Wednesday's Hero

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Kathy

Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie
41 years old from Ann-Arbor, Michigan


Specialist Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie is a Iraqi American U.S. Army linguist soldier, from Ann-Arbor, Michigan who was kidnapped on October 23, 2006 in Baghdad and has not been seen since.

al-Taayie joined the Army in 2004 to help not only his country, the United States, but also his birthplace of Iraq and was deployed in 2005. On October 23, 2006 he was visiting his wife in the Karrada Shiite neighborhood in central Baghdad when he and his cousin were kidnapped by a group calling themselves Ahel al-Beit Brigades. His cousin was released shortly after. On November 2, 2006 al-Taayie's uncle received a ransom demand of $250,000 for his return. Along with the ransom came a grainy video that showed a man beaten up who was identified as al-Taayie. No more has been heard from al-Taayie or his captures.

For more information on Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie you can go here

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. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Just In Case You Need A Giggle

An Experience

Before I let any of you read any further, I took some time deciding if I should even write this post. It took me even longer to decide to go through with actually posting it. It is about something that happened to me Friday night. It hurt me pretty deeply.

On Friday, my husband and I were with some of our closest friends at a place all of us love. We go there often to visit with each other. We all enjoy our time there a great deal. It is a family fraternity that my husband and I are both members of. My parents are also members there. Many of the men there are my father's age, and many of them veterans. I am very proud of all of them.

I was talking to a lady friend of mine, and telling her that on Saturday I was going with my son's cub scout pack to the veterans cemetery to place flags on the graves, and that I was very excited to be able to do this. These are of course just some of the men and women who deserve to be remembered.

The gentleman to her left, also a friend of ours, and a veteran, took that opportunity to remind me that I had no idea what I was doing as I had never been to a war, or even in the armed forces, and that I should just let veterans forget about the whole thing and let it go.

As I am sure you can all guess, I didn't mean to offend anyone, least of all a veteran. I had no idea that my showing my gratitude and being so happy to do so would be a problem for someone. I said as much, but probably not in so many words. I was too busy being hurt by his words and on the verge of tears to be too eloquent.

This person went on to say that I just shouldn't talk. I should listen. I should listen to what they have to tell me. This is something I have always done, but they rarely tell me anything. As this gentleman said before, he, and many others, want to bury their past. I have been respectful of that, and even understand it. I have tried to anyway. I might ask a question, but I have never pushed the issue as some of the memories have got to be painful. I voiced all of this (at least the majority of it), and then said "I am listening, so tell me what it is that you think I am not hearing". To this he told me again to stop talking.

I wasn't sure where any of this was coming from. I had just mentioned to someone else that I was excited to be able to go to the cemetery with the kids and place flags on the graves of those who done a duty to all Americans. I am proud of those people. Those that have served for this country have my complete and total respect. They have my love and admiration. They are the reason that I can be proud to be an American. I may have mentioned some of this to my friend as well as I remember that he started talking about how I only have the privilege of being an American because of the veterans. Like I didn't know that!

He went on to talk about how as a woman I had no right to have an opinion about politics, or the military. Isn't that what he was fighting for? Well, yes, but that didn't mean that I had any idea what I was talking about. I was in tears by now. Maybe I don't have any idea what I am talking about. I simply looked at him and said that I was sorry, and that I wouldn't bring up going to the cemetery with the scouts and putting flags on graves within ear shot of him again. I promptly order a stiff drink and proceeded to ignore him the rest of the night.

I am still hurt by this event. None of it made sense. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from and I sure as hell wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him. Answer me this. Why do I have to care about what everyone else says, and how they feel when the same courtesy can not be extended to me? I bet you money he hasn't thought about that night since it happened. I can't seem to shut it off...

On a happier note, as I have posted previously, I went to the cemetery and placed flags. I called my father this morning and thanked him for what he was willing to do in Vietnam, and thanked him coming home alive and being my father. As my father he raised me to know that sacrifices have been made, and that I wouldn't be able to do and say the things I can now if it hadn't happened that way. I even thanked him for never telling me that I had to be quiet because I hadn't been there. He didn't understand that, but I didn't explain it because it would have made him angry to know someone else had. I simply said, "don't worry dad. Thank you". I then went outside and hung my flag on the side of the apartment after killing a spider that was on my wall with my shoe.

A Couple of Songs

I have never been to war because I had other great Americans that did that for me. I have loved these songe since they first started getting air time on the local radio stations. I imagine they probably tell a great deal of the truth, but as I said, I haven't been there. You wonderful men and women out there are going to have to tell me if I am on the right track.

I will say this again, and will continue to, Thank you for all that you have done. There is at least one family in Nevada who won't forget what has been done for us.

In Honor Of Memorial Day - A Special Wednesday's Hero

A special thanks to Greta and Silke of Hooah Wife for their help.

To every man and woman who has served and is serving in the United States military, thank you for everything that you do and have done. And every man and woman who's given their life for the cause of freedom will never be forgotten.

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. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

A Memorial Day Video Tribute

For CD's Viewing Pleasure

This post is for my son, Captain Dramatic, who is away on a long camping trip with his father. CD will have to wait until he gets home to watch this, but he will be in hysterics when he does. You know how eight year olds find bodily functions so amusing...


Click Here for more great videos and pictures!

[PPP] The Police

I bet none of you knew that I was a fan of The Police, or just how much I have always enjoyed their music. It is really good to hear that they are back with a new album and will be touring again. My only hope now is that they stop somewhere near my home on their world wide tour.

The very first song of theirs that I remember hearing from them and immediately fell in love with was "Roxanne" from their album "Outlandos d'Amour" that was released in 1978. It was after I heard this song, which was long after 1978, that I started trying to get a chance to listen to other music by The Police. I soon discovered that I would love a lot of their other songs as well, and their music would become very memorable for me. Many of their songs still hold memories captive in my mind. They are the type of songs for me that stay with you as part of the memory. They are the type of song that you will hear as you are driving down the road and immediately be transported back to a time and place you had thought was forgotten.

I have very fond memories of school dances where the songs "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" or "Every Breath You Take" would be played. These songs were very moving and romantic. Also, I can ever forget the hours I spent trying to decipher the hidden meaning of "Message In A Bottle". To this day, I am sure that this one song can mean many different things to many different people. Do you remember the song "Don't Stand So Close To me"? Although I could have never related to that song on a personal level, it told a wonderful yet frightening story, and was always one of my favorites.

There are many other songs The Police recorded that I will never forget for one reason or another. They are truly legendary in my mind. For this reason I am beside myself with anticipation as I hopefully pray and wait for a tour date near my home. What a thrill it would be to finally see them in concert! With any luck I might just see them arrive near enough to here for me to be able to drive to their concert.

In the mean time I will be attempting to get a copy of the latest Police CD. Here are the songs that will be on it.




The Police CD

Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Fallout
2. Can't Stand Losing You
3. Next to You
4. Roxanne
5. Truth Hits Everybody
6. Hole in My Life
7. So Lonely
8. Message in a Bottle
9. Reggatta de Blanc
10. Bring on the Night
11. Walking on the Moon
12. Don't Stand So Close to Me
13. Driven to Tears
14. Canary in a Coalmine

Disc: 2
1. Do Do Do de da da Da
2. Voices Inside My Head
3. Invisible Sun
4. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
5. Spirits in the Material World
6. Demolition Man
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Synchronicity I
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking in Your Footsteps
11. Synchronicity II
12. King of Pain
13. Murder by Numbers
14. Tea in the Sahara

This is a sponsored post.

Ask Captain Dramatic

Captain Dramatic is off on a long weekend camping trip. I am horrible at planning ahead, so I didn't ask him anything prior to his departure. Instead, I thought I would take all of you on a walk down memory lane, and revisit one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed Captain Dramatic do. I hope I can recant this story in a way that does it justice.

This happened when CD was about three years old. My parents had been over for a visit that evening, and we were all standing at the curb in front of the house saying our goodbyes, talking about all sorts of things, and trying to say our goodbyes again. Saying goodbye in my family, even if just for a few days, is often a very long and drawn out process. Chances are, my parents had been talking about leaving and heading home for over an hour before we finally made it the front yard.

As we are all standing outside talking, and joking, and trying to keep a three year old CD out of the street, my father must have felt the urge to pass the latest in a never ending stream of gas. Gross right? It gets better.

My father looks at his young grandson son and says, "pull my finger". Well, we all know what the outcome is going to be. At least I thought we all knew. Evidently, CD has manged to escape this lesson for the last three years of his life, and I still haven't figured out just how he managed that, but he did.

With the innocence that only a three year has, he eagerly reached up and pulled grandpa's finger. Out roars the most amazing fart I have ever heard, and I spent the first 17 years of my life living in his house. CD looks at his grandfather with awe and wonder and says, "PaPa! How did you do that?"

I don't think I have ever laughed that hard in my life!

Saturday's Super Site

This weeks Saturday's Super Site belongs to Chuck at From My Position...On The Way. Once again, this is a blog that I have been reading for quite some time. Chuck is one of the many great Americans that make up our armed forces. He is a tank Commander and a US Army Major. He was also wounded in battle.

He has a very unique writing style, and from what I can tell, there are very few things he won't say. That is what I enjoy most! I enjoy the refreshing honestly and personal perspective displayed in his posts.

Please visit Chuck and see for yourself.

You can learn about how to nominate a site by clicking on the graphic above. I would love to start seeing some nominations.

Congratulations Captain Dramatic!

Congratulations to Captain Dramatic! CD has earned his Cub Scouts Wolf Badge!

It took all year, but he did it! CD, Dad-E and I are very proud of you! All of your hard work paid off. Keep up the good work.

I have posted some photos for all of you to enjoy below. They are thumbnails, so you can click on the image to see a larger view.


Here I am pinning my sons wolf badge on his shirt. When he does a good turn, we will affix his badge to his shirt permanently and I will get to keep his pin. No, I am not that short (I am 5'6"), my son is just that tall.


Here is CD randing and waiting for the other boys in the den to receive their achievements and join him.


This is CD and I, and the other two boy that had also earned their wolf badges. I am very proud of all of the boys. They worked very hard, and their hearts are very good.


Here is a picture of four of my six boys.


This is a great picture that lets you know what I deal with at every meeting. They are lucky I like them so much.


They really are great.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who served our country. Some gave a lot, and others gave all. All of them gave more than I was capable of giving. To all veterans I am grateful. I am grateful for their sacrifices, and those that their families have made, that have enabled me to be free. I am grateful for the sacrifices that have been made and are still being made to sustain my freedom and the freedom of the others in this great land.



To all of you and to your families I give my heartfelt thanks. I give the same tearful thanks to all those who went before my time and did the same. Without all of them, and all of you, we would not be who we are today. You will forever have my gratitude, and should there ever be anything that I can do to help any of you, I do hope you will give me the opportunity to do what I can to return the favor and show my gratitude.




Maybe I wasn't able to do a lot today, but I did manage something. I wanted to share this with all of you as it was a beautiful site, and a tribute that deserves to be shown all over the world. Many of you know that I volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America. I am Cub Scout Den Leader for pack 494 in Fernley, Nevada. Every year our pack (and many other local Packs and Troops from the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Brownies) gathers at the Fernley Veterans Cemetery, and spend the morning placing flags on the memorials and graves of the men and women who have selflessly served this great nation. I took some pictures today, and I have posted the thumbnails below. Please click on the images for a larger view.


Veterans Cemetery, Memorial Day 2007, Fernley, Nevada


Two Cub Scouts Reading the headstones ar Fernley Veterans Cemetary


Two Boy Scouts making sure that no soldier has gone without a flag.


Veterans Cemetery, Memorial Day 2007, Fernley, Nevada


Veterans Cemetery, Memorial Day 2007, Fernley, Nevada


Two local soldiers visiting the cemetery on this day of remembrance. I have had the names on the uniforms blacked out as they are both are active duty in the United States Air Force, and I wouldn't want any harm to ever come to them. They are due to be married soon, and are a delightful couple. My family and I wish them all the best.

Blogger's Chioce Awards

I haven't been doing so well in the rankings at the Blogger's Choice Awards. Actually, it could be really embarrassing, if I let it. The voting isn't over, but the top ranked blogs are all up in the hundreds, and then there is me, with nine being the highest number I have climbed to in any of the categories. The only part that really irks me is that Rosie O'Donnell and Daily Ko's are beating me. Ok, it doesn't really bother me all that much. I am certainly not loosing sleep at night.

The point of this blog is not to whine about my low score, and I hope that isn't how it sounded as I was trying to be funny, but to instead thank those of you who do take the time to read what I write, and to thank those of you who did vote for me. That truly is enough. It is greatly appreciated, and it is nice to know that I do have a few friends out there. After all, it isn't quantity, it's quality. All of you are the BEST!

I should also give a special thanks to my wonderful husband who made my flashy and very original voting buttons.

[PPP] Even More Oppurtunity From Pay Per Post

Many of you have noticed that I am one of the many bloggers who blog for Pay Per Post. It has proved to be a great way to earn some extra cash. The best part for me is that I can chose which services and products I want to blog about. I know many of you have heard me say all of this before, but I just can't stress enough the benefits that the Pay Per Post program offers to those who take up the challenge.

Pay Per Post isn't like a lot of the other "advertise in your blog" programs. Other services, like ReviewMe, can keep up to half the money that you earn, in fees. Pay Per Post has never been like that, and now they have introduced another feature that allows you to make money, and gives you even more opportunity to do so.

If you look on the right side of my page, there is a new widget from Pay Per Post in addition to the widgets already present. The new widget allows me to work directly with advertisers. That means that instead of waiting for an opportunity I like to come up on the Pay Per Post boards, and then clicking on it to find that all of the opportunities for that post have been taken, I now have a way for advertisers, who like my writing, to contact me directly, and give the opportunity to me. The part that really tickled my fancy is that I get to set the minimum pay for my services, and that I can also negotiate with the advertiser based on their requirements. I get to do all of this without having to post or hand out my email address to the entire planet in the process, and Pay Per Post always ensures that I have met the requirements the advertiser and I have agreed to, and that I get paid for my services.

Now, Pay Per Post will still earn some of my money, but only 10%, as opposed to 50-100% other services will take from your earnings. Pay Per Post's 10% isn't anywhere near the hit you could take in your earnings elsewhere, and 5% of that 10% goes towards credit card and PayPal processing fees, which of course, is how I get paid. I certainly can't complain about getting paid.

I hope you will all consider looking in to Pay Per Post, and all of the great features it provides to its advertisers and bloggers. Feel free to click on one of the forms at the bottom of my page if you would like to give a try yourself.

This Is Hilarious!

Just hilarious! Enjoy!

Wednesday's Hero

Pfc. Joseph Allen Jeffries
21 years old from Beaverton, Oregon
Army Reserve’s 320th Psychological Operations Company
May 29, 2004


Below is all the information that could be found on Pfc. Joseph Jeffries.

Pfc. Jeffries was killed with two fellow soldiers, Capt. Daniel W. Eggers and Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Mogensen, and an unnamed sailor, when their vehicle drove over an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan. All four service members were attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Betsy, and his parents Mark and Linda Jeffries.

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. To find out more about Wednesay Hero, you can go here.

Americans Who Oppose Harry Reid

I am not the only one who can not stand Harry Reid! There is an entire web site devoted to it! I am happy to report that it is run by someone local to Northern Nevada. They even organized an opposition protest outside of the Senator's office in Carson City, Nevada. You can read all about the protest and other items by clicking here.

Just Thought I Would Share

How Much Is Your Blog Worth?

Count Ramblings had posted this on his site on the 17th. I thought it was interesting, and thought I would share.

My blog is worth $72,825.66.
How much is your blog worth?

How much is your blog worth?

The Ant and The Grasshopper

*OLD VERSION*:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building
his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and
plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

************************************************************

*MODERN VERSION:*

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building
his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and
plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the ant should be warm and well fed while others are
cold and starving.

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the
shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home
with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper
is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper, and everybody
cries when they sing, "It's Not Easy Being Green." Jesse Jackson stages a
demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the
group singing, "We shall overcome." Jesse then has the group kneel down to
pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Nancy Pelosi & John Kerry exclaim in an interview with Larry King
that the ant has go tten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call
for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.
Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act
retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The ant is fined for failing to
hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay
his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.

Hillary gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper in a
defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of
federal judges that Bill Clinton appointed from a list of single-parent
welfare recipients.

The ant loses the case.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits
of the ant's food while the government house he's in, which just happens
to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain
it. The ant has disappeared in the snow. The grasshopper is found dead in a
drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang
of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote.