The rennovations continue

I need a kewl name for the new house- you know, like John and Beth have The Castle... Sis's pad needs a nick.

In the meantime, while you all rack your brains for something creative, I thought I'd share my latest creation for the house.....
Feast your eyes upon the kewlest towel rack evah!


The boys have a "surfer dude" bathroom, and instead of hanging up a towel bar, I made a surfboard towel rack for them. The hooks should be easier for them to use than a bar, and besides... it looks REALLY cool!

What does it mean when.....

... you get word search hits like:
"embarrassing pee puddle"??
I'm just guessing, but wouldn't ANY pee puddle be embarrassing?

"what sleeping on the left side of the bed mean"??
Hopefully, it means your sig other is on the right side of the bed. Sleeping on the left side of the bed is NOT to be confused with sleeping on the "wrong" side of the bed, as opposed to the "right" side.

"bacon splinter removal"??
Wha? How in the HELL do you get a bacon splinter? No... No... I don't want to know.

"jiggy jiggy jiggy"??
Shake yo' groove thang, baby! Either that, or you're watching a bunch of parrot puppets sing at Disney.

"squirt pregnant mom"??
Depends on what you're squirting her with.

"tightening nipples men"??
NO NO NO..... NO NIPPLE CLAMPS! NO NO NO! No hot wax either. NO NO NO!

"she lay down on the massage table"??
Why, yes I did, earlier today... and it was MAGNIFICENT. I'm still purring.... Thank you Sven!

"kittens in bikinis"??
Not this kitten. Unless you mean panties- then we'll talk.

"sinus cavity drainage tongue tapping against roof of mouth"??
NASTY NASTY NASTY. Go see a REAL doctor, forchrissakes!

"man with 5 penises"??
Sounds like he needs a harum, or a really good surgeon.

"pull over the car my dad wants to break up with your sister"??
Dad's breaking up with your sister? Just wait until I tell MOM!

Most surprising, my Number One word search is currently "Jason LaRue", catcher for the Cincinnati Reds. I've never written about him specifically, but he was in a series of pictures from Opening Day this year, with President Bush and some local wounded war heroes.

Crotch Rockets

(and if you don't understand the title of this post, just make sure you watch the video all the way to the end.... )

Many laughs and thanks to SK who sent this to me on email. ROFLMAO!

Well... there goes the neighborhood

That has GOT to be President Bush's reaction when he heard that Old Mother Sheehan bought 7 acres of land near his ranch in Crawford, Texas. She, and her wacko-lunatic "peace" activist friends plan on using the land for private protests until Bush is out of office. Her friend Gerry Fonseca had to buy the land for her, saying that " "If Cindy Sheehan came to town, I don't think anybody would have sold her any property." Gee... do ya think so, Gerry? Too bad she couldn't use some of that money to buy his headstone first! Fortunately Casey's father has more morals and honor than Cindy has in her little toe, and Casey now has a beautiful headstone. (I encourage you to click that link and read the entire article- it's VERY good)

The kicker? She used Casey's life insurance money to buy the land! "I can't think of a better way to use Casey's insurance money than for peace, and I am sure that Casey approves." BULL FUCKING SHIT, Cindy. He REENLISTED. He was an American SOLDIER up until, and well after his death. There's no fucking way Casey would approve.


The amount of hatred I have for this woman and her crusade continues to grow in leaps and bounds. I am just beyond words at this point. What a disgrace.

SMOKING, BELCHING, FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON

That's what the farmers in France believed they saw in the sky during the Montgolfier brother's first ventures into hot air ballooning back in the late 1700's. You see, one day the brothers noticed ashes rising up into the air over a fire, so they applied the principle to making the first hot air balloon. The first balloons were made of fabric suspended over a fire pit, so they had a tendency to catch on fire. Therefore, the test flights usually carried animals instead of people.

When it came time for the first manned flight, a count by the name of Roziere volunteered. Remember.. this was WAY back in 1783, and nothing like this had ever been seen before. As Roziere floated over the French countryside, the soot from the fire pit fell on him, making him quite dirty. Then.. the balloon envelope started to catch on fire, so he had to land. When farmers first saw Roziere falling out of the air, they mistook the balloon for a SMOKING, BELCHING, FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON... with a FRENCHMAN IN HIS CLUTCHES!! Thinking they were saving the unfortunate soul captured by the SMOKING, BELCHING, FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON, the farmers raced toward the balloon, armed with scythes and pitchforks.

KILL THE DRAGON
KILL THE DRAGON

In order to prove he was NOT a SMOKING, BELCHING, FIRE-BREATHING DRAGON, Roziere quickly produced a bottle of champagne he had brought on the flight, announcing "Hey we have champagne! We are friends! Come- we will drink champagne together."
And to this day, it is a ballooning tradition to offer up The Balloonist's Prayer and a bottle of champagne at the end of a flight, complete with the story of the Montgolfier brothers and Count Roziere's first flight.

"May the winds welcome you with softness.
May the sun bless you with its warm hands.
May you fly so high and so well that God
joins you in laughter and sets you gently
back into the loving arms of Mother Earth."

I am fortunate enough to know a couple of pilots (friends of my parents), and got to go ballooning Sunday night. I absolutely LOVE it. LOVE IT. Enjoy the pictures!


A little blurry, but this special shape is a 120 foot tree, complete with three 30 foot tall parrots. The tallest balloon I've ever worked with was the Korbel Champagne bottle special shape balloon, which is 150 feet tall. Other special shapes I've seen include a high-top tennis shoe, a can of Pepsi, a helium balloon bouquet, Noah's Ark, two piggy banks, sports balls, bumble bees, a grocery cart, a cow, a yellow submarine- complete with The Beatles looking out of the peepholes, and countless others.


Our balloon is the "Hauser Concrete" balloon. It holds about 100 cubic feet of air, just a tad bit smaller than the tree balloon, believe it or not. See the yellow stair-step balloon to the left? We're all chasing that balloon. He's the "hare" balloon, and everyone else is a "hound". The hare balloon takes off first, and when he lands, the crew sets out a big target. The rest of the balloons try to fly in the same track and toss a bean bag into the center of the target. The pilot whose throw gets closest to the center, wins the race. I do not know who won Sunday night.



After the balloon lands, crew members (in this case, my Dad and I), hold the straps on top of the balloon nice and tight, so that the balloon will collapse as stretched out as possible. We're also holding on tight to prevent the envelope from rolling around on the ground. While we're holding the straps on the top, other crew members are bleeding the hot air out of the balloon- toward us- and yes, it's HOT.


Here's two other crew members bleeding the hot air out of the balloon, as I mentioned above.


After the hot air is bled, you pull the top of the balloon back towards the basket. Balloons are stored in giant canvas bags, with the top of the balloon going in first.


My parents, posing in front of the bagged balloon. As you can see, it's about 3 feet in diameter and about 3 1/2 feet tall- rather large and heavy. It took 5 adults to hoist it into the trailer.

Cuddle Bandits

Yeah... that's what I decided to nickname the THREE raccoons who have been ransacking the garage at night. I finally caught the little bastards doin' the dirty deed last night.
But they were SO DAMN CUTE! Makes you wanna scoop 'em up and cuddle. OMG... who could resist their little masked faces? Not I, said the fly. Obviously, I did not scoop them up and cuddle, make them a midnight snack, or tuck them in bed, but I did snap a few pictures. Raccoons can be NASTY NASTY NASTY creatures, but these little guys were abso-frikkin adorable. Oh- and I named them.


First of all, Tim the Toolman. This little dude is VERY social. He stayed on top of the trash can, milling about, licking up the remnants of a Krispy Cream doughnut, while I was observing them. When I put the garage door up, hoping to shoo them out the door, he scrambled and hid behind a toolbox. When he ventured out...he didn't go far- he decided the lawnmower looked like a perfect place for a critter hideout. He was SO damn cute!


Then, we have Harry Potter... in his invisibility cloak... "hiding" behind a basketball on the shelf. When I first opened the door from the house to the garage and saw my new roomies, he was helping Tim ravage the Krispy Cream bag. But as soon as he saw me... he climbed up behind Thomas's go-cart, and up onto the shelf. Silently and stealthy, he was, like a sniper or something. I halfway expected him to pull out a machine gun and go Al Pacino on my ass, squeaking out "Say 'allo to my li'l frien!" while taking me out.


And last but not least... David. As in Copperfield. When I first went out, Tim and Harry were on top of a garbage can. David, however, was IN the open can. All I "saw" of him for about 20 minutes was rustling garbage. When he finally came out, he saw me, did this amazing "hanging off the old miniblind in the garbage while swinging my body up and over the sheet of drywall" trick. And there he stayed. All I could hear was a little sniffing from behind his shield. Heh. Maybe I should call him The Great And Powerful Oz.... "pay NO attention to the raccoon behind the drywall."


Welp. There you have it. My new roomies: Tim, Harry and David. Now... how in the HELL do I get them to MOVE OUT!

Games people play

....LIKE TAG!
Trek tagged me with a "three things" meme... here goes!

3 things that scare me:
1. My kids being injured or killed
2. Fire
3. Drowning

3 people who make me laugh:
1. Robin Williams
2. My son, Kevin
3. My Mom

3 things I hate the most:
1. Cleaning the house
2. Filing
3. Loud eaters (esp. gum smackers... OMG... I HATE THAT)

3 things I don't understand:
1. The value of sexual embarrassment and harassment during SERE training
2. Complex math
3. Mean people

3 things I'm doing right now:
1. Watching "Medium" on tv
2. Laundry
3. Writing blog posts

3 things I want to do before I die:
1. Go on an African Safari
2. Build my dream home in the mountains, near a lake or stream
3. Pay off all debts

3 things I can do:
1. I'm creative- I can sew, scrapbook, stamp, stencil, needlepoint, and decorate
2. Manage a small disaster for Red Cross
3. Catch frogs, toads, salamanders, worms, crayfish, walking sticks and praying mantises.... but don't you DARE try to make me pick up or touch a spider, a snake or a cicada. Nuh uh.. no way. Not me.

3 ways to describe my personality:
1. Funny
2. Vibrant
3. Intense

3 things I can't do:
1. Sing
2. Put my *&&!!! swing together!
3. Brain surgery, even though Dr. Mom can do a LOT of things.

3 things I think you should listen to:
1. Condi Rice
2. Colin Powell
3. Your children

3 things you should never listen to:
1. Rush Limbaugh
2. Mother Sheehan, Code Pinko's, and Phred Phelps' congregation (aka: The Phelps Family)- unless you're training to be a boxer and need the image of someone to beat the shit out of
3. Yoko Ono singing

3 absolute favorite foods:
1. CRAB!
2. CHOCOLATE!
3. MEXICAN! (not MexicanS, mind you... that's a whole 'nuther ballgame)

3 things I'd like to learn:
1. How to get in shape (and how to motivate myself to actually do it)
2. Be better organized
3. How to control my stress reactions

3 beverages I drink regularly:
1. Coke
2. Water
3. Cherry Moon Grean Tea

3 shows I watched as a kid:
1. Emergency!
2. Hogan's Hero's
3. Gilligan's Island

3 people I'm tagging
Hmmmm... let's see... I don't always play the "tag" game, but it's been a while, so why not!
1. Sugarbuttons
2. Maggie
3. Dyzgoneby

Need some help, here.....

Anybody got an extra shovel? Or how about one of those Acme "instant holes" I've seen Bugs Bunny use. That would be a LOT easier than digging my own hole.

Tired of being broke(n)!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK... You know, they say that "bad things happen in three's".... but SIXES?

It all started Friday: The washing machine broke.
Then came Saturday: My parent's oven broke.
Next up, Sunday: Both the toilet AND the water softener broke.
And if that wasn't enough.... there was today.

It seemed like a normal Monday. I was running a little late, got to work, read my email and checked my blogsite. Around 9, my Mom called with those little words you hate to hear, "Well... there's been an accident."

SHIT

"Thomas fell out of the tree. He busted his lip, and his wrist hurts."

SHIT

"OK, Mom... I'll be right there"

I got there about 40 minutes later, splinted his arm, put it in a sling, and left for the doctor's office. A while later, we got the news: His left arm was broken, just above his wrist. Mom still had Kevin with her, so after I called the Hub, and work, and got Thomas settled at home, I called Mom. She and her friend Lynne had taken Kevin to the park. While talking to her, she said.... "Check guages? Why is THAT light on? And why is smoke coming out of the hood?!?!"

SHIT

"Mom. Pull over. Get out of the car. Do NOT open the hood- you probably broke a hose or the radiator. I'll come get you, and I'll call Dad."

SHIT

WHAT NEXT?

1. Broken washing machine
2. Broken oven
3. Broken water softener
4. Broken toilet
5. Broken car
6. Broken arm

I'M TIRED OF BEING BROKE(N)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Homecoming

I snagged this out of comments on Fun With Hand Grenades. Lynnette posted it, and I felt the need to post it myself. I don't know if it's true or not, but regardles... you'll like it.

Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest act's of patriotism I have ever seen.

Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camo's, as they began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families. Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal.

Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi," the little girl then she asked him if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier, he didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek. The mother of the little girl, who said her daughters name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter, Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it. After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying "your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon."

The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event unfolded. As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, their were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek. We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.

Like I said, I don't know if this really happpened or not, but I really don't care. It's what I would expect from our Soldiers, and, like the story says, "At the end of the day, it's good to be an American." Yes, indeed. It is GOOD to be an American.

This ain't no MD 20/20

I came across the "Cheers" section of USA Today which highlights one inexpensive wine per day. I'm not a big drinker, but I do enjoy a good glass of wine and an occassional ice cold beer (Michelob, please. Amberbock or Ultra Amber if you've got it). I'm a white or rose person- the sulfa's in reds cause me some breathing issues so I tend to stay away from them.
I think I might have to try some of these:

Blue Fish Reisling, Germany. "...this is zesty, easy-to-drink Riesling, only the faintest bit sweet and graced with trademark stonefruit aromas and flavors."

The Wishing Tree Unoaked Chardonnay, Australia. "you'll find a fresh apple-pear character, some butter-lemon notes and a light spirit."

Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Zinfandel, California. "A hamburger wine if ever there was one."

Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling, Australia. "Grapefruit and mineral notes predominate in this austere, zesty sipper."

Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Blanc, France. "It's serious, smooth and refined, and perfect for pouring at cocktail parties."

Boutari Kretikos, Greece. "...dry, medium-bodied white, which offers aromas of new-mown hay and gentle and fresh apple and melon flavors."

Thirsty. Very thirsty.

From the "in" bin

My boss sent this video link to me, and even though it's *cough* Navy... it's VERY cool.

And thanks to Karen for showing me that Peter Pan will NOT show up in my window ever again... because I've grown up.
25 SIGNS YOU HAVE GROWN UP
1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.

2. Having sex in a twin bed is just out of the question.

3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.

6. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of "hook up" and "break up."

8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.

9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."

10. You're the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door won't turn down the stereo.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you. (God... I remember that day. I suddenly felt so... "old")

12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.

14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You take naps.

17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.

19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.

20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good shit."

21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

22. "I just can't drink the way I used to," replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again."

23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

25. When you find out your friend is pregnant you congratulate them instead of asking, "Oh shit, what the hell happened!?"

Yep. I think I'm way past pixy dust help. *sigh*

"That" Video

No, I'm not hosting it. Yes, I watched it.
If you REALLY want to see it, go to Jawa. They've got a few screen shots and the video.
You may be asking yourself why I watched it. I don't have some sort of sick fantasy about killing or seeing "real" blood and gore. I wanted to confirm the torture that has been hinted at across the 'net and the press. I had heard that they were killed in an inhumane way, possibly beheaded, found with their own genitals stuffed in their mouths, and rigged with explosives. The only thing confirmed was that they were positively ID'd by DNA and that their bodies were boobytrapped. After watching the video, I can say with absolute certainty that our guys were killed in an extremely inhumane way, one was beheaded, and one had "something" stuffed in his mouth. Since the beheaded soldier's genital area was exposed (and blurred out) on the video, it's impossible to tell if they were present or removed. Both bodies were extremely bloody and appeared to have extensive wounds from head to toe.
There. Now you all know... so none of you have to go watch the vid or look at the pictures to confirm your own fears as I did.

The video was released along with a statement claiming that the killings were a direct reply to the 101st's rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and her family. Here's where I through down the bullshit flag.
1. The rape and murder occurred several months ago, yet the insurgents claim these murders are in retaliation? I don't think so. It's been too long, and no mention of retaliation was made in their prior confessionals.
2. Our Soldiers were found 10 days prior to rape and murder charges being filed against former US Soldier, PFC Steven D. Green. Since June 30, 5 other Soldiers have been charged with various crimes surrounding the alleged attack.
3. The insurgents claim the rape victim was their "sister", yet isn't it common for Muslim people to condemn and stone rape victims? So why would they claim this girl as their "sister", and seek revenge? Why not praise Allah that the American's apparently raped AND killed her, taking that burden away from her family and friends.
4. I'm left wondering why they waited almost a month to release the video, which they are obviously quite proud of.

Well, that's my take on it. I think they're using the rape and murder case as an excuse to "justify" the brutal murders of our guys. I highly doubt they even knew about the rape and murder case that was under investigation before they killed our Soldiers. Sorry fellas. There's just no excuse for treating a human being that way. No excuse at all.

I hate fire.

I really do.
When I was a kid I used to have recurring nightmares about being burned alive inside a car following a wreck. Sometimes the dream wouldn't be a car, but rather a house, and I couldn't get out. The result was always the same though- I was dying by burning alive, and I'd wake up in a sweat, afraid to close my eyes again.

As a Red Cross volunteer, I see the affects of fire all the time. I'm fascinated how house fires can get so intensely hot they can melt lightbulbs, yet only scorch the walls and ceilings around the melted bulb. But my fascination stops there. I've seen the horrible affects fire has on the human body. Skin melts... just as lightbulbs do.

I've been to fires where children and adults have been injured or killed by the fire. Not all fire victims die from smoke inhalation, nor do they necessarily pass out before horrific burns are endured. I've learned that when you "stop, drop, and roll", you're NOT supposed to cover your face with your hands. Clothing commonly catches on fire before skin does (due to leaning over or into a flame), so when you put your hands over your face, you create a "tunnel" going from your chest, up your neck, to your face, where the fire can escape to. I've learned that carpet will melt from heat without catching on fire, often causing severe burns to bare feet trying to escape a burning house. And I've been the one to tell family members about the death of children.

So, when I watch the news or read the paper, and I see stories like this, and this... I cry. I can imagine the fear and pain Corinthian endured while being trapped in that fire. For me, it's a nightmare come true. I can imagine the intense pain, fear, and anger that Jordanian father and son are enduring right now, trying to recover from their injuries. I am just sick....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SQUIRT!

Yep. My baby's 6 today. He's an endless source of entertainment, and endless source of smiles and hugs, and makes me laugh. I swear, the kid's a little comedian. How could you not love a kid who wants a "whole stack o' crispy treats instead offa cake"?

When I was pregnant with him, I remember going to the mid-term sonogram. They asked if we wanted to know the sex, and we said yes. I was hoping for a girl. God... I wanted a girl so bad. When she said it was a boy, I broke down in tears. I tried SO hard not to cry- after all... I was pregnant with a perfectly healthy baby boy. I have such a close relationship with my Mom- we're like best friends. I wanted that with my daughter. Hearing that I was having another boy was not welcome news. And then the guilt set in.... oh man. THE GUILT. I loved that baby boy in my belly, but I felt SO bad about wanting a girl.

But you know what? God knows what we all need. I needed Kevin, just like I needed Thomas when he was born. I'll never have a daughter, but that's ok. I have exactly what I need, and exactly what I want- two lovely boys, whom I adore.

Happy Birthday, Kevin. I hope you have a wonderful day, topped off by a party at Chuck E. Cheese, and the Rice Crispy Treat "cake" pictured above.
I love you, little guy.

UPDATE: WOAH! Today is President Bush's 60th birthday. How cool is that? Thanks to DS for that bit o' trivia.

When I'm Gone

I can't watch this video without getting a lump in my throat.

Cross-posted on H&I Fires at The Castle Argghhh!

OK... time for some more Fun With Sitemeter

oh man.... I love Sitemeter. Esp. the "word search" function.

my wart had a black dot in the middle The Mommy Doctor (as Kevin often calls me) sez "That's a planter's wart, and the black dots are the seeds.)

pooping in a bucket Not recommended, unless it's a port-a-potty, and you're not the one cleaning it out by hand.

splinter in bottom of foot Yeah. I know something about that... and ever since, Kevin's been hoping against all odds that he will also get an injury serious enough to warrant a trip to the ER. Sigh... Boys.

"little man" breasts or boobs I believe the term you are looking for is Man-Boobs.

ear rocks I'm sorry, but when I read this, the first thing that popped into my head was the "Cleveland Rocks!" theme song from the Drew Carey Show.

giraffe pecker They're black. I swear. Or at least their testicles are. Just ask Kevin- of course he'll probably tell you that when you see "those fings hangin' down... that's a boy giraffe"

congratulations you when absolutely nothing Congratulations! You "when" the prize for word search misspelling! Let me know "win" you'd like to pick up your prize- a brand new Webster's Dictionary! hehe....

where is salam pax june 2006 Why, he's right here. Thanks for askin!

flag burning assholes Yep. But I stand by my position that assholes should be given every chance to prove their asshattery provided by the blood, sweat, and tears of our military.
grandpa's playing with his penis Um... EWWWWWWW

"quarter end" joke Sorry, but quarter end is no joke.... and it's why I'm so damn busy at work this week! GAH!

...and with that.... I'm off to do quarter end work, which really does suck.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Blue Star Chronicles has a post up about a conversation with an American soldier who believes that "Nobody cares about us".

GAH-DAMMIT!

The politicians are putting pressure on brass, and they're faltering... and it's going to cost American lives as a result.
I'm too busy to really rant about this right now, but DAMN... this shit PISSES ME OFF.
h/t: John