Lt. John Madea holds his daughter as she is baptized with holy water from the ship's bell of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46). This is the fourth person baptized aboard Tortuga since the ship's christening in 1988, and her name will be inscribed inside the bell as a tradition of the U.S. Navy.
Photo Courtesy U.S. Navy Taken By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Geronimo Aquino
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. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
President Obama went on TV yet again tonight on the David Letterman show. He's been on TV more times than he's had days in office! Anybody besides me question this strategy? GET OFF MY TV ALREADY!
RACE - YES - the race card was pulled again!
Letterman asked Obama how long he's been a black man - his response? "So the American people, I think, gave me this extraordinary honor. That tells you a lot, I think, a lot about where the country is at." Obama joked that he was actually black before the election - he wasn't :)
Obama's CORRECT response to how long he's been a black man should be NEVER!!! The race card is wrinkled, smelly, incorrect, and Obama IS NOT a black man :) Obama has a white mother, a black father, he's neither - he's just as much white as he is black - but yet America still praises the first black president. NOBODY GIVES A SHIT about the color of his skin, his DNA, his genetic code, or his hair, nose, eyes, etc.
WE THE PEOPLE ONLY CARE ABOUT HIS POLICY - IF HE WERE TRULY 100% A TRUE BLACK MAN - AND HE DID A GOOD JOB - NOBODY WOULD CARE!!!! Jimmy Carter (truly the WORST president of all time - was as WHITE as an Easter Lily) was the worst president EVER in the USA. Obama is running a final second - and may take the lead if he's not careful.
If the race card is SO IMPORTANT to those KEEPING it in the media - WOULD YOU - YOU THE RACE CARD FOLKS - PLEASE ASK THE RIGHT BLACK MAN TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED? I'd LOVE to have a black president - I wouldn't even mind a purple, green, or blue president! JUST GIVE ME A PRESIDENT THAT READS THE BILLS - READS THE CONSTITUTION - AND GIVES A DAMN ABOUT WE THE PEOPLE! This man does NOT have your backs folks - cradle to grave is NOT something your government is supposed to provide.
He's GREAT for the entitlement crowd - which is HUGE! You've been indoctrinated to think the world owes you something for free - Obama's all about that - at the price of YOUR own tax dollars even though YOU think he's PROTECTING you from all that. Vote and weep my friends. The devil IS in the details - when it all comes down - YOU WILL LOSE MORE than you think you already don't have.
I'm so happy for Obama that he was impressed about a heart shaped potato that some lady gave him. Obama called that remarkable. YES we all like humor and home spun gratitude - but when your POLICY outweighs your humor - suddenly - it seems menial! A heart shaped potato with a GOOD president would be funny - and we'd all embrace that man's sense of humor. Obama is so far down the ladder right now - NOTHING funny he says makes WE THE PEOPLE laugh anymore, because I CRY when I see, study, and know what he's (the whole government) is doing to YOU - the ones that love him so much.
9.7% Unemployment? Who's doing the "averaging"? Where I live, it's 12.4% - where my in-laws live, it's up toward 15%...9.7 is but a drop in the bucket to most of us. GUESS WHAT? THERE ARE STILL JOBS TO BE HAD here in 12.4% ville... The MAJORITY of jobless - are the minimum wage jobs...BUSINESSES NEED SKILLED LABOR! Trade skills, mechanical skills, tech skills, management skills, even in "small-ville"...skilled customer reps, skilled folks with good work ethic and morals - ARE IN DEMAND!
Another "guess what" to those that just blindly BELIEVE statistics that are produced by the media? The "unemployment rates" are generated by statistics generated by those ACTUALLY receiving unemployment benefits! HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Americans still "have" a job - but they've been cut back to 3-4 days a week, benefits cut, and salaries dropped! THEY are basically unemployed - but their numbers DON'T show...
Obama & administration have INCREASED unemployment benefits for 20 weeks now twice that I know of...there's only 52 weeks in a year - seems like bail outs never end. I can't tell you how disappointed I am when I hear folks I know personally tell me that "hey - they extended it - there's no real jobs out there anyway - I'm gonna keep drawing unemployment...I deserve some time off - I paid into it - gonna get what's mine!"
GUESS WHAT DUMMIES!? YOU don't pay into unemployment! Your EMPLOYER does! AND, if you run a good company, and don't have to fire too many, not too many quit - after 3 years or so YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT PAYMENTS go DOWN. In this economy, in this unemployment explosion - there won't be a break for years! TOO many people are on it - and STAY on it because the government keeps you entitled TO IT! GEEZEES! NOW the government says "part time" employees can get unemployment for the days they DON'T get! WTF? There's NO incentive for folks to go and DO! Productivity is a choice - too many choose NOT to.
By the way - NOBODY on this planet would, could, or SHOULD fault those that are truly disabled, crippled, or distraught in a way that makes them unable to fend for themselves. This nation IS ONE of compassion, love, and charity. THOSE that truly CANNOT will ALWAYS be taken care of :)
For those that never realized that minimum wage jobs are for the ones in high school or college, the ones that keep tips on top of income, or the retired that want extra income but not too much to thwart social security payments, or the ones that like working in an easy position and have a spouse or other income? Guess What? You reap what you sow!
As to the war - Obama's OWN CHOSEN leader / general is begging for more troops in Afghanastan! Obama had that report over a month ago! Obama doesn't want to engage! He said...
"Obama said he won't make a decision on sending in more troops, though, until he completes a comprehensive review of the war effort and settles on his next strategy.
"I'm going to be asking some very hard questions," Obama said."
GREAT! Another "comprehensive review" - just what we need from the government when your OWN chosen general is THERE and TELLING you what's needed! How many soldiers will DIE while Obama needs to have yet another "comprehensive review"?
He's gonna ask HARD questions? How about the HARD QUESTION the sitting general Obama chose ASKED HIS Commander in Chief? GIVE ME TROOPS OR GIVE ME DEATH - that's the bottom line... Folks like to think (government at least) the TOP line wins... NO - NOPE - NOT EVER - it's the BOTTOM line that matters - the war is on the bottom line - and it's bad.
FUND THE TROOPS - BLOW THE BASTARDS OFF THE MAP - WIN THE WAR LIKE USA CAN WIN A WAR - OR COME HOME???
If our government isn't willing to WIN at all costs - THEN STOP SPENDING MONEY WE DON'T HAVE - LEAVE THE PLACES YOU WEREN'T WILLING TO REALLY FIGHT FOR - BLOW THEM OFF THE MAP - OR COME HOME!!!
If ya don't want to be the big dog - then get off the porch! It's all really simple America. We can FIGHT and WIN - or we can come home. There is NO MIDDLE in war! Eight years into a war that could have been won in a few months is even tiring to me the right winger :) Bush had balls, but with a Lib majority - couldn't kick ass and take names like he wanted. Main stream America is indoctrinated into Kum-Bah-Ya - so make a decision people - kick or curl - just make the move!
Obama needs to settle on his next strategy - what Obama is doing is SETTLING on OUR FUTURES!...BS
AND on Obama's media blitz this Sunday / Weekend - yep - you guessed it - was on every station imaginable to mankind in the USA - but refused to show up at FOX...
Perhaps WE need to remember that he "didn't know well" the folks he "did know well"...
And - while most of you are swallowing that warm sweet oatmeal and cookies fed to you by your current government and your main stream media???... beware of the habanero and jalapeno peppers diced in the middle of your brainwashed pudding :)
My son is getting married :) My son bought his woman's ring at Helzberg Diamonds here in Reno in the Meadowood Mall :)
I was there - we shared his story with the women behind the counters at Helzberg :) My son met his special girl while playing softball over three years ago. He played short stop - she played second base ;)
We went to pick out "that special ring" that only Erica can wear :) My son wanted to take her out to that ball field, and propose to her on second base - he did - she said YES - and a new family is born :)
Time passes - WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A BILL YET - down payment done - forms complete - remainder of what's owed - no bill yet ?
Olga, from Helzberg gave me a phone call. She asked if Clayton did actually propose to his bride to be. I announced happily that yes he did. OLGA REMEMBERED! Olga asked if he did it at second base - I happily announced that YES he did :)
Olga asked again - did she say yes? WELL I again happily announced - YES she did say YES! (OMG - she's marrying my eldest son - how could she NOT say yes LOL) - BUT what makes Helzberg Diamonds ROCK - is that Olga the salesperson that sold my son the diamond ring for the woman he's chosen for a lifetime - cared to ASK!
Olga called - more than once until she reached us. She WANTED to know that all went well. We mentioned that we hadn't received a bill yet - she said - we haven't sent one yet! We wanted to make sure you were happy, and that he proposed, and that she said yes ;)
WHEN DOES THAT HAPPEN ANY MORE IN TODAY'S SOCIETY!!! They wanted to make sure all was good and happy, and they even mentioned that sometimes things go bad, and ladies don't always say yes - and maybe the young man needed to return the ring ;)
HELZBERG DIAMONDS in Reno, NV - THE REAL DEAL! If you need jewelery - GO THERE!
Helzberg Diamonds CARED about my son's wedding proposal. They went above and beyond the normal course of duty :) I CARE about businesses that CARE - because I'm a business owner myself ;)
Many people read this blog - some from far places. THIS post is for my NEVADA readers :)
I feel like I NEED to write this. I only got involved in politics since the caucus in 2008. I got fired up, and I haven't stopped being fired up since :) I just returned from a special event tonight, and thinking along the lines of what I need to say? WHO better to say it to than your dogs on your own back porch :) It's OK to sit in a nice dress in a lounge chair on your own back porch and talk to the dogs about politics :)
BUT - love my pictures - and I must have video of every politician from city council, to mayor, to congressman, to governor. I go to a lot of events, and I think (due to the "stink eye" I get from some)...I've become to be known in the upper circles of Washoe County GOP as "the bitch with the camera" HAHAHA...
Well - this is how it is - and this is my reason. I'm disappointed that in a county of over 500,000 that I take MY time to learn. I take my time to see. AND, a lot of times - there are not that many of us at any given function. BUT - THOSE OF US that ARE there hear all that is spoken when someone gives a speech. Bloggers abound - Newspapers abound - Television stations abound - just WE abound. WE - THOSE OF US that ARE there and HEAR what's spoken can sit amongst ourselves and talk about it all day long. We chicks, or the gentlemen that attend - we can ALL talk about what was said or done. WHY is speaking or telling different than pictures?
WHEN I AM BEHIND MY CAMERA??? I truly HAVE NO OPINION!!! As a woman, as a business owner, as a citizen, mother, voter - SURE - I have opinions...but BEHIND my camera - there IS NO OPINION! I just wish to bring to the citizens of Nevada the things they need to hear. From EVERY candidate - from EVERY person I film - I feel like it's my duty to bring to them what THEY aren't willing to come out and find out for themselves.
I ALWAYS ask permission to publish. I sit on my videos and study them myself to form my own opinions. I rarely have the time to publish the ones I have, and I have HOURS OF THEM!
By the time I find the time to edit and publish - it's usually old news anyway. SO - to those giving me stink eye - and to those that embrace my little videos? I do it for YOU. I do it for WE. WE THE PEOPLE - remember us? THANK YOU all that give me permission to film you - even though you rarely make it out of my camera or my computer :)
I just sadly witnessed the most Socialist speech I've ever seen or heard an American President make in my lifetime. My heart ached as the words fell from his tongue.
He actually, openly used very disturbing language in my opinion. Words like redistribute. Of course, he phrased it as the redistribution of success. "The success of us all depends on the success of each of us."
It's obvious that our current President would like to see every American in a Union - this was a hugely pro-union speech. He praised the "Freedom of Choice Act." He stated that it's the success of organized labor that has made this nation succeed, organized labor made this government succeed, and it's organized labor that will carry this movement and country forward.
He praised and promoted the public option in the "Health Care Reform". The way Obama explains his version and dream of health care reform very much sounds like "Unionized" health care - only on a national level, and as with "Card Check" - we the people will have very little choice in the matter if our Congress passes such a mess.
Obama hammered to the cheering AFL-CIO crowd the words "WE CAN'T WAIT" - "WE CAN'T WAIT". BUT, he failed to mention to this same crowd - that things in this reform WON'T take effect until 2012, AFTER his first term (and likely last) as President. If your health and your life DEPENDS on this "change" in health care - GOOD LUCK lasting until 2012 America!
Well - I've never been a member of "organized labor" EVER in my lifetime, and in my humble opinion - I'm all the better for it. I never made a "prevailing wage", I NEVER paid dues to any greedy union boss, I NEVER had someone else "negotiate" my standing with ANY employer! Today, I own three very small "mom & pop" companies and employ 22 Americans - all of whom make 100% to 200% ABOVE minimum wage, some even more.
His ideas on education reform appalled me! He actually SAID that it's our government's responsibility to bring our children "FROM CRADLE TO CLASSROOM - AND FROM COLLEGE TO CAREER!"
EXCUSE ME?? Last time I checked - my children have ALWAYS been MY responsibility. NO GOVERNMENT will claim responsibility nor indoctrination of MY children, grandchildren, nor great-grandchildren from cradle to classroom as long as I can breathe a breath of air to stop that! From college to career - that responsibility lies on the backs of the student! Of course, as parents where we can - we pay for college. Financial aid (loans, grants, and scholarship) is available - but the responsibility to learn, grow, and succeed - lies within the INDIVIDUAL!
Obama's speech ended again in pep-rally style - having the crowds chant "ALL FIRED UP" - "READY TO GO". I certainly hope common sense Americans are fired up - if this administration accomplishes all it wishes to - God help us all.
