Getting Your Just(ice) Rewards

You know, Eminent Domain is a REAL sore spot for me. I'm sick and tired of businesses convincing city council that their revenue is more important than the citizens. It makes me ill thinking that our Supreme Court has decided that "serving the best interests of the community" is more important than the rights of the individual citizens of this country. Knowing that the Court has now cleared the way for corporations and municipalities to simply take over private property makes my blood boil!

Except for this piece of New Hampshire propery owned by Justice David Souter. How sweet would that be?

Take this ruling and SHOVE IT!


(Barb and Dusty already posted this story, but I just had to join the bandwagon)

Jumbled Thoughts

My brain is mush right now, so rather than bore you all with blather, I thought I'd pass around some linky-love and point you to some interesting posts I've seen recently.

Michael Yon has been tailing CSM Mellinger, who is responsible for the multi-national coalition forces in Iraq- including military and civilians. This is a unique experience, one Michael is enjoying writing about. Go read his recent posts on walking the line with CSM Mellinger.


Currie, Thunder6 and Maj. K all lost a good friend last week and are looking for paybacks.

Red6 has a new post up, and an interesting video for those of you interesting in blowing shit up- or just feel like blowing something up.

The latest on Capt. Z here- Carren is quite a blogger, and an incredible Army wife.

Gitmo is "torture"... right? *sarcastic font* Try this one on for size. Assumption of Command highlights a recent story out of Iraq- one totally ignored by MSM (again).

Hurl sounds off on Liberal politicians. And Howdy makes a case for winning.

American Soldier has been taking the long way home.

Redleg reports in on Afghanistan.

John explains The Armory, and Bill provides us with a first hand account of current, and past, conditions at Normandy.

And last, but not least (and maybe the longest), Lex asks "Could we lose?"

Well... that should keep you all busy for a while.

The Goddess of Luv......

Aphrodite/Eros


?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla


So... which Greek God are you? (yes... there are Gods AND Goddesses as possible answers)

OH- and when you're finished with that, click HERE and try to find the man's head hidden in the picture.

Capt. Z should be in the US today

Read the latest here. I highly recommend that you do....


UPDATE

Mrs. Greyhawk actually got to visit with Chuck before he was evac'd to Walter Reed. You have GOT to go read her first hand account of the visit, his spirits, and his injuries.

This we'll defend- including the assholes

DC firefighters and Soldiers hanging our flag at the Pentagon on Sept. 12, 2001

I got this via email today- don't know if it's true, and quite frankly, I don't really care. It's just THAT good.

The anonymous gentleman wrote:

One of my sons serves in the military. He is still stateside, here in California. He called me yesterday to let me know how warm and welcoming people were to him, and his troops, everywhere he goes, telling me how people shake their hands, and thank them for being willing to serve, and fight, for not only our own freedoms but so that
others may have them also.

But he also told me about an incident in the grocery store he stopped at yesterday, on his way home from the base. He said that ahead of several people in front of him stood a woman dressed in a burkha. He said that when she got to the cashier, she loudly remarked about the US flag lapel pin the cashier wore on her smock.

The cashier reached up and touched the pin, and said proudly, "Yes, I always wear it and I probably always will."

The woman in the burkha then asked the cashier when she was going to stop bombing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi.

A gentleman standing behind my son stepped forward, putting his arm around my son's shoulders, and nodding towards my son, said in a calm and gentle voice to the Iraqi woman:

"Lady, hundreds of thousands of men and women like this young man have fought and died so that YOU could stand here, in MY country and accuse a check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen. It is my belief that had you been this outspoken in YOUR own country, we wouldn't need to be there today. But, hey, if you have now learned how to speak out so loudly and clearly, I'll gladly buy you a ticket and pay your way back to Iraq so you can straighten out the mess in YOUR country that you are
obviously here in MY country to avoid."

AMEN TO THAT!!!! See ya- bu-bye....

And you know what else our men and women are fighting and dying for? The right for Americans to burn our own flag in protest. In this country, you have to take the good with the bad. Freedom comes at a cost, in many ways. Sometimes it's paid for with American blood. Sometimes it's paid for in hard, cold cash- wars aren't cheap, you know. And sometimes, it's paid for by biting your tongue.

Flag burning is NOT the proper way to protest. If you disagree with our government- FINE. Disagree. But DO NOT desecrate our national symbol of freedom in your pursuit of anger. When you burn Old Glory, you are diminishing the sacrifices made by our forefathers who fought and died to form this country. More than anything, you are showing the world (especially our enemies) that American's don't support America, our President, or our troops. I liken it to dear ol' Senator (for now) Durbin's remarks. Shame on him- and shame on you.

That being said... I also think that flag burning should be allowed as a freedom in this country. Every time you burn a flag- we'll put up 10 more. Every time you burn a flag- I strengthen my resolve to support our troops and our President. Every time you burn a flag- you prove to the world how great our country really is.

Where else could you burn your own country's flag, and not be jailed? Now THAT'S freedom. And if it costs watching a few assholes burn our flag- I guess I can live with that.

Milblogger down.....

but not "out".

Capt. Z was injured during an IED attack and was evac'd to Germany (and then most likely home for a while). Be sure to stop by and send your well wishes to him and his family.

Get well soon, Chuck... and God- watch over Carren and their son and daughter as well.

UPDATE
Carren posted this today:
Chuck is in Landstuhl in the ICU. He will have another surgery tomorrow. These are the "basics" of his injuries, although none of them are fun to talk about.

1. He has severe nerve damage in his left hand and has lost his left pinky (all of it). It will be a long recovery for his hand due to the nerve damage.
2. His right thumb is pretty messed up and the docs are not sure how much he will lose or keep... he may be okay and keep his thumb, we just don't know yet.
3. ALL of his internal organs are okay. One of his lungs is bruised, but not damaged.
4. His brain, spine, and neck are all okay... paralysis is not an issue.
5. He has no muscle damage in his legs or arms, but his right thigh has been damaged.
6. His face was "peppered" by shrapnel. He has a cut on his right cheek, which has been stitched up.

He MIGHT be headed back to the states as early as Friday.

Seen around my garden this week

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.
~Emma Goldman


Princess Diana rose


I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.
~Claude Monet


Iris


In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.
~Abram L. Urban


Hydrangea

Gardens... should be like lovely, well-shaped girls: all curves, secret corners, unexpected deviations, seductive surprises and then still more curves.
~H.E. Bates


Magnolia

Life is like a rose......more exquisite and precious when shared with others.
~Jane Oechsle Lauer


Carpet Rose

Just living is not enough.... One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
~Hans Christian Anderson


Water Lilly

John Donovan had this cartoon up the other day

But I loved it, and thought it was worth repeating here.

Happy Dance!

FbL pointed me to The Gun Line this morning for a HUGE announcement. Go wish Sgt. B all your best- this is gonna be BIG! WHOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Happy for ya, Sarge...


Last night I had the pleasure of meeting John Donovan, Master of the Castle Argghhh! Dinner at Olive Garden, a few glasses of wine (margarita's for John) and lots of great conversation. My first Blogger meet-n-greet was sooo much fun! I tried getting some Sandbox pix for you, ALa, but I still couldn't get John to offer up any. (weenie... SWWBO, you MUST get pix of your honey to share with us!)

I can't wait to meet more of you! Next up is Jen in Houston, in August. And then The Grotto crowd in September in Philly. I have my plane tickets- do you?

The Disgusting Girl I Work With

Mr. Sister found this blog... and I just had to share it with you all. DG makes my ex-coworker seem almost angelic. Almost. (and those who know... know)

Raising A Tree

I was trying to find a suitable fatherhood poem to convey my thoughts; something that express the old adage "It takes a village to raise a Man". I read hundreds of poems last night searching for just the right one. I looked under "Family" and "Man" and "Father" and "Husband". Finally, under "Growing" I found my answer.

What Do We Plant?
by Henry Abbey

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the ship which will cross the sea.
We plant the mast to carry the sails.
We plant the planks to withstand the gales-
The keel, the keelson, the beam, the knee;
We plant the ship when we plant the tree.

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the houses for you and me.
We plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors,
We plant the studding, the lath, the doors,
The beams and siding, all parts that be;
We plant the house when we plant the tree.

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
A thousand things that we daily see;
We plant the spire that out-towers the crag,
We plant the staff for our country's flag,
We plant the shade, from the hot sun tree;
We plant all these when we plant the tree.



When I read this poem, I knew my quest had ended. My children are trees, planted in this world by their father and me. Will they grow up to be the mast, strong and sturdy, holding the sails of life taut as the wind blows? Will they become the support beams, holding up a home of their own some day? Will they become the flagpole from which our banner waves, proudly proclaiming their heritage and dedication to freedom around the world?

We do not yet know what they will grow up to be, but one thing is certain. They will not grow up to be Men without the influence of many men in their lives. Their father will show them how to raise their children. Their grandfathers will show them how to enjoy life. Their pastors will be shining examples of God's love. As their parents, we will introduce many men who will help shape them into the kind of man we hope they will be: a kind, compassionate, loving, protective, patriotic, appreciative, strong man who will someday plant trees of his own.


Thanks guys, and Happy Father's Day

The Right To Bare Breasts

****NEWSFLASH****
I am a WOMAN! And I'm a MOTHER! And although they are enjoyed by men around the world, boobs were intended for FEEDING BABIES!

God did not create women with boobs merely for male fantasies and public outcry over costume malfunctions- they really do have a purpose. Breast-feeding your baby is one of the most natural things a woman will EVER do. I'll admit... seeing a woman breast-feed in public is a little shocking at first, but then you realize that she's not flaunting her sexuality- she's simply being a Mother.

I breast-feed both of my boys, and I'm glad I did (even though Thomas got his first tooth at 10 weeks and had a hell of a bite- I have the scars to prove it). I knew exactly what they were getting to eat and where it came from until both were about 6-9 months old. I could have gone longer, but they were both eating baby food and took bottles just fine by then (and Kevin refused to go back to the breast after I finally got him to take a bottle).

I wasn't one of those "whip it out" Moms. I was discreet. I usually fed them in dressing rooms, or back corners of restaurants, and even in bathrooms (really gross, let me tell you). And I always, without fail, covered us up with a baby blanket. Why? It was my personal comfort level with breast-feeding in public. I knew that I was simply feeding my baby- not flaunting titties around in public, and I didn't want people staring at me while performing this natural act. It's not indecent- it's simply food for my child. GET OVER IT ALREADY!

On Tuesday Ohio Governor Bob Taft signed a bill that allows public breast-feeding. The law will go into effect in 90 days. It's ironic, because just a year ago Ohio courts sided against a local mother who wanted to breast-feed her baby in Wal-Mart. She was told to either use the bathroom or leave immediately. She sued. She lost. Since then, however, Wal-Mart has had a change of heart, and has a national policy allowing the breast-feeding of infants in their stores. A woman in Nebraska was breast-feeding her baby at a concert in January, and was asked to cover up- while women throughout the crowd were FLASHING the band without any repercussions from the police. How fucked up is that? Hopefully her recent testimony in front of the Nebraska legislature will help make them the 36th state to pass a law protecting the right to bare breasts for our babies.


The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends vaccinations... so we get our children vaccinated. They also recommend breast feeding. So let me get this straight... it's ok to follow your doctor's orders regarding vaccinations against illnesses, but it might be illegal to follow their suggestion on how and what to feed your baby? Makes perfect sense to me. 35 states have now joined the AAP and have passed laws allowing public breast-feeding of infants. Thank GOD Ohio is now one of them. It is medically proven that babies who are breast-fed for at least six months have fewer health problems, including ear infections, diarrhea, food allergies and urinary tract infections. The antibodies the mother has built up over her lifetime are transferred to the baby through the breast milk, making them less susceptible to any bacterial infection. There are many health advantages for the mother as well, including reduced blood loss after delivery, reduced risk of developing breast cancer, and increased bone mass. Not to mention the financial burden of formula, which can cost hundreds of dollars per month.

Now please don't take this the wrong way- not all mothers are able to breastfeed for many reasons. However, for those of you who have that option, I would highly recommend it. It's sad that we have to press our legislature for the right to feed our children in public, but thank GOD this right is finally being protected across the majority of the United States.

Fragging Suspected

Last week Dadmanly (and Barb & Sgt. B & Blackfive) were reporting on the story of two American Soldiers who were killed in FOB Danger near Tikrit. The officers, Capt. Phillip Esposito and 1LT. Louis Allen, died on June 7th during an apparent mortar attack on their building.

However, the investigation immediately following the attack revealed a blast pattern that was not consistent with a mortar attack. Further investigation has now lead to the arrest of SSGT. Alberto Martinez, who is believed to have used an explosive device (possibly a grenade) to target and kill his superior officers. This is the second American Soldier accused of murdering fellow Soldiers (the first was in Kuwait, in 2003), but this one was a personal attack on specific officers.

What a sad, sad situation....
(source)

What's in a name?

I thought this was kinda cool- and really easy. All you do is type in your name, and it gives you an answer about yourself. I also found mine to be pretty much spot on.

Enjoy!

Your Expression Number is 9

An idealist and humanitarian, you strive to make the world a better place. You do your best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion. Deep down, you dream of being loved by many. You are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. While you are very ambitious, you never lose site of perspective. You have an abundance of creative talents... you just need to tap into them. Although you are a giving person, you can become selfish if you are ignored. If you are not able to help people, you tend to shelf your talents. Without others, you become aloof and start to lack sensitivity.

What's Your Expression Number?

Sniglets

Sniglet: (n) Word which should be in the dictionary, but isn't.

Do you all remember Sniglets? There was a whole book of them at one point- I may have even owned it. Anyway, I was thinking about nonsense words today and started looking up some of my favorite sniglets:

1. Skelepoo: dog shit which has turned white
2. Maizelpod: what appears in the toilet after eating corn
3. Fenderburg: frozen sludge attached to your car following a big snow storm
4. Arachnidiot: a person wildly flailing about after walking into a spiderweb
5. Gozinta: mathmatical symbol for division (2 gozinta 4 twice)
6. Decaflon: a grueling day spent consuming only things that are good for you
7. Hozone: that place the missing sock disappears to while doing laundry
8. Kedophobia: fear of having your shoelaces sucked underneath the escalator
9. Malibugaloo: dance done by barefoot beachgoers on really hot days. Also seen in subdivisions sporting blacktop driveways and asphalt streets.
10. Mowmuffins: clumps of cut grass which gather underneath the lawnmower
11. Osteopornosis: a degenerate disease
12. Phonesia: dialing the phone, and forgetting who you called before they answer
13. ohnosecond: that very short moment in time during which you realize that you have pressed the wrong key and deleted hours, days, or weeks of work
14. IMdecision: repeatedly erasing an IM text box because you change your mind about what you want to say
15. cinderellaware: software (demo or shareware) which becomes useless after a trial period unless the user pays for and registers it

Anywhooo.... those are some of my favorites. Anyone else have any?

******NEWSFLASH******

Kastle (Argghhh!) Kittens Kaught Katnapping in biKinis.....



(sorry) I just couldn't resist...This one is BEGGING for a caption contest.
Gimme yer best shot. Winner gets... NOTHING, but hey... what do you expect from a little Slithering Reptile in the blogsphere?

OK.. this is just scary.

You all know that my family just got back from DisneyWorld, right? One of the rides my husband and oldest went on was called Mission: Space. The ride recreates a rocket launch and trip through space to Mars. There are warnings outside the ride, telling you that if you experience motion sickness, this probably isn't the ride for you. It also says you have to be 44 inches tall and should be in good health before boarding this ride. Thomas met those requirements, but let me tell you- they're not kidding about the motion sickness possibility. Both my husband and son felt ill, and both decided that ride pretty much sucked raw eggs.

On Monday, a 4 year old boy and his mother were on the ride. During the ride, the mother noticed the boy appeared "scared stiff" and took his hand. By the end of the ride, he was limp. By the time he got to the hospital, he was dead. The autopsy revealed nothing signifigant, and showed no signs of physical trauma. More tests are planned, but the results won't be known for weeks.

Park officials insist the ride is operating normally. I don't know about you, but NOTHING about that seems "normal" to me.

I think I'll go call the daycare and say hi to my son...

Dusty sounds off on Gitmo

I know you've probably all read this by now, but.... you never know.
Dusty has some thoughts on Guantanamo you should all read.

Always trust your Mommy instincts

This is my baby, Kevin, playing in the giant load of mulch we had delivered last summer. It has nothing to do with this post, except to give you an idea of how very "boy" this child is. So here you go.... Always trust your Mommy instincts.

The week we got back from Disney, Kevin told me he had a "spwinter" in his foot, so I took a look. HOLY COW! He had a MOUND on the bottom of his foot, just at the edge of his arch, back toward his heel. The center was white, the rest was red, and there was this little black dot in the middle. I tried to get it out... puss, blood, screaming and tears were my reward (with the tears being a mixture of mine and his). I tried for two days to get that splinter out. I even took him to the doctor, who thought it was a planter's wart. "No, Dr., it's a splinter. I swear. I saw it, but I don't think it's out yet, and it's infected." "Well, I don't see anything now. Just put some Polysporin on it, and it should be fine."

I never really thought it came out, but Kevin stopped complaining about it, so I thought maybe it had worked its way out on its own. I knew in my heart it was still in there, but I just couldn't stand to dig around in that little foot any longer without proof of the splinter's existance.

I left it alone. For three weeks.

Last night, as I was scrubbing a day's worth of dirt off of that boy, I looked at the bottom of his foot. HOLY COW! He had a MOUND on the bottom of his foot... AGAIN. Same spot. I knew then that the splinter had not worked its way out, despite his claims he was fine. DAMN. *grumble*

Out came the wicked tweezers. Out poured the tears and screams. And out came the splinter... a thin piece of metal wire, maybe a quarter of an inch long or more, along with plenty of skin which had grown up around it. Now, I know a quarter of an inch doesn't sound very long, but pull out a ruler and look. Check out the 7 inch mark, which is about the size of my baby's foot, and imagine a quarter inch piece of wire digging into it for three weeks.

sigh... I'm nominating myself for the Bad Mommy Of The Year award....right after I castrate the doctor for blowing me off....

****UPDATE****

I just got back from seeing our REAL doctor, and I'm happy to report that the splinter is all gone (thanks to Dr. Mom) and there's no infection. REAL doctor took x-rays, since it was a metal wire that would show up on on film, and used magnifying glasses to make sure it was OK. I even got an "atta girl" from him, for getting it all. Thanks for the support everyone... I'm not feeling like such a bad Mommy anymore. *smile*

Whatcha do last weekend, Sis?

Let's see....


Started off with T-Ball. Thomas is quite the little player! They get 6 coach pitched balls, and if they still haven't hit the ball, they get to hit off of the tee. I know... it's just T-Ball, but my baby is doing so good! *Proud Mama* He went three for three on Saturday- 2 home runs and a triple (which would have been a homer, but his foot didn't hit third, so he got sent back and then couldn't make it back in to home). The picture above shows him rounding third and heading for home. Notice the "HEY! That kid is running the bases...again?" look on the other team's faces... cracked me up.



Sunday was busy for me- I ended up driving a total of about 5 hours, back and forth, across 3 states. In the rain. Did I mention that it rained here on Sunday? (see "WOW" post below in case you need a reminder) Anyway... I volunteered to help out at the Ride for the Red, a bike rally which is one of Red Cross's biggest fund raisers. Thanks to Tropical Storm Arlene, it was WET. From 7 until 11 it rained, sometimes a sprinkle, sometimes a mist, sometimes a downpour. Puts a real damper (pun intended) on a motorcycle rally, don't you think? Instead of 1,000 bikes, we ended up with exactly 201. Bummer...

The rain stopped just after the bikes left the starting point though, so I decided to go pick up the family and head out to the finish line which is about 90 minutes from our house. I got a little lost... I thought there was an exit off the highway close to the finish line (hey- the roads crossed on the map- why wouldn't there be an exit there? DUMBASS). We got there an hour late, and the bikers were all leaving. After a day getting wet and then dry over and over again, they were worn out. Who could blame them?

Fortunately it wasn't a total wash out (gee... I'm just full of puns today). The Markland Locks and Dam were right around the corner from the finish line. If you've never seen how locks work, you've missed out on something Dam cool and unique to river life. The Dam Ohio River floods frequently, and after the Big One back in 1937, the Army Corps of Engineers (thanks guys!) designed a series of 50 locks and dams along the Ohio to prevent devastating floods from happening again. Markland Dam is one of those dams, even though it wasn't completed until 1964.



It's so cool to see how they work. (If you follow the ACE link above and poke around, you'll find a lot of cool information on locks and dams) The river level is at different depths, depending on which side of the dam you are on (at Markland, it's a 35 foot difference), so all watercraft have to go through the locks to get to the other side. We were there to see a huge barge go through- three wide and 5 long, plus a huge tug. It was so big it couldn't fit into the locks in one piece. I'm guessing it was around 1,000 feet long, because the lock is 600 feet long, and they had to take it apart in the middle to get it through. They unhooked the front three barges and then closed the gate. (notice how little the two guys look in the picture, to give you some idea of how big those things really are) Then they pump the water out of the lock until the water level inside the lock matches the water level on the other side of the dam. The lock opens, and the watercraft goes on through. This barge was so big it had to be done in two pieces, so a small tug hooked onto the front three barges, pulled them through, and then the big tug and the remaining barges pushed into the lock. Kinda like the instructions on your bottle of shampoo "Lather, rinse, repeat, for best results."

Watching the guys work the locks isn't a quick thrill or a rush, but it is soooo cool to see how it works. And after living through the next "Big One" flood in 1997, I can honestly say that the Army Corps of Engineers has saved countless lives, homes and businesses through their Ohio River project in the 30's.

Even though Sunday didn't turn out ideally, a Dam good time was had by all. (I can hear you all groaning... I'm in a punny mood today- sorry)

Wow....

Did you know that horizontal rain can cause water to run down the INSIDE of your doors? Amazing phenomenon.... caused by some of the shoddiest house building I've ever experienced, combined with a wicked thunderstorm.

The Wise Old Owl Says.....

(thanks for the picture, Sgt. B)

Your wise quote is: "The best
antiques are old friends" by Unknown...


Your buds are the source of your happiness
(maybe not all but still). Even if it's just
one, a couple or a whole group they are the
ones you can't wait to see. It does not matter
if you're shy with everyone else or not, with
them you let your true spirit shine and can be
as loud as you want. They accept you, and you
love them for that.

So what's your wise quote? (and I don't mean wise-ass)

*group hug* Thanks, friends- old and new.

Rant on, Sister

Since I'm in rant-mode today, I thought I'd throw this story out there.

Here are some highlights:
Joseph Sorah was arrested for sexually and physically abusing his 7 WEEK OLD DAUGHTER. Yes... 7 WEEKS. Two women called 911 asking them to come examine the baby after suspecting physical abuse. The baby has a broken wrist, broken leg, bruises, scarring (yes- she's already got scars) AND was sexually molested. When questioned, the sperm donor (sorry- I just can't use the words "father" or "man" when referring this piece of shit) admitted to the abuse.

His wife had this to say about her husband's arrest: "I don't want anything bad to happen to him"

WTF? You have GOT to be kidding me! Come on woman... get a grip! This idiotic collection of cells has beaten you, your 2 year old son, AND your 7 week old daughter, yet you "don't want anything to happen to him"? The infant will be placed in child protective services upon release from the hospital, however, no mention has been made yet about the removal of the 2 year old. To me, this is a no-brainer. The kids GO. Period. NOW.

Excuse me while I go barf.

Another 9/11 Hijacking?

This just pisses me off.

Debra Burlingame, sister of the pilot of AA Flight 77, which was crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11, has discovered a plot (yes... PLOT... strong word, evokes feelings of deception and betrayal) to turn the 9/11 memorial into an "International Freedom Center".

Go read Michelle's article- and then think about this.

The September 11th Memorial is NOT about "international freedom". It's about US. The USA. It's about the men and women who were murdered that day simply because they were on US soil or on a US plane. Murdered by religious zealots claiming to die in the name of their god.

I call BULLSHIT. And so should you. Go here to protest.

(props to ALa for posting on this today. Thanks girl!)

I was born an itty bitty kitty....

Sgt. B tagged me with an interview- 5 things you miss most about childhood. So, I thought about it and came up with this:

1. The penny candy store.
Well, OK... nickel candy store. We used to be able to walk to this little place when I was a kid. That was back in the old days when young kids could actually walk more than 20 feet from their home without the parents worrying about them being abducted. It was also back when penny candy still cost a penny, and nothing in the candy store cost more than a quarter.

2. Running around in my bathing suit all day long.
I remember this bikini I had when I was all of maybe 6 or 7 years old. It was white, with a cherry blossom pattern on it. And this really cute little ruffle around the waist. I loved that bathing suit! I wore it nearly every day that summer. We also had walkie talkies that year. My handle was "Wild Cherry" after my bathing suit.

3. Playing in the streets after the rain.
Our street used to flood really bad when it rained hard. The pressure was so intense it often gushed out of the sewer covers like a fountain in the middle of the road. We didn't have much traffic on our road, so our parents used to let us go play in the rain (or after the rain)... in the street. It was like a little swimming pool at times! I'm SURE that's what they meant when they said "Go play in the street, young lady!"

4. My grandparents.
When I was born, I had three sets of grandparents and a great-grandma & great grandpa. 37 years later, I now have children who have two sets of grandparents, a great-grandma & great-grandpa. How lucky is that? When I was born, my Mom and I lived with her Mom and Step-Dad until my Dad came home from Vietnam when I was 18 months old. Needless to say, I developed an incredibly strong bond with them, and I miss them both terribly. My only consolation is that I will someday see them again in Heaven.


I was going to "snarky" back at ya Sgt., and submit Kitty answers too, but... not today.

**UPDATE**

As Mr. Sister has been so eager to point out... I was supposed to list 5- not 4- childhood memories. He's been bugging me for 24 hours now about my 5th favorite childhood memory. I keep saying "I don't know".... but that's just not cutting the mustard for him right now.
So here you go, Bryan. Here's my 5th.

5. Snow days.
I miss not caring how incredibly cold I am playing in the snow. I miss the wonderment of being a child and hoping for that elusive snow day, instead of my adult perception of snow, which usually boils down to "FREK! I hate driving in this crap!" and "I sure hope I can find someone to watch the kids tomorrow, because I don't have any vacation days left". I miss just being able to enjoy the snow, instead of dreading it. And I often wonder when that sense of excitement switched over to a sense of dread...

Somedays, I just hate being a grown up.

Nothing like a little cooperation!

I thought this was cool.
More than 400 US and Russian Soldiers just completed a joint training mission which was held in both Germany and Russia. The operation, Exercise Torgau 2005, was the FIRST TIME frontline American and Russian Soldiers trained together in the field. Members of the US 1st. Armored Division and Russia's 4th Armored Division trained side by side at the Solnechhogorsk Training Area in Russia and also at the Grafenwohr Training Area in Germany.

It's not the first time our guys have worked with their guys, but it is the first time they've held a joint training exercise for frontline Soldiers. Besides training together, they also lived together, which allowed for an interesting cultural exchange. Capt. Dan Cohen, a platoon leader with the 1st Armored Division said that "It was important for the Soldiers of both nations to recognize that Soldiers are people the world over. They're real people just like us. Their uniforms and weapons may be different, but they're just people. They like the same rock and roll music as we do. They swapped Metallica concert stories."

Our troops also found out that the Russian's respected and admired our equipment and were eager to learn new skills and tactics. The language barriers dropped as the exercise went on. Instead of dwelling on language, cultural and equipment differences, these guys were able to open their minds and learn from each other.

It's a lesson we could all use. Open your mind, and the world becomes your classroom.

**UPDATE**
John Donovan provides his take on Torgua-05 today. Be sure to check out the article Ry sent.

Help!!! I've been tagged!

Barb tagged me on a music meme last week, and I've been sitting on it. So here you go Barb!

Total Volume Of Music On My Computer:

I have NO idea... not much though. Maybe 10 cd's worth?

The Last CD I Bought Was...

I just bought a few over the weekend: Combat Rock by The Clash; Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughn; Joe Cocker Ultimate Collection; Revolver by The Beatles, and finally Steppenwolf (can't remember the name of the CD though). I already had Combat Rock and Texas Flood on cassette, but since I don't have a cassette player in my car anymore (it only has a cd player), I needed to upgrade to the CD's. For someone who hasn't bought more than a dozen CD's over the past few years... this was a HUGE music purchase for me!

Five Songs I Listen To A Lot, or Mean A Lot To Me:

1. Lean On Me by Bill Withers. It's my favorite... hands down. I just love the sentiments expressed in that song.

2. Devil Went Down To Georgia, by Charlie Daniels Band. Currently a fav, due to the concert we saw last weekend. My little beaner, Kevin, knows most of the words by heart.

3. Enigma's LSD CD. Not just one song, but the whole darn collection.

4. Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. I can't help but to sing along and bop around to this song!

5. God Bless the USA by Lee Greenwood. A song I will always refer to as "Proud to be an American", but that's not really the title. I can't listen to this song without tears coming to my eyes, and visions of the Towers falling in NYC.


There.... all done. That wasn't so hard...

Gee... I never knew.....

According to Muslim WakeUp, some controversy has arisen lately about talking dirty to your spouse and self-pleasure (being nice here, trying not to illicit moonbats doing Google searches using certain terms). According to Muslim WakeUp, an actual fatwa (religious ruling) has been made about this dilemma.


Question: Is it permissible for the husband and wife to talk about sex over the telephone(and by doing so) they arouse each other until one of them or both of them have an orgasm?

Response: There is no harm (in this). Yes this is permissible.

Question: And (is this permissible) even with the use of the hand?

Response: There is some (element of) uncertainty in (the issue of) using the hand; And it is not permissible except if he fears falling into adultery.

Fataawa Mu'aasarah - Page 81
al-Mowsoo'ah - 4807
Courtesy of fatwa-online.com


Um....yeah. Whatever....

Too bad they don't have the same "moral conscious" issues when it comes to blowing themselves up in the name of Allah, killing countless innocent citizens in the process. Some of our Soldiers have even started encouraging children to STAY AWAY from our troops, because of their desire to keep the kids safe from insurgent attacks. It's not that they want to distance themselves from the children- they just can't stand seeing them injured or killed anymore.

So sad... too bad there's not a fatwa on killing. Oh yeah... there is.

UPDATE:

Someone just alerted me to the idea the the Catholic Church also considers any "waste of sperm" against the Bible. This was news to me.... but of course, I'm Methodist. Anyone have any insights?

Talk to me, fiddle!

Last night I suggested that we go see the Charlie Daniels Band, who was giving a free concert at a local festival. Boy, was I glad we went! There must have been at least a thousand people more gathered in the city square, but we managed to get all the way up front, right in front of the speakers on the right of the stage. INCREDIBLE!

They sang a few of their big hits, like "The Legend of Wooley Swamp"; "Renegade"; "The South's Gonna Do It Again" and "Simple Man". Let me tell you- that man is far from "Simple". Just read some of these "Simple Man" lyrics:

Now I'm the kinda man that'd not harm a mouse
But if I catch somebody breakin in my house
I've got twelve gauge shotgun waiting on the other side

So don't go pushing me against my will
I don't want to have to fight you but I dern sure will
So if you don't want trouble then you'd better just pass me on by

As far as I'm concerned there ain't no excuse
For the raping and the killing and the child abuse
And I've got a way to put an end to all that mess

Just take them rascals out in the swamp
Put 'em on their knees and tie 'em to a stump
Let the rattlers and the bugs and the alligators do the rest

Right on, Charlie! He made mention of being one of the most politically incorrect performers out there, and that suited him just fine. It looks good on you, sir- speak your mind. Don't change a thing- we'll listen.

Charlie Daniels may be an "old" man of 69 years, but let me tell you- he ROCKS. And what a patriot. You may remember that Castle Correspondent Keith Kahn just got back from Afghanistan where he came THIS CLOSE (holding up my thumb and index fingers about 5cm apart) from meeting the band and actually sharing a room with them. Well, Charlie mentioned that trip last night. He said that they had just gotten back from a 5 country USO tour, and he promised our troops he would come home and tell everyone that they are doing a FANTASTIC job over there, and that we ARE winning the war.

Oh- and did I mention that he closed with "Devil Went Down To Georgia", one of the most recognizable country rock songs in history?

Johnny said, Devil just come on back
If you ever wanna try again
I done told you once you son of a bitch
I'm the best there's ever been

Rock on, Charlie!

BORN..... TO BE WIIIIIIIILD!

Thomas on Gramps' new boat. Cool lookin' dude, don't ya think?

So what did you learn in Iraq this week, dear?

This cracked me up... esp. #2.

UPDATE!

And this... mades me sad. GODDAMNIT!