I had breast cancer!

I didn't forget that...just didn't consider it relevant to this blog...I recently began to understand that it is relevant to everything I am. I am a 3 year survivor!

U.S. Air Force...Enlisted Puke for 8 years

Another time or two I'll spill my guts on this but overall I can't think of a more defining point in my life. I learned I could do whatever I set my mind to...and I did it well! Whiteman AFB Missouri 351st Transportation Squadron from 1978 - 1982. Grand Forks AFB North Dakota 321st Transportation Squadron from 1982 - 1985. On my very first Squadron Commander's intake interview I told him I thought becoming an officer was a waste of my talent...and realized it was true. He inducted me into the Turtle Society...you'll never get anywhere if don't stick your neck out!

Got some catchin up to do!

While having my nails done (Gel-Us Nails, Kim's terrific!) I mentioned that I'd been in the Air Force. Kim said I'd never mentioned that. So I looked back...there's a lot of stuff I haven't mentioned!

Check the facts - Obama & Language

Had a conversation recently with colleagues regarding politics. One said she didn't vote for Obama because he said we should learn to speak Spanish to help out immigrants. Another person in the conversation said she'd seen that speech as well and voted McCain. I was shocked, that I hadn't heard this one and late yesterday went on-line to check it out. Sure enough, I was able to find the speech by googling "Obama on Spanish". I listened carefully. The main points of the speech went "I agree that immigrants should learn English..." but what's more important is that we "need to make sure our children learn another language." There was no hint of "helping out immigrants". It was pretty obvious to me, although not to the Faux News twits that I also watched briefly (more than 2 minutes of Fox News and I start to gag), that Obama was strongly encouraging Americans to become citizens of the world, to broaden our understanding of other cultures, and to encourage our children to learn other languages just as other countries in the world do.

We don't hesitate to chastise our school systems when our children rank low in world standings on math and sciences, so why are suddenly protective of that same system that limits our childrens' ability to communicate outside our borders?

John Boehner - Ohio Embarrassment!

I'm am appalled and incensed that Boehner is taking up precious time to pull his latest stunt of telling Nancy Pelosi to prove her assertion that she was lied to by the CIA or step down. We've got bigger problems he needs to attend to instead of being a pest and an embarrassment to the state of Ohio. In depth analysis of the issue from both sides by FactCheck leaves us with few facts and no conclusions. But the question is...who cares! We know the Bush administration lied to us so why would we think they wouldn't lie to Congress? And I repeat...who cares! We've got problems way bigger than this on-going he-said she-said thing.

Shut up Boehner and get busy on stuff that really matters to the people of Ohio!

Cavs loose 9th game in Playoff! Ack!!!

Excruciating! I watched the game from start to finish. We were up throughout the first three quarters and then...WTF! 106 to 107 we lost! And that was after that incredible 40+ foot hail mary that Mo threw what should have been a 4 pointer at the half-time buzzer. Amazing happened in the Q! Mo Deep!

Get that Weak Stuff Outta Here!

Talk about Amazing...that's me, amazed that I'm enjoying and I mean fanatically enjoying! the Cleveland Cavaliers. Them's my boyz!!! I know the players, I know who they play against, I know what they do and how they do it. I know what "points in the paint" means, for pete's sake. I can hold intelligent conversations with my sports-know-it-all nephew Pete, although he probably would rather hold these conversations with anyone but his aunt. I have the Cavs logo on my IM...and now I have it here. OMG - I even know who Austin Carr is and I look forward to hearing his newest stuff but I really love his "Deep in the Q!"

Another take on Torture

Jesse Ventura was on The View and intelligently spoke about Torture, prosecuting those who tortured or told others to torture, and generally shot down some of the odd bits of trivia and tripe generally espoused by the right.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/18/ventura-and-hasselbeck-de_n_204774.html

Abu Graib and the Bad Apples

In 2004 President George W Bush lied to the people of the world and said that the torture being carried out at Abu Graib was not authorized and was conducted by a "few bad apples". 7 soldiers were then prosecuted and convicted of torture even while their commander, Brigidier General Janice Karpinski, declared to all who would listen that these soldiers had been acting under orders. Karpinski was forced to retire even while she publicly requested a court martial. Now, 5 years later we have proof that President George W Bush, Vice-President Dick Cheney, and all of their minions lied. Worse, they allowed subordinants to take the blame for their own orders.

The current rant in Congress and the Press asks / demands that the people who performed the torture should not be exempt from prosecution. We have already prosecuted 7 soldiers for torture. 7 soldiers who, by the words of their commander, were ordered to perform those actions even under protest. Bush and his cohorts in the department of defense willingly and knowingly threw these men and women to the wolves to cover their own culpability. These soldiers should be pardoned and deserve a public apology from Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and every General and military officer involved. Conduct unbecoming....

If we do not prosecute Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, etc. then we as a country have sacrificed our integrity and we deserve no standing in the world court.

BFF and the gamma knife

My BFF goes under the gamma knife this coming thursday. Diagnosed with melanoma about 4 years ago, this isn't the first time but I pray it is the last.

Tea Parties: Let me see if I've got this right...

We're traitors and terrorists if we speak out against GW Bush and his policies, but we're patriots if we display signs like this. (Obama cutting Uncle Sam's throat.)

I'm boycotting all Fox TV.

Seal (April 3, 09) Windsor

Though I love his music I can say I've been to better concerts.

He seemed stiff and uneasy. The backgrounds were intrusive. So was the audience for that matter. I kept hearing, "Where's Hiedi!" Strange that this incredibly talented singer/song writer may become known as the "The singer who married Hiedi Klum."

Back from St. Louis...Iraq

I spent a few days out in St. Louis, MO doing some Calibration training for Covidien. I met up with one of the guys I spent two weeks with in Iraq a couple of years ago. We called him Junior because he seemed so young compared to us. He's doing well. We laughed about the helmets and flack jackets, and big guns and explosions. We weren't laughing much then. Or, maybe we were.

Obama Live answering questions

Here's a new thought...the government, the president specifically, works for us! Obama has gone out of his way, in totally unprecedented ways, to keep in touch with his constituents...every American...and keep Americans in touch with him. I'm watching the "Open for Questions" live web broadcast. This is fabulous and I hope it continues. Watch the ConObamans (a reserve on Obamacons for those who are against Obama no matter what he does) come up with some way to make this effort seem a bad thing.

On the Economy

A year ago during a discussion of family finances Husband asked me what I would do with regard to said finances should he die. I jokingly said that I'd hire a financial manager and sell all of our stocks...I was joking about the financial manager but not the stocks. Husband shook his head. I just read an article in the NY Times stating that charities are hurting...some having less than a month's working capital. Last year charitable giving was at an all time high according to the news especially to universities and colleges. What did they do with all that money?!!! Well, turns out it wasn't money they were being given, it was stocks, and even when it was money to begin with the receivers of the gifting were quickly turning it into stocks and other funds.

Since the tech boom of 1995 - 2001 (how could we not have foreseen the same thing happening?) I've been saying that those people who invest their retirements in the stock market are living on virtual money. Regardless of how high or low a stock goes it's worth only the amount you get when you cash it in.

Mom's Birthday

Mom's birthday is March 27. This year it falls on a Friday and her girlfriends are taking her to a church fishfry and paying her way. A few weeks ago she had mentioned to Greg that for her birthday she wanted him and Brother3 to do some work at her house...clean up, spot painting, moving large furniture so she could clean under, etc. That was supposed to be on Saturday, the 28th. She called today to postpone because it may rain that day. So we'll take her to the chinese buffet near her house for dinner on the 28th instead. She was very pleased to have used less than a thousand gallons of water over the past month!

I thought I raised my kids better...

My daughter, 33, a "victim" of the economy has moved back home. It's a little shocking at first, to have someone who is family but usually a guest now become a fulltime resident. Five weeks into it and I'm used to it now, even enjoying it. She brought two cats with her, both young males: Mr. Kitty who we have nicknamed Boo and Beck who's always carried the nickname Doodoo. She cooks and runs errands, the daughter (remember the cats are male) and we go shopping together.

Joyful!

There are certain events in our lives that we can recall in detail...what we were doing, where we were, how we felt. In my generation those events included John Kennedy's assasination and the second plane hitting the World Trade Center as we watched the building already burning from the first plane. Yesterday I added a third event. Like the first two, this event brought tears to my eyes and a tightness in my chest. But unlike the first two, this time I cried for joy and pride. For the first time in nearly eight years I am a proud American. I watched the Obama inauguration events all day yesterday and then checked the web for those events I missed. This is one of those days that I will always remember.