Obama To Name Dennis Blair as Intelligence Director
Dita Alangkara / Associated Press
Dennis Blair, the former head of the U.S. Pacific Command, has been tapped by President-elect Obama to be the nation's next intelligence director.
Blair is the former head of the U.S. Pacific Command. The search for a candidate to head the CIA has not been settled.
I sent out a dunning email to some of the Navy Coterie beefing that there was nothing in their blogs about this.....but I have to take it back. Yankee Sailor wrote about him at Galrahn's place on December 9th.
Something I liked from the Wikipedia entry.
Blair is somewhat renowned in U.S. Naval circles for attempting to water ski behind his Destroyer when he was the Skipper.[8]
Good one, sir!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Nuts!
It's the day after steroid day.
I have a bad cold.
Frankie kept me up late with his stress dreams (poor kid - he was worried he was the only one).
So I am going to cheat and send you to the Armorer for one of my favorite WWII stories.
22 December, 1944
I have a bad cold.
Frankie kept me up late with his stress dreams (poor kid - he was worried he was the only one).
So I am going to cheat and send you to the Armorer for one of my favorite WWII stories.
22 December, 1944
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Happy Hanukkah!
Steve, our computer guy sent this to me in an email.........so, I thought I'd share.
Happy Hanukkah, from Steve!
A "Swingin' Dreidel" suits Steve......I can see him dancing with Harriet while he sings along.
Happy Hanukkah, from Steve!
A "Swingin' Dreidel" suits Steve......I can see him dancing with Harriet while he sings along.
General Sir Mike Jackson on Iraq
I saw this at Op-For. Sure the guy paints the Brits in the most favorable light.....I wouldn't expect anything less. But this article and others like it are important to keep those who would misinform the public in check. There is constant effort to make it seem as though we went into Iraq for no reason (or worse, a nefarious reason) and that we have completely mucked it up to no good end. You need people like this retired British Chief of General Staff to keep the records correct.
Britain's Armed Forces will leave Iraq with heads held high
The announcement that Britain is largely to close down its military role in Iraq by May 31, 2009, is welcome news to both this country and Iraq. It represents a most significant achievement after what will have been a very difficult and challenging six years.
By General Sir Mike Jackson Last Updated: 8:04AM GMT 21 Dec 2008
We should remember that this saga does not start in 2003, but rather in 1990 with Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait – an act of outright international aggression. After the forcible removal of his forces from Kuwait, there followed a decade and more of brutality towards his own people and defiance of at least 16 binding resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
My purpose in writing is not to conduct yet another post-mortem of the decision to intervene militarily by the United States, the UK and some 30 other countries, but to reflect on what British forces have achieved.
The purpose of intervention is not to indulge in some latter-day military adventurism, but to help a country move out of a dark past – out of tyranny, civil war, ethnic cleansing – to a better future, a future in which the country is stable, at peace with itself and its neighbours, with a representative government, institutions being built, the rule of law being established, the economy recovering.
This is a complex and difficult task; pace the neocons, it is indeed nation-building. And it is a task for military and non-military alike. It is also true that conflict between groups such as in Bosnia in the 1990s, and the Shia and Sunni in Iraq (and wider, for that matter ) is a political phenomenon which, in the end, can only be solved politically. This cannot per se be achieved by soldiers; their job is to create the conditions for such a political solution. And all of this takes time, a rather unappreciated commodity in today’s 24/7 world. This, then, is my benchmark for judging the effectiveness of our intervention in Iraq.
The initial conventional war-fighting campaign against Saddam Hussein’s forces in southern Iraq was a tremendous military success; in particular, the taking of Basra city by 7 Armoured Brigade was a brilliant operation conducted with great finesse and fine timing. Despite the gloomy predictions of some commentators, there was no re-run of Stalingrad in either Basra or Baghdad.
The initial euphoria which followed the toppling of Saddam Hussein was short-lived, as factions within Iraq began to use violence in pursuit of their political objectives. Iraqi expectations of immediate economic improvement were understandably but unrealistically high; their frustration at not seeing this realised quickly turned to anger with the Coalition forces. This volatile situation was much exacerbated by the security vacuum created by Washington’s appalling decisions to disband the Iraqi security forces and to de-Baathify the public administration to a very low level; the latter marginalised the very people who were best placed to help. These decisions may well have doubled the time it has taken to get to where we are now. Iranian backing for Shia militants was a further difficult complication, as was the lack of a coherent reconstruction plan and the failure in Coalition capitals to understand fully the complexity of the situation.
All of this presented an enormous challenge to the Coalition, not least the British Armed Forces in the south. The Army, in particular, was fighting the classic “3-block war”: a mixture of intense firefights, benign patrolling and reconstruction projects.
The campaign became a long haul – we had to have the strategic endurance to see it through. There were tremendous successes: the referendum on the new Iraqi constitution and the subsequent elections; the avoidance of outright civil war; the long and hard efforts to bring on the new Iraqi security forces; the handover of security responsibility for our four southern provinces to the Iraqi authorities. There were drawbacks: how we dealt with the Mahdi army in Basra; allegations of abuse of Iraqi prisoners; Whitehall’s organisational difficulties in bringing an integrated single national effort to bear; the political and military friction of working within a coalition.
And there has been the tragic costs in casualties, the agony of soldiering. The bereaved and the wounded have our greatest sympathy; those deaths, those wounds, were not in vain but rather suffered in the noble cause of a better future for Iraq and, indeed, the region as a whole.
The end of Coalition involvement in Iraq was always going to be that moment when the Iraqi government concluded that it had the political and security strength to deal with its own future, that Coalition forces had done all that they could. For Britain, for the four southern Iraqi provinces, that day will be May 31, 2009, at the latest – save the probability that we will maintain a military training team as we do in many other countries. For the US and the rest of Iraq, that day will be somewhat later.
It has been a long, hard and controversial campaign, but I believe it has largely succeeded. If none of this had taken place, if Saddam Hussein had remained in despotic power – no doubt to be followed by his despicable sons – where would Iraq be? We will never know, but I cannot think that Iraq would be a better place, nor that the Iraqi people would wish for such a fate.
The British Armed Forces, as ever, have played a courageous, enduring and committed part in all this. It has been difficult, messy and challenging, but I believe they rose to that challenge in their inimitably good-humoured and professional manner. The Iraqi prime minister has thanked them generously for their part in getting Iraq to where it now is; our Forces may justifiably be proud in playing that part. We, in turn, may be justifiably proud of them – our young men and women have been at once inspirational and humbling to watch.
The struggle against those who would destroy our own way of life is by no means over. Afghanistan will require even greater strategic endurance – but I know that the British Armed Forces, I trust properly supported in every way by government and nation alike, will continue to do their duty.
General Sir Mike Jackson is a former Chief of the General Staff
Britain's Armed Forces will leave Iraq with heads held high
The announcement that Britain is largely to close down its military role in Iraq by May 31, 2009, is welcome news to both this country and Iraq. It represents a most significant achievement after what will have been a very difficult and challenging six years.
By General Sir Mike Jackson Last Updated: 8:04AM GMT 21 Dec 2008
We should remember that this saga does not start in 2003, but rather in 1990 with Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait – an act of outright international aggression. After the forcible removal of his forces from Kuwait, there followed a decade and more of brutality towards his own people and defiance of at least 16 binding resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
My purpose in writing is not to conduct yet another post-mortem of the decision to intervene militarily by the United States, the UK and some 30 other countries, but to reflect on what British forces have achieved.
The purpose of intervention is not to indulge in some latter-day military adventurism, but to help a country move out of a dark past – out of tyranny, civil war, ethnic cleansing – to a better future, a future in which the country is stable, at peace with itself and its neighbours, with a representative government, institutions being built, the rule of law being established, the economy recovering.
This is a complex and difficult task; pace the neocons, it is indeed nation-building. And it is a task for military and non-military alike. It is also true that conflict between groups such as in Bosnia in the 1990s, and the Shia and Sunni in Iraq (and wider, for that matter ) is a political phenomenon which, in the end, can only be solved politically. This cannot per se be achieved by soldiers; their job is to create the conditions for such a political solution. And all of this takes time, a rather unappreciated commodity in today’s 24/7 world. This, then, is my benchmark for judging the effectiveness of our intervention in Iraq.
The initial conventional war-fighting campaign against Saddam Hussein’s forces in southern Iraq was a tremendous military success; in particular, the taking of Basra city by 7 Armoured Brigade was a brilliant operation conducted with great finesse and fine timing. Despite the gloomy predictions of some commentators, there was no re-run of Stalingrad in either Basra or Baghdad.
The initial euphoria which followed the toppling of Saddam Hussein was short-lived, as factions within Iraq began to use violence in pursuit of their political objectives. Iraqi expectations of immediate economic improvement were understandably but unrealistically high; their frustration at not seeing this realised quickly turned to anger with the Coalition forces. This volatile situation was much exacerbated by the security vacuum created by Washington’s appalling decisions to disband the Iraqi security forces and to de-Baathify the public administration to a very low level; the latter marginalised the very people who were best placed to help. These decisions may well have doubled the time it has taken to get to where we are now. Iranian backing for Shia militants was a further difficult complication, as was the lack of a coherent reconstruction plan and the failure in Coalition capitals to understand fully the complexity of the situation.
All of this presented an enormous challenge to the Coalition, not least the British Armed Forces in the south. The Army, in particular, was fighting the classic “3-block war”: a mixture of intense firefights, benign patrolling and reconstruction projects.
The campaign became a long haul – we had to have the strategic endurance to see it through. There were tremendous successes: the referendum on the new Iraqi constitution and the subsequent elections; the avoidance of outright civil war; the long and hard efforts to bring on the new Iraqi security forces; the handover of security responsibility for our four southern provinces to the Iraqi authorities. There were drawbacks: how we dealt with the Mahdi army in Basra; allegations of abuse of Iraqi prisoners; Whitehall’s organisational difficulties in bringing an integrated single national effort to bear; the political and military friction of working within a coalition.
And there has been the tragic costs in casualties, the agony of soldiering. The bereaved and the wounded have our greatest sympathy; those deaths, those wounds, were not in vain but rather suffered in the noble cause of a better future for Iraq and, indeed, the region as a whole.
The end of Coalition involvement in Iraq was always going to be that moment when the Iraqi government concluded that it had the political and security strength to deal with its own future, that Coalition forces had done all that they could. For Britain, for the four southern Iraqi provinces, that day will be May 31, 2009, at the latest – save the probability that we will maintain a military training team as we do in many other countries. For the US and the rest of Iraq, that day will be somewhat later.
It has been a long, hard and controversial campaign, but I believe it has largely succeeded. If none of this had taken place, if Saddam Hussein had remained in despotic power – no doubt to be followed by his despicable sons – where would Iraq be? We will never know, but I cannot think that Iraq would be a better place, nor that the Iraqi people would wish for such a fate.
The British Armed Forces, as ever, have played a courageous, enduring and committed part in all this. It has been difficult, messy and challenging, but I believe they rose to that challenge in their inimitably good-humoured and professional manner. The Iraqi prime minister has thanked them generously for their part in getting Iraq to where it now is; our Forces may justifiably be proud in playing that part. We, in turn, may be justifiably proud of them – our young men and women have been at once inspirational and humbling to watch.
The struggle against those who would destroy our own way of life is by no means over. Afghanistan will require even greater strategic endurance – but I know that the British Armed Forces, I trust properly supported in every way by government and nation alike, will continue to do their duty.
General Sir Mike Jackson is a former Chief of the General Staff
Blogs For Joy
I saw this at Hub Politics.
Which in turn directs you to "Blogs For Joy"
I've also been hearing a radio campaign encouraging people to make donations to charitable organizations in the name of those on your gist giving list. They are encouraging people to make their giving more meaningful. Not to purchase something for the sake of purchasing something. This was actually something I did for my kids teachers when they were in school. I never knew them well enough to pick out a gift they would like, but the few that commented like the idea. Particularly of the charity was local.
So if you blog, consider spreading the idea of this and other like ideas. You can also spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Which in turn directs you to "Blogs For Joy"
I've also been hearing a radio campaign encouraging people to make donations to charitable organizations in the name of those on your gist giving list. They are encouraging people to make their giving more meaningful. Not to purchase something for the sake of purchasing something. This was actually something I did for my kids teachers when they were in school. I never knew them well enough to pick out a gift they would like, but the few that commented like the idea. Particularly of the charity was local.
So if you blog, consider spreading the idea of this and other like ideas. You can also spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Holy Crap, Stella!!
You're nominating me for "Best Conservative Blog"??? LOL
Thanks for the vote of confidence....but maybe you need to expand your circle of conservatives. Clearly this is a small pool.
Thanks for the vote of confidence....but maybe you need to expand your circle of conservatives. Clearly this is a small pool.
Army LT Seth Varayon Inspires Coat Drive
video is from DODvClips
Students Send Coats to Kids in Afghanistan
posted 4:08 pm Thu December 18, 2008 - McLean, Va. from ABC 7 News
In the spirit of the holiday season, students from a Fairfax County High School are giving gifts to children all the way in Afghanistan.
Students who participate in the Student Government Association at Langley High School in McLean are taking what they have learned about leadership and helping others through their work at school by sending coats to children in Afghanistan.
For the students who participate in SGA, community service is a regular activity. But for Senior Carolyn Shaw, this particular project was personal.
"My uncle was over there last year," Shaw said.
Shaw and the rest of her SGA classmates held a drive to send winter coats to children in Afghanistan.
"It felt really good to see the pictures and the kids wearing the clothes, and all your hard-work being put into that," said Shaw.
The idea for the coat drive came from a 2003 Langley High School graduate, Army Lieutenant Seth Varayon who is stationed in the mountains of Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division. He says he chose coats to give to the children, because there's no electricity in the village surrounding his post and winters can be rough.
"...We thought [it] was really selfless, so we just jumped at the chance to help them out, especially with something helping out the people over there, not just the troops," said student, Caroline Engle.
And tucked inside the sleeve of those coats was a note with warm winter wishes from the students here in the U.S.
Shaw's leadership class does similar projects every year. Last year, for example, students sent soccer balls to Iraq. Soldiers gave the balls out to neighborhood kids, which they said, led to more success on their mission.
"Because they were so appreciative of receiving the balls, they started turning in bomb storage, bomb makers, ambushes and things like that," said Matthew Howard, a teacher.
It is unclear how may coats the students were able to send overseas, but they do know that the 86 boxes full of coats were enough to provide winter warmth to all of the kids in the surrounding village, and even some adults.
Students are also conducting a canned food drive. In fact, there is a contest between Langley High School and their rival, McLean High School to see who can collect the most canned goods.
Which Reminds Me
Posting the pic below reminds me that the Naval Institute started a blog. They have pulled together a group of really smart people for it.....so you know they have plenty of my Navy Coterie there. They know quality when they read it!
I love that it's Adams on the logo.....it's like they know me or something.........
I love that it's Adams on the logo.....it's like they know me or something.........Happy Holidays from the Naval Institute
I just got an email from the USNI and it's lovely. So I thought I'd share -
Friday, December 19, 2008
Over and Over
I repeat to myself......I love living in Boston..........I love living in Boston.........I love living in Boston.
LOL
I finally decided to leave work at 2015.......ok, my boss decided I'd be leaving then. She went out to clear off her car and leave and then called my cell from the parking lot. "Your car is running and cleared off. Leave now!" What choice did I have?
So out I went. The company that manages the property has a good snow removal crew, that walk to the car was easy enough. My boss had my car cleared off. Just get in and drive, right?
Wrong. There was just enough snow to hang the car up. I had to go back in work and find the shovel in the warehouse and dig out my tires. After that, a careful 17 mph in 3rd and I was home in no time!
Oh well. It really is a small price to pay to live in Boston.
Cary Grant is on the TV as background noise while I get ready for bed. Some Nyquil and I will be unconscious soon.
I almost tripped over the Christmas decorations when I came into the house. Frankie picked up the tree and brought all the stuff down from the attic. I haven't called to thank him yet because we had a fight last night and I haven't gotten over it quite yet.
LOL
I finally decided to leave work at 2015.......ok, my boss decided I'd be leaving then. She went out to clear off her car and leave and then called my cell from the parking lot. "Your car is running and cleared off. Leave now!" What choice did I have?
So out I went. The company that manages the property has a good snow removal crew, that walk to the car was easy enough. My boss had my car cleared off. Just get in and drive, right?
Wrong. There was just enough snow to hang the car up. I had to go back in work and find the shovel in the warehouse and dig out my tires. After that, a careful 17 mph in 3rd and I was home in no time!
Oh well. It really is a small price to pay to live in Boston.
Cary Grant is on the TV as background noise while I get ready for bed. Some Nyquil and I will be unconscious soon.
I almost tripped over the Christmas decorations when I came into the house. Frankie picked up the tree and brought all the stuff down from the attic. I haven't called to thank him yet because we had a fight last night and I haven't gotten over it quite yet.
French Toast Alert System Bulletin
Go over to Universal Hub for Adam's very humorous explanation of the "French Toast Alert System"
Right now it's "High"
I am staying in work, but letting the girls go now.
It's supposed turn to rain later, so I am not worried. I already have dinner in the kitchen. I can suffer from chemo drugs and a cold here just as well as I can at home.
I wonder if Frankie has milk and bread and eggs.
Right now it's "High"
I am staying in work, but letting the girls go now.
It's supposed turn to rain later, so I am not worried. I already have dinner in the kitchen. I can suffer from chemo drugs and a cold here just as well as I can at home.
I wonder if Frankie has milk and bread and eggs.
A New Find and Some Stolen Stuff
First off - how did this happen? There is a Navy blog out there I didn't know about. Sure, sure I know there are some I haven't seen, but this guy is local for me; a Red Sox and Pats fan and conservative. How did I miss him?
More to the point - why didn't he check in with me?
Humph!
Anyway, he had, from what I've seen so far this year, the best Army/Navy spirit spot. Again this year, it was from Army. Just an aside to the Army - You know, if you spent more time on the game than the spirit spot......you might win a game, kids.
I thought this was cute..............so........I stole it.
Thanks NavyTim and good luck there in Djibouti. I'll be keeping an eye on you.
More to the point - why didn't he check in with me?
Humph!
Anyway, he had, from what I've seen so far this year, the best Army/Navy spirit spot. Again this year, it was from Army. Just an aside to the Army - You know, if you spent more time on the game than the spirit spot......you might win a game, kids.
I thought this was cute..............so........I stole it.
Thanks NavyTim and good luck there in Djibouti. I'll be keeping an eye on you.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
This Isn't Fair!
I took the steroid Sunday and started the Revlimid back up.
Ok, I knew that would slow me down for the beginning of the week.
I knew I would just have to make up for it Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
But now I am getting a cold.
I feel shitty....just in time for Friday.
I am going to drown in paperwork.
This isn't fair!
Ok, I knew that would slow me down for the beginning of the week.
I knew I would just have to make up for it Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
But now I am getting a cold.
I feel shitty....just in time for Friday.
I am going to drown in paperwork.
This isn't fair!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Enough About The Effing Shoes!
I am so sick of the hypocrisy from the other side of the blogosphere. They want me to accept that it's ok to laugh at this incident.
It isn't.
First - It's not the huge big deal that some on the right want to make it. It's not a black mark on the secret service. I am sure they were there as quickly as possible. I wouldn't have wanted them to actually harm the guy. Poor bastard was brutalized by a shia militia group. He doesn't need a jail cell, he needs serious therapy. He is Iraq's version of John Hinckley. His actions do not represent a serious political view. If you see one, then I am sure that you will also find great insight watching monkeys fling their feces next time you visit the local zoo.
Next - For those on the left who say we would have laughed if it had been "The One" having footwear hurled at him........think again. Me and mine are already on record about how we feel on foreign attacks against our Presidents or Presidents-elect.
This video is from 22 NOV 2008 when Uncle J responded to Zawahiri calling Obama a "house slave". Uncle J tells the President elect "I've got your back." I agree in the comments. So we are already on record with our position.
You may disagree with "W"...after all, I have plenty of times, but he is the President of the United States. An attack on "W" is an attack on America. If you don't get that, I feel sorry for you.
There's not a whole lot in the Arab world that I agree with, but something I always got on a gut level was the proverb "Me against my brother - my brother and I against our cousin - my brother, my cousin and I against an outsider."
I will never applaud a foreign leader or citizen attacking an American president, no matter who that person is.
It isn't.
First - It's not the huge big deal that some on the right want to make it. It's not a black mark on the secret service. I am sure they were there as quickly as possible. I wouldn't have wanted them to actually harm the guy. Poor bastard was brutalized by a shia militia group. He doesn't need a jail cell, he needs serious therapy. He is Iraq's version of John Hinckley. His actions do not represent a serious political view. If you see one, then I am sure that you will also find great insight watching monkeys fling their feces next time you visit the local zoo.
Next - For those on the left who say we would have laughed if it had been "The One" having footwear hurled at him........think again. Me and mine are already on record about how we feel on foreign attacks against our Presidents or Presidents-elect.
This video is from 22 NOV 2008 when Uncle J responded to Zawahiri calling Obama a "house slave". Uncle J tells the President elect "I've got your back." I agree in the comments. So we are already on record with our position.
You may disagree with "W"...after all, I have plenty of times, but he is the President of the United States. An attack on "W" is an attack on America. If you don't get that, I feel sorry for you.
There's not a whole lot in the Arab world that I agree with, but something I always got on a gut level was the proverb "Me against my brother - my brother and I against our cousin - my brother, my cousin and I against an outsider."
I will never applaud a foreign leader or citizen attacking an American president, no matter who that person is.
Patriotic firefighter told to repaint helmet
There's a headline that grabs you. And the article keeps pulling you in.
"A veteran of the Iraq war, Richard Busa is used to fighting for the American flag. But never quite like this."
Wow! Makes you want to go defend this guy and his red, white and blue helmet, huh?
Who is attacking this great American? This veteran? This brave firefighter?
But then you calm down a minute and you have to consider the other side - Newton Fire Chief Joseph LaCroix.
Of course the Chief could have framed his arguements a little better.
Just for you Chief, I have consulted with my super-secret firefighter expert (What? You thought I only have Navy guys in my pocket? Please!)
Here is his take -
Been there and done that with the helmet thing...
The Chief is right but is stating his case poorly. Once everybody paints his/her helmet...they all look like shitbags. The Chief should not have compared the situation to the Corps...it invites comparisons that he will not want to address.
What he should have said was this:
We have a uniform and protective equipment policy. In a paramilitary organization we need to convey to our customers that we are professional and with everybody doing their own thing, we fail to do that.
In the fire service, helmets are color coded to designate rank...this paint job can cause confusion on the fire ground.
The manufacturer of the helmet voids all warranties when it is painted and OSHA does not allow the modification of the helmet.
We admire the firefighter's sense of patriotism and encourage him/her to demonstrate that within the polices that we have set forth.
The stickers...shamrock, union, 9/11, NYFD, or otherwise need to go as well.
The Chief was right.
The Chief handled it poorly.
The firefighter needs to get his/her act together and get with the program.
Soldiers' Angels & the Super Bowl
From FbL
Football Superstar Franco Harris has chosen Soldiers’ Angels to be the designated beneficiary of the 2009 Franco Harris/Lydell Mitchell Grid Iron Golf Tournament, to be held in Tampa during Super Bowl week! This special fundraising event has been conducted at the location of each Super Bowl since 1997, and has resulted in over $180,000 donated to a variety of charitable causes.
The Grid Iron Golf Tournament will be held during Super Bowl week in Tampa at the renowned Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, one of Golf Digest’s Top 75 Golf Resorts in America and home to the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship each March. The three-day event includes a visit with sports stars to the James A. Haley VA Medical Center, a charitable auction, the Immaculate Reception & Dinner, and the opportunity to sponsor a soldier for the tournament itself.
“Soldiers’ Angels is so honored to have been chosen to be the beneficiary of the Franco Harris/Lydell Mitchell Grid Iron Golf Tournament. The Tournament is a wonderful Super Bowl week tradition and will help us meet our mission that “No Soldier Go Unloved. We are so excited to be a part of this great event,” said Soldiers’ Angels founder and president, Patti Patton-Bader.
For more information about sponsorship or participation, please contact Luana Scott at 619-279-5879, or e-mail onparpro@comcast.net.
The Grid Iron Golf Tournament will be held during Super Bowl week in Tampa at the renowned Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, one of Golf Digest’s Top 75 Golf Resorts in America and home to the PGA Tour’s Transitions Championship each March. The three-day event includes a visit with sports stars to the James A. Haley VA Medical Center, a charitable auction, the Immaculate Reception & Dinner, and the opportunity to sponsor a soldier for the tournament itself.
“Soldiers’ Angels is so honored to have been chosen to be the beneficiary of the Franco Harris/Lydell Mitchell Grid Iron Golf Tournament. The Tournament is a wonderful Super Bowl week tradition and will help us meet our mission that “No Soldier Go Unloved. We are so excited to be a part of this great event,” said Soldiers’ Angels founder and president, Patti Patton-Bader.
For more information about sponsorship or participation, please contact Luana Scott at 619-279-5879, or e-mail onparpro@comcast.net.
Princess Crabby doesn't golf, but if someone wants to fly me down to the 19th hole.....I will be happy to meet up with everyone and raise a glass.
Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret.)
Funeral of Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret.) at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland on November 7, 2008.
I've read about Col. Ripley in various milblogs over the last month and half. John of the Castle, LTCol P and Townie76 both of Op-For and the Phibian. If you haven't yet, you should too. This coverage of his funeral is from YouTube. Very beautifully done.
I've read about Col. Ripley in various milblogs over the last month and half. John of the Castle, LTCol P and Townie76 both of Op-For and the Phibian. If you haven't yet, you should too. This coverage of his funeral is from YouTube. Very beautifully done.
Jen Reminds Me.....
....it's not always about me!
We were driving home from Grace's house and Jen was coughing again. I asked what she was taking for her cold. She said she was just using Hall's cough drops.
"I'm probably walking around with pneumonia!"
"That's ok, I had the pneumonia shot."
"I'm not worried about you!"
We laughed so hard, we're lucky she didn't drive us off the road.
We were driving home from Grace's house and Jen was coughing again. I asked what she was taking for her cold. She said she was just using Hall's cough drops.
"I'm probably walking around with pneumonia!"
"That's ok, I had the pneumonia shot."
"I'm not worried about you!"
We laughed so hard, we're lucky she didn't drive us off the road.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A Lovely Surprise
I was in charge of the Valour-IT auction items. There were three. I emailed the winners to ask a few questions about getting them the items. I am of course.......late in doing this.
So I threw myself on their mercy.
Let me just say that when I sent these emails, they were notes to three strangers.
But one of the replies that came back was from my newest friend.
It was a charming note from someone who turns out to be a lurker/reader of my nonsense.
He has graciously let me off the hook for being late.
It made my day.
So I threw myself on their mercy.
Let me just say that when I sent these emails, they were notes to three strangers.
But one of the replies that came back was from my newest friend.
It was a charming note from someone who turns out to be a lurker/reader of my nonsense.
He has graciously let me off the hook for being late.
It made my day.
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