This Made Me Laugh Out Loud

Today's Tanker Brothers Rolling Victory Fast participant is Robert. I was reading his blog and saw this joke. Now I thought it was funny when I read the Democrat/Republican version....but his Democrat/Republican/Southern version is even better.

This Day In History

...in 1876, Congress established at New Bedford the first School of Instruction to train officers for the Revenue Service. The Service traced its history back to 1790 when Congress decided it needed to ensure that vessels entering United States ports paid tariffs on their cargo. In other words, they wanted to prevent widespread smuggling. Over the years, the Revenue Service took on additional responsibilities — protecting American ships from pirates, intercepting slavers after the Atlantic slave trade was banned, and assisting vessels in distress. In 1915 it merged with the Life-Saving Service and was renamed the United States Coast Guard. At that point the School of Instruction became the Coast Guard Academy, which has been located in New London, Connecticut, since 1910.

I Was A Good Girl Tonight

I stuck with Atkins all day and went to the gym this evening. Trish finally joined me! We share a membership and she seldom goes. Wish I had enough money to skip the gym and not feel guilty about wasting the dough!! (She reads this, so I'm really just needling her). I rewarded myself with a luxurious steammmmmmmmmmmmm. I really should go eat something. Friday is my day on the Tanker Brothers Rolling Victory Fast. I'm sure that day, I'll regret any chance I had at food that I passed up!

The Worst Naval Disaster in US History

At 12:14 a.m. on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in the Philippine Sea and sank in 12 minutes. Of 1,196 men on board, approximately 300 went down with the ship. The remainder, about 900 men, were left floating in shark-infested waters with no lifeboats and most with no food or water. The ship was never missed, and by the time the survivors were spotted by accident four days later only 316 men were still alive.

The Discovery Channel has an interesting site.Another is here.

The oral recollections of Captain Charles B. McVay, III, USN, Commanding Officer of USS Indianapolis

I Have Been Remiss.......

....in not commenting on John's great adventure. He is blogging the return of the DD574 USS John Rogers. The Armorer is in his element! It may be a Navy ship, but it's big guns and history and a great opportunity to be part of something unique. I am following this story closely. It appeals to me for many reasons, not the least of which is that I have just read about some of Commodore Rogers exploits in Robert Allison's book on Decatur. Rogers is one of three men in his family the ship is named for.

You can read everything over at the Castle. This link is just posts on bringing the Rogers back to the States. Scroll down and start at the bottom.

Happy Birthday, John!

Frankie's Better

Frank has percocets and I got 10 hours of sleep. Things are better. Fortunately Frank plays soccer and not basketball, so I think he'll even try to play in his rec game Tuesday. He's still a little cranky and demanding.....but he is the Princess' son and you would be shocked if he was sweet. I told him that he offered to buy the young female doctor a beer and at first he looked surprised and then he asked what her reaction was. LOL Flirting with strangers....where'd he get that!

Thank you for all the supportive comments and emails.

Frankie

Last night out at his favorite hangout, Frankie fell into the campfire (off in the woods). He has 1st and 2nd degree burns on his right palm, wrist, and forearm. He was taken by ambulance to MGH. So with my grand total of 2.5 hours of sleep, I am home to shower and go to work. Because of moving the office, phones, computers etc., every work order is in my handwriting/private language. So there is no skipping today. I am headed to the office where there is no Internet......but I have the cell.

Frank was a riot on his morphine, explaining to the intern how you shotgun a beer....telling Erin, the nurse with the meds how grateful he was.......talking nonsense to everyone. If he wasn't so goodlooking, I would have drowned him in a river a long time ago.....too much trouble. Toni is there holding his hand....I am off to the shower.

Thanks Ogre!

Bill Clinton, a Rifle, and an Israeli Foxhole
Written by Doc Farmer
Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Well, it looks like World War IV is in full swing now. I say World War IV, because World War III already happened--the common name is the “Cold” War--and Reagan won that war. So, somebody please send a note to Newt Gingrich. Also, remind him that World War IV started “officially” for the United States on September 11, 2001, despite the fact that Islamofascists have been attacking America since 1968 (when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated).

Be that as it may, the current trigger to this war seems to have been pulled by Hezbollah and Hamas. They’ve kidnapped Israeli soldiers, and Israel is not all that happy with this state of affairs. Furthermore, they’ve moved rockets and missiles into Gaza and southern Lebanon--areas Israel agreed to move out of, so long as the other side promised not to use them for military purposes--and proceeded to lob ordinance indiscriminately into Israel.

Our ally, Israel, has responded with what some have called “disproportionate” force. Well, how would you make it proportionate? If you point a gun at a cop, must s/he only point one back at you without firing? If you shoot the cop, can s/he only shoot back the same number of times, and hit the same parts of your body? There’s proportionate response (which brings stalemate) and there’s appropriate response (which brings victory).

I think you can guess which type of response I prefer.

This latest conflict, however, brought to mind a story I read several years ago. America’s first Black President (and second Impeached President) was at a Hadassah fundraiser back in 2002. I recall this because I thought it was funny, totally bogus, and everything we’ve come to expect from Slick Willie, viz:

“The Israelis know that if the Iraqi or the Iranian army came across the Jordan River, I would personally grab a rifle, get in a ditch, and fight and die.”

Now, putting aside the fact that his provisos are pretty much impossible (the Jordan River is nowhere near any invasion front, no invasion is taking place, and the attackers are being orchestrated by Iran instead of using their own army), I have to wonder if our former Fornicator-in-Chief has the intestinal fortitude to make good on his statement. Israel, one of our closest allies, is under attack. Where’s Bill Clinton? Where’s his rifle? Where’s that foxhole?

At this point, I’d like to thank whoever in the upper military echelons taught him the difference between a rifle and a gun. Considering Clinton, this is an important lesson.

Israelis are doing what America SHOULD be doing. When they are attacked, they fight back--HARD. When their soldiers are kidnapped, they use all necessary force to get them back. When two of our troops were kidnapped, tortured, gutted, beheaded, and booby-trapped, our lib/dem/soc/commie media paid attention to it for only one day. Apparently, since they weren’t killed as a round number of some kind (1000, 2000, 2500, etc.) they didn’t merit their concern. Except, of course, to blame Bush.

And if the rest of the world doesn’t like it, TOUGH! They’re not the ones getting murdered by terrorists. Well, not yet, anyway. They’re not the ones being hit by state-sponsored Islamofascists. For the moment. However, many other countries (America, Bali, Germany, Saudi Arabia, England, India, Spain, etc.) have. Of those, only America and England have had the guts to engage in self-defense. It must really honk the lib/dem/soc/commies off big-time.

Nevertheless, what of Slick Willie and his “promise”? Sure, he was talking to a bunch of Jews at a fundraiser. Sure, he wanted cash. Sure, he wanted to look good. I’m certain he even bit his lower lip and forced an on-command tear every once in a while during that event. But he’s also a former president. A man whose word should mean something. Yes, yes, I know I’m talking about a Clinton here, but in the ABSTRACT, his word should mean something more than “give me your cash” or “let me cop a feel” or “you should probably put some ice on that.”

Ditzy Dean, the former governor and current DNC chairman, actually had the audacity to say that we wouldn’t be in this current situation in the Middle East if we had followed the “moral authority” of Bill Clinton. Two words which should never be uttered in the same sentence with any amount of seriousness. Moral Authority is the LAST thing that can be expected of Bill Clinton. Or, for that matter, Ditzy Dean, Teddy the Hutt, the Hildebeast, Jean François Kerrée, Nancy bin Pelosi, or most any other lib/dem/soc/commie. Okay, I’ll give Moral Authority props to Joe Lieberman, but he’s one of the very very few.

If Israel is truly an ally of America, why hasn’t Clinton gotten on to the next flight to Tel Aviv (sans Secret Service--they didn’t promise to defend Israel, Slick Willie did), put on some camo, pick up an Uzi, and start defending her? I’m sure his wife wouldn’t mind--after all, if he saves lives over there, she’s a hero in her presidential bid. If he is killed, even better for her--not only is she a hero, but also a widow, and therefore a victim who cannot be questioned by anybody. Further, she’d shed all of that political baggage he provides without recourse to a messy divorce. Frankly, I’m surprised she hasn’t darted him with chlorpromazine and FedEx’d his sorry butt to a defensive position on the Israel/Lebanon border by now.

Of course, this is all a moot point. Bill Clinton was, and ever shall be, a liar of the first degree. He said what he said back then for money. This makes Bill Clinton a whore of the worst kind--one that takes the cash and doesn’t deliver the goodies. Nothing new there, I suppose, but it’s kind of nice to see it illustrated so graphically.

Yet you’ll only see it illustrated here. As far as I know, not one MSM outlet has brought up Clinton’s statement from four years ago. That’s not surprising--since they didn’t really cover it when he MADE the statement. Nevertheless, it would be nice to see Bill Clinton actually keep his promises and stick to his word. For the novelty factor, if nothing else. It would also be nice to see the MSM try to hold a politician to account that isn’t a rep/con/tair, while allowing all manner of lies, obfuscations, flip-flops, and other crapola from the lib/dem/soc/commies.

So, Mr. Clinton, send us a post card from an Israeli ditch. Defend our ally with more than just words. Keep your promise (well, except maybe for the dying part--you should do your best to stay alive, just to honk off your wife!). Pick up a rifle, kill a few terrorists, and make the world a safer, better place.

And then, we’ll remind you of the irony that you couldn’t be bothered to do the same thing for OUR country, you draft-dodging bastard.

About the Writer: Doc Farmer is a writer and humorist who is also a moderator on ChronWatch's Forum. He formerly lived in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but now resides in the Midwest. Doc receives e-mail at docfarmer9999@yahoo.co.uk

I thought this was great! It was forwarded to me by a former Navy guy who spends all his free time trying to get me to move down South and take up life as a kept woman. But I wouldn't be BostonMaggie if I were in New Orleans, would I? Anyway, after reading this and poking around a little, I realize that I've already been reading this guy. His blog is "A Sailor In The Desert" or I think it is. Maybe they just cross post.

AFSis ........

....actually imagines that there is more about me that could be revealed (me the Queen of Flashing!) or that anyone would give a shit! Here are her answers.


3 things that scare me:
1. Nothing, I am Princess Crabby.
2. Hot roots (when the real color of my hair - white, mixes with a bad dye job abd turns pink)
3. Peak chocolate (a la peak oil)

3 people who make me laugh:
1. My son, Tom
2. Kevin Meaney
3. Stephen Colbert/Jon Stewart (fav libs)

3 things I hate the most:
1. Waiting, when I have nothing to read.
2. Having to hold my tongue around stupid people
3. People who think everyone loves their pet the way they do

3 things I don't understand:
1. The ACLU
2. How a liberal's mind works
3. (That's it.....I'm wicked smart)

3 things I'm doing right now:
1. Stalling before I get in the shower
2. Reading email in bed
3. I can't say

3 things I want to do before I die:
1. Return to Dubai
2. Read every book in my house
3. Pay off all debts, leave something for my sons

3 things I can do:
1. Keep my head when it hits the fan (I throw up later)
2. Cook - not a lot of practice lately, the last time I really enjoyed it was Dubai
3. Drive people around me crazy....Mum, Dad, Jen, SB, etc.

3 ways to describe my personality:
1. Sarcastic
2. Narcissistic
3. Outgoing

3 things I can't do:
1. Sew, crochet, knit, my mother gave up in frustration even though she noted that they can teach monkeys these things
2. Drive a standard
3. Add crap to this blog, I want a blogroll and banners and stuff.

3 things I think you should listen to:
1. Me
2. Classical music, it's soothing
3. Your gut, my only regrets come when I don't go with my own instincts

3 things you should never listen to:
1. Advice from people who don't know you, just cause something happened to them.....
2. Ted Kennedy, unless it's for fun & you're having a drink
3. People who are trying to explain, "You can't...."

3 absolute favorite foods:
1. Chocolate.
2. Chicken
3. Bread, rolls, and the like

3 things I'd like to learn:
1. Gaelic
2. How to have a better poker face
3. How to hypnotize people (insert evil laugh here)

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

3 shows I watched as a kid:
1. Victory At Sea!
2. The Rifleman
3. Rex Trailer's BoomTown

3 people I'm tagging
Hope they don't take this personally
1. Sgt. B
2. Barb
3. BCR

MG Rick Lynch

Army Major Gen. Rick Lynch, command general of the 3rd Infantry Division, right, applauds Vice President Dick Cheney as he speaks to the troops of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division Friday, July 21, 2006, during his visit to Fort Stewart, Ga. Cheney thanked the soldiers from the division and the 48th Georgia National Guard for their service in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Rick and the Veep, yeah!

Everything Hurts

I went to yoga tonight after a long hiatus.........I was lucky to shower.

The Navy Over At The Castle

The Chief is posting about the Navy over at The Castle. He has this picture labeled to indicate it is the "artist's conception" of the DD(X). Funny!

Here is the real deal.

For Those Who Think Hezbollah Is Not Our Problem

Michelle Malkin has an excellent Vent on this.

H/T to Matty at BlackFive

Tanker Brothers

The Tanker Brothers have been busy boys this summer. Now, in addition to their "Rolling Victory Fast 2006" They are nominated for a blog award. Go here and vote for them. I know they're running against Matty & Uncle Jimbo......I'm still telling you to vote for them.

Then go over to read about today's participant and sign up for a day of fasting in support of Victory!

My Hair

When I was a little girl, my hair was black. At 16 it began to turn white. It's a common trait on my mother's side of the family. I let it turn for years, it came in quite handy. Grayhaired women seldom get carded, even when they should be.

In my mid 30s my mother's constant pleading won out and I began to dye it. It was over 50% white. At first, I did the do-it-yourself and that was ok for a while. My ex used to be really good at it after a couple of beers, or I would head over to my mother's house with the box of dye, some wine and crackers and cheese and my sisters and I would make a hen party of it.

Then my ex and I split and somehow I didn't think his new g/f would appreciate him coming over to dye my hair (although sometimes, if I had a date I would pop over and play with his daughter while he ironed my outfit, lol). So I began to go to a salon. At first, I wanted it to be dyed back to the natural color of my youth, but that's not really a good idea because it looks harsh on women as they age. So I went lighter...dark brown.....medium brown.....blond streaks....just shoulder length. People whose opinions I valued, liked it.

Then along comes SB. "Please don't cut it....ever." Fine.

Then "I've always wanted to date a redhead." Fine.

I go to my next salon visit and announce to Sue..."We have to dye it red." Chaos, other stylist are brought in. No one thinks it's a good idea. It fades, it's high maintenence (like me), it won't suit me, if you're not careful you can get "hot roots" (the white part growing in, now 75% would turn pink, ugh) ........ "Oh well" I say "SB always wanted to date a redhead...we can't have him dating anyone else, can we?!" They try it, holding their breath and in the end they love it. It is a HUGE pain in the ass to maintain. My appointments went from being every 4 weeks to every 3 weeks. I have to get a whole line of hair care products just to keep it from fading. The conditioner that keeps it the best is discontinued by Biolage and I have to bid for it on EBAY. My brother makes endless fun of me.

Friday night SB blows into town. It's hot and humid and despite my too-damn-expensive Phyto anti-frizz and my much sought after Biolage conditioner, my curls are limp and my hair is frizzy. The first words out of his mouth are "Your hair looks great, baby."

No shit, buddy..........I like it when I get my way too!

See?

You Are 72% Evil You are very evil. And you're too evil to care.
Those who love you probably also fear you. A lot.
***You Are 72% Evil***

How Evil Are You?

I tell people that I am evil and they smile indulgently. Then I do something mean and they act shocked. I don't get it! Just the other day The Mistress of Argghhh asked me in a reproving tone...."Maggie, have you no heart?"

Now you know.

H/T to ALa.

Israel vs. Terrorists

Being a complete political/foreign affairs junkie, I am avidly following events in the Middle East. I yell at the stories on NPR. I mull over what they have to say on FoxNews and other news outlets. But largely, my opinion is reflected quite accurately in this cartoon (that seems a frivilous word for such a serious message).
I first saw this over at Lex's place. He credits Steve at "The Wood Shed" who tips the hat to Heidi, who mentions LGF and finally you get to IDF Israel!!!!!! I am exhausted!

OPFOR Wargaming

There is some really interesting stuff over at OPFOR on Israel striking Iran. The comments are as good as the posts. I only comment there when I am super sure of what I am saying (infrequent) or being a smartass (far more common).

First read "Israel Can Go The Distance"

Then, "The Genisis Of A Deep Penetration Raid"

Charlie is being deployed and won't be posting for a bit. He's a great guy, an intresting read and I wish him very well.

The new guy is Navy, mmmmm.

I Bought Myself a Present in Seattle

And I need it since I laughed at this joke over at The Castle!

Time For Change

I don't know if it's my age, or just time, or the phase of the moon........but I need to change jobs soon. I am very good at what I do..........flirting with old men and making them more breathless than when they first got their oxygen. But certain conflicts have progressed to the point where the downside is outweighing the good points. It used to be that I looked forward to work and had no problem working 50+ hours per week. But lately, with every passing day, I dread coming here more. I am lucky to hit 40 hours in a week. Sometimes I am physically here and just not punched in. I blog and surf while I sit at my desk to be available to answer the girl's questions and the phones, but I am not really working. It's a big difference from 18 months ago. It has been getting steadily worse. It's not good for anyone and I am becoming more guilt ridden and resentful every day.

However, it's a good paycheck and it will be hard to duplicate.

Part of me wants to quit.....sell the house.....and take whatever job would cover a roof over my head, my books, lectures and hair coloring. If I could barter room and board, I could live on very little. Unfortunately, if I sell the house, the boys would kill me.

Well, there's always the lottery. Please leave the winning numbers in the comments.

How Much Do I Love This Story!!!!!!!

I'm surfing through my friend ArmyWifeToddlerMom's blog and she has a link to Chuck Z....so over I pop and read this.

Isn't that incredible?

Barb's AAR

Barb, the Righty in a Lefty State has her report on this past weekend. She even describes the guns I used.

I Don't Travel Well

I spent my first day in Seattle in bed. Which is where I spent my first day home.

I am within pages of finishing "Stephen Decatur". I am doing what I always do when I near the end of a book I really like.....I am reading just one or two pages at a time because I don't want it to end.

There was a passage describing an incident in 1815 in the Mediterranean that sooooo reminds me of SB. As Decatur sails the Guerriere from Naples to the coast of Spain he runs into the remaining ships of the Algerian fleet. The treaty has been made with Algeria, but you still don't know what the Algerians will do. Decatur orders his men to quarters. Four frigates and three sloops close in one Decaturs ship.

The flagship approached on Guerriere's leeward side -a sign of peaceful intentions, though Decatur would take no chances. As the frigate drew alongside, the Algerian admiral called through a trumpet in Italian, the lingua franca, "Dove andate?" Where are you going? Taking his own trumpet Decatur answered slowly and clearly, "Dove me piace," Where I please.
The American frigate, going whereever in the world it pleased, sailed on for Gibraltar.

What an attitude! Now why would this remind me of SB? Hmmmmmmm

I Am Wiped Out

Home........tired.....hot......happy. I love Boston.

I gotta figure out how to post one of those Pro-Israeli things.

In lieu of that.

I Am Pro-Israeli.

Also, regarding President George Bush's remarks on Syria......

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A microphone picked up an unaware President Bush saying on Monday Syria should press Hezbollah to "stop doing this shit" and that his secretary of state may go to the Middle East soon.

Yes, emphatically, yes. Good job.

I'm going to shower now and head up to the cottage. My parents are down and they have AC. I am not supposed to blog about my mother, so....shhhhhhh.

This Is Going To Be Quick.....

.....I am fighting to stay awake before I strap into my JetBlue seat and pass out on the trip home to Boston.

Yesterday was the Underground Tour recommended by BCR & Barb. History, quirky stories, funny tour guide....it was right up my alley.

Lunch was an experiment, I had a gyro. No, I've never had one before and before you poke fun, remember I was 35 before I tried broccoli.

I tried to hit the Museum of Flight because they were having a special talk by some WWII pilots, but I missed that. Back to the hotel to recharge and then I did what I always do on vacation.....I went to the movies "Pirates of The Carribbean." Good movie.

Today I wandered Pike's Market. I missed the Friday tour led by Barb and enjoyed by the Master and Mistress of Argghhh. (I just couldn't get my act together between the time difference and the phone calls I was getting from the other side of the country.) It was a lot of fun wandering with no set agenda and no real time frame. I picked up little presents to bring back home and enjoyed all the local color. I also got SB's birthday present and it will take all my willpower not to deliver it ahead of the day. He is a challenge to shop for. He's smarter than me (shhh don't tell him, and it's only a litte tiny bit anyway). I am a spendthrift and tend to throw money at a problem. You know I really care when I think about it and I don't spend a lot. When I spotted this particular item in the shop window, I told the guy who owned the shop he had made my day! Then I called SB to crow about my good fortune. I turn myself inside out trying to impress him and I think I've got a winner with this one.

I had a 20 minute reflexology foot massage once I was tired of walking.

Back at the hotel I lounged by the pool (my suit was in the car, but I was too tired) and read.....almost done with Decatur, great book!

You're going to get nothing coherent from this point on, so I am signing off.

Pub Crawl

After a quick shower we headed out to Tractor Tavern to rendevous for the Pub Crawl. They had a $20 cover charge for a band that we had no clue about. So, instead we headed off to the Irish Pub up the street, Conor Byrne, then onto Lock & Keel. I know....not much of a crawl, but still lot's of fun. I wore a tiara with a flashing purple light and had my picture taken with a gentleman wearing a purple feathered hat. Unfortunately, the camera of the Mistress of Argghhh failed to record him kissing me.........use your imagination.

Except for exposing the tank top of the Castle of Argghh.....all my clothes stayed on.

Day 2 of The Milbloggers Shootout Weekend

We met for breakfast at Alfred's Cafe, next to the range. Then onto the range (Bulls Eye Indoor Range and Gun Shop) ............and...........I........shot.......stuff!

I will post more in depth with links, etc., but right now I am preparing for the event of the weekend where I will excel...the pub crawl!

I am meeting interesting people, fellow bloggers and Walt Gaya (of chocolate cake fame.......alright he is famous for something else, but you know how distractable I am). The cake was absolutely fabulous. if you can go, you should....Corina Bakery 510 6th Ave., Tacoma. Walt told us about an art gallery that was exhibiting his photos. We headed down there and that was just great. His photos are well worth seeing and the gallery, Art on Center, had another artist that I was really moved by. Cynthia Bittenfield's photo, "As You Were" really touched me.

I am exploring Seattle, Tacoma, and tonight Ballard.

After you hear the soundbites, if the Mistress of Argghhh is able to download them, you will be sorry you missed this.

********Keep watching the Tanker Brothers, scroll down for posts with links. we are still in the midst of our "Tanker Brothers Rolling Victory Fast 2006"!

P.S. I have checked in at home and still have a house and the boys are fine.

Seattle

I was supposed to leave Logan at 1820.....no......1935.....arrived (no feeling in tailbone) at 0030 (EST)......got a rental car..retrieved luggage.....showered and *fell* into bed.

Phone calls........

0444

0505

0624

0830

0900

I gave up. The result? I'm a little dull.

I Take Back.......

...the conciliatory tone of yesterdays post. I apologized/explained why I slept through the early phone call. I take it back.

The phone calls used to come at 0630 to 0700 when I had to wake up anyway to take Frank to school.

You changed jobs and the phone calls came a half hour earlier and Frank is out of school.

I made a point of telling you I would set the alarm this morning.

I did. For 0600

You called at 0527.


We..........and I use that in the royal sense.........will not be signing this KLM..............instead.............KMRIA

I Am Supposed To Be Packing

.....not screwing around out here. I leave tomorrow night for Seattle. There are many events planned in honor of my arrival(there are actually many events planned for the Milboggers ShootOut, I just choose to look at it this way). BCR has graciously offered to host a get together Friday night I so look forward to meeting her as well as Barb......I will watch people shoot things Saturday......Saturday night, black cocktail dress and drinks and debauchery.......Sunday morning breakfast and some touristy stuff.....Monday, whatever I damn well please. There will be no work......no laundry.....or dishes.....or Frankie...or Bill....or Dan. They have girlfriends to feed and clothe and care for them. I will be without responsibility. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

There will be light blogging, no laptop. But I will make a point of hitting the business center so I can keep an eye on the "Tanker Brothers Rolling Victory Fast 2006"

I Apologize

I was highly irresponsible last night and stayed up way too late. I should have gone right to sleep upon my arrival home last night from dinner at Burton's Grille. Instead, I was messing around, reading blogs and surfing the 'Net.

I overslept.

Lectures/Book Signings Maggie Will Miss

Lots of lectures and book signings happen in and around Boston. I like to attend a good and varied amount of them. I don't just go to the history ones or the pro-my-point-of-view ones. But here's one where I wouldn't be caught dead.

AL GORE signs copies of his book An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It
Harvard Book Store is very excited to announce that on Tuesday, July 18th former Vice President Al Gore will sign copies of his book An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It.

LOL, I am heartbroken I'll miss this! Oh wait....no worries, I don't have a heart. Never mind.

Day Four of The Tanker Brothers Rolling Victory Fast!

I'm tired and lazy, so I'm just going to steal the whole damn thing.

Link To Original Post: Here
Link To Comments Section of Post (to sign up for a day): Here
Current Rolling Victory Fast 2006 Participant: Debbie at Right Truth (12 July 2006)
Next Rolling Victory Fast 2006 Participant: Tanker Mom (13 July 2006)

Day Three of The Tanker Brothers Rolling Victory Fast

Day three is SFC MAC

This Day In History and Today

In 1804, U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr killed long-time political foe Alexander Hamilton, the first Treasury secretary and chief architect of the nation's political economy, in a duel at Weehawken, N.J.

An important historical event as pointed out by SouthieBoy. Something that I would much rather contemplate than the events today. I'd like to sit in the sun and read the biography of Hamilton I gave my mother. I would much rather be doing that than listening to the radio or watching the news. I will not watch the video released by an al-Qaida-linked group which claims it killed three U.S. Soldiers last month and mutilated two of their bodies to avenge the rape-slaying of a young Iraqi woman by troops of the same unit, an institute which monitors extremists Web sites said Tuesday. The Armorer at The Castle explains why not better than I could.

I can't even watch the local news. Last night a section of the Big Dig collapsed.

On another note, I bit the bullet and paid more for the non-stop flight for this weekend. Washington will never know what hit them. Princess Crabby will be gracing the Milbloggers Shootout with her presence.

Day Two Of The Tanker Brothers 2006 Rolling Victory Fast!

Yesterday Master Gunner kicked off "Day One Of The Tanker Brothers 2006 Rolling Victory Fast!". TodayCav Tanker is up at bat. I am not up until August 4th. Go read about this and consider taking a day.

Day One Of The Tanker Brothers 2006 Rolling Victory Fast!

Day One

Nicole's Bachelorette Party

What a great time! We started out at Nic's parent's house for supper and drinks, then into Boston on one of those limo/coaches. A very comfortable place for more drinking (BTW, not me, designated driver and all) and Joy's bag of tricks. Joy visited an adult novelty store and had all funny, sleazy "Bachelorette" things anyone could want. Noise makers, cups, napkins....all shaped like penises. A tiara for Nicole and later a veil both suitably decorated, as well as a roll of caution tape warning all that this was a Bachelorette party. First up was Nick's Comedy Stop. We had the first three rows on the left. Another, quieter bridal party had the front row on the right. Most of the comics were local and very funny. Jen and I responded uproriously to the ones from Southie. One was talking about the Guinness St. Patrick's Day commercial where they spoof Christmas.....our father loves that one! So do we. The last comic, the headliner was Mark Riley. He asked if anyone was from Southie....dead silence. Then later he was comparing the two bridal parties. You know we won that one! We were bigger, louder and as Mark (the comedian on stage) pointed out, there was more cleavage. I was baited into a quick flash and told him I was from Charlestown. He said "Great, you'll flash me and kick my ass!" LOL He was bitingly funny and we liked him quite a bit.

Then it was off to "The Big Easy" a new hot club in Boston, or so I'm told. Some of us didn't fit in.........we had real I.D.s. So after a drink we snuck back out and got Sean, our driver to take us to McCormick & Schmick. Once there in a place with grown-ups, and music at a lower volume we enjoyed a few drinks and a late night supper. At one am we returned to pick up the others and head home.

Joy (of the penis noisemakers, etc.) was also in charge of desserts. They were my complete undoing! When I saw the name on the box, I was lost! Lyndell's! Lyndell's has the best, best, best, halfmoons! Most places have a dry cake with a smear of hard uninteresting chocolate and vanilla Crisco yuck. Lyndell's has sweet little, round cakes, generously topped with rich, buttercream frosting. Damn that Joy! I was being so good on Atkins before that!

Everyone had a fabulous time. Nicole looked so pretty and so happy. She was so funny. There was one thing that the other bridal party beat us on. The comedian asked them each their ages, how long they had been dating, etc. These questions were a draw and then he asked the other bride what her fiance did. She replied he was a soldier. This was met by thunderous applause from our group and warm approval from the entire room. Now, Nicole's fiance Jay is a great guy and we love him. He is a heavy equipment operator and he works for a company that maintains guard rails on the highway. Good job, good future. So when the comedian asks Nicole what her fiance does, she replies........."He works on the highway.", in this little tiny voice. Well, he was off and running with that. "Oh, your family told you to marry him and you'd never pay another toll!" And more such nonsense. We cried laughing. Afterwards, outside Nicole said "I didn't know what to say........you can't beat soldier!" We agreed and laughed some more.

Ace Of Spades

So, I'm out surfing from site to site reading the whole Deborah Frisch, troll, craziness thing, when I come across this:

3) You disagree with another professor who maintains an online blog. What is the highest-reward, lowest-risk strategy for dealing with such a person?

a) Engage him in substantive discourse to prove he's wrong

b) Adopt a flippant tone while glibly tweaking him

c) Expose his errors on your own blog in hopes that he can be made to understand his errors

d) Have you ever noticed that K-Mart sells shotguns, shovels, and quicklime, all in one place? People rip on K-Mart, but really, you can't beat the convenience, folks.

The discussion of this woman's nonsense is all over the Internet, but Ace Of Spades has the funniest response, hands down.

USS Mustin

The USS Mustin has just arrived on the scene to deal with Kim Jong Il.

Forbes has the story here.

Associated Press
High-Tech Missile Destroyer Sails to Japan
By HANS GREIMEL , 07.08.2006, 02:19 PM

A new U.S. guided missile destroyer docked in Japan on Saturday amid tensions over North Korea's missile tests, but the military said the arrival was routine and had been planned months ago.

The USS Mustin sailed into the port of Yokosuka, home to the Navy's 7th Fleet, with a crew of 300 for permanent assignment to the region, fleet spokeswoman Hanako Tomizuka said.

The Mustin, commissioned in 2003, is one of the most advanced in the fleet. The 509-foot ship carries surface-to-air missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles

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On another note..............I am off to Boston with the usual suspects for Nicole's bachelorette party!

Tanker Brothers Rolling Victory Fast

Go read about this event over at Tanker Brothers.

My day is August 4th.

I will fast.

I can drink.

I can't eat.

No M&Ms.

Fuckin' Cindy Sheehan.

Read the posts, consider taking a day.

Juvenile Fun

I have been reading about the controversy surrounding the song "Hadji Girl". There are references to "Team America" So last night Jen & I watched "Team America" What a sick, disgusting movie..........we loved it! If you have seen the movie, you know what I mean.

If you do not know about the nonsense CAIR and the MSM tried to pull with Cpl. Joshua Belile, USMC, you can read about it at Little Green Footballs . The post containing the actual video is here. The MSM wrote stories and I have to think they didn't even watch it, because they had it all wrong. They were simply shooting from the hip.

Smash also wrote a post on "dark" or "gallows" humor that was very interesting.

Uncle Jimbo has the lyrics at Blackfive in this post.

It also seems that "Team America" is the punch line to several other jokes floating around the blogs and now I get them.

My favorite line was when the team coordinator (a la "M" in the Bond movies) was briefing the hero on what would happen if he were captured.....he would likely want to kill himself..........and he would want to have.......

Man ordered to wear sign: 'I am a liar. I am not a Marine'

Associated Press
Jul. 7, 2006 08:58 AM

MISSOULA, Mont. - A man who lied to his probation officer about having served in the military was ordered to stand outside the courthouse wearing a sandwich board that says: "I am a liar. I am not a Marine."

William C. Horvath, 35, of Whitefish, pleaded guilty to making false statements, a felony.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy sentenced him to four months of house arrest and four years of probation. He also ordered him to stand outside the courthouse for 50 hours wearing the sandwich board with the message.

On the back, it must read: "I have never served my country. I have dishonored veterans of all wars."

Molloy, a veteran himself, also ordered Horvath to write letters of apology to newspapers, the U.S. Marine Corps, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion in Kalispell. The judge said Horvath must admit in the letters that he lied repeatedly about serving and being wounded.

According to a news release from the U.S. attorney's office, Horvath claimed during an interview with a probation officer on Aug. 9, 2001, that he had served in the Marine Corps. The officer was gathering information on Horvath on a prior charge of being a fugitive in possession of firearms or ammunition.

The probation officer then attempted to verify Horvath's military service, but was told by the Marine Corps that there was no record of Horvath ever having served.

Horvath then presented the probation officer with evidence of his time in the military, including photographs and decorations. However, Marine Corps representatives told the probation officer that the evidence contained a variety of inconsistencies.

One of the problems: He was wearing his uniform improperly.

Good on ya, Judge Donald Molloy! (an Irishman as well, I'm sure)

One Year Ago.......

...this morning, terrorists struck the London transit system setting off explosions in three subway cars and a double-decker bus in a coordinated rush-hour arrack. A reported 52 people were killed and more than 700 injured.

London Solemn on Anniversary of Bombings
LONDON, July 7 – Much of London fell silent on Friday as Britons observed two minutes silence to mourn the 52 people killed on subway trains and a bus by four bombers exactly one year ago on July 7, 2005.

The commemoration was overshadowed in part by a video, aired on Al Jazeera Arabic television on Thursday purporting to show one of the attackers warning in a last testament that "what you have witnessed now is only the beginning."

The theme was echoed today by London's police chief, Sir Ian Blair, who told the BBC that the threat of a new attack had "palpably increased" since July last year.

Edmond Terakopian/Associated Press
Susanna Pell, a survivor of one of the attacks, placed flowers at the Edgware Road tube station in memory of those who lost their lives.

Happy Birthday To The President And......

John Paul Jones, founder of the U.S. Navy, was born on this day in 1747.

"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way."

John Paul Jones
A founder of the U.S. Navy

John Paul was born at Arbigland, Kirkbean, Kirkcudbright, Scotland, 6 July 1747. Apprenticed to a merchant at age 13, he went to sea in the brig Friendship to learn the art of seamanship. At 21, he received his first command, the brig John.


After several successful years as a merchant skipper in the West Indies trade, John Paul emigrated to the British colonies in North America and there added "Jones" to his name. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, Jones was in Virginia. He cast his lot with the rebels, and on 7 December 1775, he was commissioned first
lieutenant in the Continental Navy, serving aboard Esek Hopkins' flagship Alfred.


As First Lieutenant in Alfred, he was the first to hoist the Grand Union flag on a Continental warship. On 1 November 1777, he commanded the Ranger, sailing for France. Sailing into Quiberon Bay, France, 14 February 1778, Jones and Admiral La Motte Piquet changed gun salutes — the first time that the Stars and Stripes, the flag of the new nation, was officially recognized by a foreign government.

Major General Rick Lynch

I'm a few weeks late with this. That memo from DOD must have been lost in the ether. Anyway, my favorite Army guy, MG Rick Lynch has a new command.

Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch takes Fort Stewart command

FORT STEWART, Ga. A two-star general who spent the past year as the U-S military's chief spokesman in Iraq took command of the Army's Third Infantry Division during a ceremony at Fort Stewart today.

Major General Rick Lynch takes charge of the 19-thousand-soldier division fresh from a year in Baghdad as the coalition forces' deputy chief of staff for strategic effects. His duties included leading military briefings for reporters in Iraq.

Lynch succeeds Major General William G- Webster, who led the Third Infantry on its second tour of duty in Iraq last year. The division's tanks and Bradley armored vehicles had previously led the charge to Baghdad during the invasion in March 2003.

Congratulations sir!

Small beef - I still miss him terribly on Thursday mornings for the Baghdad Briefing.

Shhhhh!

Don't tell Uncle Jimbo that I am stealing his stuff. If you don't read Uncle Jimbo over at Blackfive, you should. I have met him and he just exactly as crazy as his blogging makes him appear.

Tough times on the lunatic fringe
Posted By Uncle Jimbo

All right let's take a quick look at what went where with all of this North Korean fireworks.

First, and I take complete credit for this, they took the threat of our knocking their toy down enough to fire some Scuds attempting to draw our fire. Sweeeeet.

Second, none of their 1950s vintage tekmology (to quote Ali G), worked worth a damn. Well maybe the Scuds, but we knew that, the rest of their stuff didn't even really make the Japanese nervous.

Read the rest here.
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So what's funnier than Uncle Jimbo? Real life. BJ Barron left a comment about China, North Korea and trains. The story is over at The Stratagy Page.

Forget the Missiles, This is Even More Bizarre
July 5, 2006: While everyone's attention was focused on North Korean missiles, the real story is the North Korean economy. It continues to fall apart, and more North Koreans are unhappy about that. Worse yet, more North Koreans are finding out how badly they have been screwed by their leaders. Meanwhile, North Korean officials engage in even more bizarre behavior. For example, food and fuel supplies sent to North Korea have been halted, not to force North Korea to stop missile tests or participate in peace talks, but to return the Chinese trains the aid was carried in on. In the last few weeks, the North Koreans have just kept the trains, sending the Chinese crews back across the border. North Korea just ignores Chinese demands that the trains be returned, and insists that the trains are part of the aid program. It's no secret that North Korean railroad stock is falling apart, after decades of poor maintenance and not much new equipment. Stealing Chinese trains is a typical loony-tune North Korean solution to the problem. If the North Koreans appear to make no sense, that's because they don't. Put simply, when their unworkable economic policies don't work, the North Koreans just conjure up new, and equally unworkable, plans. The Chinese have tried to talk the North Koreans out of these pointless fantasies, and for their trouble they have their trains stolen. How do you negotiate under these conditions? No one knows. The South Koreans believe that if they just keep the North Korean leaders from doing anything too destructive (especially to South Korea), eventually the tragicomic house of cards up north will just collapse. Not much of a plan, but so far, no one's come up with anything better.

Reason # 2,184....

....for us to fight Islamofacism wherever it appears.

2 Somalis killed for watching World Cup

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Radical Islamic militia fighters in Somalia shot and killed two people who were watching a banned World Cup soccer broadcast, a radio station reported Wednesday.

The hard-line Muslim fighters, who have banned watching television, opened fire after a crowd of teenagers defied their orders to leave a hall where a businessman was showing Tuesday's Germany-Italy match on satellite television, according to Shabelle Radio, an independent local station. It said the businessman and a teenage girl were killed.

How can you question our need to stand up to these radicals, these bullies, in whatever hellhole they pop up in? This is what they want here too. They want you to live under the same tyranny they are trying to impose in Somalia. Although I imagine they'd have had a hellava time in the North End yesterday when Italy beat Germany.

The Declaration of Independence

Have you ever heard the recording of JFK reading the Declaration? Here is a link

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Those words always give me goosebumps.


Have you ever watched "1776"? Great movie. You can see the theatrical trailer here. I am also told it was a good play.
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My favorite signer..........no surprise........the cantankerous and belligerent and brilliant and romantic John Adams passed away on this day in 1826, 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia, John Adams died at his home in Braintree. One of the great men of the Revolutionary generation and the second president of the United States, Adams was 91 years old. Shortly before he breathed his last, John Adams whispered, "Thomas Jefferson survives." In fact, 560 miles away at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson had died only a few hours earlier. The fact that these two founding fathers died on the same day and that it was, of all days, the Fourth of July was not viewed as a coincidence. In his two-hour eulogy at Fanueil Hall, Daniel Webster cited it as "proof" of how much God cared for the country.

The Pentagon Channel

Just got an email from The Pentagon Channel

ADVANCE SCHEDULE:
(Eastern Times)

TUESDAY THE 4TH OF JULY, 2006



1330 - Battleground: Patriotism - Have It Your Way: Hosted by John Wayne, this film presents definitions of patriotism by US citizens, members of our Armed Forces and returning Vietnam POWs. The voices of Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John Kennedy express reasons why American Service members fought and died for their country through the years. Patriotism is alive, well and working in the United States. An historic film produced by The Department of the Army. (30 min)

So......how much would my parents kill me if I sneak away from the big 4th of July family cookout to watch John Wayne on the Pentagon Channel? LOL My father might understand. After all, he knows how much I love John Wayne and this isn't his side of the family anyway!

I love the men in the Rotation, but I have never, never given up on John Wayne, lol. Plus I am as addicted to the Pentagon Channel as I am to C-Span.
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Update: I did indeed watch John Wayne in "Battleground" on the Pentagon Channel. Now I am going to walk up to the cottage........and be ragged mercilessly about it!

A large contingent of nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc. from my mother's side of the family are there. I am not allowed to blog about my mother anymore so I can't tell you that she is there as well. Off I go!

New Hampshire

Went up to visit my sister Grace yesterday. Her in-laws have a cottage on a pond/lake. It was the full group except for my sons. We celebrated Kelly's birthday. I am *on*, so cake was *out*, but otherwise, lots of fun. It wasn't hot enough to drive me crazy which is good because I don't like to swim there......I am more a fan of the ocean. Driving the 100 miles back after sitting in the sun was a chore, but family is worth it.

When the conversation turned to the blog (Grace & Jen read it), my mother was horrified to learn she is mentioned here. She forbid me to mention her anymore. LOL Fortunately my mother isn't on the Internet. So, if you see my mum......don't mention this.

Nonsense

For several years, whenever I have my nails done, I use OPI "I'm Not Really A Waitress". There are several reasons. I'm not one to experiment and I know I like this color. I get plenty of comments. Also, the name tickles me. You see I did waitress for two years and I was terrible. However, today when Jen and I were picking colors......she found China Glaze "High Maintenence". LOL It's the one in the middle. It does fit, doesn't it?It does look good against the silver foil as I unwrap the Hershey's Kisses I am not supposed to be eating.

Juggling

I am not a big fan of juggling....unless it's me juggling the men in The Rotation. However, I was listening to "Weekend America" today while I am at work and they were discussing a story on juggling. They made it sound so interesting, I had to look. This guy's name is Chriss Bliss and he juggles in time to several Beatles songs. It really was interesting. I started listening because his other passion is The Bill of Rights.

Juggling for Speech
Chris Bliss is a juggler and a stand up comedian, but his real passion is for the Bill of Rights. He's started a project to put a monument to the Bill of Rights in every state capitol in the country. Bill Radke talks with him about the Bill of Rights... and juggling.

Online resources:
» "Chris Bliss' "Amazing Juggling Finale
» MyBillOfRights.org
» Clips from Chris Bliss on Late Night Televsion

You can watch it on Google video here.

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For the record I don't like juggling, magic, circuses, card tricks, animals, animal tricks, "performance art" "street art" or MIMES.

Milblogger's Shootout

Emails, comments, etc. have been flying through the blogosphere about who will shoot what at this get together in two weeks. I myself have never fired a weapon in my life..........I have never held one. As previously stated, the closest I have ever come was over twenty-five years ago. I was about to walk into a restaurant to join friends for dinner when my date, a Massachusetts State Trooper decided our friends could wait another few minutes. While he explained something very important (insert evil, smug grin here)my hand grazed something attached to his belt. I nearly jumped out of my skin! If something hadn't been covering my mouth, they would have heard me in the next town! So.......there you go....that's the extent of my gun handling experience!

Now, Sgt. B has decided that I should shoot this. The Armorer is also enamored of this weapon.


My understanding is that you lay on the ground to shoot it.
LOL
I do believe the good sargeant has taken leave of his senses. The funniest part is.........he has met me! Even so.....even though he has met me......spent an evening pub crawling with me....he actually imagines I will lay down on the ground to fire a weapon and not hit the broad side of a barn.

This is my reply - Baby! You are toooooooo cute for words!

Now that I think about it......he was the one who, with complete disregard for my sandals, took my arm and dragged me through every, single, last puddle on 8th during that pub crawl.

This Is How You Keep A Secret

On this day in 1893, U.S. President Grover Cleveland underwent secret surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his mouth. The operation did not become public knowledge until a newspaper article about it was published on Sept. 22, 1917 -- nine years after Cleveland's death.

I'm not saying this is a good thing or a bad thing.......just an amazing thing in light of our current news climate.