Hey SB

Here it is.......why did I pick it?

BTW, this view is Bunker from Pearl and the street at the top center is Mystic. Mystic is where I lived from the time I was 5 until I was 11. Traditionally I watch the parade from a spot near the top right of this picture. The next street going east from Mystic is Elm where we moved when I was 11.

Now, go down two posts and comment on the villainess thing.

Al-Zarqawi Bad Day Music Video

Israeli Soldier Gilad Shalit

So last night I'm listening to the BBC and they have a spokesperson from the UN lamenting the fact that the White House has not stated vigorously enough their opposition to Israel's current actions. Gee..........could that be because we applaud it. Sure, diplomats from the US are saying please don't break anything. But if they are anything like me, they are applauding Israel's actions. The current situation began when Hamas kidnapped a young Israeli soldier named Gilad Shalit. Militants are taunting Israel over this incident. Palestinians are taking to the streets holding signs applauding this crime. Israel's response.................they have taken the "terrier" aproach. They have Hamas and their supporters by the scruff of the neck and they are just going to shake them until they turn that kid loose. That's a perfect response to this crime. It's not war, it's crime. Just like any other crime syndicate kidnapping a cop would be dealt with. surround their hideout. Arrest their cohorts. Shut off the power and water. Send in the negotiator. I think it's great.

Villainess

In the madness that is "Superman Returns", which was very good by the way......Jen's boss has taken to signing his emails "L. Luthor". I need a good alter ego for my email signature. There is no really, truly stunning bad girl in Superman. Lex's girlfriend was not that bright, or brave, or hot. I want someone like Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity" She needs to be evil and look fabulous while she rips out the hero's heart. Stanwyck was good, but she is blonde. Lately, I am a redhead. I love how she looks at Fred McMurray, her partner in crime. You can see that she doesn't care who she takes down. Film noir is a genre filled with women I can soooooo identify with, lol. My grandmother used to refer to me as Veronica Lake because I tend to wear my hair in a way that makes it fall across my face. Veronica was elegant and she was treacherous, but.........not evil. She was a girl you could count on for a good "bad" time. But again, Veronica was a blond. Blondes might have more fun, but I enjoy the comments I get with this red hair. Red hair = trouble!

SouthieBoy told me once that I reminded him of Rita Hayworth.....which I llllllllloooooooooovvvvvvvvveeeeeee. She was a redhead and a bad girl, but is she evil enough?
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UPDATE
someone visited this morning at 8:40 amd left this comment.

Anonymous said...
Rita Hayworth, "stunning" to say the least. 7 out of 10 on the evil scale. Ms. Maggie is an 8.5 on a regular basis. (I would know). Although she can go higher when necessary so whatever you do, DON'T TEMPT HER !!

Friday, June 30, 2006 8:40:41 AM

I thought it was SouthieBoy and I replied with a sulky pout. Turns out it was not SB. I should have known better he would never use "Ms.".

So.......who is it?
Sitemeter says:

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Frank's Knee

......is not broken. The second X-Ray confirmed that nothing was broken. So we are supposed ice and heat and elevate it. You know he's not. I caught him playing soccer. The pain has lessened, but the lump is still there. If it isn't gone in a week we go the MRI route.

I Must Have That Receipt Somewhere....

This day in history................

In 1853, the U.S. Senate ratified the $10 million Gadsden Purchase from Mexico, adding more than 29,000 square miles to the territories of Arizona and New Mexico and completing the modern geographical boundaries of the contiguous 48 states.

Someone might want to show that receipt to the "Reconquistas".

Superman

Jennifer has called and threatened my office staff with dire consequences if they do not chase me out of here by 1700 hours. Jen, Grace, Frank (my brother, not my son) and I are going to see Superman at the IMAX in Reading. Frank and Jen are big Superman fans. I can not be late.

Tuesday

My aunt Terence was a Sister of St. Joseph. She wielded enormous influence in my life. Once upon a time, many years ago, she suggested that I become a nun........ STOP LAUGHING.

Anyway, on days like today I have my regrets. Frankie called shortly before noon and told me that he thought he had broken his leg. I call the doctor, leave work, get him, go to the doctor and from there to the hospital. We wait an hour, they bring him in and X-Ray his leg. For some reason the X-Ray shows no damage (there is a visible lump just below his knee and it is painful). No one will speak directly to me because he is 18. He says "Let's go, this is stupid." We leave, the clerk chases us to the parking lot. They X-Rayed the wrong spot, please come back in. Frank says no. I know I missing important information here. It is hot. He is getting belligerent. No one has a satisfactory answer. We leave. I go back to work. Several hours later he cools to the point of reason. He is a hothead (no I don't know where he gets it) but he is in pain. We go back and he has more X-Rays. Now we wait for a call tomorrow.

I am relatively certain that had I become a nun I could have spent the afternoon sitting in a garden reading the Lives of The Saints or the the writings of St. Augustine. I recall the garden behind St. Columbkille's convent was lovely. It was lush and green with high walls and a fish pond.

I'm Glad I Don't Drink Coffee

Folgers - Happy Morning

This is incredibly disturbing. I don't know how I will sleep. I'm glad I don't drink coffee.

Thanks to The Anchoress and Buckley F. Williams.

Monday

I worked yesterday because I knew I was taking today off. We went to the new MS doctor. I liked him enormously. He listened, he joked, he answered questions, he seems very approachable. The old doctor was distant, distracted and judgemental. She was completely closed off from anything that didn't fit the mold. Jen is witholding judgement and that's a good thing. This is a big step, she should be cautious. He agreed with me about yoga and didn't seem to mind my presence or questions.I have never seen a waiting room quite like his. The views of Boston seemed more suited to a luxury condo or a 4 star hotel.

After the appointment we were going over to take my parents to lunch but they weren't home. Who cleared that plan? We drove all around Somerville and Charlestown trying to figure out what we wanted to do. Outback? Closed until 1600 hours. The Mount Vernon? Not unless Mama Kelley come back from the beyond and makes us take her. The Warren Tavern? I guess. We drive past my parents house,...no car. Hmmmmm. What if they are at the cottage? That would be ironic. Finally, sitting in City Square, we called Grace's house to see about going to the movies earlier than planned and find out what was in her fridge for lunch? The kids tell us she won't be there for another hour. The movie is in two hours. Perfect.

I ask if I can raid the "bird flu" supplies just to rile Grace up. She is ready for any service interruptions due to natural disaster or terrorist attack.
Toilet paper, bottled water, canned tuna. My father is prepared as well, although it's not a plan. He buys certain things in bulk from across the stateline where they are considerably cheaper.....her cigs, his Jack Daniels, her wine, their potato chips. Life is good. I have emergency M&Ms, and some bottled water but not enough to get me through six weeks. Jen has Fresca, Atkins shakes and several bottles of wine. We review our preparedness plans with Sgt. B and find we are woefully unprepared. He has all kinds of power, communication and transport options. He suggests a generator and rather than stockpiling beer, we should learn to make it so we have something to barter with.

I have decided that when whatever "it" is happens I will simply go to Washington and have Sgt.B take care of me. Afterall, he is Princess Crabby's Grand Vizier.

After stealing lunch and causing general chaos at Grace's, we decamp to the movie theater. Grace, her daughters Debbie (my goddaughter), Gen (Jen's goddaughter), Jen and I go to see "The Lake House"
We liked it.

So where were our parents? Seeing the earlier showing of "The Lake House". LOL

Fox News Sunday

I love the panel discussions on this show.

Brit Hume just spanked Congressman Ed Markey as adolescent.

Bill Kristol was asked point blank in the discussion of Iraqi insurgent amnesty his feelings about amnesty for those who kill American soldiers.

"As a practical matter, people who kill Americans should get killed."

*********************************************************************************

Bill also pointed out an important "never forget" moment. Today is the 10th anniversary of the Khobar Towers bombing.

June 25, 1996
These are the nineteen U.S. Air Force servicemen killed in the blast.

Captain Christopher Adams
Technical Sergeant Daniel B. Cafourek
Sergeant Millard D. Campbell
Senior Airman Earl R. Cartrette Jr
Captain Leland Haun
Technical Sergeant Patrick P. Fennig
Master Sergeant Michael G. Heiser
Staff Sergeant Kevin Johnson
Sergeant Ronald King
Master Sergeant Kendall K. Kitson
Airman 1st Class Christopher Lester
Airman 1st Class Brent E. Marthaler
Airman 1st Class Brian W. McVeigh
Airman 1st Class Peter W. Morgera
Technical Sergeant Thanh V. Nguyen
Airman 1st Class Joseph E. Rimkus
Airman 1st Class Justin Wood
Airman 1st Class Joshua E. Woody

Moderate Muslims

Here's a question that comes up in conservative circles. Where are the moderate Muslims? If Islam is a religion of peace, where are those who would speak out against extremist violence?

Two points I found interesting.

The first was in an article in this mornings New York Times about a forward thinking mosque in San Francisco.

"At the Darussalam mosque, the dispute over the wall was just one skirmish in a larger battle over the entire tenor of the mosque. Mr. Ghali and other leaders at the mosque fired an imam they deemed overly militant, not least because he wanted to make the barrier between the sexes even more pronounced. The imam went to court, winning more than $400,000 in a wrongful dismissal suit, and then opened a competing mosque around the corner, where the women still worship behind a wall."

There you go! Do the right thing and get spanked to the tune of 400 large!

Next was out on Yahoo news.

Why, then, the public silence?

"For some of the more than five dozen Muslims interviewed for this story in Amsterdam, Paris and London, it's a sense of shame, or even guilt, that innocents have been killed in the name of Islam; they say those feelings make them seek to be "invisible." For those lucky enough to have jobs, there is little time to protest or even write letters to newspapers. For others, there is fear of being branded anti-Islam in their communities."

I don't think that's a good enough answer. But since I perceive Yahoo to be left leaning, I'm impressed they are asking the question.

The El

Boston's mass transit system used to contain an extensive elevated train network. The last train on that network pulled into North Station on this day in 2004. The El was gone from Charlestown long before that. I remember The El clearly from my childhood and it was nothing like the historical societies describe it in it's heyday.

"For over a century, Bostonians had avoided the congested crowded streets below by riding trains carried on huge steel tracks. When the El was built in 1901, people were thrilled to pay the five-cent fare to travel in mahogany-paneled cars from one shiny station to another. But over time city officials and most residents came to see the once-elegant El as a noisy eyesore. Gradually elevated lines were replaced with subways, and the tracks were demolished. The final run of the Green Line trolley on the last half-mile of elevated track marked a milestone in the modernization of the nation's oldest subway system, and, at the same time, the end of an era."

I remember the "noisy, eyesore" part. Hanging on for dear life (but secretly thrilled) as the train careened through City Square on the big curve and headed for North Station. My mother and grandmother would take us "In Town" on "The El". It was always a big adventure. It was pretty much all gone by '75, my sophmore year in high school. We called the "Downtown Crossing" station "Washington", Mama Kelley called it "Winter/Summer". This is a view of Thompson Square.

Rescue Me

This show just slays me. Denis Leary says every mean thing I think. In this weeks episode he is rescuing children in a school bus crash.

A little girl says "My arm hurts." Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) asks "Do you play sports?" The little girl says "No." Tommy hoists her up and tells her "Then the arm isn't an issue."

At one point we are watching Tommy argue on the phone with his sister Maggie as she announces her "rotation". I turn to Jen and say "It's not lost on me that her name is Maggie." We laugh, but Hey! I should be getting royalties!
This show pushes the limits. I never miss it.

Children of Paul Barry Memorial Fund

Some Shaw's supermarket locations in Massachusetts have a fundraising drive going on.

This week, six area Shaw's supermarkets will have canisters set up at every checkout register for people to donate money to the Barry family. Shaw's will match each store's total, up to $2,000.

The Shaw's program started Saturday, and by early afternoon, every jar at each of the six open checkout aisles at the Shaw's on Prospect Street in Milford was stuffed with dollars and coins

This is from a story at TownOnline.

Milford and Marshfield are two that are participating. Comment if you know of other locations. Thanks.

**BTW Do I need to tell you that I want you to empty your pockets in those canisters?**
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UPDATE - All Star Markets and Shaws Markets have donation canisters. Throw some cash in there!

Beer Ads

These are beer ads from Shepherd Neame for their Spitfire beer. Some people find them offensive. They should get over it.

So, I'm sitting at my desk having lunch, surfing and John the Armorer sends me over to Damian's blog where he has a post on these ads.


It's not just funny and smart, it's for a good cause.

Spitfire's success has soared since it was introduced as a charity beer in 1990, marking the 50th anniversary of RAF's defeat of the Luftwaffe. The beer's huge popularity has seen it raise over £100,000 for various charities to date (including the RAF Benevolent Fund).

King Phillip's War

Broke out on this day in 1675. Wampanoag warriors killed seven colonists in Swansea in retaliation for a series of injustices suffered at the hands of the English. This raid is generally considered the beginning of King Philip's War, a bloody conflict that would involve every New England colony and all the peoples of the Algonquian nation. Over the next year, members of the Abenaki, Narragansett, Nipmuc, and Wampanoag tribes attacked more than half of all the settlements in New England and reduced about a dozen towns in Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies to ashes. By August of 1676, more than 600 settlers had died and 1,200 homes had been burned. An estimated 3,000 Native Americans died at the hands of the English.

I met a guy at a book signing who was doing a movie about this. I thought this sounded hugely interesting......because I am a geek. It's still in the development stage and they are soliciting funds stage.

King Philip's War
George Csicsery
KING PHILIP'S WAR will be a dramatic feature film about the first and bloodiest Anglo-Native American conflict in North America. The screenplay about the rebellion of Philip the Wampanoag and his allies against the United Colonies of New England in 1675 covers a critical episode in the history of European colonization of the Americas.

If you ever visit Plymouth, Massachusetts you should take the lantern tour. It visits some relevent sites and is just plain fun. I'm not just saying that because of my interest in history. I have taken my children, their friends, all my nieces and nephews........they all had a good time. If you doubt me, we'll bet dinner on it. Come to Plymouth, I'll take you on the tour and you'll see I'm right. I only make bets I can win. The "Ghostly Haunts" tour is better in the fall when there is a little chill in the air.

Dinner Last Night

I'm not sure we will be allowed into Paprazzi again. We were quite out of hand.

This Day In History

June 22nd -

In 1807, the U.S. frigate Chesapeake was fired upon and then boarded by the crew of the British battleship Leopold about 40 miles east of Chesapeake Bay.

This is pretty much where I am in reading my biography of Decatur. I know, I know, I've been reading this forever! No, I'm not a slow reader. I'm just distracted and busy. I don't get to pick it up very often. I am always tempted by the new stuff.....the new issues of "The Atlantic" and "Foreign Policy" both came in recently. Anyhow, Captain (later Commodore) James Barron just gave up the ship and it's not your usual Navy story.
HMS Leopard (right) fires upon the USS Chesapeake

We Return You Now To Your Regular Channel

This blog started out as nonsense and it's going to return to that. Paul and Maryellen won't be far from my mind, but..............

The Funeral

I am completely drained. So many things happened today. I feel overwhelmed.

We arrived at 10 am for an 11 am funeral and couldn't get anywhere near the church. "T" had tried to tell me to come earlier....oh well. We were directed up Talbot Ave and told to walk in down Welles Ave. We walked down past all the empty busses and turned to the corner on Dorchester Avenue. I knew it was blocked off but we had assumed it was to facilitate queing cars for the procession. We were wrong.

Dot Ave in both directions was a sea of police uniforms. All day I have described it as overwhelming. But this evening in discussing it with Sgt. B, I realized that didn't come close. I realized the word I wanted to use to describe it was beautiful. The men and women from all those law enforcement agencies, lined up in the heat, in formation after formation were together something far greater than any one person could ever be alone. They came together, some in grief, some out of respect to form something incredibly, indescribably beautiful. I have seen such displays before on TV. Trooper Charbonnier's funeral....Firefighter Stevie Minehan's funeral, but to stand there and face it in person. I imagine that it must be the same when someone first sees the ocean......vast and powerful and awesome..........and beautiful.

Walking past them to the church caused a rush of emotion. My heart beat faster and my hands shook. I was afraid I might cry. Once at St. Mark's we went and found some shade and waited to go inside.

The service was long, but I take comfort in the rituals of my Church. The hymns, the prayers, the admonitions not to waver in the face of adversity. The first reading struck me because it put my feelings into words.

The Book of Wisdom
Chapter 3

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be
punished, yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.

I thought about that a lot as we sat and stood and moved through the Mass.... "utter destruction". Yes, that about covered it. I was good until Communion. When I turned from the priest to return to my pew, I was struck by the scene. Maryellen and her children were in the front pew, flanked by her brother Jim on one end and a Trooper on the other. Her head was bent as she knelt and she was covering her face. People passing as they returned to their pews were touching her and the children. I averted my glance....it hurt.

After Communion, Paul's brother spoke movingly and then he played a recording Maryellen had made about their life together. How happy they were....how they would be happy in the future. How Paul and she had had a conversation just two weeks ago discussing that they could not ask for more. Once again we were struck by just how special Maryellen is.

Outside we were once again swept up in the ritual of the "thin blue line" honoring one of their own. The dignity, the solemn attention to detail. The bagpipes, the flyover, the radio call, the row upon row of officers at attention.

Florian Hall was a huge relief. A drink, a bathroom, shared remembrances..........watching the children laugh and play.

After seven hours spent in Dorchester we headed home to shower and collapse.

My One Beef

If you are not a regular reader.....you can skip this.

Where was the blasted Cardinal?

Can it Southieboy! Don't give me any of that "Oh Maggie, you and you Rice-Bowl-Preservation-Society!" attitude.

That man has done nothing but disappoint me since he showed up on the scene.

It's Raining.......

.............it suits the mood.

The Wake

It was strange to go to a wake in a church. Everything seemed so spread out. We got there about 6:30 and it wasn't too crowded. I talked with some people I knew outside and they told us that it had been chaos earlier. They had one of the misting tents set up on the side of the church. The last time I saw one of those was when I took Frankie to see the Kennedy a few years ago. I asked Spellman if it had been bad enough to need it and he said there were a few people who almost passed out. So we lucked out. We never saw "T" because he was still working on making sure every detail was being handled for tomorrow. He is the go-to guy for things like this. Still he found time to call and check on us. Tomorrow will run smoothly with decorum the occasion deserves because of "T" and people like him. He didn't know Paul, but he will put the same effort into tomorrow he would for his best friend.

We were nervous about seeing Maryellen. What if she broke down? We would have dissolved right along with her. But we needn't have worried. Maryellen was utterly fabulous! A backbone of steel. Bearing up under the heat, the crowds, facing the unfaceable with beauty and dignity. She was a sight to behold.

The State Police liason for the family brought a man in and sat him in the front pew. He was terribly distraught. They got him water and tissues. Other Troopers walked over to check on him. They went and got Maryellen and brought her to him. She consoled him! We were floored. There she is in her own nightmare that won't end and she goes over and talks to this guy until he pulls himself together.

We left in absolute awe of Maryellen.

Trooper Paul F. Barry

Paul & Maryellen had seven beautiful children. They were "OFD". His funeral Mass will be at St. Mark's.

A memorial fund has been established in Barry's name at the Bank of America in Franklin.

Bank of America
Children of Paul F. Barry Memorial Fund
80 Franklin Village Drive
Franklin, MA 02038

Donations can also be made at any Bank of America branch.

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the mourning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

WB Yeats

Site Meter

Site meter is something that allows me to have a general idea of who visits this blog. My normal daily number is 26. Friends, family, fellow bloggers. Once in a while something spikes my number. It's usually a link from a big Milblogger (military blogger - The Castle, Blackfive, etc.). The past few days my numbers have been up, way up. It's people searching "Paul Barry", "Trooper Barry", "Trooper accident 495", etc.

I'd like to say a few things to those visitors.

1st - Go donate something to the Memorial Fund. I am very pushy and I have no problem ordering perfect strangers around. It doesn't have to be big, but that would be good. It doesn't have to go in a card or letter, but go ahead if the spirit moves you. It doesn't have to go to the address below, you can go to any Bank of America branch. But give something.

The Children of Paul F. Barry Memorial Fund
Bank of America
80 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin, MA 02038

2nd - You are surfing and I am not the only site you will see. I am also surfing. I have corrected two minor mistakes. If you were to find one on the web please contact me if you do not wish to correct it yourself. You can post a message here or email me at bostonmaggie@yahoo.com Paul was a "Dot-rat" and I am a "Townie".....but I am fiercely protective of him.

3rd - If you knew the Barry's or the Hayes' casually and you are thinking of going to the funeral, reconsider. There is a list for the funeral. They are expecting far more people than can possibly fit in St. Mark's. Therefore, there will be a list, and IDs will be checked. If it meant enough to you to drive to St. Mark's and you aren't on the list then go back to the first statement and make a donation.

4th - Feel free to leave a comment. Also, go to the funeral home's website and leave a message there. If you've read what I'm writing and think you should know who I am, email me, I may tell you.

Death Notices

Today's Globe
Paul F. Barry

In the line of duty, of Franklin formerly of Dorchester June 15, 2006. Beloved husband and best friend of Maryellen (Hayes) Barry. Adoring father of Nicholas J., Emily A., Alexandra M., Colin J., Michaela K., James E. and Elizabeth G. Barry. Devoted son of Eleanor L. (Dwyer) & Ed (Francis) Barry of Hyannis. Son-in-law of Jeanne M. (DeLorie) Hayes of Dorchester and the late James M. Hayes. Cherished brother of Edward P. Barry & his wife Kathleen of Watertown and Mary Foster & her husband Bryan of Rockland. Brother-in-law to Michael & Judy Hayes of OH, Susan & Christopher Mullen of Dorchester and James Hayes of Dorchester. Loving uncle to Hannah & Christopher Barry, Griffin, Chloe & Cordelia Foster, and Hayley Hayes-Carr. Visiting hours will be held in St. Mark's Church, 1725 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester on Monday from 2-8 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday morning in St. Mark's Church at 11 o'clock. Relatives and friends respectfully invited. Interment Cedar Grove Cemetery. Longtime camp counselor for Exceptional Citizens Week at Camp Fatima in NH. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in Paul's memory to: The Children of Paul F. Barry Memorial Fund, Bank of America, 80 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin, MA 02038. For messages of condolence, http://www.oconnorandson.com/. Published in the Boston Globe on 6/18/2006.
*****************************************************************************
Today's Herald
Barry, Paul F.Sunday, June 18, 2006 Trooper Paul F. (MA State Police), in the line of duty, of Franklin formerly of Dorchester June 15, 2006. Beloved husband and best friend of Maryellen (Hayes) Barry. Adoring father of Nicholas J., Emily A., Alexandra M., Colin J., Michaela K., James E., and Elizabeth G. Barry. Devoted son of Eleanor L. (Dwyer) and Ed “Francis” Barry of Hyannis. Son-in-law of Jeanne M. (DeLorie) Hayes of Dorchester and the late James M. Hayes. Cherished brother of Edward P. Barry and his wife Kathleen of Watertown and Mary Foster and her husband Bryan of Rockland. Brother-in-law to Michael and Judy Hayes of OH. Susan and Christopher Mullen of Dorchester and James Hayes of Dorchester. Loving uncle to Hannah and Christopher Barry, Griffin, Chloe and Cordelia Foster and Hayley Hayes-Carr. Visiting hours will be held in St. Mark’s Church, 1725 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester on Monday from 2:00-8:00 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday morning in St. Mark’s Church at 11:00 o’clock. Relatives and friends respectfully invited. Interment Cedar Grove Cemetery. Longtime camp counselor for Exceptional Citizens Week at Camp Fatima, in NH. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in Paul’s memory to: The Children of Paul F. Barry Memorial Fund, Bank of America, 80 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin MA. 02038. For messages of condolence, www.oconnorandson.com
**********************************************************************
We've kicked around the idea of flowers and decided to jut make a bigger donation to the fund.

The Children of Paul F. Barry Memorial Fund
Bank of America
80 Franklin Village Drive
Franklin MA. 02038.

I Should Go To Sleep Now.....

....tomorrow will be a long day. It's not like I'm not tired. The heat, the carbs, I am wiped.

We went into Boston today to see my parents and give Father's Day presents. We arrived just in time for lunch. My brother and his family showed up just after we ate. It would have been the usual chaos but Grace was still in New Hampshire.

When Jen & I were driving home we did a dry run down Dot Ave. It's been a while since we were there. There were signs up on the street light posts for 3/10 of mile in either direction of St. Mark's "No Stopping Monday or Tuesday Special Event" It doesn't feel special.

Memorial Pages

This is something I never thought about. Out on the web there are sites devoted to remembering those who have died in the line of duty. They are maintained by various agencies. What a sad job that must be.....to get the call to add a new name.

This is the one for the Massachusetts State Police.

Right away my eyes scanned it for Trooper Hanna's name. I had to go back a bit, it was 1983. I can't believe it's been that long.

Of course, I knew exactly where Trooper Mark S. Charbonnier's name would be. At the time I was working as a 3rd shift computer operator at United Way and I would be driving home at 3 or 4 in the morning. That night/morning, I was driving home about an hour after Mark (he was from a Townie family) was shot. As I traveled south, driving just a smidge over the speed limit, I spotted what I knew to be a police car coming up fast behind....so I eased off the accelerator...but he blew past me. As I passed through Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham along Route 3, more and more police vehicles were flying past me. Normally at the time I would be nearly alone on the road, just me and some bread trucks, maybe a Boston Globe truck. But as I continued south the traffic grew heavier. It was mostly police cars but there were other cars - all speeding, all with just one male occupant. Finally, when I was nearly home, I passed the Duxbury exit. When you drive past Exit 10, Route 3 descends and curves and you can see quite a distance in front of you.

The sky glowed with the lights of what seemed to be a million police cars. My heart was pounding at the sight.

I thought it was the end of the world.

They were in the breakdown lane, the travel lane and the passing lane. What little regular traffic there was had to pass in the far left shoulder. I was frantically trying to get the radio to tell me something. At that point you are not far from the Pilgrim nuclear power plant and that was my guess. What else could cause such a scene?

It took me a minute to realize that they were letting me continue south, so it couldn't be an accident at the power plant. They would have been stopping me and forcing traffic north.

I was so grateful to make it home from work that morning,....to my sons.

Those were the days before the Internet, etc and I was frantic for news. There was a manhunt for the killer. Fortunately, the neighbors had a police scanner.

Anyway, now the memorial page has a new entry.

Paul Barry's Wake & Funeral

Those coordinating Paul's services are expecting a huge crowd, no surprise there. The combination of his fellow Troopers, his considerable extended family (blood & in-laws), the tragic and public circumstance of his death, and of course, the simple fact that he was a genuinely nice guy, add up to heavy turnout. This would overwhelm a typical funeral home. The decision has been made, after extensive consultation between the family and the State Police, to have the wake as well as the funeral at St. Mark's in Dorchester. St. Mark's is the home parish for both Paul & Maryellen. In happier times, it was the church where Paul & Maryellen were married. It is the setting for so many happy events in the lives of both their families. Sadly, yet fittingly, Monday & Tuesday St. Mark's will be where we say goodbye.

I have been writing about this since Thursday (as long as I have been crying about it). I got an email asking if I knew Paul. I realize I have not made that clear. So let me be clear. I knew Paul Barry. It was my honor to have known Paul Barry. Monday and Tuesday I will join so very many other people and say goodbye to Paul Barry.

Monday will be an excruciatingly long day for Maryellen, Paul's family and Maryellen's mother and siblings. It will begin with private time for the family at 1 pm , followed by a "walk-by" for law enforcement officers and then public viewing until at least 8 pm. My heart breaks at the thought. Tuesday there will be the funeral and the burial.

Robert Kennedy once quoted the poet Aeschylus "Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God."

Paul's parish priest said the other night that people who knew Paul wanted to be like him. If that is the wisdom that comes to some.........to try and emulate Paul's life..........that would be a wonderful tribute.

Small Acts of Kindness

"A tarp shielded the state police cruiser on Interstate 495 early yesterday morning in Wrentham.

It's a small thing, really, a small act of compassion.

It means Trooper Paul Barry's family and friends won't see the twisted metal on television, won't have that sight enter their minds when they think of the 39-year-old father of seven."

From the Milford Daily News - Julia Spitz
*********************************************************************************

Law enforcement and school officials collaborated yesterday to protect the privacy of state police Trooper Paul Barry’s family in the hours following his early morning death on Interstate 495.

Three marked and two unmarked Massachusetts State Police cruisers blocked off a side street leading to the family of nine’s home on John Edwards Circle. Local police and school administrators shooed the media away from the Kennedy School, where five of Barry’s children are students.

"Right now, we’re trying to deal with the tragedy," Superintendent David Crisafulli said in between fielding calls about the news vans that flocked to the elementary school near dismissal time. "That’s where our energy is focused. We’re being very respectful of the Barry children."

Again, the Milford Daily News - Danielle Williamson

I Am Heartbroken

Paul Barry was the nicest guy. A good guy, doing good work. A lovely family. My heart goes out to Maryellen and their children.

State Trooper Dies In Accident On I-495

BOSTON -- A Massachusetts State Police Department trooper was killed Thursday in an accident on Interstate 495 north in Wrentham.

Trooper Paul Barry, 39, died in the accident at about 4:45 a.m. Barry was married with seven children.

"He was all about his family. He was a great guy," said fellow Trooper Paul Fernandes.

Barry's police cruiser and a truck were involved in the crash. The accident occurred near Route 1A, and significant delays were reported as motorists used Route 24 and Interstate 95 as alternate routes.

"He was all about his family. He was a great guy," said fellow Trooper Paul Fernandes

Dinner at the Warren Tavern

Last night Jen and I went to dinner at the Warren Tavern with our cousin Chrissie. Chrissie is always fun and knows everyone and everything that happens in Charlestown. Dinner was only ok - filet mignon should not have a trace of fat! However, the crab cakes were very good. My parents have lunch there every Friday and they love it. It's an interesting and historical place. If you have the chance, you should go......order the scallops.....my mother swears by them.

Flag Day

Because these things are important.


And over at The Pentagon Channel..........


1130 - Army Birthday Concert: Celebrate the US Army's 231st birthday with a concert featuring Josh Gracin in the Pentagon Courtyard.

Today Was ......

...another News Orgy day. I was discussing everything with Southieboy and frankly that's the only way I can describe it. "W" was in Baghdad (I love it...love it...love it!), Rove wasn't indicted, Kennedy was sentenced, and Zarqawi is still dead! SouthieBoy agreed and expressed the opinion that Zarqawi is likely to remain dead for a long time.

This Made Me Laugh Out Loud

The Nose On Your Face is always good, but this one was especially good.

Retro-Nose: Top 9 Suggested Ann Coulter Book Titles

We here at The Nose On Your Face are big fans of best-selling conservative authoress Ann Coulter. As a friendly gesture to her, our staff have compiled a list of potential titles for any upcoming books she may be planning.

9. Ann Coulter's Guide To Self Defense Against Non-violent, Tolerant, Peace Protesters

8. Ted Kennedy Is To Politics What Ted Kennedy Is To Designated Drivers

7. Reasoning With Liberals, Stapling Jell-O To Your Shoe & Other Exercises In Futility

6. Barbara Boxer: The Unauthorized Biography

5. Harry Reid & The Filibuster of Azkaban

4. Republicans Are From Mars, Democrats Are From Uranus

3. The Liar, The Bitch & The Wardrobe: A comprehensive overview of the Clinton/Lewinsky affair

2. Letters From My Mom's Basement: A look at hippie contributions to society

1. Liberalism: Logic's Retarded Cousin

You know my favorite was #8

Invitation to Dinner

I have been invited to dine at The Commander's Palace in New Orleans. It looks lovely.........this is their dessert..........

Just a few small problems. They've been closed since the hurricane..............and it's in New Orleans, which I have had explained to me is hotter in the summer than the hinges of the gates of hell.

Yahoo Email Virus

I got an email from a fellow Yahoo user. There was a *worm*. If you get an email from me that says "New Graphic Site" DO NOT OPEN IT. Delete it immediately. I sent out an email before I knew that it would only target Yahoo users. The Armorer was quick to point out that I got it from a Marine........I don't care, they're worth the trouble....just delicious!

Here is the story from Symantec.

Perspective

Most people see me as conservative. Not all. My father is soooooooo disappointed by my libertarian views. You see, I agree with this.......

June 13, 1966
High Court Puts New Curb On Powers Of The Police To Interrogate Suspects
Dissenters Bitter
Four View Limitation on Confessions as Aid to Criminals
Four Dissenters Denounce Ruling
See Limiting of Confessions as Helping Free Criminals to Repeat Their Crimes

The Supreme Court announced today sweeping limitations on the power of the police to question suspects in their custody. The justices split 5 to 4. In stinging dissents the minority denounced the decision as helping criminals go free to repeat their crimes.

The majority opinion, by Chief Justice Earl Warren, broke new constitutional ground by declaring that the Fifth Amendment's privilege against self-incrimination comes into play as soon as a person is within police custody

.

My father thinks I am Ted Kennedy's left hand!

Last Night's Lecture

Was............
"TWILIGHT IN THE DESERT: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock" by Matthew Simmons. It was sponsored by The Cambridge Forum. He had a very different idea about what will happen after peak oil. Most of what I have heard or read focuses on how we will rely on alternative energy sources and cars will run strange substances. Mr. Simmons however focuses on changed behavior. No more shipping fruits from South America in the winter. No more driving cross country. More telecommuting.

So apparently the Cambridge Forum people are wise to me.......while the email said 6:30, the lecture was actually at 7:30. So instead of making it in just under the wire (for the record I got there at 6:25), I was the first person there. I watched the guy from WGBH set up for recording , lol. I had a book with me, I was prepared. I quietly sent text messages and enjoyed the down time.

It was very interesting and if you catch it on the radio, listen for the little altercation at the end of the Q&A. There was a guy there from a non-profit wind energy group with several questions. People who asked questions seemed unhappy that Simmons was not focusing more on their pet project. Geothermal, wind, etc. He just said those were all interesting but he didn't know as much about it. Anyway, the guy sitting in the front row made a crack when the wind guy got up to ask his third or fourth question. The wind guy sniped back that it was an open forum. I favored the wind guy. The guy in the front row wasn't being held prisoner. Some people did leave before it was over, he could have too.

So, I leave and head back for the garage, looking for a bank machine so I could ransom my gas guzzler (not really, I get 30 mpg) and drive 35 miles home in alone. If I had a conscience........ Anyway, I was talking on the phone to a particularly recalcitrant member of the rotation, walking in the fashionable sandals Pat likes when I misjudged a high curb and BOOM! Thank goodness it was dark. My ego!

The evening wrapped up with me dining in solitary splendor at the bar in Paparazzi. They make the best medium rare filet mignon and since there was no one at the bar that late, they put on FoxNews for me.

A Great Cause...

Hello, all! I'm FbL of Fuzzilicious Thinking. Maggie has kindly handed me the keys to this place so that I can tell you about a wonderful way to support the troops.

Valour-IT is a program that supplies voice-controlled laptops to wounded warriors with hand or arm injuries that prevent them from using normal keyboards. By reconnecting the wounded with their loved ones and giving them a sense of independence, these laptops have a tremendous effect on morale and recovery. However, Valour-IT has run out of funds. Right now we have a waiting list of eleven wounded warriors who need our help, and the list is still growing.

Marine Lt. Gen. Amos recently said:

When we send them off to do the nation's bidding in a place like Afghanistan or Iraq and they're wounded, we're not returning the same individual... When we send them back wounded there is a piece of me that says I haven't kept my bargain. What's left for me to do is to continue taking care of them. [source]

It's left to more than generals to continue taking care of them. It's left to all of us. And part of how we take care of the wounded is by helping them reconnect and rediscover their self-sufficiency in a way that supports their recovery. A voice-activated Valour-IT laptop is a huge part of that support.

When I shared the article about Lt. Gen. Amos with someone who has a great deal of expertise in leadership and management, her instant reply was, "What a leader!" Yes. And like any good leader, Amos is leading by example. Will you follow?

"It's a function of loyalty," the 59-year-old general said. "In Marine speak, it means fidelity. It's a wonderful word not used very often - except in the Marine Corps. It means faithful. It implies faithful almost to a fault...

"I owe it to them."

So do we.

Please donate here. Every bit helps.

Tough Choices

There are competing lectures tonight. Which should I choose?

TWILIGHT IN THE DESERT: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock
7:30 p.m., Monday, June 12, 2006
Cambridge Forum
3 Church Street (Harvard Square)
Cambridge, MA 02138

Oil industry analyst Matthew Simmons draws on his extensive experience in the global energy market to assess the future of Saudi Arabia's oil production capacity. In his new book, Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy, Simmons argues that Saudi reserves could soon face a serious and irreversible decline, and considers what the world will look like when Saudi petroleum reserves peak. How high will prices rise? What impact will shortages have on the growing, energy hungry economies of India and China?

or

Wind Energy in Boston Harbor and Beyond
James F. Manwell
Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Director, Renewable Energy Research Laboratory
University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Jack Wiggin
Director, Urban Harbors Institute
Adjunct Faculty, Earth and Geographic Science Department
University of Massachusetts, Boston

Wind power is one of the most appealing sources of renewable energy today. Learn about the history of wind energy in the area (including windmills and sailing vessels) and hear about more recent developments, particularly in Hull. We will also discuss the future possibilities for offshore wind, both in the immediate environs of the Harbor, and also (in the longer term) in deeper waters, further offshore.

So........SouthieBoy.......

Did you get what the first photo is?

Bunker Hill Day

Today is "The 17th". I am going to Charlestown to celebrate the Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17th, 1775. The parade and accompanying celebrations are always the Sunday before the date. So today there will be an all-American tradition in Charlestown. It is not what it was when I was young....but then, what is? when I was young every street had parties that spilled into one another. You could just move along from one person's yard to another. Now the Town has changed and there are more Toonies. But I will still have fun. I will go to my parent's house and see cousins and uncles and aunts and old friends. We will all go *up the corner* to watch the parade. There will be firetrucks, police motorcycles, floats, high school bands, various youth groups and lots of politicians.

Plenty of marching bands and bagpipes.
I love bagpipes and Charlestown has the best - the Bunker Hill Pipe Band, K. of C. 62.


There will also be an abundance of Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and SSSSSSSSSAILRORS! In other words................a movable feast!

OVER BUNKER HILL SOLDIERS OF '43 MARCHED
This striking picture was made with historic Bunker Hill Monument forming an inspiring background as a unit of hardened, tanned soldiers of an American fighting uit moved by in yesterday's big Bunker Hill Day parade.

Fair Warning!

The link at the bottom of this post takes you over to Iowahawk. The particular post is called "Paradise Is Overrated". It is funny and gross and inappropriate and lewd and juvenile. If you have delicate sensibilities, DO NOT GO OVER THERE!!! If you go and get offended.....don't come back and complain to me. I don't want to here it.

You were warned.

Iowahawk - Paradise is Overrated

It's Raining.........

AGAIN!!!!!! LOL

I'm not going to be the one to build the ark though. You know I'm not an animal person. That would be my version of hell....stuck on a boat with two of every kind of animal. I prefer my animals with two legs....insert lewd remark here....I can't.... my sisters and sons read this.

More Stuff I Like

Anytime you can take a liberal motto and make it useful, I like it.



This was at a blog called "Attack Cartoons". There was some funny stuff, some silly stuff...........and this.

The List Of People Who Should Bite Me......

.....grows.

Let's add Michael Berg.

We have to add him here because I have been admonished over at The Castle. Over at The Castle there are rules. I will obey the rules, grudgingly, because I like hanging at The Castle.

Here is a link to the comments for a post about Zarqawi.

I said:

Dear Michael Berg,

Sorry your son was stupid, sorry, I meant *beheaded*.

But as for your statements today - bite me.

Sincerely,
Princess Crabby
***********************************************
The Armorer responded with:

John of Argghhh! briefed on June 8, 2006 05:05 PM
Rulez, Maggie, Rulez. Message. Not messenger. Even Princess Crabby.
***********************************************
My answer:

My apologies - I thought Mr. Berg had made himself the message, using his son's poor decision making skills to catapult himself onto the national stage.

Is there a list of people I can't tell to bite me?

Feel free to remove my comment. I have moved it to my place where as The Red Queen says..........

"All ways are my ways"

*unrepentant grin*

Whining At The UN

Jarhead John has an interesting post on this story. I heard it in passing on FoxNews. John, my favorite Marine in Okinawa, always brings a unique perspective to issues such as this. Then read the comments. Gawfer and I are the Beavis & Butthead of the blog, telling UN Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown to bite us.

USS Cole

FoxNews is showing live feed of the USS Cole sailing with the battle group out of Norfolk VA. I think this is perfect timing.

Godspeed.

Stupid Question of The Day

It's 0922......is it too early to give this award for 08 June 06? Because I want to give it to the female reporter from The Philadelphia Inquirer. During the Baghdad Brief this morning she asked Major General Caldwell if we hadn't timed the Zarqawi business to coincide with the naming of the new Iraqi cabinet appointees.

Gotta get back to this news orgy. The SECDEF just wrapped up on Fox. Jen's listening to Col. Jacobs on Imus.

USS Liberty

On this day in 1967, the USS Liberty, an intelligence ship sailing in international waters off Egypt, was attacked by Israeli jet planes and torpedo boats. Thirty-four Americans were killed in the attack, which Israel claimed was a case of mistaken identity.

Waking Up To Good News

I'll be raising a glass to this tonight!

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in air raid

"W" is on TV right now. This will be a good day to catch The Baghdad Briefing on the Pentagon Channel. But it won't be MG Rick Lynch *sob*.

It's the 3rd headline listed in the morning email from Military.com......that's strange.....wouldn't you think it would be number 1 (with a bullet, lol)?

The story didn't make the NYT morning email, but it's their top story at the NYT homepage.

Cassandra has a great post on all this. She is always a good read.

BBC Newshour

This morning's big story was the alleged "Torture Flights". The BBC story covers The Council of Europe report. The report has accused 14 member states of "collusion" with the US practice of rendition, in which terrorism suspects are secretly transported to countries where they are at risk of torture. If you follow this link there is audio.

I want to care. I think I should care. I thought about caring.

I failed.

Planes fly into buildings. Embassies and Marine barracks get blown up. US Naval ships are attacked. There are plots to hack off the Canadian Prime Ministers head.

My concern is a series of riples out from me.

My sons are safe.
My family is safe.
Boston is safe.
America is safe.
The Western World is safe.
Ok........now I'll worry about Mahmoud who left his home to travel to some Godforsaken land and train with the other Jihadis with their left over Kalishnikovs and their internet videos wandering into Coalition hands.....getting a plane ride to an unnamed country where is is interrogated. Gee, was he guilty? Did he know anything useful? Is he telling the truth? Do I care?

No I don't care. Do you want to know why? Because I believe there should be a Pax Americana. An American citizen should be able to walk unmolested anywhere in THE WORLD. Until that day.........don't bother me about extraordinary renditions.

Editorial Comments

The Armorer at The Castle has forwarded a suggestion.

He thinks I should have this button on my banner.

SLACKING

Last night should have been yoga..............it wasn't. Jen was in no mood. i didn't push it. So instead we went to the sale at Bath & Body Works.
Jen spent $4.20............I spent slightly more.

We had dinner at Paparazzi. As always, I had fun. Jennifer is my best friend and my sister. However, except for the fact that we stuck to Atkins, nothing really got accomplished.

It's pouring here today and I know there is no way I will drag my butt to the gym tonight. Not even the steam room can lure me.

On days like this I want to just hang and read and watch "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir" and eat M&Ms.

I might have to go buy a muumuu.

June 6th

Over at The Castle there will be posts about D-Day. I'll enjoy reading them. I am, of course, interested for many reasons.....history geek, military fan, John Wayne fan (The Longest Day). However, June 6th has always held other meanings for me.

1968 was a strange year for me. Shortly after I turned 7, my grandfather passed away. The patriarch. My mother's father. A beloved figure in my life. There were so many tears. A short while later Bobby Kennedy was assasinated. The world wept with me. Even then I knew that was a great loss. Boston mourned and even at seven, I felt the loss. As the years went by and I learned more........Bobby was always my favorite. SouthieBoy and I snipe back and forth about Bobby and Jack. We each have our reasons. Maybe it's my age, but Jack was never as real to me. Maybe it was my own loss two months earlier. Regardless, every June 6th, Bobby is what springs to mind. Even in 1980 when on that singularly beautiful late spring day I married Tom & Frank's father.

1968 was the last time FatBoy had anything to say that I found worth listening to. We had not begun to despise him at that point. In 1968 I had not begun to feel the anger that came later.....why was Teddy alive and Bobby was dead? No, in 1968 the tremor in his voice pierced my heart.

"My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

"Those of us, who loved him and who take him to his rest today pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will someday come to pass for all the world.

"As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: 'Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.'"

If you click anywhere on the quote above there is audio of the eulogy.

USS Cole

I missed this story on Friday. Jen told me yesterday. She smugly told me that I don't watch enough Bill O'Reilly.

Associated Press
USS Cole to Deploy to Middle East
By SONJA BARISIC , 06.02.2006, 07:58 PM

The USS Cole is heading to the Middle East for the first time since a terrorist bomb killed 17 sailors aboard the Navy ship in Yemen's port of Aden nearly six years ago.

The Norfolk-based guided missile destroyer is one of seven ships with 6,000 sailors and Marines leaving the East Coast next week to conduct security operations in support of the war on terrorism, the Navy announced Friday. They'll be gone six months.

Some ships will leave Tuesday, while others, including the Cole, will depart Thursday, said Lt. Mike Kafka, a spokesman for the Navy's Second Fleet, in Norfolk

This will be on my mind Thursday.

June 4, 1960

My parents were married at St. Francis.

After I shower and finish watching "FoxNews Sunday". I'll head into the City and hang.

Frank has a soccer game.

My sisters and I may go to the movies later.

I am very lucky.

I Feel Very Virtuous

I did finally get off of my butt and I even got some stuff done. After an initial bout of laziness.....lounging in bed......flirting with Ogre.......check Priceline for a good fare to The Milblogger's Shootout........I showered and headed into work.

After work I popped down to Walmart and moved among the hoi polloi. There were a few more errands after that. Bought something I *might* wear to the next pub crawl. God! I'm such a tart, lol.

Anyway, I finally made my way to the gym. It's been a week. I love Saturday nights there. I saw 4 other people. I watched After Words: Alvin Toffler interviewed by Newt Gingrich on CSpan. Really interesting. I pushed my limits with the incline on the treadmill.......did my reps on the machine.........lots of stretching.......then.......my favorite part........the steam roommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

As I drove home, I was sining along with Michael Buble "Feeling Good".

I Was Attacked Over At OPFOR

Yesterday Charlie over at OpFor writes a post about the current danger spots in the world "Take a deep breath –things can get much, much worse in the MidEast" It was well written and informative, as usual. I like their stuff....that's why I go. I, of course, have very little to offer except for the occasional observation or off color remark (my specialty).

So I post a comment:
"I hate to break this to you, but I went to a panel discussion (James Carroll - House of War; Robert J. Lifton and Irene Gendzier - Crimes of War—Iraq) in Harvard Square last night and they explained it's America's fault. We are the problem. We need to just admit it."
Maggie · June 2, 2006 07:12 PM
************************************************************
And someone.............who quite obviously doesn't know me.....answers.
"I guess maggie and the folks up at that place she went to must think that we wrote the q'uran."
B52 · June 2, 2006 09:46 PM
***********************************************************
Fortunately, Scooby comes along.
"guess maggie and the folks up at that place she went to must think that we wrote the q'uran.

The angel Gabriel was really Karl Rove in a time machine.

(Maggie was being sarcastic, btw. So am I.)"
scooby · June 3, 2006 08:52 AM
********************************************************
I see all this and defend myself
"B52 - Hold your fire!

I am a completely bloodthirsty, pro-OIF, Republican!

Scooby is right - that was sarcasm. I went to the lecture, but I didn't agree with anything they said."
Maggie · June 3, 2006 11:03 AM
******************************************************
Whew! Imagine someone thinking I was a liberal! The trouble you can get into out here, boy!

I'm not talking to Charlie though......he should have gone out there and defended me!!!!! No more cigars!!!!!

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

I have been trying for two days to get into the Pentagon Channel and I can't! What is going on?

There is a new guy doing the Baghdad Brief. I'm going to watch............but I'm sure he's no MG Rick Lynch *sob*.

Excuse me........Mr. Secretary.....can you get someone on this?

Common Ground

Last night there was one point that everyone could agree on. The lack of interest, on the part of the general public, for current events, history, geography, foreign policy...........and on and on and on.

Jen shot me off an email this morning with Bill O'Reilly's take on it.

The iPod People

By: Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com
Thursday, Jun 01, 2006

In a world as complicated as ours, there's no way we can really understand what's happening unless we're willing to make an investment of time. But many of us simply will not do that. We are too involved in our own lives, too busy, too distracted, and too apathetic to pay attention to most vital issues. Thus, huge problems like illegal immigration and energy dependence go unsolved for decades because the powers that be know we're not paying attention.

The rise of worldwide terrorism is the best example of the powerful failing to be proactive. President Clinton knew al Qaeda was growing in strength and militancy, but failed to warn the nation. When President Bush took over in 2001, he also mostly ignored the festering threat. The result was 3,000 Americans dead in the street.

Ask yourself this question: Before September 11, 2001, had you heard the name Osama bin Laden? Did you know anything about the Taliban? Even those of us in the news business had little frame of reference about those killers. So there was virtually no pressure on Clinton and Bush to do anything.

Although to be fair, while I knew who Osama was and I knew what the Taliban was. I wasn't pressuring anyone. 9/11 could not have been prevented if only regular Americans paid more attention. But I completely agree that they should.

One very troubling thing that I came away with last night. When a young BU student is seeking to learn...........they are getting Irene Gendzier and her skewed view. I'll be the first to admit that I am pro military, pro OIF/OEF, Republican, Bush supporter (still have the bumper stickers on the car).........but I look for the other side. I listen to NPR, I read stories in the NYT, I attend events such as last night. I feel that the bulk of the people in that room last night (panelist and audience) are very closed off to the other side. Demonizing suporters of the war..........claiming that I support the GWOT because I fear muslims and I can't distinquish between a person and the acts of their government, etc.

Oh well.

The USNS Pomeroy Sails On Time

I, like so many other heartless fellow bloggers enjoyed the festivites up in Olympia this past week. I found it through OPFOR, but the story is over at Gateway Pundit.

The best part is..........they didn't succeed.

Congratulations to the Military Sealift Command.

The USNS Pomeroy is named for a Korean War Medal of Honor recipient, Army Private First Class Ralph E. Pomeroy

Fair winds and Godspeed.

How Painful Was This!!!!!

But at least I didn't have to go through it alone! Jennifer decided at the last minute to go with me. We had a pretty good time overall. I hate to use a tired phrase.....but the place was full of moonbats. The three panelists were so anti-OIF (yes I knew that going in) and so anti-Bush (yes I knew that going in). It was ridiculous. The cherry picking of history. The nitpicking with not only no viable alternative.....no alternative at all. James Carrollwas there discussing his new book "House of War". I thought there would be more talk about the Pentagon....but no. Mr. Carroll literally said "Iraq is broke, we can't fix it. We must go." That's it. That's his grand scheme. Just pack up and leave. Incredible. Also, he feels that Jimmy Carter gave the best inaugural address (LOL)........Mikhail Gorbachev was a hero, Reagan just went along (Margaret Thatcher was not even mentioned). He looked like he had a headache the whole time and at one point his face got so red I was nervous. If he ever gets over his inner turmoil about his Dad and the Pentagon.....I hope he goes back to writing books like "Mortal Friends", and "The City Below"

The other panelist were just a off the wall. Robert Lifton & Irene Gendzier both hammered away at the fact that we are the cause of all the chaos in Iraq and America's disasterous foreign policy must be questioned, discussed and stopped. The most irritating point in the evening was Gedzier talking about "poll after poll" where the American people and those serving in Iraq want us to leave. An incredible, outright lie. At one point when she was really warming to the subject.....the sound system gave irritating, loud feedback. I turned to Jen and said it was God. The questions from the audience were just as bizarre. Why don't Americans understand? Why don't Americans inform themselves? (Here's a great one!) Why don't the papers and other news media show the "truth" about what is happening over there so Americans will wake up and demand answers. The first question from the floor wasn't a question at all it was a heavily accented woman trying to give her own speech about how American was about to attack Iran and everyone knows the U.N. is the U.S. - Jen and I laughed out loud at this and I turned to say "I wish"! Lifton conceded that you can't talk to Osama, but the said "W" was just as fanatical.
Usually these things have something that redeems them. I learn something new. Not tonight. Other than provoking a really interesting conversation with Jennifer - what would happen if we did indeed do what they want........it was a disappointment. They just proved what Col. Hunt says....."They Just Don't Get It".

We continued our discussion over dinner........I had carpacchio........my favorite savage appetizer........followed by more red meat. Jen & I both had the filet mignon (she's medium, I'm medium rare). It's what American girls eat.

Headed Off To Harvard Square Tonight

James Caroll has written a new book, "House of War" He will be promoting it tonight at the Longfellow Hall. The event is sponsored by the Harvard Book Store. It's being billed as a discussion on American Foreign Policy and Iraq.............but all those involved are anti-OIF...........so I will call it a lecture.