If my visitor a few minutes ago was Admiral Roughead's daughter........congrats to your Dad and your Mum (every good man has a great woman behind him) and good luck to you at Middlebury!
Maggie
Sunday, September 30, 2007
My Asshat Senator
How does he keep getting re-elected? I don't get it. I really don't.
On the Senate floor just a few minutes ago, Kennedy said a hate crimes amendment should be attached to the defense authorization bill because members of the U.S. military commit a significant number of hate crimes.
This was covered over at the Corner Online and I read it at Ace of Spades HQ as well. I didn't know it I was going to blog about it, but then Sherri sent an email and I thought, yeah, I better.
I was sitting with SB the other night. I was reading and he was doing Navy stuff, when one of the Fox commentators brought up the hate crimes amendment. I asked if he had heard Kennedy's statement and I paraphrased it. His head whipped around so fast and there was such a look! I actually moved back a little, lol.
What a rat bastard Kennedy is.
On the Senate floor just a few minutes ago, Kennedy said a hate crimes amendment should be attached to the defense authorization bill because members of the U.S. military commit a significant number of hate crimes.
This was covered over at the Corner Online and I read it at Ace of Spades HQ as well. I didn't know it I was going to blog about it, but then Sherri sent an email and I thought, yeah, I better.
I was sitting with SB the other night. I was reading and he was doing Navy stuff, when one of the Fox commentators brought up the hate crimes amendment. I asked if he had heard Kennedy's statement and I paraphrased it. His head whipped around so fast and there was such a look! I actually moved back a little, lol.
What a rat bastard Kennedy is.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Adm Roughead Confirmation Hearing Audio
It's available on Podcast at the Pentagon Channel! Yea! They sent me an email, I'm a subscriber, don'cha know!
Here's the link. You might need to subscribe.
Here's the link. You might need to subscribe.
The Impossible Dream
Something from my childhood. This was on WBUR this morning.
'Impossible Dream,' 40 Years On
by Steve Tripoli
BOSTON, Mass. - September 28, 2007 - With the Minnesota Twins in town to close out this baseball season, it evokes some powerful memories for long-time Boston fans: the 1967 "Impossible Dream" season.On the last day of that season 40 years ago, the Red Sox clinched the American League pennant with a victory over the Twins at Fenway Park. Tonight, Boston could claim a division title with another win over a Minnesota team on the same field.Reporter Steve Tripoli recalled "The Impossible Dream Team" on the 30th anniversary of their landmark season. This morning, on the 40th, we revisit the moments.
Click on this audio, it is awesome! If there's a problem with the link, then click on the story title and follow from there. There's audio from the games and comments by Yaz. They also play the "Carl Yastrzemski Song"! LOL In the season finale of "Rescue Me" Denis Leary and Charles Durning discussed the song. In response to Leary saying the song stunk, Durning quipped that Yaz's mother probably wrote it.
'Impossible Dream,' 40 Years On
by Steve Tripoli
BOSTON, Mass. - September 28, 2007 - With the Minnesota Twins in town to close out this baseball season, it evokes some powerful memories for long-time Boston fans: the 1967 "Impossible Dream" season.On the last day of that season 40 years ago, the Red Sox clinched the American League pennant with a victory over the Twins at Fenway Park. Tonight, Boston could claim a division title with another win over a Minnesota team on the same field.Reporter Steve Tripoli recalled "The Impossible Dream Team" on the 30th anniversary of their landmark season. This morning, on the 40th, we revisit the moments.
Click on this audio, it is awesome! If there's a problem with the link, then click on the story title and follow from there. There's audio from the games and comments by Yaz. They also play the "Carl Yastrzemski Song"! LOL In the season finale of "Rescue Me" Denis Leary and Charles Durning discussed the song. In response to Leary saying the song stunk, Durning quipped that Yaz's mother probably wrote it.
Adm Roughead at Yesterday's Hearing
070927-N-3642E-019 WASHINGTON (Sept. 27, 2007) - Adm. Gary Roughead, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and his wife and daughter meet with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., prior to testifying before the Committee on Armed Services for his confirmation hearing for appointment to Chief of Naval Operations. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shawn P. Eklund (RELEASED)
070927-N-3642E-252 WASHINGTON (Sept. 27, 2007) - Adm. Gary Roughead, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, testifies before the Committee on Armed Services during his confirmation hearing for appointment to Chief of Naval Operations. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shawn P. Eklund (RELEASED)
From The Navy NewsStand
Chief of Naval Operations Nominee Cites Future Needs, Challenges
Story Number: NNS070927-21
Release Date: 9/27/2007 10:56:00 PM
By Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service
Maintaining the U.S. Navy’s sea and air deterrent and recruiting and retaining enough qualified sailors to man the fleet are among the U.S. Navy’s top challenges in the years ahead, the officer nominated to lead that force told a Senate panel here Sept. 27.Adm. Gary Roughead, selected by President Bush to become the next chief of naval operations, appeared on Capitol Hill before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The admiral is the current commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, which organizes, mans, trains and equips U.S. naval forces for assignment to combatant commanders. “Maintaining our current readiness gives us the ability to be an effective force anywhere in the world,” Roughead told committee members at his confirmation hearing today. Building tomorrow’s Navy requires responsibility, accountability and an obligation “to clearly and thoughtfully define how we will fight and what we need -- not want -- to be able to do that,” he told committee members. In his current position, Roughead provides key advice to current naval chief Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who on Oct. 1 is slated to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Today’s Navy plays an important role in the U.S. military’s joint-force concept, Roughead reported, noting that sailors and naval aviators are deployed worldwide with members of their sister services in support of the war against terrorism. Naval forces also serve alongside other U.S. military forces posted in other regions vital to national security interests, such as South America and Africa, Roughead reported. It’s paramount that America’s Navy maintains its forward-leaning warfighting posture, in line with the force’s Fleet Response Plan concept that stresses force agility embodied by rapid-deployment capabilities, Roughead said. The Fleet Response Plan calls for agile, robust U.S. naval forces that can quickly respond to any contingency. Being ready and responsive to carry out a range of diverse missions requires new approaches to delivering operational capability at the best cost, the admiral explained. Technology is ever-changing, therefore, the Navy must also ensure that its equipment is the most advanced in the world to deter possible future enemies, Roughead reported. U.S. naval ships, submarines, aircraft, weapons and networks must outpace potential adversaries, the admiral said in written responses to questions from the committee. However, rising costs of advanced technology are challenging the Navy’s ability to provide a balanced force, he added. In addition, the Navy’s sailors and pilots constitute the bedrock of that service, Roughead emphasized in his written response, noting that the Navy is facing increasing competition from the civilian workplace in meeting its recruiting goals. Attracting and retaining a diverse, high-quality force of sailors and Navy civilians must remain a high priority, the admiral pointed out. “Our policies must enable us to recruit, to retain, and to fulfill the young men and women of America, and the Navy must reflect the demographic of our diverse nation,” the admiral said at today’s hearing. If he is confirmed as the nation’s top sailor, Roughead said he’d labor to address what he considers to be the Navy’s three most serious problems: -- Properly balancing current resources needed to sustain, train and equip the Navy; -- Obtaining resources necessary to build and man the future Navy; and -- Ensuring continuity among the Navy’s requirements, resourcing and acquisition realms in conjunction with the service’s planning, programming, budgeting and execution processes. To address and solve these vital issues, Roughead said, he’d work closely with senior Navy leaders, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chairman, the secretary of the Navy, the secretary of defense, and the U.S. Congress. The Navy’s current 277-ship fleet is adequate to meet today’s warfighting missions, Roughead reported to the committee. However, the Navy’s fleet will need to grow to 313 vessels to meet envisioned needs in the next decade or so, he added. “I believe that the shipbuilding plan that we have in place right now is giving us the balanced fleet that we need,” Roughead told committee members today at the hearing. The Navy has stated that it envisioned a 48-vessel attack-submarine fleet for service over the next decade or so, Roughead reported. However, new projections based on the impact of newer models, rehabilitation work and lengthened deployments, he noted, have reduced the number of subs needed, which could fall to as low as 40 and remain below 48 subs over the next 10 years. Roughead said he supports U.S. participation in the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention. Joining that compact would benefit the U.S. Navy through ensuring the sovereignty of American warships and stipulating the right-of-passage of U.S. vessels through strategic straits used for international navigation, he reported. “Our operations at sea will be enhanced by the Law of the Sea Treaty,” Roughead emphasized at the confirmation hearing
Story Number: NNS070927-21
Release Date: 9/27/2007 10:56:00 PM
By Gerry J. Gilmore, American Forces Press Service
Maintaining the U.S. Navy’s sea and air deterrent and recruiting and retaining enough qualified sailors to man the fleet are among the U.S. Navy’s top challenges in the years ahead, the officer nominated to lead that force told a Senate panel here Sept. 27.Adm. Gary Roughead, selected by President Bush to become the next chief of naval operations, appeared on Capitol Hill before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The admiral is the current commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, which organizes, mans, trains and equips U.S. naval forces for assignment to combatant commanders. “Maintaining our current readiness gives us the ability to be an effective force anywhere in the world,” Roughead told committee members at his confirmation hearing today. Building tomorrow’s Navy requires responsibility, accountability and an obligation “to clearly and thoughtfully define how we will fight and what we need -- not want -- to be able to do that,” he told committee members. In his current position, Roughead provides key advice to current naval chief Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who on Oct. 1 is slated to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing Marine Gen. Peter Pace. Today’s Navy plays an important role in the U.S. military’s joint-force concept, Roughead reported, noting that sailors and naval aviators are deployed worldwide with members of their sister services in support of the war against terrorism. Naval forces also serve alongside other U.S. military forces posted in other regions vital to national security interests, such as South America and Africa, Roughead reported. It’s paramount that America’s Navy maintains its forward-leaning warfighting posture, in line with the force’s Fleet Response Plan concept that stresses force agility embodied by rapid-deployment capabilities, Roughead said. The Fleet Response Plan calls for agile, robust U.S. naval forces that can quickly respond to any contingency. Being ready and responsive to carry out a range of diverse missions requires new approaches to delivering operational capability at the best cost, the admiral explained. Technology is ever-changing, therefore, the Navy must also ensure that its equipment is the most advanced in the world to deter possible future enemies, Roughead reported. U.S. naval ships, submarines, aircraft, weapons and networks must outpace potential adversaries, the admiral said in written responses to questions from the committee. However, rising costs of advanced technology are challenging the Navy’s ability to provide a balanced force, he added. In addition, the Navy’s sailors and pilots constitute the bedrock of that service, Roughead emphasized in his written response, noting that the Navy is facing increasing competition from the civilian workplace in meeting its recruiting goals. Attracting and retaining a diverse, high-quality force of sailors and Navy civilians must remain a high priority, the admiral pointed out. “Our policies must enable us to recruit, to retain, and to fulfill the young men and women of America, and the Navy must reflect the demographic of our diverse nation,” the admiral said at today’s hearing. If he is confirmed as the nation’s top sailor, Roughead said he’d labor to address what he considers to be the Navy’s three most serious problems: -- Properly balancing current resources needed to sustain, train and equip the Navy; -- Obtaining resources necessary to build and man the future Navy; and -- Ensuring continuity among the Navy’s requirements, resourcing and acquisition realms in conjunction with the service’s planning, programming, budgeting and execution processes. To address and solve these vital issues, Roughead said, he’d work closely with senior Navy leaders, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chairman, the secretary of the Navy, the secretary of defense, and the U.S. Congress. The Navy’s current 277-ship fleet is adequate to meet today’s warfighting missions, Roughead reported to the committee. However, the Navy’s fleet will need to grow to 313 vessels to meet envisioned needs in the next decade or so, he added. “I believe that the shipbuilding plan that we have in place right now is giving us the balanced fleet that we need,” Roughead told committee members today at the hearing. The Navy has stated that it envisioned a 48-vessel attack-submarine fleet for service over the next decade or so, Roughead reported. However, new projections based on the impact of newer models, rehabilitation work and lengthened deployments, he noted, have reduced the number of subs needed, which could fall to as low as 40 and remain below 48 subs over the next 10 years. Roughead said he supports U.S. participation in the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention. Joining that compact would benefit the U.S. Navy through ensuring the sovereignty of American warships and stipulating the right-of-passage of U.S. vessels through strategic straits used for international navigation, he reported. “Our operations at sea will be enhanced by the Law of the Sea Treaty,” Roughead emphasized at the confirmation hearing
Favorable Action 27 SEP 2007
NOMINATIONS
Committee on Armed Services:
Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of Admiral Gary Roughead, United States Navy, for reappointment of the grade of Admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations, General William E. Ward, United States Army, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Africa Command, General Kevin P. Chilton, United States Air Force, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Strategic Command, Lt. General James N. Mattis, United States Marine Corps, to be General and Commander, United States Joint Forces Command and Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, and a promotion list of 4,970 in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Prior to this action, Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Gen. William E. Ward, United States Army, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Africa Command, Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, to be General, United States Air Force, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Strategic Command, Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, United States Marine Corps, to be General and to be Commander, United States Joint Forces Command and Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, and Admiral Gary Roughead, United States Navy, for reappointment to the grade of Admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations, who was introduced by Senator Inouye, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
And from the Senate Executive Report
328 832
The following named officer for appointment as
Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy
and appointment to the grade indicated while
assigned to a position of importance and
responsibility under title 10, U.S.C., sections
601 and 5033:
Sep 27, 2007 Reported by Mr. Levin, Committee on Armed Services, without printed
report.
to be Admiral; Adm. Gary Roughead, 6126
Committee on Armed Services:
Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of Admiral Gary Roughead, United States Navy, for reappointment of the grade of Admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations, General William E. Ward, United States Army, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Africa Command, General Kevin P. Chilton, United States Air Force, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Strategic Command, Lt. General James N. Mattis, United States Marine Corps, to be General and Commander, United States Joint Forces Command and Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, and a promotion list of 4,970 in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Prior to this action, Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Gen. William E. Ward, United States Army, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Africa Command, Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, to be General, United States Air Force, for reappointment to the grade of General and to be Commander, United States Strategic Command, Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, United States Marine Corps, to be General and to be Commander, United States Joint Forces Command and Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, and Admiral Gary Roughead, United States Navy, for reappointment to the grade of Admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations, who was introduced by Senator Inouye, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.
And from the Senate Executive Report
328 832
The following named officer for appointment as
Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy
and appointment to the grade indicated while
assigned to a position of importance and
responsibility under title 10, U.S.C., sections
601 and 5033:
Sep 27, 2007 Reported by Mr. Levin, Committee on Armed Services, without printed
report.
to be Admiral; Adm. Gary Roughead, 6126
CSpan
Ok, turns out if I had been paying more attention I probably could have listened to yesterday's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. I am on the CSpan web page all the time but I've never noticed the CapitolHearing link at bottom. It allows you to listen to selected hearing as they happen. Oh well, store that away for the future.
I spoke with someone in the Senate Armed Services Committee and they said they put the feed out there and it's up to CSpan when they want to broadcast it. It may replay over the weekend, I'll keep my eye on it.
I spoke with someone in the Senate Armed Services Committee and they said they put the feed out there and it's up to CSpan when they want to broadcast it. It may replay over the weekend, I'll keep my eye on it.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Roughead Confirmation Hearing
I can't find it anywhere!!!! Not on CSpan, not on the Pentagon Channel!! I am very frustrated! This was in Navy Times.
Roughead appears in CNO confirmation hearing
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writerPosted : Thursday Sep 27, 2007 11:58:02 EDT
Senators questioned Adm. Gary Roughead about the 313-ship shipbuilding program and new U.S. maritime strategy Thursday at his confirmation hearing to become the next chief of naval operations.
Roughead said he supported the shipbuilding plan, but he called it just a “floor” for future fleet acquisitions.
He said that in the future, the Navy needs to “increase its ability to operate in green water,” close to shore.
On that point, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Roughead about the Littoral Combat Ship program, which has experienced problems and schedule delays. Roughead said he strongly supports the new class, and that during his time as the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, he could have used the ships to conduct more missions. He said the LCS provides the Navy with a “new way of taking on threats we anticipate in the future. We need it quickly.”
He said the Navy needs to purchase all 55 ships in the current shipbuilding plan over the next decade.
When asked about placement of aircraft carriers on the East Coast, Roughead hesitated to say where an additional carrier should be homeported, but he noted the ongoing environmental impact statement inquiry at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. He said he thought the Navy should conduct an Atlantic Coast posture review to evaluate the Navy’s East Coast carrier-basing needs
Roughead appears in CNO confirmation hearing
By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writerPosted : Thursday Sep 27, 2007 11:58:02 EDT
Senators questioned Adm. Gary Roughead about the 313-ship shipbuilding program and new U.S. maritime strategy Thursday at his confirmation hearing to become the next chief of naval operations.
Roughead said he supported the shipbuilding plan, but he called it just a “floor” for future fleet acquisitions.
He said that in the future, the Navy needs to “increase its ability to operate in green water,” close to shore.
On that point, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, asked Roughead about the Littoral Combat Ship program, which has experienced problems and schedule delays. Roughead said he strongly supports the new class, and that during his time as the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, he could have used the ships to conduct more missions. He said the LCS provides the Navy with a “new way of taking on threats we anticipate in the future. We need it quickly.”
He said the Navy needs to purchase all 55 ships in the current shipbuilding plan over the next decade.
When asked about placement of aircraft carriers on the East Coast, Roughead hesitated to say where an additional carrier should be homeported, but he noted the ongoing environmental impact statement inquiry at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. He said he thought the Navy should conduct an Atlantic Coast posture review to evaluate the Navy’s East Coast carrier-basing needs
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
It's Been Pretty Blue Around Here......
What with Bob becoming a Chief Petty Officer and Gary's confirmation hearing coming up tomorrow. So Blue in fact that FbL missed a story about MG Rick Lynch. We can't have that! I am a Navy girl.....but I do love Rick. So here's a story that was sent me this morning.
Military Salute--Major General Rick Lynch
Dal Cannady
09/25/07
With Third Infantry soldiers deployed to Iraq, the face of the division returned home for a few days. Major General Rick Lynch spent part of his time back here spreading the message of what is happening over there.
From ceremony to ceremony, he spent his time talking to and about the troops. He pinned purple hearts on a dozen wounded soldiers. At Warrior's Walk, he comforted families and paid tribute to soldiers killed in combat. Despite the losses, he said democracy is winning in Iraq. But he publicly criticized the national media for ignoring the progress and focusing on the setbacks and challenges.
"You'd think they wanted to share both sides of the story," he stated. "But all we tend to get is the bad news."
The general reported attacks on US soldiers and on Iraqi citizens are down in the region Third Infantry protects. They team with Iraqis police in training and citizens who just want the violence to stop.
"We pick the worst places where the enemy holds and we put a base there and we own it," he explained.
But the general showed his emotions at times. He bowed his head and wiped his eyes during a video presentation that combined Third Infantry pictures with Toby Keith's "American Soldier."
Lynch admitted wearing his heart on his sleeve but carrying something else with him.
"I carry the pictures of fallen soldiers either Marne Division or Task Force Marne," he said as he pulled a pack of cards from his pocket. "These are 104 of our soldiers. Every day I look at these pictures and I ask two questions. The first is, 'did we do all we could to prevent this loss?' And the answer is, 'yes.'"
Lynch says moral remains high as he sees soldiers reenlist all the time. He hopes people at home can remain as optimistic. General Lynch's efforts to sustain troops and their families earns him a WTOC Military Salute.
Please allow me to add a Swabbie Doxie's Bravo Zulu!
Military Salute--Major General Rick Lynch
Dal Cannady
09/25/07
With Third Infantry soldiers deployed to Iraq, the face of the division returned home for a few days. Major General Rick Lynch spent part of his time back here spreading the message of what is happening over there.
From ceremony to ceremony, he spent his time talking to and about the troops. He pinned purple hearts on a dozen wounded soldiers. At Warrior's Walk, he comforted families and paid tribute to soldiers killed in combat. Despite the losses, he said democracy is winning in Iraq. But he publicly criticized the national media for ignoring the progress and focusing on the setbacks and challenges.
"You'd think they wanted to share both sides of the story," he stated. "But all we tend to get is the bad news."
The general reported attacks on US soldiers and on Iraqi citizens are down in the region Third Infantry protects. They team with Iraqis police in training and citizens who just want the violence to stop.
"We pick the worst places where the enemy holds and we put a base there and we own it," he explained.
But the general showed his emotions at times. He bowed his head and wiped his eyes during a video presentation that combined Third Infantry pictures with Toby Keith's "American Soldier."
Lynch admitted wearing his heart on his sleeve but carrying something else with him.
"I carry the pictures of fallen soldiers either Marne Division or Task Force Marne," he said as he pulled a pack of cards from his pocket. "These are 104 of our soldiers. Every day I look at these pictures and I ask two questions. The first is, 'did we do all we could to prevent this loss?' And the answer is, 'yes.'"
Lynch says moral remains high as he sees soldiers reenlist all the time. He hopes people at home can remain as optimistic. General Lynch's efforts to sustain troops and their families earns him a WTOC Military Salute.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Line of the Day!
I know he's not even finished speaking and the little nutter could come up with something better, but I don't see how!
Someone in the audience at Columbia asked about Iran executing homosexuals "......your government has imposed draconian punishment, including execution of Iranian citizens who are homosexuals. Why are you doing those things?".
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad answers "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who has told you that we have this."
Lot's of laughter followed that one!
***UPDATE***** Breitbart has video on this.
Someone in the audience at Columbia asked about Iran executing homosexuals "......your government has imposed draconian punishment, including execution of Iranian citizens who are homosexuals. Why are you doing those things?".
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad answers "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country. We don't have that in our country. In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who has told you that we have this."
Lot's of laughter followed that one!
***UPDATE***** Breitbart has video on this.
It's Scheduled!!!! Finally!
Gary's hearing has been scheduled!!!!!
There will be a meeting of the Committee on
ARMED SERVICES
Thursday, September 27, 2007
9:30 AM
Room SH-216, Hart Senate Office Building
OPEN
To consider the following nominations:
Admiral Gary Roughead, USN
For reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations.
*********************
Previous posts:
The CNO Pool
Not That I Don't Trust Southie.........
Questions About the CNO Selection Process
White Smoke Soon?
Welcome SailorBob Readers
Stirring the Pot
No CNO Announcement Yet
Gates to recommend Roughead for CNO post
No! No! No!
Who Isn't Covering This Story?
One Step Closer
Roughead's Confirmation
How Much Longer!!!
There will be a meeting of the Committee on
ARMED SERVICES
Thursday, September 27, 2007
9:30 AM
Room SH-216, Hart Senate Office Building
OPEN
To consider the following nominations:
Admiral Gary Roughead, USN
For reappointment to the grade of admiral and to be Chief of Naval Operations.
*********************
Previous posts:
The CNO Pool
Not That I Don't Trust Southie.........
Questions About the CNO Selection Process
White Smoke Soon?
Welcome SailorBob Readers
Stirring the Pot
No CNO Announcement Yet
Gates to recommend Roughead for CNO post
No! No! No!
Who Isn't Covering This Story?
One Step Closer
Roughead's Confirmation
How Much Longer!!!
Here's a pic that relates to Gary and this post. 070822-N-1688B-052 NORFOLK, Va. (Aug. 22,2007) - Adm. Gary Roughead, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and Cmdr. John Beaver Jr., commanding officer of guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), unveil the USS Arizona Memorial Trophy. The trophy was established to recognize the ship that has the best combat readiness in strike warfare, surface fire support and submarine warfare in the Navy. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Matthew Bookwalter (RELEASED)
Sunday, September 23, 2007
I Got Promoted
......with my CCD class. What a bummer! I had 4th grade nailed down pat. After all, it was Old Testament and I could get away with lots of history and geography. I don't even know what they're learning in 5th grade. I took the book home and I guess I'll read it......but Geez!
September 23rd
In 1779, the USS Bonhomme Richard, commanded by John Paul Jones, defeated British frigate HMS Serapis in a battle off the coast of Scotland.
I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Answer
When people talk about what a fiasco Iraq is....how can I believe.....how can I hope that we will succeed.......how can we believe we can win, I am baffled that they don't get it. Sometimes I am up for explaining, sometimes I am happy to let someone else explain.
Here's Rick.
"We would not have put soldiers in harm's way if we didn't think this was a winnable mission," he said.
The rest of a very short story.
Here's Rick.
"We would not have put soldiers in harm's way if we didn't think this was a winnable mission," he said.
The rest of a very short story.
Pics From The CPO Pinning
*****UPDATE*****Better pictures here*****
Disclaimer - Remember, Princess Crabby has familial tremors. It's a family thing and my father says they go away with a shot of Jack Daniels. However, there was no whiskey available yesterday...............so my pics are blurry...............deal with it. There were a few official photographers there and I hope to have good pics shortly.
Bob, just after being pinned by his mother and sister.
Bob's mother and sister being escorted back to their seats by a Chief.
Bob gave us a quick tour of a P3 and a rundow of the sonar bouys, etc. Then he explained how it relates to his job in Intel. This is his mother and sister standing at the top of the stairs.
Another Chief cuts into the "cover" that decorated the cake (FWIW - the cake I had in mind would have been better).
Disclaimer - Remember, Princess Crabby has familial tremors. It's a family thing and my father says they go away with a shot of Jack Daniels. However, there was no whiskey available yesterday...............so my pics are blurry...............deal with it. There were a few official photographers there and I hope to have good pics shortly.
Bob, just after being pinned by his mother and sister.
Bob's mother and sister being escorted back to their seats by a Chief.
Bob gave us a quick tour of a P3 and a rundow of the sonar bouys, etc. Then he explained how it relates to his job in Intel. This is his mother and sister standing at the top of the stairs.
Another Chief cuts into the "cover" that decorated the cake (FWIW - the cake I had in mind would have been better).
Friday, September 21, 2007
Maggie & The MCPON
........were in the same place today. No pic though, lol. *****UPDATE - Pics here*****
Today's CPO Pinning ceremony today at NAS Brunswick was my first and I found it hugely interesting. I have heard lots about about the whole process and today I got to see Navy tradition in action.
It was a picture perfect day and everything went as smooth as silk thanks to the efforts of all the Chiefs. How wonderful to have all these people come together to provide such a memorable day for the Chief Selects.
I live for this kind of stuff and I was not disappointed. SB and I had discussed this whole thing in great detail. The only fly in the ointment was how quickly the MCPON disappeared. Although, I will concede, he has more important things to do than hang around and wait for me to get back from the ladies room (it was a long drive from Boston to Brunswick!). He was there for the new Chiefs and they received his coin.
Bob's mother and sister were terribly nervous about their part in this.....the actual pinning. The each worried they'd take too long or possibly drop their pin. I got to be the voice of reason and calm.......terribly unusual for me! It was easy though, I wasn't going up!
Thanks to SB and several email sources, I knew what to expect. When the giant doors to hanger 5 began to open there was noisy beeping. Kat looked at me. "Hold on, it will stop in a second and then you will hear the singing." In came the Selects, singing "Anchors Aweigh". They lined up at the front. We all stood for the National Anthem. I am always filled with pride when I hear that and it's even better when it's not followed by "Play Ball". No one was talking, no one was slouching. There were people in that hanger who had put their lives on the line in Iraq (like Bob) other places giving meaning to "Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!" Then there was the invocation and the opening remarks. Next up, the MCPON. It wasn't the greatest sound system, but we were close enough to the front so I caught most everything.
Next up....the actual pinning. Kat and her Mom were nervous. I pointed out that Bob would be going toward the end and they would have plenty of time to observe others. They watched people do it quickly and slowly....smoothly and awkwardly. When it was their turn, two chiefs came over, one to escort them and Bob's sponsor with his cover. Kat and her mother placed the pins, the sponsor placed the cover on his head, then Bob was piped through the sideboys, he received his plaque and ended up facing the MCPON who congratulated him.
The new Chiefs lined up along the back and then there was the recitation of the "Chief's Creed". I sent SB a text message just before the Pinning he was attending was scheduled to begin at 1500. "I feel even closer to you now. How is that possible?" When the ceremony was over there was a long receiving line. We dashed out to "hit the head". When we came back, we only had to wait a few minutes for our chance to congratulate "our" Chief.
We got a tour of a P-3
and a slice of cake decorated with a frosting "cover".
I think my gift went over very well. I settled on the Marcus Luttrell book "Lone Survivor" and a set of beer glasses with the USS Constitution seal on them.
I was supposed to stop in Portland at Gritty McDuff's for Blackfly Stout, but I was sharing the ride with Bob's mother and she was too worried about being late and getting lost. Don't worry, I'll work it in somehow in the future. Thanks to everyone who emailed me advice and gift suggestions.
Bob wanted to take us to dinner, but that used the last of his energy. I know a little about what went on last night and I have been taunting him without mercy. Now he knows everything, but the secret is safe. Even if he wanted tell me more......he literally was dozing off at the table!
We dropped him back at the "Q" and headed back to Boston.
A really great day!
Today's CPO Pinning ceremony today at NAS Brunswick was my first and I found it hugely interesting. I have heard lots about about the whole process and today I got to see Navy tradition in action.
It was a picture perfect day and everything went as smooth as silk thanks to the efforts of all the Chiefs. How wonderful to have all these people come together to provide such a memorable day for the Chief Selects.
I live for this kind of stuff and I was not disappointed. SB and I had discussed this whole thing in great detail. The only fly in the ointment was how quickly the MCPON disappeared. Although, I will concede, he has more important things to do than hang around and wait for me to get back from the ladies room (it was a long drive from Boston to Brunswick!). He was there for the new Chiefs and they received his coin.
Bob's mother and sister were terribly nervous about their part in this.....the actual pinning. The each worried they'd take too long or possibly drop their pin. I got to be the voice of reason and calm.......terribly unusual for me! It was easy though, I wasn't going up!
Thanks to SB and several email sources, I knew what to expect. When the giant doors to hanger 5 began to open there was noisy beeping. Kat looked at me. "Hold on, it will stop in a second and then you will hear the singing." In came the Selects, singing "Anchors Aweigh". They lined up at the front. We all stood for the National Anthem. I am always filled with pride when I hear that and it's even better when it's not followed by "Play Ball". No one was talking, no one was slouching. There were people in that hanger who had put their lives on the line in Iraq (like Bob) other places giving meaning to "Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!" Then there was the invocation and the opening remarks. Next up, the MCPON. It wasn't the greatest sound system, but we were close enough to the front so I caught most everything.
Next up....the actual pinning. Kat and her Mom were nervous. I pointed out that Bob would be going toward the end and they would have plenty of time to observe others. They watched people do it quickly and slowly....smoothly and awkwardly. When it was their turn, two chiefs came over, one to escort them and Bob's sponsor with his cover. Kat and her mother placed the pins, the sponsor placed the cover on his head, then Bob was piped through the sideboys, he received his plaque and ended up facing the MCPON who congratulated him.
The new Chiefs lined up along the back and then there was the recitation of the "Chief's Creed". I sent SB a text message just before the Pinning he was attending was scheduled to begin at 1500. "I feel even closer to you now. How is that possible?" When the ceremony was over there was a long receiving line. We dashed out to "hit the head". When we came back, we only had to wait a few minutes for our chance to congratulate "our" Chief.
We got a tour of a P-3
and a slice of cake decorated with a frosting "cover".I think my gift went over very well. I settled on the Marcus Luttrell book "Lone Survivor" and a set of beer glasses with the USS Constitution seal on them.
I was supposed to stop in Portland at Gritty McDuff's for Blackfly Stout, but I was sharing the ride with Bob's mother and she was too worried about being late and getting lost. Don't worry, I'll work it in somehow in the future. Thanks to everyone who emailed me advice and gift suggestions.Bob wanted to take us to dinner, but that used the last of his energy. I know a little about what went on last night and I have been taunting him without mercy. Now he knows everything, but the secret is safe. Even if he wanted tell me more......he literally was dozing off at the table!
We dropped him back at the "Q" and headed back to Boston.
A really great day!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Light Blogging
Yesterday's convocation was fabulous and I had a great time with my goddaughter (who is my niece Sherri, so you were right either way). Then I popped into Boston for my geek fix "Paul Revere Lecture Series: "Paul Revere's Ride" Revisited". After that it was off to drive the drunk bus. Jen's boss was so grateful that I was the DD for two of his employees, he bought my dinner!
I wrapped up the evening with a lovely surprise....a call from SB who asked me if I could make a reservation for him on the Mystic River Bridge. Apparently the Red Sox performance of late has made him think about hurling himself off the aforementioned structure. Oh yea of little faith! I told him to quit his bitchin' (that's how you have to handle these SWOs) and tell me something that would make me breathless. He laughed, lowered his voice and obliged.
Today was work, work, work, trying to make up for missing Wednesday and Friday.
I am exhausted now and expect no word from SB as he was invited to do secret things tonight that you don't have clearance for.
So I'm off to bed to get as much sleep as I can before heading off to Brunswick. I am carpooling it with Bob's sister and mother. The downside of that is I can't pop off the beaten track and say "Hey" to AW1 Tim who is up in the wilds of Maine. The good part is I won't be beating my poor 10 year old car which on it's last legs. ($146.00 for two new tires today and it still needs other work in the coming month)
Tomorrow's festivities have a special guest that I am not sure I am supposed to mention, so I will wait until after.
I wrapped up the evening with a lovely surprise....a call from SB who asked me if I could make a reservation for him on the Mystic River Bridge. Apparently the Red Sox performance of late has made him think about hurling himself off the aforementioned structure. Oh yea of little faith! I told him to quit his bitchin' (that's how you have to handle these SWOs) and tell me something that would make me breathless. He laughed, lowered his voice and obliged.
Today was work, work, work, trying to make up for missing Wednesday and Friday.
I am exhausted now and expect no word from SB as he was invited to do secret things tonight that you don't have clearance for.
So I'm off to bed to get as much sleep as I can before heading off to Brunswick. I am carpooling it with Bob's sister and mother. The downside of that is I can't pop off the beaten track and say "Hey" to AW1 Tim who is up in the wilds of Maine. The good part is I won't be beating my poor 10 year old car which on it's last legs. ($146.00 for two new tires today and it still needs other work in the coming month)
Tomorrow's festivities have a special guest that I am not sure I am supposed to mention, so I will wait until after.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
I'm Leaving Now
My goddaughter has made the Dean's List at Simmons. I am off to applaud and take loads of pics.
I sent out a "Navy List" email to ask for gift advice for the Pinning Friday. My favorite response thus far:
Beer? Just kidding...:)
I am sorry, but I don't have a good idea for you.
Anyway, I hope you have a good time. I expect it will be a good time.
vr
LOL - You hope I have a good time? Are you kidding!!!!! I am going to a place chock-a-block full of Navy men in uniform and you hope I have a good time? That's a good one.
If you have a gift idea for me, leave it in the comments or drop me a line, thanks!
I sent out a "Navy List" email to ask for gift advice for the Pinning Friday. My favorite response thus far:
Beer? Just kidding...:)
I am sorry, but I don't have a good idea for you.
Anyway, I hope you have a good time. I expect it will be a good time.
vr
LOL - You hope I have a good time? Are you kidding!!!!! I am going to a place chock-a-block full of Navy men in uniform and you hope I have a good time? That's a good one.
If you have a gift idea for me, leave it in the comments or drop me a line, thanks!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
CPO Pinning
Friday is the day when my favorite IS1 becomes a Chief Petty Officer. 
Jen & I will meet up with Bob and his family and other friends at Naval Air Station Brunswick. It's practically in Canada. Jen is ready to shoot me! LOL, there was a time when Bob thought it would be in Newport. How perfect would that have been?!? Anyhow, it's an occassion worth the trip. We won't come all the way back the same day. There will be a layover at Roger's place in Ossippee for drunken debauchery.
Shockingly, there are lurkers here from Navy ISPs. If you are there Friday and you think you can figure out who I am............please say hi. I will leave you with more stuf from CPO Heritage week on Constitution, a video.
Still Waiting!
Just called the Senate Armed Services Committee and spoke with Leah......she's very nice and hasn't lost patience with me yet. They are hoping to schedule Admiral Roughead's hearing sometime next week. Last time we spoke she told me that they really wanted to get it done this month.
Me too!
Me too!
Monday, September 17, 2007
On the Other Hand...........
..............some people get compliments that are very well deserved indeed.
Tonight the favorite Naval consort called to brag about a book he received from an author he admired; complete with a personalized autograph.
The author wrote that SB was "...truly a sheepdog...". I laughed and exclaimed "How perfect!" SB was surprised that I *got it*.
He said he knew it was a compliment but he was a little hazy on the concept. The author read the look on his face and directed him to read an excerpt from LTC (ret) Dave Grossman's "On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs". He read it and then realized what a huge compliment the author's salutation was. I laughed and said "Of course! But he's completely right. It was my first thought when I read about the whole Sheepdog thing - that's SB." Then he read me the excerpt and even though I have read it myself, I listened carefully. I am always pleased when SB wants to share something......anything with me. It moved him. It's very powerful and if you have never read it, you should.
We discussed the concept briefly and I told him that I thought the first I had read of it was at the Castle where John discussed Professor Liviu Librescu and his actions at Virginia Tech this past spring. SB agreed that it was a proper characterization.
It was late - he is working so hard to prepare for what's coming - we exchanged our goodnights and I admonished him as always to dream of me.
Now I'm out here and I want to say thank you to all the people who help me shine in his eyes. Thanks to all the Milbloggers who give me that leg up, that help in understanding sheepdogs....that insight so that I can anticipate his needs and be the best damn bedwarmer ever issued by DOD to the best damn SWO the Navy has.
Thanks John, Chief, Matty, Uncle Jimbo, Noonan and all the guys at OpFor, and all of the SWO at the supersecret Navy website where they let me lurk. You guys help me with everything from the lingo to the history to the whole big picture thing and I am grateful.
Tonight the favorite Naval consort called to brag about a book he received from an author he admired; complete with a personalized autograph.
The author wrote that SB was "...truly a sheepdog...". I laughed and exclaimed "How perfect!" SB was surprised that I *got it*.
He said he knew it was a compliment but he was a little hazy on the concept. The author read the look on his face and directed him to read an excerpt from LTC (ret) Dave Grossman's "On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs". He read it and then realized what a huge compliment the author's salutation was. I laughed and said "Of course! But he's completely right. It was my first thought when I read about the whole Sheepdog thing - that's SB." Then he read me the excerpt and even though I have read it myself, I listened carefully. I am always pleased when SB wants to share something......anything with me. It moved him. It's very powerful and if you have never read it, you should.
We discussed the concept briefly and I told him that I thought the first I had read of it was at the Castle where John discussed Professor Liviu Librescu and his actions at Virginia Tech this past spring. SB agreed that it was a proper characterization.
It was late - he is working so hard to prepare for what's coming - we exchanged our goodnights and I admonished him as always to dream of me.
Now I'm out here and I want to say thank you to all the people who help me shine in his eyes. Thanks to all the Milbloggers who give me that leg up, that help in understanding sheepdogs....that insight so that I can anticipate his needs and be the best damn bedwarmer ever issued by DOD to the best damn SWO the Navy has.
Thanks John, Chief, Matty, Uncle Jimbo, Noonan and all the guys at OpFor, and all of the SWO at the supersecret Navy website where they let me lurk. You guys help me with everything from the lingo to the history to the whole big picture thing and I am grateful.
My Week For Undeserved Compliments!
For the second time in as many days, someone is giving more credit than I deserve.
Nice Matters Blog Award
This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!
So, you say........"What can a nice award possibly have to do with Princess Crabby?" Well, Flora of United Conservatives of Virginia has nominated seven bloggers and I am one of them, lol!
As I said at Flora's place, I am not nice usually, but it is impossible to be anything but nice to Flora!
So, I am supposed to nominate people.
Well the first one is wicked easy........Beth/SWWBO. Next I would say Sherri but she doesn't blog. I'll put up some more later, but my dinner is ready. Jen and I are having crab cakes.......yummmmmmmmm! Plus later I have to post about my upcoming adventure, a CPO pinning in Brunswick Maine.
Nice Matters Blog Award
This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people , good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!
So, you say........"What can a nice award possibly have to do with Princess Crabby?" Well, Flora of United Conservatives of Virginia has nominated seven bloggers and I am one of them, lol!
As I said at Flora's place, I am not nice usually, but it is impossible to be anything but nice to Flora!
So, I am supposed to nominate people.
Well the first one is wicked easy........Beth/SWWBO. Next I would say Sherri but she doesn't blog. I'll put up some more later, but my dinner is ready. Jen and I are having crab cakes.......yummmmmmmmm! Plus later I have to post about my upcoming adventure, a CPO pinning in Brunswick Maine.
Blogging Friends
Blogging has brought some truly awesome people into my life. Some I have met and some I haven't.
Army Wife Toddler Mom is someone I have had the great pleasure of meeting twice and unlike *some people* I know she is not Andi, lol. Her stories about Sir Roland and Pink Ninja really crack me up. She is an excellent writer because they are as funny to read as they are to hear in person. This story is a real winner!
Saturday
A trip to the commissary today. The most embarrassing part was Sir Rowland telling a woman with a deep voice "Wow, you look like a lady, but sound like a man! That is the strangest thing I have seen. Are you part man?I need to start carrying a flask with me...because I cannot figure out how I am supposed to react. Taking a drink right away, might get me off the hook.
*********************
Some I haven't met but they can really make my day.........like Springbored.
Dear Mr. President,
If you're gonna meet with milbloggers, please have all the services represented. Why'd ya stiff the Navy?!!!!
There's no reason to ignore good people who further your work every gosh-darn, dang day. So, please, if you're in the mood to make a certain Progressive Navy Mil-Blogger (ahem!) go absolutely green with envy, please invite CDR Salamander, Galhran, Eagle, Instapinch, Maggie and Lex to the Oval Office. They might--unlike a certain chief of some Intel service of your former acquaintance--wear ties.
Those folks do good work, are pretty darn funny and are quite cool people, to boot. A far, far more lively a crowd than any ground-pounder milblogger-type of gathering!
Good God!!! How did *I* get lumped in with this bunch? They are all actual Navy, I am a Swabbie Doxie (The Armorer says so). They write serious stuff, I am nonsense. If you put me in a room where the Phibian, Galhran and Mike/Mark (inside joke) were having a serious discussion I would sit in the corner and not utter a peep (yes, that is possible SB). I've been out drinking with Pinch and Lex, so I don't find them as intimidating. Even so, when we talk about the Navy, you're easily gonna get a lot more quality content out of them!
*********************
BTW - The MilBlog meeting Springbored mentions included some other great people blogging has brought into my life........The Armorer, Matt of BlackFive, Steve Shippert (who caused my first ever hangover), Mrs. Greyhawk (who I've met only briefly, but it was a pleasure)
I am very pleased for all of them and W is lucky to have met them, as well!
Army Wife Toddler Mom is someone I have had the great pleasure of meeting twice and unlike *some people* I know she is not Andi, lol. Her stories about Sir Roland and Pink Ninja really crack me up. She is an excellent writer because they are as funny to read as they are to hear in person. This story is a real winner!
Saturday
A trip to the commissary today. The most embarrassing part was Sir Rowland telling a woman with a deep voice "Wow, you look like a lady, but sound like a man! That is the strangest thing I have seen. Are you part man?I need to start carrying a flask with me...because I cannot figure out how I am supposed to react. Taking a drink right away, might get me off the hook.
*********************
Some I haven't met but they can really make my day.........like Springbored.
Dear Mr. President,
If you're gonna meet with milbloggers, please have all the services represented. Why'd ya stiff the Navy?!!!!
There's no reason to ignore good people who further your work every gosh-darn, dang day. So, please, if you're in the mood to make a certain Progressive Navy Mil-Blogger (ahem!) go absolutely green with envy, please invite CDR Salamander, Galhran, Eagle, Instapinch, Maggie and Lex to the Oval Office. They might--unlike a certain chief of some Intel service of your former acquaintance--wear ties.
Those folks do good work, are pretty darn funny and are quite cool people, to boot. A far, far more lively a crowd than any ground-pounder milblogger-type of gathering!
Good God!!! How did *I* get lumped in with this bunch? They are all actual Navy, I am a Swabbie Doxie (The Armorer says so). They write serious stuff, I am nonsense. If you put me in a room where the Phibian, Galhran and Mike/Mark (inside joke) were having a serious discussion I would sit in the corner and not utter a peep (yes, that is possible SB). I've been out drinking with Pinch and Lex, so I don't find them as intimidating. Even so, when we talk about the Navy, you're easily gonna get a lot more quality content out of them!
*********************
BTW - The MilBlog meeting Springbored mentions included some other great people blogging has brought into my life........The Armorer, Matt of BlackFive, Steve Shippert (who caused my first ever hangover), Mrs. Greyhawk (who I've met only briefly, but it was a pleasure)
I am very pleased for all of them and W is lucky to have met them, as well!
September 17, 1787
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
"Old Ironsides"
I can't imagine my childhood without the USS Constitution. I was on it so much and it was such a big deal in Charlestown. But there was a time when people had forgotten how important she was. But then there was a little tempest in a teapot and public support rallied around her. While the Constitution was in Boston for repairs, the Navy requested a survey of all the ships in Boston which needed repair. A local newspaper, the Boston Daily Advertiser incorrectly reported that "Old Ironsides" was going to be scrapped, this set off a storm. See? The MSM was a problem even then! But it all worked out in the end.By Oliver Wendell Holmes
September 16, 1830
Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar;
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.
Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee;
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!
Oh, better that her shattered bulk
Oh, better that her shattered bulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!
***********************************
AUTHOR'S NOTE By Oliver Wendell Holmes
This was the popular name by which the frigate Constitution was known. The poem was first printed in the Boston Daily Advertiser, at the time when it was proposed to break up the old ship as unfit for service. I subjoin the paragraph which led to the writing of the poem. It is from the Advertiser of Tuesday, September 14, 1830:--
"Old Ironsides.--- It has been affirmed upon good authority that the Secretary of the Navy has recommended to the Board of Navy Commissioners to dispose of the frigate Constitution. Since it has been understood that such a step was in contemplation we have heard but one opinion expressed, and that in decided disapprobation of the measure. Such a national object of interest, so endeared to our national pride as Old Ironsides is, should never by any act of our government cease to belong to the Navy, so long as our country is to be found upon the map of nations. In England it was lately determined by the Admiralty to cut the Victory, a one-hundred gun ship (which it will be recollected bore the flag of Lord Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar), down to a seventy-four, but so loud were the lamentations of the people upon the proposed measure that the intention was abandoned. We confidently anticipate that the Secretary of the Navy will in like manner consult the general wish in regard to the Constitution, and either let her remain in ordinary or rebuild her whenever the public service may require."--New York Journal of Commerce.
This was the popular name by which the frigate Constitution was known. The poem was first printed in the Boston Daily Advertiser, at the time when it was proposed to break up the old ship as unfit for service. I subjoin the paragraph which led to the writing of the poem. It is from the Advertiser of Tuesday, September 14, 1830:--
"Old Ironsides.--- It has been affirmed upon good authority that the Secretary of the Navy has recommended to the Board of Navy Commissioners to dispose of the frigate Constitution. Since it has been understood that such a step was in contemplation we have heard but one opinion expressed, and that in decided disapprobation of the measure. Such a national object of interest, so endeared to our national pride as Old Ironsides is, should never by any act of our government cease to belong to the Navy, so long as our country is to be found upon the map of nations. In England it was lately determined by the Admiralty to cut the Victory, a one-hundred gun ship (which it will be recollected bore the flag of Lord Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar), down to a seventy-four, but so loud were the lamentations of the people upon the proposed measure that the intention was abandoned. We confidently anticipate that the Secretary of the Navy will in like manner consult the general wish in regard to the Constitution, and either let her remain in ordinary or rebuild her whenever the public service may require."--New York Journal of Commerce.
Ugghhh!!!
So I am about to start listening to this week's "Meet The Press". It usually gives me heartburn, but this has to be some kind of record. In the opening seconds.
MR. RUSSERT: And he calls for an “enduring relationship” with Iraq that would keep American forces there “beyond my presidency.” What now? With us, decorated Vietnam veteran, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry; and decorated Vietnam veteran, 2008 Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain. Kerry and McCain square off. A debate: Should we leave or should we stay?
How can Russert use the same words? How can he draw a favorable comparison? It's as though he thinks that fraud is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath with McCain.
Disgusting!
MR. RUSSERT: And he calls for an “enduring relationship” with Iraq that would keep American forces there “beyond my presidency.” What now? With us, decorated Vietnam veteran, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry; and decorated Vietnam veteran, 2008 Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain. Kerry and McCain square off. A debate: Should we leave or should we stay?
How can Russert use the same words? How can he draw a favorable comparison? It's as though he thinks that fraud is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath with McCain.
Disgusting!
Bravo Zulu USS Bulkeley!
Congratulations to the men and women of the DDG84. Last month, (my boy, lol) Admiral Gary Roughead awarded the officers and crew of the USS Bulkeley the Arizona Memorial Trophy. This award recognizes the Bulkeley as "the Naval Surface Force's most combat ready ship during the two-year compettitive period of 2005-2006."
'The Bulkeley is being recognized for maintaining high combat readiness in anti-surface warfare, surface fire support and strike warfare during training and deployment. The Navy is also recognizing the Bulkeley for its actions while deployed to the Persian Gulf area of operations."
They do their namesake proud! In the words of VADM Bulkeley, "You engage, you fight, you win. That is the reputation of our Navy, then and in the future."
'The Bulkeley is being recognized for maintaining high combat readiness in anti-surface warfare, surface fire support and strike warfare during training and deployment. The Navy is also recognizing the Bulkeley for its actions while deployed to the Persian Gulf area of operations."
They do their namesake proud! In the words of VADM Bulkeley, "You engage, you fight, you win. That is the reputation of our Navy, then and in the future."
Maria Callas Butterfly-Puccini
Maria Callas passed on this day in 1977. The celebrated soprano died in Paris at the age of 53.
I will never understand the Onassis thing. I didn't understand it with Jackie and I don't understand it with Callas. Mama Kelley used to emphasize the middle part of his name, lol. He was despised in
Charlestown.
Callas had the most amazing voice, I am listening as I type this. Just amazing.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Happy Birthday WK!!!!!
To my friend and my blogga-sista, Were-Kitten!!!!
Although I'm not entirely certain who this is a present for.........
I can't (or just know how to) embed links in these posts with YT vids. So just go here:
http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2007/09/happy_birthday_3.html
and leave a present!
So.....Before I Got Distracted......
I was over at the Corner (NationReviewOnline) to link to a post about the Armorer and his unbelievably great day!
So.....go here. Follow the link and go here......and don't miss this.......or this.
Congratulation John!
That was what I should have been focusing on instead of stupid James Brolin! But when you go over to the Corner......there's so much stuff!!!!! For a political junkie like me, it's crack.
So.....go here. Follow the link and go here......and don't miss this.......or this.
Congratulation John!
That was what I should have been focusing on instead of stupid James Brolin! But when you go over to the Corner......there's so much stuff!!!!! For a political junkie like me, it's crack.
WTF?
James Brolin on the Chaz & AJ Show saying one of the most inappropriate things about 9/11 since Ward Churchill. I think he even beats my stupid governor.
The snippett of video is here at Breitbart TV. I found it via The Corner Online.
In this audio clip Brolin says "Right! Oh yeah. Oh Happy 9/11!"
????????????
The snippett of video is here at Breitbart TV. I found it via The Corner Online.
In this audio clip Brolin says "Right! Oh yeah. Oh Happy 9/11!"
????????????
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Deval Patrick - Donkey
No, I don't mean donkey like the symbol for the Democratic party. I mean donkey like stupid animal. When my mother would get really, really frustrated with us.....when we would do something really, really stupid......she would screw her face up and say "Listen, you DONKEY...." LOL, it was pretty rare, I was stupid, but not spectacularly so. When my kids or their friends did something dumb, I would refer to them as "mutton". But we're not talking about me here, or the kids. We're talking about the Governor of the Commonwealth, Deval Patrick. I was listening to Howie, that agitator, discuss Deval's 9/11 ceremony remarks. I couldn't believe it. I had to go look it up. Here they are:
".....a failure of human understanding."......WHAT.....THE....FUCK?
Let me tell you what I fail to understand. I fail to understand how this nitwit made it to the corner office. I fail to understand how the supposedly apolitical committee in charge of today's State House ceremony didn't see that it would look funny to dump Ogonowski as a featured speaker in favor of a hack. I fail to understand why the Lt. Governor handled the flag instead of someone who lost a loved one on 9/11. I fail to understand how a guy who is supposed to be so bright, as we are told Deval is...didn't to hire a speech writer to keep him from inserting his foot in his mouth. I fail to understand how a guy whose liberal beliefs would have him near the front of the execution line in any society that follows Sharia law (does Deval know what a caliphate is? Will he figure it out before they stone him?) would talk about "learning to love" muslim extremists.
Governor, you are a DONKEY. You are a braying, stupid donkey. Jackass fits too.
I'm not the only one who thinks so, here's the editorial staff at the Herald weighing in.
Governor, you are a DONKEY. You are a braying, stupid donkey. Jackass fits too.
I'm not the only one who thinks so, here's the editorial staff at the Herald weighing in.
The Boston Globe Nails It
MoveOn's McCarthy moment
By Peter D. Feaver September 11, 2007
IN THE SPRING of 1954, the US Senate convened hearings at the instigation of Senator Joseph McCarthy to press his anticommunist investigations into the Department of the Army. The hearings were broadcast live on television, and the American public was able to witness firsthand the tactics McCarthy used to intimidate his foes. At a critical moment in the hearings, a key governmental witness, Army lawyer Joseph Welch, rose to defend one of the junior Army lawyers whose career, Welch alleged, McCarthy had destroyed. Welch turned to McCarthy and memorably intoned: "Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"It was remarkable political theater and historians credit it with breaking the back of McCarthy's attack on the Army, which in turn broke the back of his anticommunist efforts. In short order, McCarthy's allies abandoned him, he was discredited, and he left the Senate in disgrace.
We may be about to witness a McCarthy-Army-Welch moment in the debate over Iraq. This time, the role of McCarthy is played by MoveOn.org, a liberal political group that launched its own attack on a respected US Army figure. In yesterday's New York Times, the day that General David Petraeus would give his long-awaited, congressionally mandated report on his military activities in Iraq, MoveOn.org ran a full-page advertisement that accused Petraeus of activities befitting a traitor. The advertisement alleges, without evidence, that Petraeus is not going to give his honest, professional assessment of the situation in Iraq but instead will be "cooking the books" to curry favor with the Bush White House. The heart of the advertisement is a juvenile pun on Petraeus's name: General Betray Us?
The MoveOn.org ad is vicious, and would garner comment even if it were merely one more primal scream in the coarse blogosphere debate over Iraq. But it is not an angry e-mail or blog entry. It is a deliberate attack on the senior Army commander, in a major daily newspaper, with the intention of destroying as much of his credibility as possible so that his military advice could be more easily rejected by antiwar members of Congress.
The attack was part of an elaborate effort to undermine public support for the Iraq war, and was foreshadowed by an unnamed Democratic senator who told a reporter, "No one wants to call [Petraeus] a liar on national TV . . . The expectation is that the outside groups will do this for us." The effort is funded by powerful special interests, and has all the trappings of a major political campaign.
Precisely because it is so vicious, so public, and so deliberate, the attack on Petraeus cannot be ignored by either side in the Iraq debate. Supporters of the war are duty-bound, like Joseph Welch, to rise and ask of war opponents, "Have you left no sense of decency?" Antiwar members of Congress, like Senator McCarthy's allies, are obliged to answer.
Let us be clear. It is legitimate to grill Petraeus on his testimony and to ask him tough questions about the strategy he has been pursuing. It is legitimate to disagree with him, or to conclude that an alternative course of action has a better chance of advancing US interests in the region. Healthy civil-military relations do not depend on accepting uncritically anything a senior military officer says. Quite the opposite, they depend on a full and frank exchange of views.
It is not legitimate, however, and it is exceedingly corrosive of healthy civil-military relations to question the general's patriotism when his views differ from yours and are inconvenient for one's political agenda.
This is a defining moment for the antiwar faction. They can continue on the path on to which they have veered, repeating some of the worst mistakes in American history. Or they can make a clean break with the past, police their own ranks, and promote a healthy, critical, public debate about the best way forward in Iraq.
Peter D. Feaver is a political science professor at Duke University and author of "Armed Servants: Agency, Oversight, and Civil-Military Relations." He served on the National Security Council staff under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush.
By Peter D. Feaver September 11, 2007
IN THE SPRING of 1954, the US Senate convened hearings at the instigation of Senator Joseph McCarthy to press his anticommunist investigations into the Department of the Army. The hearings were broadcast live on television, and the American public was able to witness firsthand the tactics McCarthy used to intimidate his foes. At a critical moment in the hearings, a key governmental witness, Army lawyer Joseph Welch, rose to defend one of the junior Army lawyers whose career, Welch alleged, McCarthy had destroyed. Welch turned to McCarthy and memorably intoned: "Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"It was remarkable political theater and historians credit it with breaking the back of McCarthy's attack on the Army, which in turn broke the back of his anticommunist efforts. In short order, McCarthy's allies abandoned him, he was discredited, and he left the Senate in disgrace.
We may be about to witness a McCarthy-Army-Welch moment in the debate over Iraq. This time, the role of McCarthy is played by MoveOn.org, a liberal political group that launched its own attack on a respected US Army figure. In yesterday's New York Times, the day that General David Petraeus would give his long-awaited, congressionally mandated report on his military activities in Iraq, MoveOn.org ran a full-page advertisement that accused Petraeus of activities befitting a traitor. The advertisement alleges, without evidence, that Petraeus is not going to give his honest, professional assessment of the situation in Iraq but instead will be "cooking the books" to curry favor with the Bush White House. The heart of the advertisement is a juvenile pun on Petraeus's name: General Betray Us?
The MoveOn.org ad is vicious, and would garner comment even if it were merely one more primal scream in the coarse blogosphere debate over Iraq. But it is not an angry e-mail or blog entry. It is a deliberate attack on the senior Army commander, in a major daily newspaper, with the intention of destroying as much of his credibility as possible so that his military advice could be more easily rejected by antiwar members of Congress.
The attack was part of an elaborate effort to undermine public support for the Iraq war, and was foreshadowed by an unnamed Democratic senator who told a reporter, "No one wants to call [Petraeus] a liar on national TV . . . The expectation is that the outside groups will do this for us." The effort is funded by powerful special interests, and has all the trappings of a major political campaign.
Precisely because it is so vicious, so public, and so deliberate, the attack on Petraeus cannot be ignored by either side in the Iraq debate. Supporters of the war are duty-bound, like Joseph Welch, to rise and ask of war opponents, "Have you left no sense of decency?" Antiwar members of Congress, like Senator McCarthy's allies, are obliged to answer.
Let us be clear. It is legitimate to grill Petraeus on his testimony and to ask him tough questions about the strategy he has been pursuing. It is legitimate to disagree with him, or to conclude that an alternative course of action has a better chance of advancing US interests in the region. Healthy civil-military relations do not depend on accepting uncritically anything a senior military officer says. Quite the opposite, they depend on a full and frank exchange of views.
It is not legitimate, however, and it is exceedingly corrosive of healthy civil-military relations to question the general's patriotism when his views differ from yours and are inconvenient for one's political agenda.
This is a defining moment for the antiwar faction. They can continue on the path on to which they have veered, repeating some of the worst mistakes in American history. Or they can make a clean break with the past, police their own ranks, and promote a healthy, critical, public debate about the best way forward in Iraq.
Peter D. Feaver is a political science professor at Duke University and author of "Armed Servants: Agency, Oversight, and Civil-Military Relations." He served on the National Security Council staff under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
8:46 AM
We were still working in the old location and I was at my desk. Being a news junkie I had WRKO on through the computer. At the time it was the morning show that had Peter Blute and a cohost I can't quite remember. I think it was Osterlind because he was kind of an irreverent guy and I remember blaming him for what I thought was a bad joke.
They reported the first impact as a small plane.....I heard and moved on. Working, fielding phone calls, typing orders, whatever. Then they reported the second and I thought "This is a prank." And I remember being really peeved. Peeved to the point where I was going to dial up the station and beef.
That's when Mark came in from the warehouse and asked me what was going on. I knew Mark only listened to sports radio. He heard the same story somewhere else. Little prickles ran from my feet up my body to dance on the top of my head and sting my eyes. "I thought it was a joke. They told you on 'EEI?" He nodded. He was standing at the fake windows between the office and the warehouse where sometimes I would pass him paperwork and he would ask for fries with it. In my head I screamed it's bad, IT'S BAD!!,.....out of my mouth came the words "Let me poke around, I'll find something." At the time you could get MSNBC and FOX to stream live, and I did and I saw them.
This was the time before SouthieBoy, I think he would have been my first phone call. He was 8 time zones away.
Then the Pentagon. My sister Jennifer called. "Is this real?" I told her it was. "Tell me what this means?" In my head I thought "It means they can touch us. Really touch us, not like the first one with six people dead. Really touch us, not like the Millennium thing." But I didn't say that. "Who is it?" Images of the Cole and the Marine Barracks and the Embassies and Khobar Towers flashed through my head. That story in Jane's about Massoud being killed......was it yesterday? Or the day before? But all I said was "We'll know soon enough."
People came by my desk all day, asking me questions. Friends called. After all, what's the point of having a geek if you can't question her at a time like this? But I kept my answers short and didn't really convey what I thought. I didn't want to be Cassandra. Why upset people with the horror that was in my head. I figured they'd know soon enough. Days later I remember scoffing at people who accused Condi Rice of now knowing who Al Qaeda was.......I knew. If I knew, she damn sure did and that's what I told people who asked what I thought.
Just before noon, I became obsessed with talking to the two people who were safer than all the rest of us. If America was under attack, of all my loved ones, my parents were the safest. They were in Ireland with my mother's brother and his wife. It was a tour going through several towns. Which town were they in now? It was easily their fourth or fifth trip. The anxiety had long ago worn off and we didn't ask for itineraries anymore. I called several hotels asking for the Irish equivalent of "Smith" and "Jones". It was hours before I found them.
And then........I had nothing to say, so my father laughed and told me they were fine.....how were his children, his grandchildren? "Here, tell Mummie hi." That pulled me back. He always makes me laugh when he refers to her that way. Like I'm 5 again.
My own were safe. Others weren't. I went to Mass.
You should also read the Chief's post over at the Castle. Also, Beth at her place.
They reported the first impact as a small plane.....I heard and moved on. Working, fielding phone calls, typing orders, whatever. Then they reported the second and I thought "This is a prank." And I remember being really peeved. Peeved to the point where I was going to dial up the station and beef.
That's when Mark came in from the warehouse and asked me what was going on. I knew Mark only listened to sports radio. He heard the same story somewhere else. Little prickles ran from my feet up my body to dance on the top of my head and sting my eyes. "I thought it was a joke. They told you on 'EEI?" He nodded. He was standing at the fake windows between the office and the warehouse where sometimes I would pass him paperwork and he would ask for fries with it. In my head I screamed it's bad, IT'S BAD!!,.....out of my mouth came the words "Let me poke around, I'll find something." At the time you could get MSNBC and FOX to stream live, and I did and I saw them.
This was the time before SouthieBoy, I think he would have been my first phone call. He was 8 time zones away.
Then the Pentagon. My sister Jennifer called. "Is this real?" I told her it was. "Tell me what this means?" In my head I thought "It means they can touch us. Really touch us, not like the first one with six people dead. Really touch us, not like the Millennium thing." But I didn't say that. "Who is it?" Images of the Cole and the Marine Barracks and the Embassies and Khobar Towers flashed through my head. That story in Jane's about Massoud being killed......was it yesterday? Or the day before? But all I said was "We'll know soon enough."
People came by my desk all day, asking me questions. Friends called. After all, what's the point of having a geek if you can't question her at a time like this? But I kept my answers short and didn't really convey what I thought. I didn't want to be Cassandra. Why upset people with the horror that was in my head. I figured they'd know soon enough. Days later I remember scoffing at people who accused Condi Rice of now knowing who Al Qaeda was.......I knew. If I knew, she damn sure did and that's what I told people who asked what I thought.
Just before noon, I became obsessed with talking to the two people who were safer than all the rest of us. If America was under attack, of all my loved ones, my parents were the safest. They were in Ireland with my mother's brother and his wife. It was a tour going through several towns. Which town were they in now? It was easily their fourth or fifth trip. The anxiety had long ago worn off and we didn't ask for itineraries anymore. I called several hotels asking for the Irish equivalent of "Smith" and "Jones". It was hours before I found them.
And then........I had nothing to say, so my father laughed and told me they were fine.....how were his children, his grandchildren? "Here, tell Mummie hi." That pulled me back. He always makes me laugh when he refers to her that way. Like I'm 5 again.
My own were safe. Others weren't. I went to Mass.
You should also read the Chief's post over at the Castle. Also, Beth at her place.
Monday, September 10, 2007
An Oldie But a Goodie!
That was one of Mama's favorite sayings. Anyway, this is from V29 by way of the Chief.
On the first day of school a first grade teacher explains to her class that she is a Yankees fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they, too, are Yankees fans.
Wanting to impress their teacher, everyone in the class raises their hand except one little girl. The teacher looks at the girl with surprise, "Janie, why didn't you raise your hand?"
"Because I'm not a Yankees fan," she replied.
The teacher, still shocked, asked, "Well, if you are not a Yankees fan, then who are you a fan of?"
"I am a Red Sox fan, and proud of it," Janie replied.
The teacher could not believe her ears. "Janie, why pray tell are you a Red Sox fan?"
"Because my mom is a Red Sox fan, and my dad is Red Sox fan, so I'm a Red Sox fan too!"
"Well," said the teacher in a obviously annoyed tone, "that is no reason for you to be a Red Sox fan. You don't have to be just like your parents all of the time. What if your mom were an idiot and your dad were a moron, what would you be then?"
"Then," Janie smiled, "I'd be a Yankees fan."
Love that one!
On the first day of school a first grade teacher explains to her class that she is a Yankees fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they, too, are Yankees fans.
Wanting to impress their teacher, everyone in the class raises their hand except one little girl. The teacher looks at the girl with surprise, "Janie, why didn't you raise your hand?"
"Because I'm not a Yankees fan," she replied.
The teacher, still shocked, asked, "Well, if you are not a Yankees fan, then who are you a fan of?"
"I am a Red Sox fan, and proud of it," Janie replied.
The teacher could not believe her ears. "Janie, why pray tell are you a Red Sox fan?"
"Because my mom is a Red Sox fan, and my dad is Red Sox fan, so I'm a Red Sox fan too!"
"Well," said the teacher in a obviously annoyed tone, "that is no reason for you to be a Red Sox fan. You don't have to be just like your parents all of the time. What if your mom were an idiot and your dad were a moron, what would you be then?"
"Then," Janie smiled, "I'd be a Yankees fan."
Love that one!
Petraeus.....
on CSpan 3 right now........watching Rep. Ike Skelton talk.
******************
8 minutes....25 seconds of Skelton explaining this will be bad news before Petraeus or Crocker open their mouths.
Now it Lantos, the bad driver.
*****************
Now it's Rep. Duncan Hunter giving Skelton and Lantos a hard time for talking smack before hearing what's going to be said.
***********************
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is up at bat.
***********
Protesters ejected at 42 minutes! I missed some of it......darn it! Real life in the for of work interfering with live blogging!
****************
1330 Petraeus gets to speak! Imagine that?
*********************
Skelton interrupts to say the members should have a copy of the chart in front of them. The one on the wall is difficult to see...........WTF? You interrupt for that?
******************************
More protesters! How do these people get past security? One minute interruption.
*****************************
Petraeus concludes his remarks.
More protesters at 2:00 pm. She's a real screamer!
****************************************
Now Crocker speaks.
***********************************
Work is too much of a distraction. I'll have to listen to the replay later.
*********************************
Here is the text of General Petraeus' remarks from Army.mil
******************
8 minutes....25 seconds of Skelton explaining this will be bad news before Petraeus or Crocker open their mouths.
Now it Lantos, the bad driver.
*****************
Now it's Rep. Duncan Hunter giving Skelton and Lantos a hard time for talking smack before hearing what's going to be said.
***********************
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is up at bat.
***********
Protesters ejected at 42 minutes! I missed some of it......darn it! Real life in the for of work interfering with live blogging!
****************
1330 Petraeus gets to speak! Imagine that?
*********************
Skelton interrupts to say the members should have a copy of the chart in front of them. The one on the wall is difficult to see...........WTF? You interrupt for that?
******************************
More protesters! How do these people get past security? One minute interruption.
*****************************
Petraeus concludes his remarks.
More protesters at 2:00 pm. She's a real screamer!
****************************************
Now Crocker speaks.
***********************************
Work is too much of a distraction. I'll have to listen to the replay later.
*********************************
Here is the text of General Petraeus' remarks from Army.mil
We Have Met The Enemy........
and they are ours....."Today in Navy history - September 10th
1813 - In Battle of Lake Erie, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, flying his "Don't give up the ship" flag, defeats British squadron and says: "We have met the enemy and they are ours..."
Another famous phrase that people know only part of. It's like "Live Free or Die". The actual message to Harrison was"
Sunday, September 09, 2007
US Navy In The News
070907-N-1189B-048 PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua (Sept. 7, 2007) - Citizens of Puerto Cabezas rush to get Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) that were dropped from an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter attached to the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS WASP (LHD 1). U.S. Southern Command diverted Wasp from an international maritime exercise in Panama to the coast of Nicaragua Sept. 5 to assist with disaster relief efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Felix. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary Borden (RELEASED)
Police Officer Wendell Adams.....
....needs to get over himself!
Oversalted burger leads to charges
A McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer's burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.
Kendra Bull was arrested Friday, charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and freed on $1,000 bail.
Bull, 20, said she accidentally spilled salt on hamburger meat and told her supervisor and a co-worker, who "tried to thump the salt off."
On her break, she ate a burger made with the salty meat. "It didn't make me sick," Bull told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But then Police Officer Wendell Adams got a burger made with the oversalted meat, and he returned a short time later and told the manager it made him sick.
Bull admitted spilling salt on the meat, and Adams took her outside and questioned her, she said.
"If it was too salty, why did (Adams) not take one bite and throw it away?" said Bull, who has worked at the restaurant for five months. She said she didn't know a police officer got one of the salty burgers because she couldn't see the drive-through window from her work area.
Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests.
City public information officer George Louth said Bull was charged because she served the burger "without regards to the well-being of anyone who might consume it."
For heaven's sake! She ate one herself. How can someone put her in jail for the night over this? I saw it on TV, she has young children. She's out there trying to make a living and she goes to jail for oversalting the meat? Give me a break. I completely agree with her when she asks why the officer didn't just take a bite and spit it out. He ate it until it made him sick? And then put her in jail for it? Maybe he's a little piglet who should chew his food more carefully. Not everything that happens to you is a crime or even an overt act, Officer Adams.
"Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests."
Cut the shit!
Oversalted burger leads to charges
A McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer's burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.
Kendra Bull was arrested Friday, charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and freed on $1,000 bail.
Bull, 20, said she accidentally spilled salt on hamburger meat and told her supervisor and a co-worker, who "tried to thump the salt off."
On her break, she ate a burger made with the salty meat. "It didn't make me sick," Bull told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But then Police Officer Wendell Adams got a burger made with the oversalted meat, and he returned a short time later and told the manager it made him sick.
Bull admitted spilling salt on the meat, and Adams took her outside and questioned her, she said.
"If it was too salty, why did (Adams) not take one bite and throw it away?" said Bull, who has worked at the restaurant for five months. She said she didn't know a police officer got one of the salty burgers because she couldn't see the drive-through window from her work area.
Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests.
City public information officer George Louth said Bull was charged because she served the burger "without regards to the well-being of anyone who might consume it."
For heaven's sake! She ate one herself. How can someone put her in jail for the night over this? I saw it on TV, she has young children. She's out there trying to make a living and she goes to jail for oversalting the meat? Give me a break. I completely agree with her when she asks why the officer didn't just take a bite and spit it out. He ate it until it made him sick? And then put her in jail for it? Maybe he's a little piglet who should chew his food more carefully. Not everything that happens to you is a crime or even an overt act, Officer Adams.
"Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests."
Cut the shit!
Saturday, September 08, 2007
My Bad Boyfriend At The Debate
I skipped the New Hampshire GOP debate on Wednesday the 5th to drive aimlessly around Newport listening to the Red Sox lose to the Blue Jays.
This is part 5 of a multipart series posted over on YouTube by CSPANJUNKIE.
He kills me when he talks like this! Thank God Jen only reads that parts of the blog I send her. If she knew I was still mooning over McCain, she'd kill me!
Friday, September 07, 2007
The Plan vs. Reality
The plan:
Work until 2000 hours or so
Home to laundry
Blog some stuff I have stacked up
Scrub the tub because my manicure is already ruined....in for a penny, in for a pound
Catch up my Osama viewing/reading
Get to bed early because I was out so late last night
Reality
Driving the drunk bus
On the bright side, I caught that gay striptease Cabrera did in the 4th.
Work until 2000 hours or so
Home to laundry
Blog some stuff I have stacked up
Scrub the tub because my manicure is already ruined....in for a penny, in for a pound
Catch up my Osama viewing/reading
Get to bed early because I was out so late last night
Reality
Driving the drunk bus
On the bright side, I caught that gay striptease Cabrera did in the 4th.
Firefighter Cahill's Funeral Video
I don't know how long these links will work. They are from NECN and I don't know how long they leave video up. There are some on YouTube that I will post later on this weekend.
The first is Father Mahoney's homily. It's 8 minutes and 29 seconds. I had already written about part of it here.
This is Paul's brother James who spoke very movingly. “All the darkness in the world cannot put out the light of one candle. Paul is that candle. Shine on Paul, shine on.”
This video shows Paul and Anne's sons, Adam and Brendan.
This video shows Paul and Anne's sons, Adam and Brendan.Shine on Paul, shine on.
September 7, 1940
Nazi Germany launched the London blitz, a bombing that Adolf Hitler believed would soften Britain for invasion. 
The invasion never materialized.
The invasion never materialized.
September 7, 1892
On this day, John Greenleaf Whittier passed away.
When I was in 5th grade Sr. Mary Esther, O.P. had me memorize "Barbara Fretchie" a poem by Whittier. I can still say most of it. It suits me.
Up from the meadows rich with corn,
Clear in the September morn,
The clustered spires of Frederick stand,
Green-walled by the hills of Maryland.
Round about them orchards sweep,
Apple and peach tree fruited deep,
Fair as the garden of the Lord
To the eyes of the famished rebel horde;
On that pleasant morn of the early fall
When Lee marched over the mountain wall,
Over the mountains winding down,
Horse and foot, into Frederick town.
Forty flags with their silver stars,
Forty flags with their crimson bars,
Flapped in the morning wind: the sun
Of noon looked down, and saw not one.
Up rose old Barbara Freitchie then,
Bowed with her fourscore years and ten;
Bravest of all in Frederick town,
She took up the flag the men hauled down;
In her attic window the staff she set,
To show that one heart was loyal yet.
Up the street came the rebel tread,
Stonewall Jackson riding ahead.
Under his slouched hat left and right
He glanced: the old flag met his sight.
"Halt!"- the dust-brown ranks stood fast;
"Fire!"- out blazed the rifle-blast.
It shivered the window, pane and sash;
It rent the banner with seam and gash.
Quick, as it fell from the broken staff
Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf;
She leaned far out on the window-sill,
And shook it forth with a royal will.
"Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,
But spare your country's flag", she said.
A shade of sadness, a blush of shame,
Over the face of the leader came;
The nobler nature within him stirred
To life at that woman's deed and word;
"Who touches a hair of yon gray head
Dies like a dog! March on!" he said.
All day long that free flag tost
Over the heads of the rebel host.
Ever its torn folds rose and fell
On the loyal winds that loved it well;
And through the hill-gaps sunset light
Shone over it with a warm good-night.
Barbara Frietchie's work is o'er,
And the Rebel rides on his raids no more.
Honor to her! and let a tear
Fall, for her sake, on Stonewall's bier.
Over Barbara Frietchie's grave,
Flag of Freedom and Union, wave!
Peace and order and beauty draw
Round thy symbol of light and law;
And ever the stars look down
On thy stars below in Frederick town!
I've looked at Frederick, Maryland on the internet. It seems to be a town that has some great historical stuff. I want to go and stay in one of the bed & breakfast and poke around there.
When I was in 5th grade Sr. Mary Esther, O.P. had me memorize "Barbara Fretchie" a poem by Whittier. I can still say most of it. It suits me.
Up from the meadows rich with corn,
Clear in the September morn,
The clustered spires of Frederick stand,
Green-walled by the hills of Maryland.
Round about them orchards sweep,
Apple and peach tree fruited deep,
Fair as the garden of the Lord
To the eyes of the famished rebel horde;
On that pleasant morn of the early fall
When Lee marched over the mountain wall,
Over the mountains winding down,
Horse and foot, into Frederick town.
Forty flags with their silver stars,
Forty flags with their crimson bars,
Flapped in the morning wind: the sun
Of noon looked down, and saw not one.
Up rose old Barbara Freitchie then,
Bowed with her fourscore years and ten;
Bravest of all in Frederick town,
She took up the flag the men hauled down;
In her attic window the staff she set,
To show that one heart was loyal yet.
Up the street came the rebel tread,
Stonewall Jackson riding ahead.
Under his slouched hat left and right
He glanced: the old flag met his sight.
"Halt!"- the dust-brown ranks stood fast;
"Fire!"- out blazed the rifle-blast.
It shivered the window, pane and sash;
It rent the banner with seam and gash.
Quick, as it fell from the broken staff
Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf;
She leaned far out on the window-sill,
And shook it forth with a royal will.
"Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,
But spare your country's flag", she said.
A shade of sadness, a blush of shame,
Over the face of the leader came;
The nobler nature within him stirred
To life at that woman's deed and word;
"Who touches a hair of yon gray head
Dies like a dog! March on!" he said.
All day long that free flag tost
Over the heads of the rebel host.
Ever its torn folds rose and fell
On the loyal winds that loved it well;
And through the hill-gaps sunset light
Shone over it with a warm good-night.
Barbara Frietchie's work is o'er,
And the Rebel rides on his raids no more.
Honor to her! and let a tear
Fall, for her sake, on Stonewall's bier.
Over Barbara Frietchie's grave,
Flag of Freedom and Union, wave!
Peace and order and beauty draw
Round thy symbol of light and law;
And ever the stars look down
On thy stars below in Frederick town!
I've looked at Frederick, Maryland on the internet. It seems to be a town that has some great historical stuff. I want to go and stay in one of the bed & breakfast and poke around there.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Firefighter Paul Cahill's Funeral
From Boston.com
The Rev. Daniel J. Mahoney, chief chaplain of the Boston Fire Department, described Cahill and Payne in his homily as the "latest heroes in the long blue line.""Once more the muffled drums
Once more the skirling pipes. Once more the tears. And once more the hymns," Mahoney said, looking out at Cahill's casket, draped in a white baptismal cloth. A firefighter's helmet adorned with the number 30 was laid at a table at his feet, next to a dress blue hat.
"How much sorrow can Paul's family suffer?" Mahoney asked. "How much pain can the Boston Fire Department endure?"
"The citizens of Boston know when the bell rings, when the box is struck, Boston firefighters -- like all firefighters -- respond, no matter the risk, no matter the cost," Mahoney continued. "But how grievous the cost is that brings us together here in Holy Name this morning."
Having Father Mahoney as an important part of my life for nearly forty years now........I can hear those words in my head as I read them. Unless you have personally witnessed something like this, you can never know. Last June, when I attended Paul Barry's funeral, was when I realized this. I had seen funerals on TV. I remembered watching the coverage of the last Boston firefighter to die in a fire, Stevie Minehan. But to read about it, or to watch it on TV, is to scrape the surface. I struggled to describe how it felt and in the end, the word that came closest was - beautiful. "Awesome" comes close. Not in the way we use it now-a-days to describe something good, but as in something that fills you with "awe", to be awestruck.
The Rev. Daniel J. Mahoney, chief chaplain of the Boston Fire Department, described Cahill and Payne in his homily as the "latest heroes in the long blue line.""Once more the muffled drums
Once more the skirling pipes. Once more the tears. And once more the hymns," Mahoney said, looking out at Cahill's casket, draped in a white baptismal cloth. A firefighter's helmet adorned with the number 30 was laid at a table at his feet, next to a dress blue hat. 
"How much sorrow can Paul's family suffer?" Mahoney asked. "How much pain can the Boston Fire Department endure?"
"The citizens of Boston know when the bell rings, when the box is struck, Boston firefighters -- like all firefighters -- respond, no matter the risk, no matter the cost," Mahoney continued. "But how grievous the cost is that brings us together here in Holy Name this morning."
Having Father Mahoney as an important part of my life for nearly forty years now........I can hear those words in my head as I read them. Unless you have personally witnessed something like this, you can never know. Last June, when I attended Paul Barry's funeral, was when I realized this. I had seen funerals on TV. I remembered watching the coverage of the last Boston firefighter to die in a fire, Stevie Minehan. But to read about it, or to watch it on TV, is to scrape the surface. I struggled to describe how it felt and in the end, the word that came closest was - beautiful. "Awesome" comes close. Not in the way we use it now-a-days to describe something good, but as in something that fills you with "awe", to be awestruck. You know, Paul's got a"straight ticket" to Heaven.
*the top photo is from boston.com and the rest are from AP via Yahoo news photos.*
Early rising no good for the heart: study
I knew it!!!!!!!
Early rising no good for the heart: study
Generations have praised the wisdom of getting up early in the morning, but a Japanese study says early-risers are actually at a higher risk of developing heart problems.
The study, conducted by researchers from several universities and hospitals in the western Japanese city of Kyoto, revealed a link between wake-up times and a person's cardiovascular condition.
"Rising early to go to work or exercise might not be beneficial to health, but rather a risk for vascular diseases," said an abstract of the study.
The study, covering 3,017 healthy adults aged between 23 through 90, found that early risers had a greater risk of heart conditions including hypertension and of having strokes.
However, the study also noted that early risers were usually older.
The study is being presented this week at the World Congress of the World Federation of Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Societies, being held in Cairns, Australia.
A separate study released in June by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that chronic sleep deprivation adds stress to the heart, putting a person at greater risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
Vindication!
Early rising no good for the heart: study
Generations have praised the wisdom of getting up early in the morning, but a Japanese study says early-risers are actually at a higher risk of developing heart problems.
The study, conducted by researchers from several universities and hospitals in the western Japanese city of Kyoto, revealed a link between wake-up times and a person's cardiovascular condition.
"Rising early to go to work or exercise might not be beneficial to health, but rather a risk for vascular diseases," said an abstract of the study.
The study, covering 3,017 healthy adults aged between 23 through 90, found that early risers had a greater risk of heart conditions including hypertension and of having strokes.
However, the study also noted that early risers were usually older.
The study is being presented this week at the World Congress of the World Federation of Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Societies, being held in Cairns, Australia.
A separate study released in June by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that chronic sleep deprivation adds stress to the heart, putting a person at greater risk of cardiovascular disease and death.
Vindication!
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
CPO Heritage
Our Navy Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment aren't just about technical compliance, procedural exactitude, or superb mechanical performance. Honor, courage and commitment are about heart and soul - they are the inspiring, life generating words we have agreed to live our lives by. That is exactly why they are powerful and supremely important. These values are essential to our culture, and should be kept constantly in mind as we intentionally develop and communicate what culture means in our Navy. The words above are from the Goat Locker and relate to the photos. During CPO Heritage Week on the USS Constitution, the Selects did more than explore the ship and learn about her fascinating history. They went to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. Some served the meal as shown in the photo below, but most sat with the veterans. They were spread out so there was at least one Select per table.
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