Alan’s Finds
Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner
and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this
statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get
back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him
at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond
her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let
it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver
in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away
all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought
again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier
of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit
there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but
he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If
the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be
destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do
you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered,
"Oh, that's easy," "When I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on
you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them.
And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.
"Life is a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend
it once."
This
is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I
have seen...
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
'I don't believe that God exists.'
'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in
the street to realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children?
If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to
start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long,
stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the
barbershop again and he said to the barber:
'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber.
'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'
'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because
if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed
beards, like that man outside.'
'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'
'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!
That's what
happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'
KILROY WAS HERE!
In 1946 the American Transit Association, through its radio program,
"Speak to America," sponsored a nationwide contest to find the REAL
Kilroy, offering a prize of a real trolley car to the person who could
prove himself to be the genuine article.
Almost 40 men stepped forward to make that claim, but only James Kilroy
from Halifax, Massachusetts had evidence of his identity.
Kilroy was a 46-year old shipyard worker during the war. He worked as a
checker at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. His job was to go around and
check on the number of rivets completed. Riveters were on piecework and got
paid by the rivet.
Kilroy would count a block of rivets and put a check mark in semi-waxed
lumber chalk, so the rivets wouldn't be counted twice. When Kilroy went off
duty, the riveters would erase the mark.
Later on, an off-shift inspector would come through and count the rivets a
second time, resulting in double pay for the riveters.
One day Kilroy's boss called him into his office. The foreman was upset about
all the wages being paid to riveters, and asked him to investigate. It was then
that he realized what had been going on.
The tight spaces he had to crawl in to check the rivets didn't lend themselves
to lugging around a paint can and brush, so Kilroy decided to stick with the
waxy chalk. He continued to put his checkmark on each job he inspected, but
added KILROY WAS HERE in king-sized letters next to the check, and eventually
added the sketch of the chap with the long nose peering over the fence and that
became part of the Kilroy message. Once he did that, the riveters stopped
trying to wipe away his marks.
Ordinarily the rivets and chalk marks would have been covered up with
paint. With war on, however, ships were leaving the Quincy Yard so fast
that there wasn't time to paint them.
As a result, Kilroy's inspection "trademark" was seen by thousands of
servicemen who boarded the troopships the yard produced. His message apparently
rang a bell with the servicemen, because they picked it up and spread it all
over Europe and the South Pacific. Before the war's end, "Kilroy" had
been here, there, and everywhere on the long haul to Berlin and Tokyo.
To the unfortunate troops outbound in those ships, however, he was a complete
mystery; all they knew for sure was that some jerk named Kilroy had "been
there first." As a joke, U.S. servicemen began placing the graffiti
wherever they landed, claiming it was already there when they arrived.
Kilroy became the U.S. super-GI who had always "already been"
wherever GIs went. It became a challenge to place the logo in the most unlikely
places imaginable (it is said to be atop Mt. Everest, the Statue of Liberty,
the underside of the Arch De Triumphe, and even scrawled in the dust on the
moon.)
And as the war went on, the legend grew. Underwater demolition teams routinely
sneaked ashore on Japanese-held islands in the Pacific to map the terrain for
the coming invasions by U.S. troops (and thus, presumably, were the first GI's
there). On one occasion, however, they reported seeing enemy troops painting
over the Kilroy logo! In 1945, an outhouse was built for the exclusive use of
Roosevelt, Stalin, and
Churchill at the Potsdam conference.
The first person inside was Stalin, who emerged and asked his aide (in
Russian), "Who is Kilroy?" ...
To help prove his authenticity in 1946, James Kilroy brought along officials
from the shipyard and some of the riveters. He won the trolley car, which he
gave to his nine children as a Christmas gift and set it up as a playhouse in
the Kilroy front yard in Halifax, Massachusetts.
More great links from Alan;
Interesting interactive link about the “Great Escape” Harry
Tunnel.
Link to a very neat jukebox site.
Quiz
Game
Meaning of the Flag
Draped Coffin.
All Americans should be given this lesson. Those who think that America
is an arrogant nation should really reconsider that thought. Our founding
fathers used GOD's word and teachings to establish our Great Nation and I think
it's high time Americans get re-educated about this Nation's history. Pass it
along and be proud of the country we live in and even more proud of those who
serve to protect our "GOD GIVEN" rights and freedoms.
To understand what
the flag draped coffin really means...... Here is how to understand the flag
that laid upon it and is surrendered to so many widows and widowers.
Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of
the numbers in the year 1776?
Have you ever
noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the
United States of America Flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to
symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!
The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life .
The 2nd fold is a
symbol of the belief in eternal life
The 3rd fold is made
in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion
of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the
world.
The 4th fold
represents the weaker nature , for as American citizens trusting in God, it is
to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine
guidance.
The 5th fold is a
tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country,
in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our
country, right or wrong."
The 6th fold is for
where people's hearts lie. It is with their heart that They pledge allegiance
to the flag of the United States Of America, and the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed
Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies,
whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.
The 8th fold is a
tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death , that we
might see the light of day.
The 9th fold is a
tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their
love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have
made this country great has been molded.
The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and
daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.
The 11th fold
represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and
glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The 12th fold represents
an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father,
the Son and Holy Spirit.
The 13th fold, or
when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of
their nations motto, "In God We Trust."
After the flag is
completely folded and tucked in , it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat,
ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington,
and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones , who were
followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United
States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy
today .
There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In
the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why.
Author unknown on
this one – Some attribute it to a housewife in New Jersey, but the message is
certainly clear and deserves to be reiterated.
"Are we
fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic
people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?
Were people from all
over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown
Manhattan , across the Potomac from our
nation's capitol and
in a field in Pennsylvania?
Did nearly three
thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that
day, or didn't they?
And I'm supposed to
care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked
American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't.
I don't care at all.
I'll start caring
when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those
innocent people on 9/11.
I'll care about the
Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible,
the mere possession of which is a crime in
Saudi Arabia ..
I'll care when these
thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg
screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.
I'll care when the
cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men
instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in
mosques.
I'll care when the
mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the
innocent children within range of their suicide
bombs.
I'll care when the
American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are
somehow derived from international law instead of the United States
Constitution's Bill of Rights.
In the meantime,
when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to
obtain information, know this: I don't care.
When I see a fuzzy
photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what
amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.
When I see a wounded
terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be
booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank:
I don't care.
When I hear that a
prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special"
food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is
being "mishandled," you can absolutely
believe in your
heart of hearts: I don't care.
And oh, by the way,
I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times
"Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and-you guessed it-I don't
care !!
And may I add:
"Some people
spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But,
the Marines don't have that problem" --
Ronald Reagan
"If we ever
forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone
under."
Also by.. Ronald
Reagan
One last thought for
the day:
In case we find
ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American
sentiment and
negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words
during a recent interview. When asked by one of his
Parliament members
why he believes so much in America, he said: "A simple way to take measure
of a country is to look at how many want in..
And how many want
out."
If you're ever in a
conversation where someone is criticizing America's
involvement in world affair's, here are a few examples that you could cite
to counter those sentiments:
When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the
Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire
building by George Bush.
He answered by saying, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of
its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond
our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough
to bury those that did not return.
It became very quiet in the room.
Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers
were taking part, including French and American. During a break
one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you
heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft
carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to
do, bomb them?"
A Boeing engineer
stood up and replied quietly, "Our carriers have three hospitals on board
that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply
emergency electrical power to shore
facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 5,000 people
three meals a day; they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water
from sea water each day; and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in
transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have
eleven such ships. How many does France have?"
Once again, dead silence.
A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals
from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.
At a cocktail
reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that
included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting
away in English. As they sipped their drinks, a French admiral suddenly
complained that, "Whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn
only English."
He then asked, "Why is it that we always have to speak English in these
conferences rather than speaking French?" Without hesitating, the
American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians,
Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."
You could have heard a pin drop
AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE...
A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a
tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by
plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in
his carry-on. "You have been to France before, monsieur?" the
customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had
been to France
previously.
"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."
The American said,
"The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible.
Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!"
The American senior
gave the Frenchman a long, hard look. Then he quietly
explained, "Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to
help liberate this country, I couldn't find any damn Frenchmen to show it
to."
There was no reply!
VERY HELPFUL Hints
DID YOU KNOW?
Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little
"stringy things" off of it. That's how the primates do it.
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave
them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much
longer and not mold!
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease
away from the meat while cooking.
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour
cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double
broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at
the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop
them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in
a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350
for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.
1. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set
heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro
pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
2. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.
Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut
the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
3. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with
your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more
cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per
serving.
4. Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a
microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist
and help it reheat faster.
5. Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers
put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget
about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get
through wet newspapers.
6. Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't
see easily.
7. No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
8. Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne
pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come
near it.
9. Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper
towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened
to get in narrow openings.
10. Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy
skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty
hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and -- ta da! – static is gone.
11. Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.
Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as
peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
12. Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of
your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
13. Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something
inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two.
Viola! It unseals easily.
14. Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream
and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the
conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...
15. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with
Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid, mix well. You will find
those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
16. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it
"home," can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so,
especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets
or small children being harmed!
17. INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on the dryer! The gentleman that fixes things
around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went
over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean
the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted
to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over
it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material - I'm sure you know what your
dryer's lint filter looks like. Well,...the hot water just sat on top of the
mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film
over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film,
but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and
static free -- that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when
you take them out of the box, well t his stuff builds up on your clothes and on
your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire &
potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your
dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is
to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old
toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the
life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new
everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd
share!
General Vo Nguyen Giap
General Giap was a brilliant, highly respected leader of the
North Vietnam military. The following quote is from his memoirs currently found
in the Vietnam war memorial in Hanoi:
“What we still don't understand is why you Americans stopped the
bombing of Hanoi. You had us on the ropes. If you had pressed us a little
harder, just for another day or two, we were ready to surrender! It was the
same at the battles of TET. You defeated us! We knew it, and we thought you
knew it. But we were elated to notice your media was definitely helping us.
They were causing more disruption in America than we could in the
battlefields. We were ready to surrender. You had won!”
General Giap has published his memoirs and confirmed what most
Americans knew. The Vietnam war was not lost in Vietnam -- it was lost at
home. The exact same slippery slope, sponsored by the US media, is currently
well underway. It exposes the enormous power of a biased media to cut out the
heart and will of the American public.
A truism worthy of note: Do not fear the enemy, for they can take
only your life. Fear the media far more, for they will destroy your
honor.
~~~
These comments were taken off police car videos around the
country.
16 "You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went
through."
15 "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch
after you wear them a while."
14 "If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a
worthless document."
13 "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."
12 "Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed
of the bullet that'll be chasing you."
11 "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write
anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"
10 "Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it
will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"
9 "Warning! You want a warning? OKAY, I'm warning you not to do that again
or I'll give you another ticket."
8 "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk
or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"
7 "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to
ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey poop."
6 "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster
oven."
5 "In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC."
4 "How big were those 'two beers' you say you had?"
3 "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed
to write as many tickets as we can."
2 "I'm glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours.
So you know someone who can post your bail."
AND THE WINNER IS.... 1 "You didn't think we give pretty women
tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here.
For interesting commentary on hunting and protecting our rights,
Alan suggests a visit to this site:
This is another Fun Site that is very interesting. It tells how many
people in the United States have the same first and last name as you.
A most unusual story.
Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at
Kimbolton, England . His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible
state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they
were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.
After flying over an enemy airfield, a German pilot named Franz Steigler was
ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he
could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a
bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner
wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was
smashed and there were holes everywhere.
Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at
Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his
damaged and blood-stained plane. Aware that they had no idea where they were
going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided
the stricken plane to and slightly over the North Sea towards England He then
saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe.
When Franz landed he told the C/O that the plane had been shot down over the
sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his
crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.
More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who
saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked
about the incident, not even at post-war reunions. They met in the USA at a
379th. Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all
because Franz never fired his guns that day.
Research shows that Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had moved
to Vancouver, BC after the war. When they finally met, they discovered they had
lived less than 200 miles apart for the past 50 years.
``````
2008 Contract
After serious and cautious consideration, your contract of
friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2008.
It was a very hard decision to make, so try not to screw it up!
My Wish For You In 2008:
May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your
debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become the magnet of $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline, and may laughter
assault your lips.
May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires, and may
happiness slap you across the face, and may your tears be those of joy.
May the problems you had forget your home address.
In simple words . . .
May 2008 be the best year of your life!
AMEN,
Alan, and God Bless!
DebV
Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades, veterans of the
Global War On Terror. Grennel is an Army Reservist who spent two years in Iraq and
was a principal in putting together the first Iraq elections in January 2005.
They wrote it to Jill Edwards, student at the University of Washington, who did
not want to honor Medal of Honor winner USMC Colonel Greg ( PAPPY ) Boyington.
Ms. Edwards, other students and faculty do not
think those who serve in the U.S. armed services are good role
models.
To: Jill Edwards, Student, University of Washington
Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
Miss Edwards,
I read of your student activity regarding the proposed memorial to Colonel Greg
Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. I suspect you will receive many
angry emails from conservative people
like me. You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of generations
of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you and your fellow
students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways of youth and your naiveté.
It may be that you are simply a sheep. There's no dishonor in being a
sheep, as long as you know and accept what you are.
William J. Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November
24, 1997 said " Most of the people in our society are sheep. They
are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by
accident. We may well be in the most violent times in history,
but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are
kind, decent people, not capable of hurting each other except by accident or
under extreme provocation. They are sheep.
Then there are the wolves who feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe
there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You
better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable
of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a
sheep. There is no safety in denial.
Then there are sheepdogs and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and
confront the wolf. If you have no capacity for violence then you are a
healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If one has a capacity for violence and no
empathy for one's fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive
sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a
deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a
warrior, someone who is walking the unsheltered path. Someone who can walk into
the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.
We know that the sheep live in denial; that is what makes them sheep. They do
not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact
that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire
sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kid's schools. But
many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer
in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to
be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the
sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea
of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard. So they choose
the path of denial.
The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He
has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the
sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog that
intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed.
The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative
democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep.
He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer
that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at
the ready in our airports, in camouflage fatigues, holding an M-16. The sheep
would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself
white, and go "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire
flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.
The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school
students, and under ordinary circumstances would not have had the time of
day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to
say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams
were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel
those clinging, sobbing kids off of them.
This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the
door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard
on the door. Remember how America , more than ever before, felt
differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel?
Understand
that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what
you choose to be.
Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter. He is always sniffing
around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that
go bump in the night and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the
young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are
a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when
needed, right along with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the
wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day.
After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most
citizens in America said "Thank God I wasn't on one of
those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said "Dear
God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have
made a difference." You want to be able to make a difference. There
is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does
have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive
and thrive in an environment that would destroy 98-percent of the population.
Research was conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent
crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of
violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast
majority said they specifically targeted victims by body language:
Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims
like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is
least able to protect itself.
Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed
to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which
one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are
choosing to become sheepdogs.
Sheep, Wolves and
Sheepdogs continued:
Seven months after the attack on September 11,
2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury , New Jersey . Todd,
as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on
his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the
hijacking. When they learned of the other three passenger planes that had
been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers confronted the
terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the
passengers -- athletes, business people and parents -- from sheep to
sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an
unknown number of lives on the ground.
Edmund Burke said "There is no safety for honest men except by believing
all possible evil of evil men." Here is the point I want to emphasize,
especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each
year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born
that way, and so are wolves. They don't have a choice. But you are
not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a
conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a
sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When
the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a
sheepdog there to protect you.
If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt
you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if
you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make
a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare
yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking
at the door. This business of being a sheep or a sheepdog is not a
"yes-no" dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or
choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject,
head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few
people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere
in between.
Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from
denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their
warriors and the warriors started taking their job more seriously.
It's OK to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheepdog. Indeed, the sheepdog may
just run a little harder, strive to protect a little better and be fully
prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving
from "Baa" to "Thanks." We do not call for gifts or
freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a
thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained protecting the sheep.
And, when our number is called by The Almighty, and day retreats into
night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for
letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the millions of
American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and
women) do nothing" - E. Burke
Pick the correct Penny
Cannot believe how many people did not choose the correct one!
Take a look, and see if you can choose the right penny. No cheating;
do not look at a real penny first- I know you've seen a real one!
See if you can pick the correct
one here.
14
Reasons to Deport Illegal Aliens...
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year. Source
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as
food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Source
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. Source
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school
education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of
English! Source
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born
children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Source
6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Source
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Source
8. $90
Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social
services by the American taxpayers. Source
9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the
illegal aliens. Source
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a
half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are
going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States . Source
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that
crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from
Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and
marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border. Homeland Security
Report: Source
12. The National Policy Institute, "estimated that the total cost of mass
deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of
between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period." Source
13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their
countries of origin. Source
14. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes
Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States ". Source
So using the LOWEST estimates, the annual cost OF ILLEGAL ALIENS is $338.3
BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR! So if deporting them costs between $206 and
$230 BILLION DOLLARS, Hell get rid of em', We'll be ahead after the 1st year!!!
If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him,
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
...Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!
Cemetery Escort Duty
I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey's for a
few cold ones. Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 16:55.
Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full
dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever -
the heat and humidity at the same level -- both too high.
I saw the car pull into the drive, '69 or '70 model Cadillac
Deville, looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's
pace.
An old woman got out so slowly, I thought she was paralyzed. She had a
cane and a sheaf of flowers, about four or five bunches as best I
could tell.
I couldn't help myself. The thought came
unwanted, and left a slightly bitter taste: "She's going to
spend an hour, and for this old soldier, my hip hurts
like hell and I'm ready to get out of here right now!"
But for this day, my duty was to assist anyone coming in. Kevin
would lock the "In" gate and if I could hurry the old biddy
along , we might make the last half of happy hour at Smokey's.
I broke Post Attention. My hip made gritty noises when I took the
first step and the pain went up a notch. I must have made a real
military sight; middle-aged man with a small pot-gut and half a limp, in Marine
Full Dress Uniform, which had lost its razor crease about 30 minutes after
I began the watch at the cemetery.
I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me
with an old woman's squint.
"Ma'am, may I assist you in any way?"
She took long enough to answer. "Yes, son. Can you carry these
flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days."
"My pleasure Ma'am." Well, it wasn't too much of a lie.
She looked again. "Marine, where were you stationed?"
"Vietnam, Ma'am. Ground-pounder. '69 to '71."
She looked at me closer. "Wounded in action, I see. Well
done, Marine. I'll be as quick as I can."
I lied a little bigger, "No hurry, Ma'am."
She smiled, and winked at me. "Son, I'm 85-years old and I can tell
a lie from a long way off. Let's get this done. Might be the last
time I can do this.
My name's Joanne Wieserman, and I've a few Marines
I'd like to see one more time."
"Yes, Ma'am. At your service."
She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one
of the bunches out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone. She murmured
something I couldn't quite make out. The name on the marble was Donald S.
Davidson, USMC, France 1918.
She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping
at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek.
She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X. Davidson, USMC, 1943.
She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley
J. Wieserman USMC , 1944.
She paused for a second, "Two more, son, and we'll be
done."
I almost didn't say anything, but,
"Yes, Ma'am. Take your time."
She looked confused.
"Where's the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way."
I pointed with my chin. "That way, Ma'am."
"Oh!" she chuckled quietly. "Son,
me and old age ain't too friendly."
She headed down the walk I'd pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones
before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch on
Larry Wieserman USMC, 1968, and the last on Darrel Wieserman USMC, 1970.
She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out.
"OK, son, I'm finished. Get me back to my car and you can go
home."
"Yes, Ma'am. If I may ask, were those
your kinfolk ?"
She paused. "Yes, Donald Davidson was my father; Stephen was my uncle;
Stanley was my husband; Larry and Darrel were our sons. All killed
in action, all Marines."
She stopped, whether she had finished, or couldn't
finish, I don't know. She made her way to her car, slowly, and painfully.
I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed
it over to Kevin, waiting by the car.
"Get to the "Out"- gate quick. I
have something I've got to do."
Kevin started to say something but saw the look I gave him. He broke
the rules to get us there down the service road. We beat her. She hadn't
made it around the rotunda yet.
"Kevin, stand to attention next to the gate post. Follow my lead."
I humped it across the drive to the other post.
When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began
the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny's
voice:
"TehenHut! ----------
Present Haaaarms!"
I have to hand it to Kevin, he never blinked an eye; full dress attention
and a salute that would make his DI proud. She drove
through that gate with two old worn-out soldiers giving her a send
off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing
Duty, Honor and Sacrifice.
I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.
Are YOU a TRUE AMERICAN?
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the
phrase, "One nation, under God."
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You've never protested about seeing the 10
Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You still say "Christmas" instead of
"Winter Festival."
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You bow your head when someone prays.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You stand and place your hand over your heart
when they play the National Anthem.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect,
and always have.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You've never burned an American flag.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You know what you believe and you aren't
afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You respect your elders and expect your kids
to do the same.
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.
God Bless the U S A ! Amen
Check
It Out - Great Holiday Recipes
From the HAYS
(Kansas) DAILY NEWS
by R. W. Yeager
Norton, Ks.
Cheers on Corridor Three
by LTC Bob Bateman
10:30 hours (local EST), Friday, 11 May 2007: Third Corridor, Second Floor, The
Pentagon:
It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to
the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly
renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright.
At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a
few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep
against the walls.
There are thousands here. This hallway, more than any other, is the
"Army" hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is
around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends
who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each
other, cross the way and renew. Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains
down the center. The air conditioning system was not
designed for this press of bodies in this area. The temperature is rising
already. Nobody cares.
10:36 hours (local EST):
The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of
the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It
is an applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down
the length of the hallway. A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the
pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his
presence. He is the first. He is
missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still
suppurating.
By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.
Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as
they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of these
events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a
little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden ...
yet. Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair