Palin, there’s the story from Politico about her wardrobe. But, then again, there is this story in USA Today that picks apart Politico’s arguments.

(…sorry…forgot…no such thing as media bias…)


Meanwhile, the candidates have been spewing lots of new plans and ideas for saving the American economy. The Economist had some interesting thoughts on that. It seems that, for all his talk about McCain’s plans only benefitting the wealthy and those that don’t need it, Obama has slipped into the same pattern:

on October 13th the Democrat upped the ante. The priciest part of Mr Obama’s new two-year plan would be a $3,000 tax credit for each new employee a business hires, which presumably is likely to benefit a lot of companies that would be hiring anyway. Mr Obama also wants to allow everyone to withdraw up to $10,000 from their retirement accounts tax-free (as with the McCain version, not a good way to encourage saving), and he wants a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures. Such indiscriminate intervention in the mortgage market may be very nice for homeowners whose prospects are looking up, but it would do little in itself for those who can’t afford their mortgages in the first place.

Benefitting those that don’t need it…not helping those who have already been hurt and only assisting those who might later…sounds like the things McCain is being accused of by Obama. And, Obama’s plan to finance everything with taxes on the oil companies seem to be going into the toilet with the drop in crude prices.

(…I wonder where he will make up the money now…)


Meanwhile, India launched a moon mission!

The unmanned Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft blasted off smoothly from a launch pad in southern Andhra Pradesh to embark on a two-year mission of exploration.
The robotic probe will orbit the Moon, compiling a 3-D atlas of the lunar surface and mapping the distribution of elements and minerals.

The launch, clearly a step into the long expected commercialization of space, will leave whoever “wins” the White House in a difficult position. The US is India’s 3rd largest trading partner. But, what that means and how it will be handled remains to be seen. Will Obama, who hasn’t ever seem to have made a decision on his own without changing his mind actually make a decision and act on it? I bet the media portrays McCain as laying down the law that “we were there first”? One thing is certain: it will make for interesting politics.

10/17 Morning Report

I wish I gone with my the guts to say in yesterday’s post what I was thinking after the debate. As soon as I heard Joe the Plumber was outspoken against Obama and liberal policies and plans, I knew the media would be quick to find fault with him. I have to admit, I loved the way some commentators were just left flat footed and out of things to say when he said he was against redistribution of wealth. That was priceless. And, true to form, dig up the dirt they did. The sudden political darling was equally as suddenly a threat. So, the media went out and in less than 24 hours found all kinds of “dirt” on Joe.

Let’s see what we now know about Joe. He works as a plumber, though he is not licensed. But, even according to his boss he should have been, at some level. Interesting how you don’t hear the media screaming about that, though. We also know he owes some $1200 in back taxes, which means like most Americans he is financially strapped, and the state has attached a lien to his house—which is perfectly normal anytime someone falls behind in property taxes. They do it here in Texas, even if you file an appeal. Did anyone check to see if he has? Or worked out a payment plan for it? I don’t find those possible redeeming points in any media article I read.
(…I even had to work out a payment plan with the IRS once…does that make me less than acceptable to the media?...)

We also know he makes less than $250,000, making him exempt from Obama’s tax plan…huh…?

Yep. According to Ploitico, Joe current income was the point of the discussion during the debate. Once again, the media is out of touch…and changing the subject. The discussion was not about what Joe makes now. It was about what he would make after buying the company. Leave it to the media to change the entire focus of the issue so that the issue is no longer an issue. In fact, the article goes to great lengths to make McCain into a dolt for checking these facts a little more closely. The problem here is the media. I have yet to see why these points change the point of the issue: Obama’s plan hurts small business.

It’s just like the race issue. Wesley Pruden goes through the history of how the media twists everything in favor of Obama…and against his opponents…as it relates to race. Obama’s opponents are racist or racist leaning. Obama has not issues that need to be addressed. But, of course, conservative candidates are not eligible for the same treatment.

The media sets the political agenda. The media shape public opinion by only discussing things they want discussed…the way they want them discussed. This isn’t something new. It’s been used for hundreds of years. I wonder if more American’s will ever catch on…

10/16 Morning Report

My wife has been pretty much oblivious to politics the whole time I’ve known her…at least until this election, and the previous elections. I amazed at how fast she is picking up on things, though. We watched the final debate tonight. She was catching both of them in ridiculous statements.

Which brings me to the subject of this posting…the media. How did I make that very strange leap, you may ask. Simple…the MainStream Media did not pick up on half the number of things my wife did. And, then, they only really picked on things McCain did. The MSM even fabricated a few things against McCain. Not 10 minutes after the debate, we listened to CBS analysts say McCain brought out the subject of Ayers and ACORN. In fact, it was Obama, prompted by Sheaffer. (…my wife had a fit over that, by the way…even as a neophyte, she is very quickly recognizing the bias of the media…) And, in fact, Obama lied about that—in such a straightforward eloquent way that people love about him. Admittedly, the RNC is kind of biased over stuff like this, but at least they included more substantive information in their press release than Obama did on national TV.

What I found fascinating was that so many liberal analysts and media members were saying immediately after the debate that McCain won this debate, but had not done enough to change the voter’s minds about choosing Obama. And, yet, by the time Nightline came on, the media was unanimously saying something different: Obama was the winner. But, in fact McCain did win the debate. He directly answered the most questions. He kept Obama from leading with his own points by forcing him to follow up McCain. And, he got in several zingers, which Obama never did. Analysts were also saying the McCain spent more time talking about Joe the Plumber than anything else. Maybe so. But, prior to the debate, the analysts were all saying McCain rarely connected with the average person. saying the whole “Joe the Plumber” thing was really a useless issue, since Joe wouldn’t have any tax issues even if he bought the company. And, that is, as far as I have been able to determine, a lie. It would put his income over the $250,000 mark, subjecting his company to the new requirements, and therefore reducing his income.

But, there are other things I have against the media besides their obvious bias. They keep feeding Americans a political line that just is not true. For example, the media in is continually telling Americans that whoever is elected will have to solve the economic problems so Americans can borrow money for cars, homes, college, etc. That is an out right lie. This problem will not be solved in 4 years. It may be solved in 8 or ten years. Anyone who believes that the President alone can solve this, or should be held responsible for it, is crazy. As I wrote once before, this problem was created over the course of 20-30 years—minimum. Democrats and Republicans had a hand in creating it—in the White House AND in Congress. It will take Congress and the President, whoever that is, working together to even set a framework that might help the situation. Based on track records, I would vote for McCain on that one point alone. He has proven he’s willing to do that more than Obama has.

So, despite the lies of Obama, and the mainstream media, McCain won the debate. And, after a day or so of putting spin on everything in Obama’s favor, it’s probable many Americans might as well. But, the question remains: was it enough to turn voters? The MSM answer is a resounding “No.” My answer is, as long McCain shows his ability to fight as opposed to just looking like someone’s kind grandfather, I think the MSM, and the rest of Liberaldom, is in for a rude shock.

10/15 Wednesday Hero

Sgt. Anton J. Hiett
25 years old from Mount Airy, North Carolina
391st Engineer Battalion, Army Reserve
March 12, 2006


Misty Hiett, the widow of Sgt. Anton Hiett, said in an interview that he, Sgt. Hiett, asked to transfer to the 391st Engineering Battalion when it looked like his reserve unit would not be deployed.

Sgt. Hiett was a truck driver who joined the military right out of high school because he "wanted to go help out" during the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. After his transfer to the 391st, he was deployed to Afghanistan on April 22, 2005.

On March 12, 2006, Sgt. Hiett, and three fellow soldiers from the 391st, Staff Sgt. Joe Ray; Spc. Joshua Hill and Sgt. Kevin Akins, were killed when an IED detonated near their Humvee during combat operations west of Asadabad, Afghanistan. He left behind his wife and their then 2(now 4)-year-old daughter Kyra.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

10/09 Morning Report

Does anyone remember that 10 years ago, some experts were already predicting the financial crisis we are in today? A Fox News report shows that indeed they were. So why is everyone so suddenly surprised that it happened?

(…maybe the media ignored it rather than make people worry about their credit levels…that conservatives were saying needed to be paid down rather than built up…which might have caused economic decline due to less money being injected into the system through purchasing…hhhmmm…)


And, at least one journalist is saying the media itself has a share of the blame for the financial meltdown. According to Howard Kurtz’s column at the WashPo:

But while these [financial problems] were conveyed in incremental stories -- and a few whistle-blowing columns -- the business press never conveyed a real sense of alarm until institutions began to collapse.

Of course, I doubt the rest of the media will be so candid. It the same as saying Bush lied about the weapons of mass destruction, while forgetting or ignoring all the Democrats and foreign leaders who said the same thing.

(…I wonder if Kurtz gets to keep his job…hhhmmm…)


Speaking of Iraq, the media is pretty quick to only focus on the cost of the war. No one is mentioning the drop in casualties. No one is mentioning that the Bush agenda of waiting until the Iraqis were ready to govern themselves is finally going to be accomplished. No one is recognizing that several different methods attempted trying accomplish this. All the media seems to notice is that everything failed up till now. Yes, there is still violence, as evidenced by the killing of Shiite leader Saleh al-Ogayly. Evidence of the success of American efforts?

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed on Thursday to capture the assassins of an anti-American Shiite MP, the first lawmaker to be killed in 18 months, and ordered a top-level investigation.

(…wonder what kind of spin this gets in the anit-bush, anit-military, liberal American media…)

Wednesday Hero - Cpl. Lance M. Thompson

Cpl. Lance M. Thompson
21 years old from Upland, Indiana
2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
November 15, 2004


The father of Cpl. Lance Thompson said his son would be proud knowing he fought and died to help Iraqis vote in an election.

Cpl. Lance Thompson died in during fighting in Ramadi by a truck bomb. His father, Greg Thompson, said his son sent him a letter in September of '04 which said, "Freedom is not free. It requires sacrifice."

Greg Thompson said the millions turning out to vote in Iraq was "fantastic" and said it was a "momentous day in the Middle East."

"Are you asking me was it worth Lance losing his life?" he asked a reporter. "Being the gung-ho Marine that he was, he would say yes. So I'll say yes. That is a tough, bitter pill to swallow. It hurts. God, I didn't want to give up my son."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

10/08 Morning Rant

Let’s see if I have all of this straight…or at least mostly. The Democrats blame 8 years of failed policy under Bush for the economic crisis in America. The Republicans blame failure of Democratic oversight groups—like the committees in Congress chaired by Democrats—for not doing anything to derail a crisis. And both Presidential candidates take credit for having tried to do something about PART of the problem. McCain did scream about abuses at Freddie and Fannie…and Democrats in Congress (including Obama) who should have been overseeing did nothing. Obama, on the other hand, saw a problem with sub-prime mortgages…and screamed about it. And, Congress (including McCain) ignored it. The warning signs were there. Different people saw different signs. But NO ONE did anything. And, now, the two of them, along with the pundits, just want to point fingers and cast blame.

The truth is there are a lot of people in government at fault. First, removing the wrong regulations was a mistake. The mistake was made by both parties, though. Deregulation was sought by Democratic Congressmen during the Regan, Clinton, and Bush administrations. So the claim that this is the culmination of 8 years of Bush policies is kind of absurd.

Second, not holding legislators accountable for their jobs was, and still is, a mistake. Barney Frank, and other leading Congressmen and Senators, refusing to deal with things at Freddie and Fannie should have Congressional hearings going on. The government in general not properly applying rules and laws that could have protected the American people should be causing massive re-election bids on both sides of the aisles.

And the media…is silent on all of this…except for blaming Bush and letting the Democrats off the hook…and sharing mundane, empty “headline stories” like this one about Sarah Palin’s family tree--which apparently includes FDR and Princess Dianna. (…haven’t actually read it…just saw the headline…)

Meanwhile, tonight after the debates, I heard pundit after pundit whine about how neither candidate had any real plan for solving the financial mess. Of course they don’t. This is so big, and hit so quickly, despite the warnings for years that it was coming, that no one has a plan to deal with this. Even the best experts only have ideas on how to deal with various parts of it. Anyone who has finished high school…even those that haven’t…knows this thing is huge, and it will take time to solve it properly.

Politicians and the media are so worried about scaring people with the reality that our “I want it now” and “give me more credit” society has brought itself to. Get a grip. The American people need to know the truth. Not platitudes. Maybe it’s been so long since someone in Washington…or wherever (including the media)…has out right told the truth no one remembers how. Maybe it’s time they started.

10/05 Morning Report

I haven’t done a “sermonette” in a long time. But, I was thinking on the way home from work about something, and thought I would share it.

“Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James 2:13.

(…the whole verse by the way reads, “because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”…)

Wouldn’t we all like that to be applied to us? Well, whether anyone applies it to you or me, we should be applying it to others. The cycle of accusation and blame only breaks when we chose not to pass it on to others. This is a choice we must make in our private life as well as our public life. That, by the way, is one reason there is no such thing as “private religion.”

But, let’s take that Biblical principle a bit further. What about applying it in politics? There is nothing wrong with recognizing wrong doing. And, there are always consequences to our actions. But, if all we do is point fingers and find fault, when will there be any reconciling? When will there be any healing of wounds?

We need to be asking ourselves if we are judging others without mercy. If we are, what are we doing to change that?

Food for thought.


On the subject of mercy, Any Soldier reported the following:

Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr., 29, of Mount Pleasant, S.C. died Sept. 29 in Yakhchal, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during mounted operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Well, Captain Cliff, at our house we remember your cry—the cry of all warriors:

"Tell them of us and say,
For their tomorrow, we gave our today."
--The Kohima Epitaph--

We remember what you have given. And we say thank you for the tomorrows you have given others. May God give back to your family more than they have sacrificed and lost.

And, now, we dance In Memoriam.

10/03 Morning Report

It could have been any country that started the financial crisis cascade, as an article at The Economist indicates. Unfortunately for America, it wasn’t another country. The crisis exists in America, and is affecting other countries as the waves of illiquidity spiral out. . The governments of several nations have already stepped in to bail out their banking industry.

Step forward, Peer Steinbrück, Germany’s finance minister, who rashly declared on September 25th that America was “the source…and the focus of the crisis”, before heralding the end of its role as the financial superpower. Within days, the focus shifted and Mr Steinbrück and his officials were obliged to arrange a €35 billion ($51 billion) loan from German banks and the German government to save Hypo Real Estate, the country’s second-biggest property lender.

I talked a couple days ago about how debt obligations are bought, sold, repackaged, and so on. Well, the painful truth is that debt obligations are traded on a global scale. That fact will drive the US government to do a bailout/loan package. It is a foregone reality because of the international realities involved.


Meanwhile, we have the Hot Topics of the elections. Iraq: US combat deaths down 86% from a year ago. Strange we did not hear about that in the Vice-presidential debate, considering how much they talked about Iraq. But, then again, inspite of Tom Brokaw’s statement ON CAMERA that “The Democrats are lucky there is only one Vice-presidential debate,” the NY Times claims the GOP merely survived a test. All things considered equal, I think Sen. Biden did a better job in the closing statements than Gov. Palin. But, over all, the fact that she could go step for step with him is telling of the ability of the McCain/Palin ticket. I suspect that if they can create distance between themselves and the Bush administration, the GOP just might be able to hold the Whitehouse this election.

10/01 Wednesday Hero - SSgt. Renee A. Deville

This Week's Post Was Suggested And Written By Kathi

SSgt. Renee A. Deville
44 years old from Webster New York
401st Civil Affairs Battalion
September 1, 2008


SSGT Renee A. Deville was an Army Reservist who deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion from Webster, N.Y. She arrived at Walter Reed August 10, 2006, after being injured in a mortar attack.

While at Walter Reed, Deville was assigned to Chosen Battery, Warrior Transition Brigade, and was among three graduates of the Army's first Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course Stand Alone Common Core offered to Warriors in Transition.

Deville, who successfully completed every aspect of the course from a wheelchair, was lauded by SGT Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston as exemplifying the Army's 'Warrior Ethos', at the graduation ceremony for the course on March 28, 2008.

Deville was also the impetus for a new playground being built behind the Mologne House at Walter Reed in 2007.

An October 2007 Washington Post article about the opening of the playground says that SSGT Deville's mention of her children's limited recreational options to Col. Bruce Haselden, the garrison commander, helped set in motion the playground project.

Staff Sgt. Renee Antoinette Deville died September 1, 2008 in her room at the Mologne House at Walter Reed. She was 44.

She is survived by her husband and 4 children, her mother, a brother, and two sisters.

SSGT Deville was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery on September 19, 2008.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

09/30 Morning Report

Deregulation and greed go across party lines. Before we blame it all on Bush, it’s important to remember that some of the deregulation occurred during the Reagan years, with Democratic controlled Congresses. But, deregulation is not the only issue involved here. think of the debt that's caused all of this...real estate and other kinds of debt, like credit cards. I think most of us realize how spread out the debt risk of those mortgages is. But, that isn't the only debt bought and sold and repackaged in the economic system today.

Let’s start with a brief overview of the money multiplier effect. Banks are required to keep a certain percentage of every deposit at the Federal Reserve. So, assuming that to be 10%, if someone deposits $100, the bank puts $10 at the federal reserve, and loans the rest. Assume that $90 is deposited somewhere. The fed gets $9, and the rest is loaned out. And so on, and so on. In the end, you have something like $100 at the fed, and thousands of dollars of debt held by a large group of people. In other words, according to this viewpoint, our economy is based on debt creation. Most companies buy and sell debt in order to increase returns or immediate cash flow. Many times Company A will sell their receivables for a discount in order to have cash now, instead of say 3 months from now. This keeps factories going, workers employed, etc. However, without that debt, we would not have the standard of living or economic growth we have today--worldwide.

Now, let's carry the example a bit further. Let's just look at mortgages. If I buy a house (which we just did), the mortgage company is probably going to sell that loan to someone for a discounted rate in order to have cash to make another loan. The other firm probably borrowed or leveraged that deal by using some type of debt. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, for example, bought a lot of that debt. They, and many other lenders, then repackaged it as various types of bonds and notes, selling that to use the money to buy up more mortgages and so on. Companies bought those, and used the interest to pay their own debts. When people could no longer pay those fancy mortgages developed to get more people to buy houses and put more money into the economy, things started to unwind. As you can see, following the line of reasoning behind this particular viewpoint, the dark cloud we are under suddenly looks a lot worse.

Now, back to the point about deregulation being the cause. I agree that deregulation was involved, as was human greed. But, was it the main culprit? There has always been a measure of sub-prime debt. But, banks and lenders always tried to minimize that debt amount. The amount of sub-prime lending actually took off during the Clinton years. And, that happened under the banner of stopping racially based lending (so-called "red lining")--which needed to be stopped. But, to finance the increased borrowing, or more accurately compensate for the increased risk, banks needed to find a way to get money back...and that's what lead to the increase of derivative debt instruments behind so many problems today. Now, before anyone rants about blaming Clinton, here are some sources on these claims:

The Law & Economics of Subprime Lending
Boston Globe article: Subprime Lending Misconceptions
Investors Business Daily aarticle: The Real Culprits In This Meltdown
Investor’s.com Editorial: Whose Bailout Is It?

Whether the solution is a government bailout, with payback requirements as there were for Chrysler, or not something must be done. Many people have pointed out it isn't just the Republicans and the Bush administration who did this. This is the cumulative effect of many years and administrations--from both parties. The finger pointing and politicking has to stop before America bleeds to death economically.

09/25 Morning Report

Does anyone besides me have some questions for Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.? I do. Does he really want family life to be fair game for campaign discussion? Why don’t we discuss his involvement with executives at Fannie mae! Or at least their campaign contributions. Now, admittedly, the romantic involvement ended 10 years ago. But, even in those years, Frank was on the House Banking Committee.

I brought up yesterday, the Clinton years saw the Justice Department forcing banks to make loans to those who did not qualify. Granted, it was part of an effort to end the disgusting practice of “redlining.” But, this pressure definitely expanded the risks and number of sub-prime loans—all in the name of anti-discrimination. Even, Barney Frank got into the act:

In 1991, Frank and former Rep. Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., lobbied for Fannie to soften rules on multi-family home mortgages although those dwellings showed a default rate twice that of single-family homes, according to the Nov. 22, 1991, Boston Globe.

BusinessWeek reported in its Nov. 14, 1994, issue that Fannie Mae called on Frank to exert his influence against a Housing & Urban Development proposal that would force the GSE to focus on minority and low-income buyers and police bias by lenders regardless of their location. Fannie Mae opposed HUD on the issue because it claimed doing so would “ignore the urban middle class.

Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, AIG and others for possible fraud. Now, fraud for having mislead investors and doctoring the books I could understand, though I think that is more properly the role of the SEC. But, according to the media:

The FBI has been looking at lenders who sold home loans to buyers on low or unpredictable incomes and also the investment banks that packaged these loans and sold them on.

. Forgive me…but…isn’t that what Clinton and Barney Frank were pushing for, along with Ted Kennedy apparently?


Should we be surprised that the Democrats overlook their own part in this drama? Probably not. Republicans have been known to do it, too. But, we the people shouldn’t let either group get away with it. Or allow the media to ignore the facts. While the Democrats are making so much hay about how Bush and the Republicans got us into this mess, maybe they should be looking in their own closets.

(…but…then again…given the bias…I’m not holding my breath waiting for the media to come down on their darling Democrats…)

Wednesday Hero - Yeoman 3rd Class Margret Ueberlauer

Click Image For Full SizeYeoman 3rd Class Margret Ueberlauer


Yeoman 3rd Class Margret Ueberlauer hands out toys to HIV infected children during a community relations project at the Camillian Center in Pattaya, Thailand. The USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

09/23 Morning Report

Our two Presidential candidates are out and about casting blame for the financial meltdown—and both proclaiming the bailout necessary. No surprise that Obama is blaming Republican policies. McCain blames human greed. I tend to agree with McCain. Let’s face it…all these companies that signed massive contracts with CEOs without requiring performance guarantees is insane. That is not the fault of government. That is simple human greed and stupidity.

But, there was an article Monday over at CNSNews that startled me. The article relies quotes Sheldon Richman, editor of The Freeman and an economist with the Foundation for Economic Education, who believes that government intervention is to blame for our problems. Among other things, Richman said:

…government policy laid the foundation of this crisis more than 30 years ago when Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. This law forced banks to loan money to low-income borrowers as a way to ensure that financial institutions would “meet the credit needs of the local community.”

Under the Clinton administration, federal regulators began using the act to combat “red-lining,” a practice by which banks loaned money to some communities but not to others, based on economic status. “No loan is exempt, no bank is immune,” warned then-Attorney General Janet Reno. “For those who thumb their nose at us, I promise vigorous enforcement.”

The Clinton-Reno threat of “vigorous enforcement” pushed banks to make the now infamous loans that many blame for the current meltdown, Richman said. “Banks, in order to not get in trouble with the regulators, had to make loans to people who shouldn’t have been getting mortgage loans.”

And that is definitely food for thought. That is definitely information you won’t hear shared by the mainstream media, or Barak Obama. And, what you won’t hear either candidate doing is making the same conclusion that Richman reaches:

What this financial crisis really shows, Richman said, is that politicians “don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t understand economics. They think there are no laws of economics, that they can decree whatever they want and that there won’t be consequences.”

(…it’s an interesting article. go read it, and check his claims, too…)

09/12 Morning Report

It may be late, but it is always time to remember those who have fallen.


You can read my thoughts on that awful day at “Where Were You.” It’s a couple of years old, but the sentiment, the hurt, and the final question still remain. I’m still trying to answer it. How about you?

Meanwhile, politics had a dead day yesterday, as the candidates agreed to shelve everything in honor of 911. That is a rare and awesome thing, to have both parties lay down their bitter disagreements and stand together for anything. It reinforces the adage that we might fight amonst ourselves, but that’s just a family squabble. Don’t you get involved or we will both kick your @$#. Nice to know some things don’t really change much.

In one piece of good news, Saudi police arrested five men who were using the internet to recruit for al Qaeda.”

The five men are accused of encouraging people to take up arms in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Traditional security measures have led to the arrest of hundreds of al-Qaeda suspects over the last seven years.

(…interesting that it makes no claim on what non-traditional security measures have done…other than an implied innuendo…)


Meanwhile, General Petraeus is dinged by the BBC for refusing to declare victory in Iraq.. They did say all the right things, though—there is a long difficult road ahead, the surge was a success, that Iraqi forces were standing up and taking control. But, they mostly said using the word “not”--“He did not say…He did not confirm…he resued to say…, etc. Too bad it’s such a negative article on someone who has done something very successfully that the entire left wing establishment claimed was impossible.


And, here at home, Hurricane Ike is headed for the Texas coast. And, like always, some stubborn folks are refusing to get out of the way. I understand the sentiment. Some have no where to go. Some see no reason to go, in case they have to start all over. But, I think life is a reason to go. It speaks of hope. And that’s the thing that has kept this country alive in some very dark hours and trying times.

(…personally, I’m worried that too many in our country have lost hope and that will make way for other, darker things…)

09_10 Wednesday Hero SSgt. Andy Pena

SSgt. Andy Pena



Staff Sgt. Andy Pena performs in-flight calibrations on a HH-60 Pave Low while flying Sept. 3 over Ellington Field, Texas. He and members of the 55th Rescue Squadron deployed from Davis-Mothan Air Force Base, Ariz., to Ellington Field in response to Hurricane Gustav with less than 24 hours after notification. Sergeant Pena is an aerial gunner.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

09/09 Morning Report

Well, Obama’s positions are pretty clear. If you’ve had doubts, or confusion on some points, you can go read Biil O’Reilly’s article in full. Here are a couple of excerpts…

As far as philosophy goes, Obama is convinced that the federal government should be in control of income distribution and, to some extent, should regulate the free marketplace. That is a classic liberal position and he promotes it well.

In other words, I don’t get to say what my money buys or who gets to spend it…the government does. I may not be quite that blunt and hard lined, but that is what it boils down to.

The senator also believes that poor Americans have a basic right to free health care and monetary supplements from the government with no strings attached. The American substance abuser, for example, would derive the same benefits as would a hard-working, laid-off worker.

Now, do not get me wrong. I think everyone in hard times needs help. That is supposed to be a basic tenent of most religions, though many religious (Christian and non-Christian, by the way) tend to practice it only towards those in their particular religious group as opposed to all men. But, here is my beef…why should those who abuse the system, and break the law, get that kind of treatment? It’s a lot like illegal immigration. If we make everyone provide proof of citizenship, how is that discriminatory towards any group?

(…but liberalism is what it is…and it does not make sense to me very often…)

Meanwhile, one USA Today article said that Republicnas got a HUGE lift from the convention (,,,duh…)

McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican's biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points.

Meanwhile, one USA Today article said that Republicnas got a HUGE lift from the convention (,,,duh…)

McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican's biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points.

In another article, a so-called “fact-check” on “the Bridge to no where”, the same news agency points out that:

As a candidate for governor, however, Palin supported the bridge.
"We need to come to the defense of southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table, like the bridge, and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative," Palin said in August 2006, according to the Ketchikan Daily News.

Here’s my problem with these things. Liberal candidates are allowed and regularly reported to have done similar things, and changed their minds later. This is considered admirable. Obama has even done on issues involving Iraq, which the media thinks nothing of. So why is this any different?
(…maybe it relates to…say…liberals being behind in the polls?...oh I forgot…there is no such thing as media bias…how silly of me…)

9/04 Morning Report

I've been gone for a while. It's been really busy around our home. We now have two teenagers here. We are buying a house. I'm still trying to make it through college. And...I made the mistake of taking up online gaming...oh boy!

Anyway, I thought I would weigh in with a quick comment (someone else's) on the McCain/Palin thing...



Enough said.

06/25 Wednesday Hero - SSgt. Jude Voss

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested by Mary Ann

Staff Sgt. Jude Voss
1st Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group (Airborne)


His courage illustrates a combat truth to these veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam: Soldiers arenʼt thinking about glory or ideals in the midst of a battle. They fight for the men to the left and right of them.

And that's just what SSgt. Jude Voss did in September of 2006 when, without consideration to his safety, SSgt. Voss ran through enemy fire and the burning, smoking debris of a truck to rescue Sgt. 1st Class Greg Stube. Sgt. Stube was in a bad way. Uniform burning and legs busted, but because of the actions of SSgt. Voss he is alive today.

Because of his actions that day, SSgt. Voss was nominated for and received the Silver Star Medal for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action. "I did what everybody out there would do" Voss said. "I was just the closest guy."

You can read SSgt. Voss's story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

6/4 Wednesday Hero - Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam F. Kenney

Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam F. Kenney


Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam F. Kinney, a Navy Corpsman with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, gives an Iraqi Child a shot during a routine patrol. Kinney is assigned to Echo Co. for their seven-month deployment and will return to his parent command, 4th Tank Battalion in Fort Knox, Ky., upon his arrival.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

05_21 Wednesday Heroes Sgt Ronnie Shelley and Sgt John F Thomas

Sgt. John F. Thomas(Right) & Sgt. Ronnie L. Shelley, Sr.(Left)
33 & 34 years old from Valdosta, Georgia
2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard
July 24, 2005 & July 30, 2005


Sgt. Ronnie "Rod" Shelley and Sgt. John F. Thomas became best friends in the Georgia Army National Guard.

They both were ex-Marines, both about the same age, and both enjoyed searching for arrowheads and fishing together. As their friendship grew, Thomas often came over to Shelley’s house for steaks and ribs barbecued by his friend. And when their infantry unit was sent to Iraq in May of 2005, they went to war together.

When their unit was mobilized for combat duty in Iraq, Shelley promised to watch out for Thomas. "Ronnie said, 'Don't you worry, I'll bring him back safely,"' said Thomas' grandfather. But neither Sgt. Thomas or Sgt. Shelley made it back safely. Sgt. Thomas was killed July 24, 2005 by a roadside bomb near Baghdad. And Sgt. Shelley was killed six days later on July 30 by another roadside bomb, also near Baghdad.

Shelley was a family man, married with three children, who was obsessed with having a neat yard, his wife said. "The grass had to be two inches," she said. "If the neighbor mowed the grass, Rod had to mow. He also wanted the biggest, baddest lawn mower."

She said she fell in love with his "gorgeous blue ... eyes," and "he had a laid back attitude. I could not make him mad."

Thomas was married but had no children. His grandparents said he dreamed of becoming a forest ranger. "John wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. Now the only trail he can walk is the trail in heaven," the grandfather said.

Mrs. Thomas, wiping back tears, said the soldier felt responsible for the others in his unit. "He cared for people," she said. "That's why he had so many friends. People cared for him."

Killed alongside Sgt. Shelley were Staff Sgt. David R. Jones Sr., Sgt. 1st Class Victor A. Anderson and Sgt. Jonathon C. Haggin and killed alongside Sgt. Thomas were Army Spc. Jacques E. Brunson, Army Staff Sgt. Carl R. Fuller and Army Sgt. James O. Kinlow.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

05/16 Morning Report

Isn’t it interesting that, in a time of Federal budget deficits, and cries from the Left to cut back on Corporate welfare, that Democrats are more infaovr of the latest farm sudsidy bill to come out of Congress?

More than half the subsidies paid out from 2003 to 2005 went to 19 of the 435 congressional districts, according to the non-partisan Environmental Working Group, an opponent of the bill.

The bill almost exclusively sends money to the big agribusinesses, and does not help the individual farmer much—not that there are that many of them left anymore anway. And, just where…exactly…do the candidates stand on all this?

… McCain went to Iowa, the heart of farm country, this month to announce his opposition to the bill. On Thursday, he called it "a bloated piece of legislation that will do more harm than good for most farmers and consumers."
Obama came out in favor of the farm bill Thursday after failing to vote on a previous version when it passed in November.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's Democratic opponent, has supported the farm bill without reservation.

Imagine such a thing…the left in favor of MORE corporate welfare? What will they have left to blame Republicans and Conservatives for if this keeps up?

5/14 Wednesday Hero - Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Davila

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Cindy

Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Davila
From Sierra Vista, Arizona


On the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the United States, Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Davila raised an American flag over Camp Korean Village, Iraq, he brought with him from Arizona.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Sierra Vista firefighter and emergency medical technician Chris Davila presented that flag to Fire Chief Randy Redmond as fellow firefighters looked on. Monday, May 5, 2008, was Davila’s first day back on the job with the department after being gone for nearly nine months, with seven of those months deployed as a Navy Reserve corpsman serving with a Marine unit near the Jordanian and Syrian border area in Iraq.

And, as luck would have it, on his first shift saw him responding to a blaze in Sierra Vista. "Right back to work," he said with a laugh.

You can read the rest of PO 2nd Class Davila's story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

5/9 Morning Report

Imagine such a thing! Hezbollah getting upset because it doesn’t like government rules? Well, that’s what it amounts to, anyway. Unfortunately, with as much power, if not more so, as the government itself wields, Hezbollah can get away with a lot. And, with their usual rhetoric, they say it is all because the US and Israel are trying to control them.

"The (government) decisions are tantamount to a declaration of war and the start of a war... on behalf of the United States and Israel," he [Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah] charged during a rare press conference.

Of course!…it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with maintaining civil order… how silly of the world to think that could be the case. I loved the comment from the US State Department:

"Hezbollah needs to make a choice: Be a terrorist organisation or be a political party, but quit trying to be both," said US national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.

Hezbollah has been very successful ,just like Yassir Arafat and the PLO, at making it look like everything is political—while terrorizing any dissenters, and neighboring nations. Of course, the UN is calling for calm, and not getting involved—as usual. I wonder what country will have a bunch of soldiers killed on a peace keeping mission this time. I also wonder if that would change the way the UN handles situations like this.

(…Darfur…Bosnia…Kosovo…Lebanon…has the methodology changed?…or ever really worked?...long term?...)

5/8 Morning Report

Democrats are at it again. In another move to strengthen the hold of government over people, the Democrats are proposing a way for the Federal government to ultimately own property—personal property—and control the rights to it. Don’t believe me? Then check out their latest idea for bailing out the home mortgage market.

The centerpiece of their plan is a bill by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the House Financial Services Committee chairman, to have the Federal Housing Administration relax its standards and back up to $300 billion in more affordable, fixed-rate loans for borrowers currently too financially strapped to qualify.

Instead of bailing out the home owners, they are proposing another way to bail out the banks, without making it look like it. And, according to estimates, this nearly $3 billion bailout will only help 500,000 home owners. The hidden translation, though, is that if anyone defaults again the Federal Government owns the homes, because they financed them to pay off the banks.

(…isn’t that a comforting thought…bailing out the banks…letting the investors off the hook…and getting control of housing…yep…sounds absolutely like the Democrat agenda to leave government in charge…)

05/07 Wednesday Heroes - CSM Robert Prosser & LTC Erik Kurilla

CSM Robert Prosser and LTC Erik Kurilla
1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment (Deuce Four)


LTC. Erik Kurilla and CSM. Robert Prosser's story is an amazing one. One that Michael Yon has told far better than I ever could. Warning. The site contains very graphic images. Some may want to turn off images before viewing.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

5/1 Morning Report

There has been a lot of press lately…mostly liberal, of course…denouncing all the stuff on the internet about Obama being Muslim. And, remember, Obama boldly proclaimed that “I am a Christian. I have always been a Christian.” Well, it seems there is a lot of public information that contradicts that. Daniel Pipes April 29, 2008 article on Barack Obama's Muslim Childhood details it very nicely.

Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press reports that "documents showed he enrolled as a Muslim" while at a Catholic school during first through third grades. Kim Barker of the Chicago Tribune confirms that Obama was "listed as a Muslim on the registration form for the Catholic school."

But, even without all that, there are a couple of obvious telltale clues. After all, only Muslims name their children Hussein.

Now, to be fair, Islamic faith does not and should not disqualify him, or anyone else, from holding the office of President of the United States—or any other public office. LYING in order to cover up his Islamic faith and deceive the American people about who he really is should absolutely disqualify him.

4/30 Wednesday Hero - L/Cpl. Matt Croucher

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Mary Ann

Wednesday Hero was started to put a face to the men and women of the American Armed Forces and what they do for us. Vary rarely has there been a member of a foreign military profiled. In fact, in the two years Wednesday Hero's been going on it's only been done once before. Here's the second.

Lance Corporal Matt Croucher
24 years old from Birmingham, England
40 Commando Royal Marines


L/Cpl Matt Croucher is not only one of the bravest men alive, he's also one of the luckiest men alive. On the morning of February 9, 2008 L/Cpl. and his unit were searching a compound near Sangin in Afghanistan that was suspected of being used to make bombs to be used in attacks on British and Afghan troops. Walking in the darkness among a group of four men, Croucher stepped into a tripwire that pulled the pin from a boobytrap grenade. His patrol commander, Corporal Adam Lesley, remembered Croucher shouting "Grenade!"

As others dived for cover, Croucher did something nobody expected. He lay down on the grenade to smother the blast. Lesley got on the ground, another man got behind a wall, but the last member of the patrol was still standing in the open when the grenade went off.

"My reaction was, 'My God this can't be real'," said Lesley. "Croucher had simply lain back and used his day sack to blunt the force of the explosion. You would expect nine out of 10 people to die in that situation." L/Cpl. Croucher was that 1/10. Not only did he survive, amazingly he only suffered shock from the blast and a bloody nose. He was saved by the special plating inside his Osprey body armor. The backpack he was wearing was thrown more than 30ft by the blast.

"I felt one of the lads giving me a top to toe check. My head was ringing. Blood was streaming from my nose. It took 30 seconds before I realized I was definitely not dead," said L/Cpl. Croucher.

For his actions that day, L/Cpl. Croucher was in line for the Victoria Cross, the highest award for a British Serviceman, but it has yet to be awarded.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

4/29 Morning Report

I have been on hiatus for a bit. Taking classes on-line, going through tax season in the financials industry, and raising a family. It makes January through mid-April, or so, too full to write. I was posting for ideas on a book idea over at the forums of Any Soldier. That’s been on hold, too. So have several projects I had in mind to do here…like a new layout (…this one is getting old and needs a makeover…)

Jumping back into things…

The media would have us believe that Indiana’s Voter ID laws are too restrictive and discriminatory. According to MSNCB…

In a splintered 6-3 ruling, the court upheld Indiana's strict photo ID requirement, which Democrats and civil rights groups said would deter poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots.

Even my 12 year old son recognizes that 6-3 is a clear majority! (…oh…I forgot…there is no such thing as media bias…)

It takes getting all the way through the article, clearly slanted in favor of opponents to ID requirements, to find out just how strict and discriminatory the law really is…

Indiana provides IDs free of charge to the poor and allows voters who lack photo ID to cast a provisional ballot and then show up within 10 days at their county courthouse to produce identification or otherwise attest to their identity.

That same 12 year old then asked me how much this cost the government and why the money wasn’t used to help people?

(…it’s kind of scary that 12 year olds seem to be smarter than so many liberals…)

Wednesday Hero - Cpl. Markbradley Vincze

Click To Enlarge


Cpl. Markbradley Vincze gives students from al-Raqhaa School backpacks in the Monsouri area of Iraq. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1-76th FA, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., delivered backpacks, soccer balls and notebooks.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

04/09 Wednesday Hero: Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael T. Williams

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael T. Williams
(Click Image For Full Size)


Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael T. Williams, a kennel master with Task Force Military Police, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, and his dog "Kitt", search for ordnance and firearms during a route reconnaissance operation through the western Anbar province of Iraq April 1. The dog handlers conduct operations in support of 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion to bring peace and stability to Iraq and its people.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

4/2 Wednesday Hero - Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Mary Ann

Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine
Company C, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor


"How can I say to my sons, stand up for something, fight for what you think is right, if I don't do anything myself?"

The Jeffrey Jamaleldine that you speak to today is a complete 180 from the Jeffrey Jamaleldine that you would have spoke to in the past. In 1991, Jamaleldin was living in Germany when joined in anti-American protests on Berlin's Kurfürstendamm boulevard during Operation Desert Storm. "That was the way it was back then," he says. He was 15 and "America was simply the enemy." And today, Jeffery Jamaleldine is a wounded veteran of the U.S. Army. On June 6, 2005, after the terror bombing in Madrid, Spain, in the middle of the Iraq war, he showed up at the U.S. Army recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, to enlist. His father, Bashir, told him at the time: "Son, this won't be a picnic."

On June 30, Jamaleldine was on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. The patrol ahead of him had been ambushed by at least 70 combatants and were now under fire. During the fight, Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine was hit in the face by a bullet. In the end, the battle lasted into the next morning and the soldiers were able to stop the enemy from returning to Ramadi.

The article on Spc. Jeffrey Jamaleldine is five pages long, and I simply can not condense it down to only a few paragraphs. You can read the entire story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

03/26 Wednesday Heroes: Soldier Angels Living Legends team

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested by Kathi

Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team
May No Soldier Go Unloved

Living Legends began in May 2005 with a very small team of seven dedicated angels. The team's mission was to let the families and friends of fallen heroes know that we were here to support them and to honor their loved one. At the same time, they had to make sure that they were sensitive to what the family was going through. While this team has grown tremendously, they have worked very hard to maintain that same level of dedication and sensitivity. This team is staffed with trained volunteers who carry out a very difficult mission for Soldiers' Angels. Due to their dedication, Soldiers' Angels is able to honor those heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and to pay their respects and offer their deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones grieving the painful loss of their son or daughter; husband or wife; brother or sister; mom or dad; aunt or uncle; their friend.

For more information on the Soldiers' Angels Living Legends Team, you can visit their site.

TSometimes a hero is one who sacrifices everything in their life to help others. And sometimes a hero is one who sacrifices nothing more than their time.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

03/12 Wednesday Hero - Sgt. Steve Morin, Jr.

Sgt. Steve Morin Jr.
34 years old from Arlington, Texas
111th Engineer Battalion, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard
September 28, 2005


From the time he finished high school, Sgt. Steve Morin Jr. made serving in the military his career.

"He always stood up for what he thought was right," Gwendolyn Michelle Morin, his wife, said. "He was a fighter. He would never give up." "He had called me to let me know what he was going to do that day," she said. He expected to be able to call her more often because of the missions he was being assigned. Sometimes they would go 11 or 12 days between calls.

Morin enlisted in the Navy after graduating high school in his hometown of Brownfield, Texas at 17. By 34, Morin had devoted 14 years to the Navy, served in the National Guard for two and planned to attend Officers Candidate School. Morin was still in the Navy when he met his wife. At the time, the two were working for a photo company; he was Santa Claus and she was an elf, she said. Both were attending Texas Tech University. "It was funny because we always kept running into each other. He would hang outside my classes and wait for me with a Diet Coke," recalled Gwendolyn. "He knew how to make me really happy."

Sgt. Morin died when an IED went off, overturning the vehicle he was riding in near Umm Qasr, Iraq.

"He's very strong willed, very determined. Humorous, a clown, but he was also very disciplined and very passionate about what he believed in," Gwendolyn Morin said. "He always wanted to serve his country."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

3/5 Wednesday Hero: Chief Warrant Officer Mark O'Steen

Pictured Left to Right
Chief Warrant Officer Mark O'Steen, 43 years old from Ozark, Alabama
Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Gibbons, 31 years old from Prince Frederick, Maryland
Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Kisling Jr., 31 years old from Neosho, Missouri
SSgt. Gregory M. Frampton, 37 years old from Fresno, California

1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regimen
January 30, 2003


"They succeeded where lesser men failed," said Chaplain Robert Glazener. "They proved themselves in ways that men out there who never served, never volunteered, never sacrificed, would never understand. They sought neither glory nor special recognition, but they gained both by their actions. They are the true American heroes today and deserve more honor than we can humbly bestow on them."

The helicopter carrying the men went down seven miles east of the Bagram Air Base while on a training mission.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.