We's All in the Same Boat When It Comes To Spam

I have an email address that I moved from a while back and all my friends know I moved. I still get a couple newsletters and website updates there but no personal stuff. I go through every couple days, See what news/stories I missed and clean it out of the junkmail. I canceled a bunch of the stuff I would recieve in this e-mail box but never got around to reading.

One thing I could never cancel was the SPAM!

Never really tried. As you may well know when you "UNSUBSCRIBE" from a spammer you are telling him, her or it that "This is a valid address". Might as well write a nice letter to them and ask 'em to send over a dominatrix.

I used to deal with them more than I have been recently. I would forward 411 scam letters to Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.. Deal with phishing emails, notify companies when their services were being abused or their names being used in vain. But who has the time to keep that up for long? lately I've just been deleting them...

Anyway. To make a long story longer. Tonight instead of just deleting the emails I went through a few and forwarded eBay spoofs and Yahoo email abuses. I noticed "Dexter Harrison" sent an email with the lead line, " Believe It Or Not".

I knew not to believe it but checked it out anyway. Lo and behold! Dexter wanted me to buy pills from him. I thought I'd notify Dexter that I would rather trust a drug dealer at the Hollywood Park Casino than to trust putting my credit card number on any webpage he had created.

So I went to the pilletc.org website Dexter directed me to and had a look around.

Wonderful pill selection but as I said, I would rather trust a drug dealer at the Hollywood Park Casino. At least they will look me in the eye as they are robbing me.

Whoops! Looks to me that like an unauthorised Better Business Bureau logo.

... - ...Notified!

What's this? "You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to our Opt-In List. If you have received an email from one of our customers and you do not remember subscribing to their information, or if you want to unsubscribe CLICK HERE" - Right click is disabled so I can't see the properties...

I have a good virus protection - "CLICK" -

Isn't this sweet. - Optinmail-Pro.com has offered to take me off thier list. Just click here...

Yeah! Right! Google - Optinmail-Pro.com scam -

Hmmm... www.g6csy.net/spam offers some info.

Boy! What a website. This guy must have a lot of time on his hands. Well worth a visit and a bit of wandering around time. This is one for favorites! Ohhhh! He has a page on a C96 Broomhandle Mauser. With a video of a M712 being emptied.

And he has a Ham License. I like this guy!

Wish I had more time right now but I have to get to work. I have emails to delete.

Update - For a while today I've had a few hits from people typing pilletc.org into Google. This was the only posting to show up. Now there are three hits and this post is not one of them. What happened there? - - - - Now I see that http://extracheapdrugs.com/ has jumped onto the hit parade of those seeking www.pilletc.org -

Oh well. They won't get my money. Hope they don't get your's...


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Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
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Castro To Receive a Summons

Miami Herald Reports

BAY OF PIGS
Invasion vets suing Castro

46 years ago more than 100 men captured by Cuban militia "were were packed into a trailer normally used to transport tobacco leaves, outfitted so it sealed in moisture and kept out fresh air" following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion

Urine and excrement sloshed on the floor, and men and boys -- more than 100 men captured by Cuban militia -- took turns breathing fresh air out of a small hole someone punched in the truck's side.

When the truck stopped eight hours later in Havana, nine of the men inside were dead.

Today, Miami-based survivors of the invasion plan to file a lawsuit against Cuban military commander Osmany Cienfuegos, who they say gave the order to pack the men into the truck -- and Fidel Castro.

Because he has ceded head-of-state powers to his brother Raúl, Castro may no longer be immune to charges from the lawsuit, the group said. Cienfuegos, who is in his 70s, is a member of Raúl Castro's inner circle.

People who witnessed the truck ride claim they heard a Cuban officer warn Cienfuegos that the truck was overloaded and had no air.

''Let them die. I don't care,'' they remember Cienfuegos saying as he ordered the officer to shut the doors.

When the truck unloaded the men in a Havana stadium, Castro was there, witnesses said, and he saw the men's condition. Most of them were sent to Cuban prisons but were released about 18 months later as part of a deal with the United States.

Prying1 sez: They better hurry up with this lawsuit. With the condition Castro is in they don't have long...

I wonder how many movie stars will go testify in Castro's defense?

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Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
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All Clear For Israel To Attack Iran?

Three Arab states would be willing to allow the Israeli air force to enter their airspace in order to reach Iran in case of an attack on its nuclear facilities

AubreyJ has the Quick Scoop!

prying1 sez: Godspeed!

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Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
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What Can Be Done Regarding Children and Internet Porn?

I was tagged real good by Saboma of Mariannaville. I've been tagged before (as some of you know) but this is the first one I've replied to. I still have the roundtuits for the previous ones. This tag is simply a request to post about the "Blogger Power: Safeguard the Web for Children" project.

I imagine there are very few people that have internet access and web surf regularly that have not suddenly come across a porn site. Many, not all, but many porn sites work hard to get innocent keywords to place their site at top of Google and Yahoo searches. Words that even a child might type while searching for info on a homework project.

Blogger Power is asking the porn website owners to do something to protect innocent children (and, although not mentioned, by extension adults that don't want porn suddenly flashing in their faces.


Their front page states:

* this is not a campaign against pornography as a whole
* this is not about restricting legitimate free speech and legal commerce
* this is a common sense request to all the "adult site" webmasters: password-protected login on porn sites for all the explicit materials, no more 'free clips', 'free tours', 'free pics' without login!
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Blogger Power Mission statement is:

Nothing less than a global initiative to encourage sites hosting adult content to help keep minors out by adding a simple registration gateway and taking demo videos off the home page.
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And their open message to porn webmasters is:

"Please require a password-protected login before allowing even free access to explicit adult content. We understand that selling porn is your business and we respect your right to make a legal living. But understand our legitimate concerns and work with us. You already have the "warning adult content" on your websites. Yet kids, who are not legal customers of your product, ignore the warning. So to prevent them from having direct access to explicit images, texts and sounds, the simplest way is to have a password-protected login. No more "free tours" before a visitor supplies basic information."

You can do your part in this movement by blogging about this issue. An Open Letter to Bloggers Around the World will explain how. - The more blogs that participate the more notice the MSM will have to give to the issue. -

prying1 sez:
Most people have heard of the graphic differences between whitehouse.gov and whitehouse.com - This, to me, shows that the porn industry is not interested in keeping innocents from viewing their wares. - That is why I (NOT BLOGGER POWER!) endorse the idea that all porn sites be removed from the dot com and dot net extensions and be placed on a dot xxx extension. Browsers can be set up to accept or reject the .xxx websites and thereby correct quite a bit of the problem. Domains that do not comply can be placed on a 'do not trust' list browsers can maintain for those that would prefer blocking such websites.

This could all be done without laws being passed.

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Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
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Must See Bush Video

If you like Prsident Bush you will enjoy this video.

If you dislike President Bush you will enjoy this video.

- President Bush Impersonation - 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner

prying1 sez:
It is eleven minutes long so I hope you have the time to view it. If not save the link or come back here to click on it when you have a few minutes to spare.


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Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
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Here's Someone Who Recognises the Dangers of Islamofacism

- USA Today - LONDON — Britain's Prince Harry, third in line to the throne, will be sent to Iraq, the Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

Harry, 22, an army second lieutenant known as Troop Commander Wales, will lead 12 men from his Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry in four reconnaissance vehicles, the ministry said in a statement.

The orders raise the possibility that Harry could become the first member of the British royal family to see combat since his uncle, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, served as a Royal Navy helicopter pilot in the Falklands War against Argentina in 1982.

Harry, who graduated from Britain's military academy Sandhurst last year, told reporters in September 2005 that he wasn't preparing for a career in the military if he couldn't be sent to combat zones.

"There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country," Harry said.

...there has been concern that Harry's deployment would make him and his regiment a target in the eyes of terrorists there.

"Speculation about precisely where (Harry) will serve, or the exact details of his role, is potentially dangerous," the Defense ministry and his father's office at Clarence House said in a joint statement. As a result, they did not disclose exactly how and where Harry would serve and asked the media to respect that as a matter of "operational security."

prying1 sez: Good for Harry. The fact that he wants to stick with his team and is willing to go into the path of danger to do so shows that he is a man of good character. I think too that he realizes the real dangers to the entire world of cutting and running from Iraq. Doing so would only allow the terrorists to take over Iraq and it's oil fields. - May the Living God bless and keep him and his comrades safe.

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Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
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Wednesday HeroStaff Sgt. Kara Opperman

The following was written by and for the Wednesday Hero Blogroll

Staff Sgt. Kara Opperman
332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron


Staff Sgt. Kara Opperman performs a quality control check Feb. 13 on fuel coming out of a fill stand at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Sergeant Opperman ensures the fuel is safe and meets Air Force specifications before it is used for aircraft and equipment.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.
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Trick Is - Don't Turn Around!

Seems to me every time I turn around the Gummint is up to it's old tricks. Here in California the Governator is working hard to screw up what little health care system we have left. (Even the L.A. Times rags on it!) - California needs other states to invade us and run the rascals in Sacramento south past the border. - I say that because it seems that tarring and feathering are out of vouge -

So I tried to not turn around. just stand still and maybe they will quiet down some...

Din't work...

On the national level we have socialists running the show and working hard at not working. - Our elected officials have set up a new commander for the war against terrorism in Iraq and then try to cut his legs out from under him with a "non-binding resolution". - We have a president that seems intent on opening the border with Mexico and allowing the Mexican government to drive anyone they don't want onto our side of the line. - Illegal aliens are given welfare and social security benefits. Alien criminals take up room in our prison system and are released back on the streets when their time is served. - Few of our elected officials even want to address the problem. -

Elected officials from both sides of the aisle continue to kowtow to the "Politically Correct" "Progressive Liberals" whose only interest is in turning this nation into a duplicate of France.

I could go on...

Is there a solution?

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Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008
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U.S. Politics Going Insane

If you don't pay much attention to politics in the U.S. you may have missed some of the recent news stories.

A former Open Society Institute (OSI) lawyer was hired by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to become her Senior Counsel. (Remember - Nancy is third in line for the Presidency after the V.P.)

What is OSI you ask? Who cares you say? - OK! "The OSI funnels millions of dollars into various leftist causes, including euthanasia, open borders, abortion, homosexual activism, marijuana legalization, the undermining of our nation’s war on terrorism and other neo-Marxist visions of social justice." - Hat Tip/quote = Lou Sheldon/TVC - If you have a strong stomach you can find out more about OSI at DiscovertheNetworks.ORG

Then we have the U.S. Congress supposedly following the will of the people by attempting to micromanage the war against terrorism. If my memory serves me well (and it does) the last time politicians micromanaged a war it resulted in Communists slaughtering over a million people. Apparently they want to ignore what will happen to any Iraqi that has purple ink on their fingers.

Some Republicans are joining with the Democrats to vote in favor of a "Non-Binding Resolution" that tells our military, those in the line of fire against terrorists, that the U.S. should cut and run. They are being labeled as "White Flag Republicans".

A new group called The Victory Caucus has risen up to inform these same Republican politicians that they can expect opposition to any of their future endeavors in the Republican party.

I encourage you to go to The Victory Caucus website and read the About/Our Mission/Our Beliefs page - If you find you agree with their statements I throw more encouragment at you to sign up. While you are at it take the plunge and sign The NRSC Pledge.

prying1 sez: This country is screwed if we don't stand up and be counted.

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Wednesday HeroEllicia Stanley & her husband SPC Reid Stanley

The following was written by and for the Wednesday Hero Blogroll

Ellicia Stanley & her husband SPC Reid Stanley



I received an email from Wednesday Hero Blogroll member Mary Ann in which she suggested that I profile the spouse of a soldier. Seeing as I'd profiled one such spouse in the past, I though this was the perfect opportunity to do it again. I hadn't read the entire letter before I said yes, but after reading it I'm glad she sent it to me.

I think military families, especially the spouses, while they sign no contract, serve our country just as much as the service member. They give up familiar home ties and relocate all over the country, all over the world. They give up their civilian lives for something bigger than themselves. Ellicia was a military wife for only two and a half years. Before they married, but after 9/11, Reid came to her and told her of his desire to enlist. He wanted to do his part. He tells part of the story in his blog post
http://kafstorm.blogspot.com/2005/07/why-i-joined-army.html

She encouraged him, pushing him so he could meet his goal of serving his country. He did and took his oath in October 2002. By the time they were married in July 2004, Reid was already stationed in Germany. It was 3 months before she could join him there. In a move that, for someone who'd seldom left her hometown in South Carolina, must have come as quite an adjustment. But she did it, as do so many other military wives.

Then came deployment to Afghanistan in May 2005. They spent their first anniversary apart. Reid writes about that anniversary in this post
http://kafstorm.blogspot.com/2005/07/my-hero.html

It was in the sixth month of deployment when Ellicia received the news — she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Devastating. However, in an email to me on the day she received her diagnosis, the phrase she used was, "not stellar news". Understated, calm, steady, no hysteria, it was another challenge to face.

I came to admire her because, I too, had been away from home, (not to a foreign country), with a one small child (not three), and my husband traveling (not in a war zone). Knowing what my experience had been like, I was amazed at how she took it all in stride. Even when faced with a
terminal diagnosis, she faced it all with grace, dignity and humor. All the while supporting her husband, the mission and the country.

Reid was given compassionate leave back to Germany in November 2005. For the next thirteen months they fought their own personal war with cancer…breast, lung…and finally eleven tumors in her brain.

In November 2006 the Stanley's took compassionate reassignment back to the U.S. to Ft. Eustis, Virginia.

On 31 December 2006, Ellicia lost her battle. But her spirit lives on in her husband, her children, and the many people she inspired with her courage.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

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Stem Cell Breakthrough

John Pangia posts on the story at Blogger News Network (BNN)

News Item:
Technique helps women
grow their own implants.

http://www.bloggernews.net/14602

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Like Bill said, the back-pedaling is beginning

Check out this blogpost!

- Like I said, the back-pedaling is beginning -

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End Of Six Party Talks With North Korea?

All of the news sites make it appear that the 6 party talks with North Korea are over.

href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/4544845.html"target="_blank">Envoys:
Nuke talks depend on North Korea - Houston Chronicle/Chron.com

U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said the talks had snagged on the amount of energy assistance Pyongyang would receive as an inducement for disarming. But he said that a deal could still be reached during Monday's session.

"It is up to the North Koreans," Hill said. "We have offered a way forward on a number of issues. They just need to make a decision."

His comments were echoed by Japanese envoy Kenichiro Sasae, who said an agreement "hangs greatly on the response, or final answer, that North Korea brings today."

US says no more bargaining with NKorea on nukes - NineMSM.com

The United States will not bargain any more with North Korea on its nuclear
weapons programme, the US envoy to six-nation disarmament talks said.

"I think we have put everything on the table. We offered a way forward on a number of issues. They (North Koreans) just have to make a decision. I don't think we are going to do any more bargaining," Christopher Hill told reporters.

Hill said Monday would be the final day of talks, which started Thursday on an optimistic note with host China presenting a proposal for North Korea to take initial steps towards disarmament in return for economic incentives.

"It is the last day. The Chinese announced to us and I was the first to second the motion," he said.

/////

North Korea, apparently emboldened by its first-ever nuclear test in October last year, has demanded two million tonnes of fuel oil and other inducements, Japanese press have reported.

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Prying1 sez:
Any deal made with the North Koreans would be worth less than the paper it would be written on anyway. Even a three dollar bill would be href="http://cgi.ebay.com/BILL-CLINTON-THREE-DOLLAR-BILL_W0QQitemZ220078107946QQihZ012QQcategoryZ33791QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem"target="_blank">worth more on eBay.

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Where's Tim Allen When You Need Him?

I can't figure it out. Maybe I've still got too much bachelor in me. Wifeypoo starts the washing machine so I figure to throw in a few socks. Which I do.

What the??? Cold water for both cycles... Medium height on the water level??? AND MEDIUM SPEED!!!

Wifeypoo Doesn't know how to work a stupid washing machine.

I wonder if Tim Allen could come over and soup up the machine?

*** Reality Check ***

Tim Allen is an actor and really doesn't know how to soup up stuff around the house. Besides. Putting a 5HP Briggs and Stratton on a washing machine might not be cost effective.

***End Reality Check ***

Close the lid. Step away from the machine. Hope she doesn't notice the socks when she throws the stuff in the drier. Walk away...

Whew that was a close one.

But how does she expect the stuff to get clean if she doesn't have it on Hot/Hot-Full load-Max Speed?

Shut up brain and keep walking feet...

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- UPDATE -

Wifeypoo found the socks but didn't say anything. I don't think it is the silent treatment because she said goodbye and gave me a kiss as she left for work. I did however have to carry the socks all the way from the drier to the drawer...

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Good Samaritan Opens Mouth - Inserts Foot

I've taken portions of the original story and placed them before the kicker for the title of this post.

BBC News headline - Ancient community seeks brides abroad -
- Quote:
For almost 3,000 years the Samaritans, an ancient people descended from the Kingdom of Israel, have been a continual presence in the Middle East.

Once there were 1.5 million Samaritans in the region, but following centuries of forced conversion and persecution the community now numbers just 704.

But recently the community has been facing another crisis - a shortage of marriageable women.

For every four single men, there are roughly three women.

As a result, a number of Samaritan men are searching for brides far from home - mainly in Eastern Europe and Russia.
End Quote -

Now here is the kicker:

"There are no women better than Samaritan women," says the 45-year-old Mr Coen, standing beside his blonde 22-year-old Ukrainian wife, Alexandra.

"But I had no luck. I was forced to go overseas."

prying1 sez:
What kind of person is going to say something like that with his arm around his new wife.

"Hey honey! You're second best. I settled for you!"

I find it sad.

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- Link to BBC News Story -

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Wednesday HeroSFC Lloyd A. Heinrichs Jr.

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By LeAnn

On May 9th 2004, SFC Lloyd A. Heinrichs Jr was down at the Ocean front in Virginia Beach when a ‘Swimmer in Distress’ call came in to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Dispatch office about noon. Myself (Gary Couch, Dive 8), SFC Heinrichs and Petty Officer First Class Scott Weil of the U.S Navy, volunteered to respond the call. There were a total of 3 people in the water that were being pulled out to sea by the current. The temperature of the water was only around 65 degrees Fahrenheit with the air temperature at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. The undertow was very extreme that day with the beach already “Red Flagged” due to the strong currents and excessive waves.

Upon arrival to the scene, SFC Heinrichs and PO1 Weil identified the victims. Without hesitation and with total disregard for their own safety each grabbed a torpedo buoy and entered the water. SFC Heinrichs went for the first victim to the South of 36th Street while PO1 Weil went for the second and third victims, which were hanging on to each other to the North of 36th Street. As I observed SFC Heinrichs and PO1 Weil, once they were waist deep, the current rapidly pulled them out. SFC Heinrichs made his way to the first victim and started fighting his way back to shore. Once SFC Heinrichs reached his victim, he calmed her down, making the attempt to head back to shore. Several times SFC Heinrichs and his victim were rolled under by the enormous waves and undertow. His victim was completely exhausted from the ordeal. Once he reached shallow water, he assisted his victim to shore. The victim was an older heavy-set lady, early forties. The Virginia Beach Fire Department Paramedics placed the victim on a stretcher and the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad took her to Virginia Beach General Hospital.

SFC Heinrichs was extremely exhausted and fatigued from the rescue. He turned to check on PO1 Weil and notice that PO1 Weil had reached the other two victims, a male in his late twenties and a female in her early forties. PO1 Weil was struggling with his two victims giving a hand and arm signal for ‘Help’. The female was almost passive from near drowning, and the male who had initially swum out to help her was becoming a victim himself. Without hesitation, SFC Heinrichs picked himself up and ran back into the water to assist PO1 Weil while PO1 Weil did what he could to keep them calm and afloat until help arrived.

Once SFC Heinrichs reached PO1 Weil and the other two victims, they were all rolled by several consecutive waves, pinning SFC Heinrichs under the two victims. A few moments later, SFC Heinrichs emerged between the victims with both lanyards of the torpedo buoys wrapped around his neck, gasping for air. As the situation went from bad to worse, PO1 Weil tried his best to help SFC Heinrichs with untangling the lanyards from his neck while trying to hold his passive victim’s head out of the water. SFC Heinrichs took a deep breath and submerged himself in the attempt to free his neck. As each wave came over the top of PO1 Weil and the victims, we kept waiting for him to resurface in bated breath not knowing that the lanyards kept tightening around SFC Heinrichs’ neck. While continuous waves were tossing PO1 Weil and the victims, SFC Heinrichs reemerged on the side of the victims. He had been under for over thirty seconds trying to get loose. We began to worry weather or not he was going to come back up. You could hear the heavy sigh of relief from all the EMS personnel on the beach once he resurfaced. He grabbed a hold of the male victim and started for shore. The victims once, on shore, were taken away for medical attention. PO1 Weil and SFC Heinrichs were taken to an ambulance and checked for possible hypothermia and released.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
It Is Foolish And Wrong To Mourn The Men Who Died. Rather We Should Thank God That Such Men Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

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Barak Obama - Please Define Economic Parity - What is it?

OK - I'll admit it. This is a long post to ask a simple question. A question that popped into my head as I was websurfing this morning. I have a feeling that the answer cannot fit into a single pair of parenthesis but can take on many shapes and forms. Even more important than the "What is it?" are the questions of how do we get there? How will we know we are there? AND! Is it even possible to get there? Whose definition of Economic Parity will we use?

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Here is the path I took on the web this morning. First I clicked the "Next Blog" link on the top bar of my blog page. I was taken to Marathon Pundit who had a post he titled - Obama's church's tenet raise questions -

In the post John Ruberry points to a Chicago Tribune article, - Race is sensitive subtext in campaign (Free Registration needed for page 2-3) - that references Barack Hussein Obama's church, Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago IL. The article highlights a bit of the 12 precepts and covenantal statements the church stands on and which (the article says) conservatives have a problem with.

The congregation posits what it terms a Black Value System, including calls to be "soldiers for black freedom" and a "disavowal of the pursuit of middleclassness."

In an interview late Monday, Obama said it was important to understand the document as a whole rather than highlight individual tenets. "Commitment to God, black community, commitment to the black family, the black work ethic, self-discipline and self-respect," he said. "Those are values that the conservative movement in particular has suggested are necessary for black advancement.

"So I would be puzzled that they would object or quibble with the bulk of a document that basically espouses profoundly conservative values of self-reliance and self-help."

In his published memoirs, Obama said even he was stopped by Trinity's tenet to disavow "middleclassness" when he first read it two decades ago in a church pamphlet. The brochure implored upwardly mobile church members not to distance themselves from less fortunate Trinity worshipers.

"As I read it, at least, it was a very simple argument taken directly from Scripture: `To whom much is given much is required,'" Obama said in the interview.

So I (prying1) found it neccesary to see for myself the 12 tenets the church lists. I could see Barak's point. But beneath the 12 points was a 10 point vision statement of the pastor which listed as number 10: "A congregation working towards ECONOMIC PARITY." - (caps his) -

OK! Sounds good. But how does one get there? If it is indeed through Commitment to God, community, family, work ethic, self-discipline and self-respect (any race can use these not just blacks.) then I have no problem with it. But if it is through the socialistic system of redistribution of wealth then I (prying1) have a major problem with it.

I would like to know Barack Hussein Obama's definition of ECONOMIC PARITY. Does he think it is really something that CAN be achieved and how would he intend to get us there? These are questions those in the MSM should be asking of a person who wants to lead the most powerful free nation in the world.


As an aside:
Trying to find a definition of ECONOMIC PARITY I came to Why Income Distribution Doesn't Matter in This Country at Coyote Blog - Excellent read!


- Hat tip to Maobi for link to Coyote -

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Needs More Pepper

An old joke from an old book. Time for it to make the rounds again...

An old sailor sat down at a table in a greasy spoon near the docks and gave the waitress his order. A short while later she returned and placed it in front of him.

"Here Miss! Here! What's this?" The sailor asked.

"Why that's the soup you ordered sir." she replied.

"SOUP! SOUP IS IT? So that what I've been sailing on for these past 40 years."

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LCpl. Nicholas J. ManoukianWednesday Hero

This Weeks Hero Was Submitted By Mark Bell

LCpl. Nicholas J. Manoukian
22 years old from Lathrup, Michigan
1st Marines 6th Batallion 2nd Marine Division
Oct 21, 2006


Here is a website that LCpl. Manoukian's mother set up for her son after he lost his life in Ramadi.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
It Is Foolish And Wrong To Mourn The Men Who Died. Rather We Should Thank God That Such Men Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.


~~~~~

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The Ego of Global Warming

CTV.CA has a wonderful article concerning global warming. (They are against it)

I say wonderful because it reinforces my belief that the entire global warming issue is based on two things. Ego and money.

Authoritative report to confirm global warming

Scientists and government officials are finishing a much-awaited report expected to say that climate change is real, serious and that human influence on it is undeniable.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release the report on Friday at a news conference in Paris, although a simultaneous one will be held in Ottawa.

"The climate's changing and it's going to change some more no matter what we do -- particularly if we keep consuming so many fossil fuels," Michael McCracken, the Climate Institute's chief scientist, said Monday in Washington.

"They say 'think globally, act locally', so we're hoping that it will convince people ... that climate change is real and that we have a responsibility for much of it, and that we really do have to make changes in how we live," Kenneth Denman told reporters in Paris.

He's co-author of the report and a senior scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis.

Both of these scientists would have to get real jobs if the report said 'global warming' is something that happens in spite of man not because of man. There is money involved here. BIG BUCKS! Taxpayer money.

Through the entire existence of planet earth there has been climate changes. The pittance of time man has been on the scene we really have not seen any climate changes. (Have you seen an ice age recently?) Now a group of money hungry fanatics tell us that the mean temperature of planet earth must remain stable for all eternity or devastation will occur sometime in the future. (Chicken Little comes to mind)

The egos and self centeredness that's involved here is mind numbing to me. "We will control the weather" is what these fraudsters are saying. And it is on the working man's dime.

The article has this bit in it:

Some scientists say that within a century, rising sea levels could swallow most of Prince Edward Island and threaten cities like Halifax and Vancouver. However, others say that's an unlikely scenario.

Early drafts of the document forecast that by 2100 the sea level will rise between 12.7 and nearly 58.5 centimetres.

Many top scientists reject those figures. A study published in the peer-review journal Science this month predicted an increase of nearly 51 to 140 centimetres by 2100.

~~~ and ~~~

The debate matters to policy makers because without accurate estimates, they won't know how to plan coastal development.

Well prying1 has the real plan. We are talking 60 inches here max by their worst estimates. Less than two yards.

You ready?

Drum Roll Please!!!

Put buildings, wharfs, piers and such a bit higher...

Sort of anticlimactic huh?

Now should I demand taxpayer money for that? Why not? Our politicians and scientists are!

I've got another idea that involves a giant cork to stop volcanic activity.

HEY! one more thing. These people ever get on Cristo for the stuff he does that affects wind paterns?

~~~~~

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Typical Conversation - True Story

True story (just happened)

~~~~~
Scene - Wifeypoo comes in the front door greeted by loving husband.
~~~~~

Hubby: Did you have dinner yet?

Wifeypoo: Did you?

Hubby: I had some pistachios.

Wifeypoo: I had some potato chips.

Hubby: OK. as long as we both ate we don't need to cook tonight.

Wifeypoo: I'll make a salad.

Hubby: Wonderful! - '24' is about to come on. Please make it quietly...

~~~~~

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War Protestors Back After 30 Year Hiatus

Selwyn Duke wrote an article concerning Muhammad Ali and his deification by certain elements in our society. - Let’s Talk About the Butterflies and the Bees - The article goes through some of Ali's history because:

...The Ali image has been whitewashed by a media mouth that picked up where the "Louisville Lip" left off. For sure, Ali is portrayed not just as a legendary sports figure, not even merely as "The Greatest"; rather, he is cast as a larger-than-life hero for the ages...

Part of that history includes this bit:

Perhaps he was almost as unfaithful to his country during the event that temporarily transformed him into a pariah: His draft resistence and acerbic remarks during the Vietnam era. It was at this time that he said, "No Viet Cong ever called me nigger." No doubt true. Of course, no Viet Cong ever paid him millions of dollars, either.

Ali was ultimately convicted of refusing induction into the army, but this was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1971, which found that his application for conscientious objector status was wrongly denied. This, despite the fact that Ali did not claim to be opposed to all wars - a prerequisite for conscientious objection - just those not declared by Allah. I also note that he certainly had no compunction about bashing other men in the head for money.

I was in the military during the Vietnam years. I was drafted. I did not believe in the war. I was not against all wars but was against this one. I was assigned to the Infantry. Shortly after my Infantry training (AIT) started I signed up for and recieved 'Conscientious Objector for Reassignment' status and they made me a medic. Sent me to South Korea instead of Vietnam. -

Ali could have served this nation in a capacity other warrior if he chose to.

Then it took years to find out that I had been sold and believed a story by John Kerry. Thanks to the Swift Boat Veterans. I was lied to by the left.

Doesn't surprize me but it does take a while to work out all the misinformation. We could have won that war had the people on the left quit putting flowers in their hair and instead stood firm against a totalitarianistic government that murdered innocents even before the last copter left the U.S. Embassy.

Now they are at it again.

Same crew.

Crowds on both coasts protest Iraq war

Convinced this is their moment, tens of thousands marched Saturday in an anti-war demonstration linking military families, ordinary people and an icon of the Vietnam protest movement in a spirited call to get out of Iraq.

Celebrities, a half-dozen lawmakers and protesters from distant states rallied in the capital under a sunny sky, seizing an opportunity to press their cause with a Congress restive on the war and a country that has turned against the conflict.

Marching with them was Jane Fonda, in what she said was her first anti-war demonstration in 34 years.

"Silence is no longer an option," Fonda said to cheers from the stage on the National Mall. The actress once derided as "Hanoi Jane" by conservatives for her stance on Vietnam said she had held back from activism so as not to be a distraction for the Iraq anti-war movement, but needed to speak out now.

prying1 sez: ONCE DERIDED??? She still is!

Aljazeera.net covers the story with body counts of dead Iraqis but does not give the numbers of how many were murdered by Muslum terrorists.

History repeats itself.

Will the left cause Iraqis to suffer the same fate as the South Vietnamese???

~~~~~~

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Fraud -

Watching "24" - Stanford Editors vs. The Rest of the World

First I would like to start this posting by reminding people that the entertainment media tells us that their movies, music, video games, etc. has no ill effect on humanity. We've heard the stories about someone who goes on a murder spree because they watched a music video and heard God talking to them through it. The entertainment industry says, "Don't blame us.", when dragged into court.

The Association for Psychological Science has an article titled, "Research Report Provides 'Unequivocal Evidence' that Media Violence Has Significant Negative Impact on Children and Youth" which states:

In the short-term, media violence can increase aggression by priming aggressive thoughts and decision processes, increasing physiological arousal, and triggering a tendency to imitate observed behaviors. In the long-term, repeated exposure can produce lasting increases in aggressive thought patterns and aggression-supporting beliefs about social behavior, and can reduce individuals' normal negative emotional responses to violence.

Hat Tip to Science Blog

There. That gets the public service announcement out of the way for this week.

Now! On to Jack Bauer, 24 and the Stanford University Editorial Board

The Stanford Daily - Opinions Page - 23 Jan 07 by the Editorial Board published, "Editorial: What can Jack Bauer do for you?"
It states:

Yet despite the show's enormous entertainment value - and we admit that it is addictive - whether you are a devoted longtime fan, or just getting into the series, it is important to pause and consider how the show may influence the way audiences think about current events.

On the positive side, the show constantly raises issues like civil liberties and national security, and portrays political debates with obvious allusions to real politicians. These plot points bring important issues to the attention of viewers who may not regularly follow current events, making fans of "24" more likely to show interest when similar issues appear in the news.

But at the same time, there is the possibility that "24" could replace news altogether for some viewers, and the over-dramatized events it presents to keep the adrenaline flowing could pervert the public's sense of reality by creating a constant sense or paranoia that is good for ratings, but not necessarily for the general interest.

AND

Though most Stanford students are able to separate the entertainment value of the series from its factual content, not taking many of the over-the-top plot twists as credible depictions of the current political atmosphere, next time you watch "24," it is worth considering exactly how these elements play into the excitement. We are confidant that our peers can make the distinction between a fictional show and real life, and we hope the rest of the 33 million viewers will be equally discerning.

prying1 sez:
What happened to the "Burn Baby Burn" attitude of the 60's? What a bunch of touchy feely wimps on the editorial board of the Stanford Daily. Why! By Cracky! back in my day.... But I digress.

I won't mention the use of 'confidant' instead of 'confident' nor the misplacement of the comma at their last use of "24," because these kids are still in school. A place of learning and I'm certain an adult that supervises and grades them has brought it to their attention already.

I hope too that an adult has corrected their 'opinion' that the peers of Stanford are so much better than and smarter than 33 million couch potatoes. Especially the couch potatoes that are Stanford Alumni. After all that would be showing prejudice and these darlings of the future have had that taught out of them haven't they?

~~~~~
Please don't laugh at these college students. Cry for them.
~~~~~

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Honk At Your Own Risk

I could watch this one a thousand times and each time I'll laugh out loud!

You gotta turn the sound up a bit to get the full effect of this one.

I love the kids laughing at the end and I think the camera work was really great.

~~~~~

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Lt. Col. Michael E. McLaughlin Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Hero Was Suggested By Kathi

Lt. Col. Michael E. McLaughlin
44 years old from Mercer, Pennsylvania
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard
January 4, 2006


Sitting in the car with Lt. Col. Michael E. McLaughlin's 18-year-old daughter, her father's friend of 21 years had just broken the news of his death.

During years of friendship and service in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Lt. Col. McLauglin and retired Capt. Brad Mifsud had a bond so close that they promised each other if something were ever to happen to either one of them, they would be there for the other's family.

Lt. Col. McLaughlin died when a suicide bomber rushed through a crowd of Iraqi police recruits in Ramadi and detonated a bomb that also killed a Marine and nearly 80 Iraqis. The day before the attack, Lt. Col. McLaughlin said he was fully confident that Ramadi had finally turned a corner in the insurgency. As hundreds of local men streamed into the Ramadi Glass Factory on Wednesday to join the city’s long-defunct police force, a wide grin spread over a pinch of tobacco stuffed into the 44-year-old’s lower lip.

"This may not look like much, but it's history," McLaughlin told a reporter. "We're making history right here."

With a significant wound to the back of his head, Lt. Col. McLaughlin turned to his injured personal security detail officers and inquired about their well-being. Waving off medical attention, he asked them to check on the soldiers under his command.

"In an act of extreme selflessness, he stated that he was OK, but to concentrate on saving the lives of his men," said Col. Grey Berrier, a close friend of Lt. Col. McLaughlin.

Lt. Col. McLaughlin died shortly after giving that instruction, according to the Guard.

A long-time artillery officer in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, McLaughlin was assigned to Task Force 2-222 Field Artillery and was the primary liaison between the 2-28 Brigade Combat Team and local tribal and government leaders in Ramadi. His efforts were instrumental in getting local sheikhs to support the recruitment drive and encourage more than 1,000 area men to volunteer for the force, commanders said.

"Mike is a true hero in every sense of the word, and he died while doing his job the only way he knew how - out front and with great enthusiasm and courage," said Col. John L. Gronski, commander of the 2-28 BCT. "This loss only strengthens our resolve to carry on and complete the mission in order to honor his memory."

A gregarious wisecracker, McLaughlin said his hope was to one day return to a peaceful Iraq, where he planned to walk the streets of Ramadi in a traditional Arab "man dress," or dishdasha, and sip coffee and chai with those sheikhs he had met during the war. McLaughlin said that one particular tribal leader he had developed a close relationship with dubbed him "The Sheikh of Sheikhs" - a nickname that was soon picked up by fellow officers in the brigade.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
It Is Foolish And Wrong To Mourn The Men Who Died. Rather We Should Thank God That Such Men Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

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A Lesson For Liberals

Liberals seem to think that the Islamofacists and Jihadists dislike conservatives just as they do. While this is true they should take note that these same murderous extremists are not for the liberal agenda either. They will kill anyone that does not subscribe to their philosophies. For that matter they will even kill anyone that does subscribe to their philosophies if they think it will advance their agenda.

I've put together a list of items that WILL be verboten if they (Jihadists) are allowed to continue their activities unchecked.

Jihadists will not embrace:

• Political Correctness
  
• Environmentalism
  
• Socialism
  
• Capitalism
  
• Marxism
  
• Free Healthcare
  
• Multi-Culturalism
  
• Homosexuality/Sexual Deviency
  
• Freedom OF Religion
  
• Freedom FROM Religion
  
• Freedom of Speech
  
• Right to Bear Arms
  
• Civil Rights
  
• Human Rights
  
• Women's Rights
  
• Animal Rights
  
• Drinking Adult Beverages
  
• Eating Pork Chops
  
• Fair Trials
  
• Welfare
  
• Elections (with or without hanging chads)
  
• Abortion Rights
  
• Liberty
  
• Education... the only education allowed is on how to kill the infidel. (Flag Gazer)
  

Think about it. Some of the items on this list you may or may not agree with. Doesn't matter. Free choice in any matter will come to an end. People you love will be murdered through decapitation, stoning, hanging or any means the jihadists have at hand.

They do not love liberals because they could care less if liberals are nice and caring people. They will not accept liberals for who they are nor will they listen to any pretty speeches about flower power nor New Age Babblings. They will kill anyone that doesn't run in THEIR pack and bow to Mecca umpteen times a day.

Support the President in the war against Islamofacists.
~~~~~
prying1 sez:
Liberals claim they are smart and caring. Let's see them join with conservatives to come up with solutions instead of pushing their "Hate Bush" agenda. How smart are they? I doubt they will join in the battle. They will continue with the idea that talking to these murderous thugs will stop the killing.
~~~~~
I know the list is incomplete. Please add to it through the comment section and I'll update the list with or without links to your site. (please indicate which you prefer)

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How Not To "Not Work"

I heard of a poll asking people how many hours of ACTUAL work their employers expected of them in an 8 hour workday. The answers varied from 5 to 7-1/2 hours. When the same pollsters went to the employers the majority answered with "8 hours".

There seems to be a disconnect here.

Perhaps this disconnect is the reason the ex-sales coordinator, Emmalee Bauer (no relation to Jack could be found through Google search), 25, of Elkhart, Iowa was fired from her job at the Sheraton hotel company in Des Moines, Iowa.

She kept a handwritten journal while on the job and when told to quit writing in it while she was supposed to be working she turned to another option. Her company owned computer.

She typed 300 single-spaced pages worth of journaling on it.

After being fired she applied for unemployment benefits and was denied because of her writings. The journal was shown to Administrative Law Judge Susan Ackerman who said her writings showed a refusal to work and "amusement at getting away with it."

Some examples:

"This typing thing seems to be doing the trick. It just looks like I am hard at work on something very important."

and

"I am only here for the money and, lately, for the printer access. I haven't really accomplished anything in a long while ... and I am still getting paid more than I ever have at a job before, with less to do than I have ever had before. It's actually quite nice when I think of it that way. I can shop online, play games and read message boards and still get paid for it."

~~~~~
prying1 sez:
If you are going to journal at work stick to fiction.

and an extra loud Whoo!Hooo! for Susan Ackerman. Way to go Susan, Your Honor!!!
~~~~~
Thomas S. Brock of Brocklog.net thinks that at this point in time Emmalee Bauer is searching for an agent and the Journal in it's entirety will soon be available in print for those interested enough to purchase it.
~~~~~

UPDATE: I received a comment that I thought I'd bring up to the posting. This exact same comment was left on Thomas S. Brock's posting that was linked above. Mr. Brock replied in his comment section with the same question I had. "What’s your relation to this whole thing? Were you a co-worker or friend of Ms. Bauer?"

After seeing the comment on Mr. Brock's site I dug around a bit and also found the same cut and paste comment from Brodie elsewhere. I think Brodie either feels righteous indignation over the way the MSM has presented this story or has a personal interest in affecting peoples attitude towards Ms Emmalee Bauer.

Let the reader decide...

Brodie comment follows:
If you only knew!!!! She was granted unemployment the first time around. The manager at the Sheraton then found the journal and used that in the appeal. She was told she was let go because she "didnt fit in??" There was even a witness there. Just because you write your thoughts....doesnt mean those are your actions! She was never once written up for any misconduct and always did her job and sometimes even some of the managers own duties. If you still dont think something is wrong at this place, (The Sheraton Four Points in Des Moines) then ask your self why they never hired another Sales Coordinator and why the other 3 of the original sales team have resigned? Hmmm...wonder if maybe there was some other agenda going on at that place??????????? Let the truth be told! Also, the Des Moines Register seemed to like just taking exerpts from the document and using them to fit their angle for a hot story. Maybe it would be different if they added the truth, which would include a few complete sentences giving the entire context of the statements. This PERSONAL journal was done mostly off company time and to my knowledge was just simply that, personal thoughts to vent the frustrations of a HOSTILE work environment. Just because she felt something and put it in a journal, doesn't mean she acted upon it or didn't complete daily job duties. And just to reiterate, take a look back in my comments to see what has really happened at this hotel!
Sincerely,
Someone Who Knows The Truth ! - - - Brodie - - -

~~~~~
Links to the story:
Conservative Voice -The Iowa woman fired for journaling at work
Mens News Daily - Employee Fired For Journaling At Work

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Ms. Hillary Is In the Running For President.

Senator Hillary Clinton, D-NY, threw her $14 million dollar campaign treasury in the ring in an attempt to get her old job back. You know the job. The one her hubby Bill obstensibly held while she did all the work of downsizing the military and raising taxes...

Just hours later Senator Brownback, R-KS, announced he is going for the Republican nomination. Timewise both are very slow. Last week the announcement was made by Cary Cartter, Common Sense Independent, that he would step up to the plate, take abuse from the MSM and run for the presidency in order to bring this country back on track.

The polls are not in yet so it is not known the impact Ms. Clinton's and Mr. Brownback's announcement will have on Cary Cartter's bid.

~~~~~

prying1 sez:
Now I don't know about you but I think that 14 million dollars is a lot of 'owing favors to folks' that down the road could cause problems for the 'little guy'. Especially knowing the social circles Hillary hangs with. Or should I say, hangs around her. Some say that hanging is the right term to use concerning the whole bunch of 'em. Personally I always prefered 'tar and feathering'. Much more entertaining.

Speaking of 'ENTERTAINING' here is something that is anything but.

Click here and listen carefully BEFORE you vote in the next Presidential Election. Do you want FOUR YEARS of this???

Thanks to Radioblogger for the above sound clip.

Four years of that???? - - - - Shhudddderrrrrr - - - -

~~~~~~~~
http://www.nysun.com/article/47053
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Write In Cary Cartter For President

Working Stiff and Blogger Extraordinaire Cary Cartter is running for President of the United States.

"Who is Cary Cartter and what does he know about being president?", you ask.

I'll start the answer by stating what Cary Cartter IS NOT.

• A Career Politician
  
• Indebted To Any Special Interests
  
• An Open Borders Advocate
  
• A Political Correctness Junkie
  
• A Dude That Rolls Over When Confronted With Adversity

~~~~~~

Cary Cartter is a working, family man that lives in Phoenix, Arizona. A churchgoing Christian who is a member of his church's praise and worship team. Vocals and bass guitar. A new father who wants to see his daughter raised in a country that helps the deserving downtrodden and stands firm against it's enemies. He has served in the United States Marines and has learned the meaning of Semper Fi.

Now. On to WHAT Cary Cartter is.

• A Man That Prefers Truth Over Subterfuge
  
• A Man With Intestinal Fortitude
  
• A Man That Knows To Delegate To Capable People
  
• A Man That Recognises He Has Faults And Works To Overcome Them
  
• A Man Who Loves his Country
  
• A Man That Will Work To Preserve Our Nation While Looking Forward To New Innovations, Technology, Research and Inventions This Country Is So Well Known For.
  

~~~~~

Cary's Own Words:
I promise a common sense approach to running this country - and ONLY this country. I will not allow any other country, or even the loudest public opinion, to determine the course of action this country needs to take to regain the respect and admiration of the world. Heck, we are the strongest standing military - we will start acting like it again.

and

I can hear you wondering, "Cary, what do you know about running the country?"

I know enough not to let armed invaders get away without some ventilated clothing.

I know enough not to let non-citizens claim rights under our constitution.

I know enough not to allow illegal immigrants to benefit from the hard work of the American citizens and legal immigrants.

I know enough to actually assign jobs to people trained in the area, and then get the h3ll out of their way while they do the job to the best of their ability.

I know enough that unless this country gets a leader with the intestinal fortitude to actually lead this country instead of letting other country's public opinion dictate the leaders' actions, this country won't exist for very long.

Sounds good to me. - Paul - prying1 -

~~~~~

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Google China, Hugh Hewitt and YOU

On yesterday's (18 JAN 07) Hugh Hewitt Radio Show the subject of Googles dealings with China came up.

Prior to talking about Google in such a way that it could be taken for an advertisement Hugh had stated that he owned Google stock. "Full Disclosure" he called it. A bit later a listener called in and chastised Hugh because he owns stock in Google. Wasn't Hugh aware of the China/Google deal.

For those who missed The "Google-China" deal here is a bit from the NYT dated 23 APR 06
To obey China's censorship laws, Google's representatives explained, the company had agreed to purge its search results of any Web sites disapproved of by the Chinese government, including Web sites promoting Falun Gong, a government-banned spiritual movement; sites promoting free speech in China; or any mention of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Hugh defended himself quite eloquently (as usual for him) but one thing he missed. Hugh's site is not blocked in Google China. Nor is Generalissimo Duane's.

Go to Google China and type in - prying1 -

HALLELUJAH! I HAVE NOT BEEN PURGED!

You can do the same with your own name. Most likely you will see your blog or website come up. Through Google.cn I visited AubreyJ and left a comment - 'FTGF' brings up Navy Town U.S.A. - The Rosemead Herald is accessible through Google China.

Jesus Christ gets 50,000,000 hits. - Point is, More info gets through to China than is filtered.

Check your own name and blogsite. Don't be surprised if you have not been purged.

Click here for Google China

China will have to change as time passes. The leaders know it but are slow to embrace it.

~~~~~~

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Wednesday Heroes Roy Velez and His Two Sons, Jose and Andrew

The following posting is from the Wednesday Hero Blogroll - Please click the link on the bottom of the page to join in honoring the brave men and women of our military.

~~~~~~

This Weeks Heroes Were Suggested By CavMom

This week I have three people to talk about. Roy Velez and his two sons, Jose and Andrew. One who was lost in Iraq and another who lost his life in Afghanistan.

It happens almost daily. A stranger reaches out to comfort Roy Velez, unintended symbol of unspeakable loss and grief.

Today it's a woman who approaches as he's halfway through breakfast at Montelongo's Mexican restaurant.

"My brother told me about you and your sons," she says, extending her hand.

He takes her small hand between his - this sturdy man who has buried two boys who went off to war - and listens gently as her own story of sorrow spills forth. Her 8-year-old daughter, a traffic accident, her son at the wheel.

As waiters bustle about with trays of huevos rancheros and barbacoa plates, Mr. Velez does what he does best: offers up a soft prayer to help this mother endure her emptiness.

Strangers learn about Mr. Velez from newspapers and TV. They come to him to share their gratitude or their grief. They come to thank him and console him, tearfully, for his family's sacrifice.

This is how Mr. Velez chooses to live after losing two sons in two years, not riven with anger or paralyzed with sadness. But as someone ready for those who might slip into the darkness of despair.

For his strength for others, compassion and grace - and for serving as inspiration for anyone who knows his story - Mr. Velez is the 2006 Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.
Because this story is so long, I've linked to the article which you can read in it's entirety.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.


~~~~~~~

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Starbucks and the Marines Email Is False

I got an email from a good friend this morning as follows:

FW: STARBUCKS DENIES COFFEE TO MARINES

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted to let them know how much they liked their coffees and to request that they send some of it to the troops there. Starbucks replied, telling the Marines thank you for their support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee.

So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them by buying any of their products! As a war vet writing to fellow patriots, I feel we should get this out in the open. I know this war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground fighting street-to-street and house-to-house for what they and I believe is right. If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you can discard it an d no one will never know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I deploy once more.

"Semper Fidelis."
Sgt Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

PLEASE DON'T DELETE THIS. ALLOW IT TO BE PASSED TO ALL IN MEMORY OF ALL THE TROOPS WHO HAVE DIED SO THAT WE MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO SUPPORT THEM OR NOT!!!

So I Snopes it. Is Snopes a verb yet? Google is. Snopes should be.

Snopes answer concerning this. - FALSE -

Reply to my friend was:

Please send this link back upline to those who received and sent it previously. - Personally I don't care for Starbucks because the stuff they sell is WAYYYYY overpriced and I like to drink coffee black. Why should I pay extra for that? - But it is not fair to them to have people boycott their goods for false reasons. Snopes.com says the rumor is false and backs it up with the real story...
- Paul - prying1 -

Rumor is false and was corrected by Sgt Howard C. Wright - Check Snopes.com's version of events.
or Google/Yahoo search the following words and it will come out as the top hit
- Snopes.com Starbucks Marines Howard C. Wright -

So tonight I get home and check my emails. A friend of a friend from upline (or downline - by this time I don't know which to call it) had emailed back with the simple statement:

Starbuck’s coffee blows anyway!

DANA LEWIS-CITRMS
INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATE
PRE-PAID LEGAL SERVICES, INC.
(310) 542-0992 OFFICE
(310) 999-8640 CELL

After my tears from laughing cleared and I could see again I replied:

Re: Starbuck’s coffee blows anyway!

To quote Glumfeather in the Chronicles of Narnia series, "Too True! Too True!

First time I ever had the stuff was in a Starbucks coffee shop attached to the movie theatres in Galleria Redondo Beach CA. (Artesia and Hawthorne). - The stuff was atrocious and I have the tastebuds of a barbarian. Since then I have had some of the super sweet crap they try to pass off as coffee (Others bought it to convince me I am wrong- I refuse to spend money there but can't stop my wife and daughter...) and I still insist the stuff is overpriced, and has to have flavors added to make it semi-palatable.

Give me any name brand, Folgers, Maxwell, Taster's Choice, hells bells even Postum!


Thanks for the return email on this one. We are not alone. I'm sure there are others....

Paul - prying1 -

So! How do you feel about it. That is, You who have read up to this point. Leave a comment and I'll update this posting with it along with a link to your website/blog (if so desired).

Update: I am not through this post endorsing the boycotting of Starbucks in any way shape or form. If any man woman or child enjoys the stuff I wish them Godspeed. I even buy Starbucks Gift Cards for those that frequent the place. Well. My wife gets them but I so sign the accompanying card...
~~~~~~

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What Controversy Over the Dead Sea Scrolls? San Diego Museum Doesn't Want Opposing Views

A little over a week ago I posted about the Dead Sea Scrolls coming to San Diego.

Two reasons why I posted were, I've always been fascinated by the scrolls and I know a few folks that visit regularly live in So Cal..

You might say it was a public service announcement.

Then, seven days later, I received a comment from 'Charles' making statements about and asking valid questions concerning the upcoming exhibit and the lectures involved with it.

Controversy? What controversy? It's just a bunch of old papers, right? Well! OK. Papyrus and animal hides. Slap 'em into cases with bullet proof glass (See National Treasure) and let people file by to look at 'em. What's the problem?

Well. It seems the people running the show are from the 'old school'. This group supports the Qumran-Essene theory of Scroll origins which basically stated is the town close to the caves where the scrolls were found (Khirbet Qumran) housed the people (Essenes) that wrote the scrolls.

In the 1980's and 90's this view was challenged.

Some say that many of the scrolls do not match up to Essene teachings.

As a result...

During the 1990s, another theory expressed "that the authors of the scrolls were "Essene-Like" or a splinter Essene group rather than simply Essenes as such. This modification of the Essene theory takes into account some significant differences between the world view expressed in some of the scrolls and the Essenes as described by the classical authors. Together, the two theories may be called the "Qumran-sectarian theory". (Wikipedia)

Other theories concerning the origins of the scrolls are:

• It was a Sadducee community in Qumram.
  
• The scrolls came from several libraries in Jerusalem and were hidden in 68-70 AD during the Roman Seige.
  
• The scrolls were part of the actual library of the Temple in Jerusalem
  
• A Christian connection (that prying1 sees as wishful thinking) that one scrap is from the book of Mark or that James the Just and Paul of Tarsus are described on scraps in some way.

Apparently the recommended reading list and stated lecturers do not touch upon the debates concerning the origins of the scrolls themselves. That is, the Qumran-Essene theory versus the newer theories. For years there was a clique of scholars that had control over the scrolls until they were forced to release them for others to study. It appears that the same clique is running the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition at San Diego Natural History Museum as at the Seattle Exhibition last year and others in previous years.

For example the book, Who Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls?: The Search for the Secret of Qumran by Dr. Norman Golb could easily be listed but it is not. Dr. Golb's and numerous other author's evidence contrary to the Qumran-Essene theory has not appeared at any 'official' showing of the scrolls.

prying1 sez: In the United States people love debate. Especially if pies are thrown at the end. Just kidding about the pies but I'm not kidding about the debate. The San Diego Museum and the Associations sponsoring the showing of the scrolls are seeking monetary gain (and rightly so - They need and deserve pay for the work being done concerning the scrolls. The scrolls don't preserve and translate themselves.) along with their desire to 'entertain' and 'teach the public'. If they were smart they would play on this controversy. I'm not saying that they should advertise it like a wrestling smackdown but it could be played up and have two opponents meet to present their views. Perhaps two panels to meet and confer in a public setting with or without tickets.

I'm certain it would selland increase interest in the showing. Looking at the lecture schedule it looks like there are plenty of nights available to toss this subject in.

I am in no way a scholar although I'm not stupid either. Seems to me the ones "holding on to the knowledge" are simply trying to make
themselves appear more important than they really are. To me that is
sad.

I thought that when they finally released the scrolls in the 90's that they might
have figured that out for themselves. Living in an ivory tower does
not make a person smarter than others or more right than another. - -
- - If they are afraid of debate they are simply afraid of being
proven wrong.

Truth is. (please note period at the end of that statement) I like to
use the word immutable as a qualifying word for 'truth'.

So if they are right or wrong they should learn the truth and move on.

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Spc. Jordan William HessWednesday Hero

This Weeks Hero Was Submitted by Beth

Spc. Jordan William Hess
27 years old from Marysville, Washington
Company C, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment
December 5, 2006


"Specialist Hess died of wounds received on a battlefield upon which no markers or memorials exist, yet his name will be etched upon the small part of each of our hearts that has hardened to stone by the realization of his passing. I will take Specialist Jordan Hess’ name to my own grave, in the hope that I can somehow preserve the honorable life that he led,” said Capt. Ian Lauer, commander of Company C.

Spc. Hess was a study in contrasts who loved a challenge. He had a warrior's spirit and was thrilled at the chance to serve his county, his parents said from their home in Marysville. He also was content to look for his muse in various forms of art, including glass-blowing, photography and poetry. It was this balance that people will remember most about the 26-year-old who was critically injured Nov. 11 in Ta'Meem, Iraq, when an IED detonated near his combat patrol.

A three-year veteran in the U.S. Army, Hess spent more than a year in Korea as well as time in Germany, always looking for an overseas assignment, Bill and Tammy Hess said. They knew their son was on his way to Kuwait the last time they spoke with him in October, and they suspected he had been deployed to Iraq as part of a tank unit when they didn’t hear from him for several weeks. After his injury, Hess was flown back to the United States and treated for several weeks at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. His parents, as well as his six brothers and one sister, were flown there to be with him.

"None of us wanted to see him hurt like that," Bill Hess said. "But one of the greatest blessings in my life was that we were able to say goodbye."

Hess was an avid wrestler from the time he was young, and news of his death circulated at Lake Stevens High School, where he attended until 1999. "He was a strong-willed, independent young man with a unique sense of humor," the Lake Stevens wrestling coaches said in a statement. "The Lake Stevens wrestling community today feels a strong sense of loss."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams.
Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by clicking here.

~~~~~

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Some Blogging Without the Flogging

Ok - It has been a few days since I've posted. Been pretty busy and plus all the news is...

Let's just say, "Typical".

Well. I could comment on Hillary, Pelosi and Cindy Sheehan but then I'd be accused of attacking them and of being insecure in my masculinity when confronted by 'strong women'.

Heaven forbid that should happen.

I did hear that the U.N. voted to outlaw war but it didn't work out the way they wanted it to. Half a dozen third world nations have initiated hostilities against one another each seeking the U.N. commission of enforcing the law.

"There will be big bucks involved in this racket." said one un-named but reliable dictator. "Whoever is chosen to lead the U.N. army into places where there is chaos and confusion will get the spoils from sacking, plundering and pillaging. I want that loot!!!".

His sentiments were echoed by the toadies he had surrounding him.

I noticed that recently that my thinking hasn't been as sharp as it was in my younger years so I finally broke down and bought some of those memory pills through a spam email offer. I don't think they work very well though. I keep forgetting to take them.

~~~~~

My boss and his wife said, "Hey! We didn't get ptomaine over the holidays. Let's take a vacation on a cruise ship." - - -

They made it back ok but still I have to wonder why anyone would want to take the chance....

I mean. Stuck out in the ocean and the only doc around is either another passenger that ate the shrimp too or the ship's doctor that lost his license because he was always too drunk to write prescription's legible enough for pharmacists to read...

Me. I'll stick to dry land. Unless I get to fish and those cruise ship decks are too high off the water for that.

~~~~~
I got tagged the other day by Doug of Political Pistachio - Hopefully I can answer on Saturday when I get a bit of time.

~~~~~

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