Memorial Day 2011

Memorial Day. Onetime "Decoration Day", is the time when our nation remembers her war dead. (Note, please, this is not "thank a veteran day" or such either - we have our day on November 11th!).

I do not get upset at the mattress sales, barbeques and "unofficial start to summer" that seems to compete with the original purpose of the day - However, I do think one should first remember why we have this day, maybe do a little something for it (go to an observance, put a flag on a military grave, etc) then go forth and enjoy the liberties gained and preserved for you by those who laid down their lives in time of war.

I am sure many of those that gave their all would probably have wished the same.

Worst European trip evah

Is it me or is the smartest White House Crew Evah realy a bunch of over educated morons showing us and the world just how out of reality they really are. Embarassing.

Got ya!

HA! Got you, scumbag.

"Who, me?"

He was the last of the Big Three (Milosevich, Karadzic and Mladich) who was still at large or alive.

"But I worked with the UN and the politicians?!"

His story was all too normal in the Balkans of the 1990s, as were his actions. I can only hope he does not make fools of the people who prosecute him, as Milosevich did.

With Osama bin Laden getting his just reward, and now this scumbag getting caught, the list grows of those who a sometimes seemingly feckless West has managed to keep after and hunt down. Both took many years, but they should be shining examples of "no matter how long it takes, we will get you."

Happy Towel Day!

Happy Towel Day everyone!

Don't panic, it's only towel day, you frood.





This isn't me, but she is wearing Griffins colors





TOWEL!  er, um I mean, KHAN!!

I'll be adding my personal photos later (well, not that personal, again, don't panic).



My work computer, as promised



Done, for now.

I'm finished with State Active Duty for the Flood of 2011.

A few things made an impression on me - first, Marcus Tullius Cicero was right (to slightly alter his quote) "For the first need in Domestic Operations is for unlimited money." Sure, he was talking about "war", but he might as well have been talking about disaster response. I wish Illinois was not in such dire straits, when it came to money.

The people of our State are overwhelmingly kind and too generous to the National Guard - when we show up in a n area and people are insisting that we can use any facility, they want to feed our Soldiers and Airmen who have responded and support us... hey, isn't that what we came to do for you?! My face hurt, as I was smiling so hard when I heard from our team in the Old Shawneetown area. The USO of Illinois also sprang into action and was sending items down to the Guardsmen deployed for flood duty.

Oh, and if you are ever passing through Springfield, home of Camp Lincoln, Headquarters of the Illinois National Guard - make sure you stop at Joe Roger's Chili! When they say "hot" they really do mean it.

Wow, was I wrong...

I was sure Osama bin Laden was dead since December of 2001. Every Afghan I worked with thought so too - they would look kind of weary and kind of amused when people would ask "where do you think he is"....

But it looks like he was in Abbottobad, Pakistan - although not anymore. Now he is buried at sea.

Be ready for the conspiracy preachers to have a field day (or would it be "field career") with this one.