Memorial Day

We observe Memorial Day today, even though the "real" Memorial Day occurs at the end of the week. Whenever we observe it, Memorial Day is designed to be a day of rememberance. It's a day when we should remember departed or absent family and friends. It's a day when we should remember our parents, grandparents, and ancestors; we should remember what they gave so that we could be where we now are. Most of all, it's a day when we should remember the sacrifices of our warriors.

These are the men and women who stood, and now stand, between us and harm. These are the men and women who are dedicated to preserving that wonderful freedom we enjoy. These are the men and women who first raised their hands and said, "yes, we can, and yes, we will." Without those who are willing to put their lives "on the line" for all of us, our Nation would not have been born, would not have survived the threat from internal civil strife, and would not have been able to help other Nations survive world-wide threats to their continued independence, twice. Without our warriors, this Nation would not be able to stand as a bulwark of freedom, an advocate for human rights, or that "shining city on the hill." Our warriors are essential. So please join me this Memorial Day, whenever you observe it, in saying a prayer for those warriors who serve. Join me in taking the time to thank a warrior for his or her service. Most of all, please take the time to remember.....

Pink Boxer Boy's Job is Safe!

Did you see the story that ran a week or so ago? The one about the Army Specialist who was asleep when the Taliban attacked his outpost in Afghanistan? Apparently, he grabbed the most important gear (his helmet, body armor, and weapon) and jumped into the fight. What made the story interesting was that a NYTimes photographer just happened to be around, just happened to snap a picture of the firefight, and just happened to catch 19-year old Army Specialist Zachary Boyd fighting the Taliban wearing flip-flops and his pink "I love NY" boxer shorts. And of course, the picture just happened to end up on the front page of the NYTimes the next day. The best thing about the story (other than Specialist Boyd's courage and commitment) was Boyd and his parents' sense of humor about the whole thing. Boyd's dad told a TV reporter that this son called and told him he might be on the front of the NYTimes; but he didn't mention that he'd be there in his undies. Later Boyd told his dad that he might not have a job, if his boss (the Commander-in-Chief, President Obama) was unhappy with his attire.

Well....Specialist Boyd's job is safe. Secretary of Defense Gates has gone on the record saying that he wants to meet Specialist Boyd and shake his hand. According to Secretary Gates, "Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage." Secretary Gates also wondered how the Specialist Boyd's unique uniform impacted the Taliban. He mused, "just imagine seeing that: a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his crosshairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare." Wait a minute.....there's a thought.....pink boxers as an issue item....might work.....well, on second thought....might not be such a great idea....

Crazy Bird!

Okay...so my mother has a crazy bird that really wants to get in her house....watch the video....the bird keeps pounding on the window with it's feet. Any theories on why, or what the bird wants? Personally, I think the bird has seen a home it likes and wants in. What do you think?

Happy Armed Forces Day!

To all of you who have chosen to serve in the Armed Forces, whether you're a member of the Guard and Reserve or whether you're on active duty....today is your day. Have a very happy Armed Forces Day, and remember that you are honored for your service. We must not ever forget that you stand watch so we can pursue the "life, liberty" and "happiness" that is our right. We should remember that you stand guard so that many of us can be oblivious to the horrors that you so willingly face. You stand; and for that we must always remember to thank you, on this day and every day.

Mother's Day

For all you mothers out there.....have a wonderful and happy Mother's Day. I hope you all are able to celebrate this day with family.

Although none of my children or grandchildren will be with me this Mother's Day, this past week I was able to visit my son the Marine and his wife before he deploys overseas to a dangerous place. My visit with them was too short, but it was great to see both of them.

I love my son and I adore his wife. My son has grown into an intelligent and capable young man with a fantastic sense of humor and strong sense of responsibility (even if he hasn't grown out of playing video games). He is a leader, not a follower. I cannot be more proud of him and the life he's chosen. He was lucky enough to meet and marry his Eternal companion, and it's obvious that they were made for each other. My son's wife is sweet, warm, and caring woman who has a steel-strong backbone (which is a good thing for a military-wife to have). I hope I made it clear to them both just how special I know they are, and how each of them are an essential part of my life.

As a mother, I dread seeing my son go off to fight our enemies in a foreign place. Yet I am proud of his decision to serve out great Nation, and support that decision with everything I am. Nevertheless, I am still a mother who wants to wrap my child in his warm, fuzzy blanket and keep him safe. I know that he is no longer the squiggly little boy who wanted to cuddle on my lap before bedtime; but I'm a mom who will always see that little boy, even if he now has a "buff" 6'2" frame.

It's hard not to want to protect your children. Like so many mothers before me who have sent their sons to war, all I can do is let him know that I love him, that I'm proud of him, and that I support him. I will trust in his training and know that he will do the best he can. I will pray for him, and the young men beside him. Most of all, I will trust in the Lord to bring him home safely to his young wife, and to the rest of us who love him.

A Boss Who Knows How to Make Decisions

I received this in my email and thought it was sufficiently funny to post here:

LETTER FROM THE BOSS.....

As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barack Obama is our President and that our taxes and government fees will increase in a BIG way.

To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%. But since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off six of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me, since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go.

So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lot and found six 'Obama' bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change; I gave it to them.

I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.

Bringing Them Home.....

h/t G.Smiley

Happy Law Day!

Today, May 1st, is Law Day! This year the ABA-sponsored topic for Law Day focuses on President Lincoln and the Legacy of Liberty. Whatever you think about the politics of the American Bar Association, their sponsorship of Law Day is a good thing. In our society, we kinda take living under the rule of law for granted (sometimes). It's good to remind folks that living within the law is an essential part of the liberty we enjoy.

Today, I had the pleasure of going to "Flyover Country's County High School" to give a Law Day presentation to some of the students. What a blast! Not only were the kids polite, but they actually paid attention (for the most part). We had a great discussion about the civil war, President Lincoln, current events, the writ of habeas corpus, and how should the "balance" between civil liberties and National security even out. These kids had some very interesting perspectives on most of the topics. Gives me hope for the future!

Boy Scouts

My children are grown. They are all wonderful people and successful in the life they've chosen to live. My eldest daughter is a USAF helicopter pilot and wonderful mother. My youngest daughter is a loving, caring, wife and mother who has chosen to stay at home while her children are young. My son serves as a US Marine. I raised them all as best as I could; but like most mothers, there are things I wish I would have done differently. For example, I wish I would have encouraged my son to participate more fully in Scouting. He was involved in Boy Scouts, to a small degree, but I didn't encourage it as I should have. I have come to believe that Scouting teaches boys and young men how to work together as a group and how to be self-reliant. It's a great program.

If you want an example of how Scouting can help a young man mature, check out this story posted on FoxNEWS.com. Kudos to this young man for keeping his cool and doing what he needed to do to survive when he couldn't get off the mountain.

Senate Social Networking....

I'm not surprised by Senator Specter "defecting" to the Democratic party. He's been a Democrat in sheep's clothing for a long time. Although I'm not surprised at his switch, I'm saddened for those Republican constituents who voted for him, believing that they were voting for a Republican. I know that voters should evaluate a candidate based on the candidate's personal integrity and policies and not a political affiliation, but the party a candidate belongs to does say something about their political "approach" and may have had an impact on some voter's choice. For that voter, Senator Specter's defection must seem like a classic "bait and switch" gambit.

Slate has an interesting, and unique, way to look at the senate and it's interaction. They've developed a "Facebook-style visualization" of the Senate's "social networking" by grouping together those Senators who have voted together more than 65% of the votes in 2009. It's "way cool" and a "must see." Go check it out!

h/t Cassandra

Spring

I love Spring-time. I've been trying my best to be an optimistic person, and I find that it's easier to see the brighter-side of life when the sun is shining and flowers are blooming. Here in fly-over country, there are still overcast days, and days when the wind is bound and determined to blow every scrap of dirt and dust into the next county (along with assorted lawn chairs and garbage cans). But in-between the dreary days, the cold days, and the blustery days, there are the wonderful, bright, sunshiny days that give life to the beauty of this Earth.

I also love Spring for the promise it brings; of Summer-fun, fresh vegetables, and family reunions. Sunny Spring makes these things seem just that much closer. When it's sunny, warmer, and the flowers are blooming, it just seems that everything good in life is possible and (hopefully) within reach. So, I love Spring. I hope your Spring is full of sunshine, beautiful flowers, and optimism. Don't forget to "stop and smell the flowers" along the way. After all, life is too short not to live it and Spring doesn't last all that long; even in "flyover country."

Snap Judgments

FoxNews reports that Iranian President Ahmadinejad has, again, verbally attacked both Israel and the United States, this time (ironically) at a racism conference sponsored by the United Nations. Why doesn't this surprise me? I really didn't think that President Obama's attempt to reach out to the Iranians with a speech on their TV would really open dialog between the two countries; so I wasn't surprised when it's obvious that nothing will open the minds of the Iranian leaders. They've made up their minds; Israel and it's supporters (most notably the United States) are cruel, racist and evil; and need to be wiped off the face of the earth. They've made their judgment and it will stand; no matter what.

Ever know someone like that; someone who makes their mind and won't change it? Like the Iranian leaders, they tend to be scary. Now I'm not talking about someone who has principles and lives by them. I'm talking about someone who makes a snap judgment about a person, place or thing, based on limited or superficial information, and refuses to listen to "the other side of the story" or look beyond the surface.

I've found myself doing just that, making a judgment about a person based on how they looked, and I learned a huge lesson when I was proven wrong. I met a certain person at a workshop a couple of years ago. This person was (by far) not the most attractive person I've ever met and additionally had some very annoying verbal habits. I immediately found myself put off by this person, and at first wasn't willing to look past the person's homeliness or listen to this person's discussions. It wasn't until I forced myself to look at my own reaction to this person's surface characteristics and feel shame for it, that I was able to open up to this person and find out just what a wonderful, warm, and intelligent friend this person could be. This person's inputs made the workshop a success and I would have missed out if I hadn't been able to see that I was wrong for making a snap judgment based on purely surface characteristics.

I think that's why I like the video of British singer Susan Boyle. (See my post on Dreamin'.) Ms Boyle is certainly not the prototype for a young (she's 47 years old), svelte, "hip," singing-star. In fact, she's just about everything opposite. She's an unemployed woman "of certain age," who stayed home to care for her elderly mother, rather than pursue her dream of being a singing star. You can tell from the reactions of the judges and the crowd that they expected Ms Boyle to be something of a joke; purely based on her appearance and her mannerisms. Like I did, they made a snap judgment based on superficial things. Then she started singing and it was wonderful. Her voice is as beautiful as her appearance is not. I hope that Ms Boyle achieves her dream of being a singing star, she certainly has the talent for it. I also hope that Ms Boyle's success will teach us that difficult lesson: we should not make snap judgments based on superficial things. People are complicated beings and there's always more to them that what appears on the surface.

I don't think the Iranian leadership will ever open their minds and look at their judgment that Israel should not exist, and that her supporters are "racist." They are so firmly entrenched in their judgment that no amount of outreach and dialogue, by the US or any other country, will change their minds. I hope that President Obama and his foreign policy advisers realize this simple fact, that the Iranians are entrenched in their racist philosophy and flawed judgment, and I hope they realize it soon.