Tom Mabe!

I had to share this with you. My husband and I were talking to his parents about this just today. I thought you would like this. IT is hysterical!

Ask Captain Dramatic

So Captain Dramatic has been really good at school and Tae Kwon Do lately. He even cleaned the kitty litter this week without being asked. As a reward, Dad-E and I decided that it was OK for him to play some computer and video games again. He really wanted to play Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, so we let him with heavy adult supervision. I am not a parent who keeps her kids from things, but I don't let do these things alone either. You have probably all guessed this though, so I will continue with the story.

Captain Dramatic was playing Grand Theft Auto, and as he usually does, crashing his cars into everything. His cars never last too long. This annoys Dad-E. Not because he destroys every car he gets, but because he has to make sound effects as he does so. That means, while watching him play, all you hear is "Dooosch" every time he crashes. This is only the most common of the oft repeated phrases while CD plays GTA.

CD: Doooosch!
Dad-E: OK, we don't need the sound effects.
CD: OK

A few minutes pass...

CD: Doooosch!
Dad-E: We don't need the sound effects CD.
CD: OK

A few minutes pass...

CD: Doooosch!
Dad-E: Stop with the sound effects please.
CD: OK


A few minutes pass...

CD: Doooosch!
Dad-E: CD! We don't need a running commentary!
Me: The sound effects really bother you don't they?
Dad-E: Yes, that is all you hear every three seconds. "doooosch", "doooosch", "sorry" as he runs someone over again, "doooosch", "doooosch", "oh no! F8", "doooosch", "doooosch", "doooosch"!
CD: *hysterical laughter*
Me: *hysterical laughter*

At this point even Dad-E had to laugh too.

To learn how you can submit your questions to Captain Dramatic, click here. Don't be shy!

Saturday's Super Site

I would really like to see some nominations, or I am afraid that Saturday's Super Site will end up going by the way-side. You can learn about how to nominate a site by clicking on the graphic above.

Update On The 17 Pound Baby

Just a quick update on that 17 pound Russian baby.

Doctor say 17-pound baby has health issues

Published: 28, 2007 at 12:53 PM
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ALEISK , , 28 (UPI) -- Medical officials report that Russia's heaviest-ever newborn -- a 17.1-pound girl born in Siberia -- has serious health problems.

"The baby is under the special care of the local health department," Galina Kagirova, the region's chief pediatrician, told RIA Novosti Friday.

The baby, named Nadezhda, a Russian word meaning " hope," was born at a maternity clinic in Aleisk Sept. 17 by Caesarean delivery.

Her mother, Tatiana Khalina, 42, said she wasn't surprised at her daughter's birth weight because the first of 11 children weighed more than 11 pounds at birth, and the others "beat the records set by their brothers and sisters," RIA Novosti reported.

The Guinness Book of Records recorded the heaviest baby, weighing 29.23 pounds, was born in Illinois but died several hours after being born due to respiratory problems. The heaviest surviving baby was born in Italy, weighing 22.5 pounds when he was born in 1955.

No mention as to what kind of problems or what that might mean for her future...

Happy 100th Birthday Gene Autry!

Happy 100th Birthday to Gene Autry who was the inspiration behind the Cowboy Code Marshals. There is a great post up about Gene Autry at Conservative Cowboy.

A 17 Pound Baby!

So I saw the following article at Yahoo, and was just beside myself.

Thu Sep 27, 4:39 PM ET

MOSCOW - A small Russian city just got a really big addition: a 17-pound, 1 ounce baby whose mother had already delivered 11 other children.

Tatiana Khalina, 42, delivered the girl by Caesarean section at a maternity clinic in Aleisk, a town of 30,000 people in the Altai region in southern Siberia, a nurse at the clinic said Thursday.

Nurse Svetlana Gildeyeva also said the Sept. 17 birth went smoothly, and mother and the child were fine. She said the baby, Nadezhda, was transferred from the small clinic to a maternity hospital in Barnaul, a larger city.

The girl was feeling well and developing normally, said Irina Kurdeka, a doctor at the Barnaul hospital.

The daily Moskovsky Komsomolets quoted the local social services chief, Marina Alistratova, as saying the family had modest means. She said Khalina's husband was on contract with a local military unit.

"We have presented them with a good washing machine, a food package and a card," Alistratova told the newspaper. "We will keep supporting them in the future."

An average weight for newborn babies is around 7 pounds, 1 ounce, according to international statistics.

The Guinness Book of World Records says the heaviest baby ever was born in the United States in 1879. It weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces and died 11 hours after birth. Guinness says they heaviest surviving baby was born in 1955 in Italy, weighing in at 22 pounds, 8 ounces.

What were my first thoughts? I thought you would never ask. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor, I breathed a sign of relief that the baby was delivered by C-section. Then I thought about how most babies born this size are a side-effect of gestational diabetes, but I could be wrong about that. If I am not, do they not treat that in Russia? I was going to leave it at that, but then I just had to find pictures of this enormous baby. Here are a few.










I am going to keep any further thoughts on this "little one" to myself, but feel free to have your own say in comments.

Do You Have Your Affairs In Order?

So if you died tomorrow how would you be sure your library book was turned in on time? Would you leave that expense to your loved ones? Evidently the folks in Harrison, New York want you to be sure you have this covered as well.

Wed Sep 26, 10:18 PM ET

HARRISON, N.Y. - Even the dead apparently have to pay the fines on their overdue books at one Westchester County library. Elizabeth Schaper said she was charged a 50-cent late fee while turning in a book that her late mother had checked out of a Harrison Public Library branch.

"I was in shock," Schaper said. "This has rocked me to my core."

Schaper's mother, Ethel Schaper, died at the age of 87 on Sept. 16 after suffering a massive stroke. A few days later, Schaper said she found a library book, "The Price of Silence," by Camilla Trinchieri, that her mother had checked out from the library.

"My mother was an avid reader — she read an average of two books a week," Schaper said. "She was a frequent patron of the library."

Schaper said she returned the book last week, and was stunned when the man behind the library counter told her of the 50-cent fee.

"I told him that maybe he didn't hear me right, that my mother had just died, otherwise I'm sure that she would have returned it on time," Schaper said. "His only reply was that, 'That will be 50 cents.'"

Connie Perrotta, a secretary for the director of the Harrison Public Library, confirmed the incident occurred but said that the library would have no comment.

Schaper said a couple days after the incident another library employee called to apologize and offered to return the fine she had paid.

Even though I am sure that the local library system has heard it all, I am not sure they should have made a big stink over $.50...

Wednesday's Hero

Lance Cpl. Cory Jamieson
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Personal Security Detachment, Headquarters and Support Company, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, attached to Regimental Combat Team 2


Hippocrates once said, "Art is long, life is short".

Cpl. Jeremy David Allbaugh lived a short life. But, he was immortalized recently in acrylics by a Lance Cpl. Jamieson who painted a mural in his honor.
"I feel sad because it is for him, but it makes me happy because I can still do something for him," said Lance Cpl. Jamieson. "I thought about it during the ceremony in the chapel. I looked up at the stained glass windows and I thought 'I should do something like that'".

Along with help from family, a fellow Marine and a Morale, Wefare and Recreation manager, Jamieson had the paint and tools needed.

"I would paint eight or nine hours in the gym and time would fly by," Jamieson said.


Cpl. Jeremy David Allbaugh, 21 years old from Luther, Oklahoma, was killed by a roadside bomb on July 5, 2007 while conducting combat operations in Qaim, Iraq.

"He believed very strongly in what our country's doing," said his mother, Jenifer Allbaugh. "They were doing good things over there, and we don't see that in the news or media. There's a lot of progress being made. I wish more people would talk to our boys who are in it and not our politicians because they see it firsthand".

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Ask Captain Dramatic

So Dad-E decided to show Captain Dramatic a video tonight. He saw it on-line this weekend, and thought CD would enjoy it. He just had to show CD tonight, after CD went off for the millionth time about how fast all of his dad's cars were and how cool his dad's quads were, etc. Now, we don't mind CD talking about his dad and his dad's stuff, but I would be lying if I said that after hearing it as often as we have we didn't become a little bothered. Showing CD this video quieted him down about his dad's stuff. It also left Dad-E begging for a million and a half dollars. Here is the video:



The video even left me with my jaw on the floor. It also led to the following statement:

Me: Oh My God! I think I would have been screaming at around 150 miles an hour to stop the ride and let me off! I would have literally shit my pants at 200 miles per hour!

CD: *hysterical laughter*

Yep! I am so eloquent aren't I? Oh well!

To learn how you can submit your questions to Captain Dramatic, click here. Don't be shy!

Saturday's Super Site

As we draw nearer to what will be the presidential race of 2008, a site was brought to my attention that I thought we should all check out. OK, so we are already in the midst of the presidential race for the White House in 2008, I have no idea who I was trying to fool, but this site may just be what we need as registered voters.

For this reason, this week's Saturday's Super Site is National Platforms. Accproding to the very first page you see

"If you're like the majority of Americans, you're not even sure who will get your vote for the presidential primaries.

Save your time! Instead of going around to all the different candidates' websites or MySpace pages, everything you want to know about the presidential candidates can be found here - unbiased and direct from the source."

This is a great thing if you ask me, and it sure takes cuts right to what matters for the most part. I urge all of you to take a look for yourselves. A lot of work must have gone into the information placed on the candidates pages.

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

Wednesday's Hero

1st Lt. Forrest P. Ewens
26 years old from Tonasket, Washington
1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)
June 16, 2006


The love of Megan Ewens's life arrived at Arlington National Cemetery on July 7, 2006. His ashes inside a small wooden box, the box inside a coffin, the coffin draped with an American flag and carried on a caisson pulled by six black horses.

Lt. Forrest P. Ewens had shipped out for Afghanistan in March of that same year. His wife, being the same rank in the Army, understood the risks, telling a colonel at Fort Drum, N.Y., that if anything happened to her husband, she didn't want to hear about it from a stranger.

On June 6, 2006 Lt. Ewens and Sgt. Ian T. Sanchez were killed when ATV struck an IED while on combat operation in Pech River Valley, Afghanistan.

A few weeks before his death, Lt. Ewens called his wife from an Afghan mountain to inform her that his unit had been subsisting on melted snow and rations and that he had been writing his impressions down in a notebook he carried.

"This was the love of her life," Megan Ewens's mother said. "They were so well-matched and made such a good team. We couldn't ask for a better son-in-law."

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Ask Captain Dramatic

I got a pretty funny email the other day, and decided that I would ask Captain Dramatic the same questions that were in email. Here are his replies, along with the replies from other children in the email.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like
sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep
the chips and dip coming. (Attaboy Alan)
-- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to
marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who
you're stuck with.
-- Kristen, age 10

CD: By reading your Chinese Horoscope.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by
then.
-- Camille, age 10

CD: 18 to 30 - because you can't have kids over 40 ands you should at least be married five years before you have kids

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at
the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8

CD: If they are holding hands and yelling at the same kids.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8

CD: They like to make car alarms go off in parking garages.

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know
each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets
them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10

CD: Dance

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the
newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-- Craig, age 9

CD: I would yell, "Shut up woman and let me talk!"

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with
that.
- - Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry
them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, age 8

CD: Anytime!

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone
to clean up after them.
-- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

CD: Married because then you can have kids! Never mind, I don't want kids. You said they would two times worse than me.

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8

CD: There would only be a few people left on earth because you can't have kids unless your married.

And the #1 Favorite is........
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump
truck.
-- Ricky, age 10

CD: OK, I'll be the man and do everything.

Yep, I have some areas of concern, and by his standards only 10 years to fix them. Wish me luck!

To learn how you can submit your questions to Captain Dramatic, click here. Don't be shy!

Oh No! A Wii Zapper! Think Of The Children!

I came home from work Friday night to find my husband laughing a great deal at a website he was reading. Of course, I had to know why he was having so much fun. He had stumbled across a site allowing comments regarding the new Nintendo Wii zapper. That's right, a gun shaped object that will be used to shoot at things on your Wii console. It was the reaction of some to this Wii zapper that had him laughing so hard. Many think that the Wii zapper is evil, and will lead to violence. Here are a few of the posts.

I think this a really dumb thing to do.. however, as a parent.. i make the choice what comes in my home.. This will not.... just because it is available doesn't mean we have to buy it.

This person may think that the Wii zapper leads to violence, which I do not agree with on any grounds, but at least this person is smart enough to know that he or she is the parent, and isn't afraid to parent his or her children.

The problem with todays video games is that they are too realistic. The games of the 70s-80s were so unrealistic that it wasn't a problem. Look at all the school shooting since the mid 90's when video games became life like. Why are we allowing young people to become proficient with guns on these simulators that are marketed to kids these days? It is a real problem that should be controlled by lawmakers.

(reply to the above post)

gcom, the typical New Jersian with the "government should think for us" mentality. Where does this madness end? Do you want your legislator's, who already do such a wonderful job of representing us through their graft and theft of tax payer funds, to chew your food and wipe your rear for you too??

if your kid has trouble distinguishing between a make believe shooting game and real life, this toy gun controller is hardly going to be the factor that ultimately leads him to kill people. It's going to be your bad parenting skills.

I could not agree more!

(another reply to the same comment)

hey gcom, you do realize of course that school shoootings took place before the "mid 90's when video games became life like." The Boomtown Rats even wrote a song ("I don't like Mondays") about a school shooting
in 1979. The shooter was a 16 year old girl. And if we want to look at the broader subject of teen shootings (not limiting ourselves to the schools) then read about Charles Starkweather.
In response to your idiotic question "Why are we allowing young people to become proficient with guns on these simulators that are marketed to kids these days?" 1) They're not just marketed to kids - they're marketed to adults as well. Daisy air rifles are marketed to kids "these days" (and those days as well). 2) I let me children become proficient with guns by starting them on BB guns. "It is a real problem that should be controlled by lawmakers. " Should we also have the lawmakers ban hair blow dryers? They look more like guns than this thing does.

Some very good points...It continues.

To the parents who think this is a bad idea, do you ban squirt guns in your house too????

You bet they do! That is the saddest part! My son has friends who's parents are like this!

People like this are one of the reasons that we are raising a generation of weakling little wussies.

Very possibly! The Wii zapper argument isn't why, but the people who would argue a Wii zapper are the same who ones who don't let their children play sports because they might get hurt, or why they don't keep score in many little league games any longer because you might give a child a complex. It all adds up, are here come the thin skinned wussies! I say score the base ball game damn it! If my son's team looses that is right where I come in as mom extrodinaire. "It's OK son, you are just going to have to try harder next time. We can practice at home. I still love you!" Geez! How hard is that really? I lost a lot when I was a kid. Hell, I lose a lot now. Therefore, I practice!

Wow, and all this coming from the generations who experimented with sex and drugs, segregated african-americans, objectified women, and found beating their own kids was the most effective way to raise them. Don't worry though, you can find solace that when you're all dead and buried in the ground, the our generation will raise the next generation right. So could you do us a favor and die quicker already? We'd like to get to work fixing your mistakes.

Perhaps a little more quietly would be nice too... Yeah, that one may have been a tad below the belt, but it makes a point. Most of the people crying over guns today, probably had toy guns as children. Are they killers, and murderers? People in glass house shouldn't throw stones.

So, let me get this straight. Toy Gun = Bad. I guess none of us grew up playing cops and robbers, shooting water pistols, shooting BB guns, shooting elastic band guns, using cap guns, shooting a rifle, hunting, playing arcade first person shooters, playing with the original Nintendo zapper, the guns made for the Sony consoles, etc!
The outrage over a stupid toy gun on this site is absolutely retarded. I mean, seriously, come on! Since when did we get so pathetic that we can't take responsibility for our own actions. The children who become shooters did not do so from games, but from mental problems, bullying, poor parenting, and lack of social skills.
If we are so concerned about children learning to shoot toy guns, which as one commenter pointed out, are not realistic in any sense (no recall, no loading, have a strap attached to them, etc) why not actually do something that makes sense, BAN REAL GUNS! Toy guns don't kill people or make killers, REAL GUNS KILL PEOPLE! Have the people who are offended by this product have no common sense? Seriously, this debate is beyond pathetic.
But if you still want to ban these toys, make sure you ban your kids from laser tag, toy swords, water guns, heck, even ban them from playing the circus/carnival games where you aim the water gun and fill up a balloon to win a prize. Make sure you never let them hunt. This makes me laugh that anyone would actually be offended by this.

OK, started off strong, but finished with banning real guns. I guess this person didn't read about my experiment. I will recap it for you. I place a loaded 9mm on my kitchen table all by itself. The shocking part about this experiment is that it didn't shoot or kill anyone. Maybe, just maybe, guns aren't evil, but SOME of the people who have them are? I also think that banning guns to keep them out of the hands of evil people won't work. Banning guns would only stop the good people who would obey the gun ban. The evil people would still get them. Ask the United Kingdom. They know the reality of this.

We should eliminate all cooking utensils from the home. Forks and knives are dangerous weapons that will illicit youth violence. Garden tools like rakes, shovels, and hoe's could be used for chopping up and getting rid of the corpses created by adolescent serial killers. The non-corn end of a broom resembles a japanese bo-staff, one of the deadliest hand weapons in history. Not to mention that a toilet plunger (with the rubber part removed) resembles a filipino kali-stick, another deadly weapon we shouldn't allow in the home. And Yo-Yo's? OMG THE
HORROR!
We should all be required to wear Nerf clothes, and eat with sporks (the really cheap fragile ones only...the good ones could put an eye out). If you cannot handle teaching your children the difference between a game and reality, then maybe you should consider putting your kids up for adoption. Your obviously not qualified.

This one was just funny. It also pointed out the other dangerous items found it life. I have even owned a pair of pants that I swear was trying to strangle the life right out of me. Don't even get me started on high heel shoes! What about pine cones? I have a very close friend who could tell you that I don't need a gun to inflict damage. All I need is a pine cone.

I see that the comparison has been made with the older Nintendo light gun, which probably looked more realistic than the Zapper for the Wii. What about the SNES Super Scope? Did that make your kids want to take a bazooka to school? The guns that come with games like Time Crisis and Vampire Night were, apart from the color, more realistic looking than the Wii Zapper. If parents don't like something, don't buy it. The parents that think this is a bad idea is exactly why the video game industry gets such a bad rap. With parents unwilling to take the blame for their kids behavior.

AMEN! Your children are your responsibility. Do your job!

I registered here just to respond to this story. As a father of 3, an executive in the high tech industry, an Orthodox Christian and an avid gamer, I have to say that this is one of the most appalling "stories" I have come across in a while. The description of the Wii Zapper that the "journalist" uses is so heavily loaded, out of touch and presents this discussion as nothing more than a sensationalist diatribe. Talk about baiting. Wow. As for some of the responses to the loaded question that the "journalist" cites in her article, they are equally ridiculous. "Great, this is what we need. Children with guns learning how to aim and shoot. Then we can sit back and wonder what is happening to our country with kids killing kids......what's next? Could we make it squirt blood, too"
Hate to tell you this, but kids have been simulating weapon play since, well, forever. Tell me that you have never picked up a bent stick as a little kid and pretended it was a weapon and I'll call you a liar. Period. Wonder what is happening with your kids? Try paying attention to them.
A "very concerned grandparent" wrote:
"....Why don't they enclose an application to the NRA in every box as well....the marketing person who came up with this brain child of an idea should be fired."
Ok "concerned grandparent", how about going after EVERY manufacturer of weapon based toys. Plastic swords, water guns, etc. Willing to bet that this "concerned grandparent" has, more than likely, never picked up a game controller but has picked up a rifle in a shooting gallery at a fair or boardwalk amusement center.
AND...here is the best one:
Another reader commented, "I think it's irresponsible for Wii to come out with a controller that looks like a gun so kids can play games simulating shooting. What kind of message are we sending as parents when we buy these things for our kids?"
First, the controller does not look like ANY gun I have ever seen except, maybe, in Star Trek or Star Wars movies. Actually, no. I have never seen any "gun" that looks like this toy.
Secondly, the only message you send YOUR kids if you purchase this against YOUR will is that your kids can control you and whine enough until you give into them. How about acting as a PARENT first and setting the examples YOU want them to learn. For goodness sake, laws are not going to control bad parenting.
Shame on this "reporter" for such obvious tripe. How about focusing on real problems to assist with parenting, like teaching parents to grow a backbone, set boundaries for their kids and learn to become a PARENT first, lest we become a society of Lohan parents who just want to party with and have their kids "like them so we can hang out".

Thank God a parent of three who has his head on strait!

Just stop it already. Toys and video games don't turn kids violent, bad parents do. This is no more dangerous than the original NES Zapper, cap guns, Super Soakers, squirt guns or any other dumb shooting toy. Stop trying to find a way to shift blame for irresponsible guardianship and absentee parenting.

I know I have said the same, on numerous occasions. Thank God I am not alone.

Oh no! We better stop letting our kids play baseball too! It's teaching them how to swing a blunt weapon at a target! Idiots.

Pretty much. That pretty much sums it up.

There are many other comments, and you can register and leave your own if you care to. This, and more, can all be found here.

Saturday's Super Site

I have been a reader of The Blogway Boys for some time. I have enjoyed Paul's take on many of the social and political issues that make the news. I have agreed almost unanimously with what he writes, and on occasion have even felt obligated to comment. I had to recognize him with the Saturday's Super Site honor because it is obvious that a lot of time is put into what is written and posted. There is heart in all that is done on this blog.

All of that, and his blog description, that appears below his blog title is:

Just spouting off about everyday news that pisses me off. In competition to be the most insignificant blog on the internet.

Most insignificant blog is definitely my rightful title. There isn't a competition. :P I have it hands down. Despite that, the humbleness present in his blog, as is showcased in his blog description, speaks volumes. The way he reacts to those that comment on his blog speaks volumes more.

Paul, keep up the good work!

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

Lunch On Wednesday

Those of you who are near enough to know me and my schedule, know it is rare for me to get away from my desk at work to have lunch. I usually eat at my desk. OK, I don't eat, I munch, but that is beside the point. Wednesday, I went to lunch. This entailed that I got in my car to run over to Wendy's that is a block away. Yes, I drove a block. I didn't want anyone at work to be able to chase me, so I drove.

An interesting thing happened at the Wendy's drive thru. I got in line, someone pulled in behind me, and then the lady in front of me wanted to back out of line. She puts the car in reverse and starts backing toward me. I have a big SUV behind me! She keeps backing. She then starts honking because I am not moving. Can she not see that huge SUV behind me! You know, the one that is dwarfing my little car? She honks again.

I put my car in reverse. Maybe the guy behind me will see my reverse lights and back up. Nope, he didn't budge. Well, he is not all that close to my bumper so I inch, and I mean inch back ever so slightly. Then he honks at me! I wasn't even close to him at this point, not that my little car would done anything more than fit neatly under his front bumper! He starts yelling at me and keeps honking with one hand and giving me the bird with the other. I threw my car in park and my hands in the air. The lady in front of me manges to squeak out without hitting anyone or anything by employing the 32 point turn.

I am now free to proceed to the speaker and place my order. I do so, and when I arrive at the first window, where I get to pay, I decide in a split second that I will buy lunch for the gentleman behind me too. I do so, and ask the cashier to tell the "nice" man behind me that I said "Thank you for reminding me how short life is, and to please smile more". I left the part about short-sighted, impatient ass off. I left the drive thru and went on my way back to work.

At the light I needed to make a left-hand turn to get back to work. The impatient honker, who just got a free lunch, was right next to me in the lane that went straight. He didn't even make eye contact, but he wasn't honking!

Wednesday's Hero

Staff Sgt. Richard P. Ramey
27 years old from Canton, Ohio
703rd Ordinance Compan, supporting the 82nd Airborne Division
February 8, 2004


Richard Ramey always knew what he was going to be. Once, while in the third grade, his teacher asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. His response? "I'll go to war and fight" Concerned by his answer, his teacher called his mother, Julie Ramey. She told her "No, that's my son".

SSgt. Ramey was killed when insurgents attacked his and other convoys in Mahmudiyah, Iraq.

"Richard loved to do his job. No matter where it would take him," said his mother. "He really felt deeply that he wanted to protect people that couldn't protect themselves"

In a statement released through Fort Knox, the Ramey family said, "He was adventurous and smart, combining both qualities in what he did for the Army. We knew his work was dangerous but also knew he wouldn't have wanted to do anything else".

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

A Tribute To September 11th

Today is September 11th. Six years ago today our nation was attacked, and thousands of innocents lost their lives. The following is a tribute to September 11th, but it arrived in my email from a very unlikely place. Jordan in Gdynia, Poland sent this wonderful tribute to me via email, and I had to share it with all of you. Jordan is a reader of this blog, so all, please send him your thanks.

I am publishing Jordan's email to me, word for word. His English is so much better than my Polish! I can't speak a word of Polish!

as every year , in my little town lost somewhere at the end of the world - at seaside of Poland ,people fold flowers and inflame candles to celebrate the memory of innocent victims of the attack on WTC which were killed from the hand of animals.
From the hand of animals which shamed to all other animals

the inscription proclaims : on September 11th,2001 our hearts stopped petrified with horror - on that day we were all New Yorkers.

-on the 1st anniversary of the terrorist attack on WTC - inhabitants of Gdynia.

my town Gdynia

Jordan, on behalf of every American I know, I would like to say thank you to you and all of the others in Gdynia who prayed for the families who lost loved ones in the World Trade on September 11th, 2001. We also send our thanks for standing beside our nation in it's grief. We are grateful, and truly blessed to have all of you as friends.

Ask Captain Dramatic

Last weekend Captain Dramatic went camping with his father over Memorial Day Weekend. He came home with some gnarly looking road rash on his right elbow. I asked him what he did, and was told that he fell of his scooter and scrapped his arm up. OK, boys do this stuff. The funny part is when I got a chance to talk to his father about it on Wednesday. I guess they had just arrived camping, and CD was riding his scooter. CD went to the top of a fairly large hill on the street leading to the camp sites. CD yelled down to his father "Watch this!", took off down the hill on his scooter, made it a few feet and rolled the rest of the way down the hill, minus the scooter beneath him. Yep. "Watch this!" is now in my list of famous last words.

No worries. The elbow is mostly healed now. CD is why I have stock in Neosporin.

To learn how you can submit your questions to Captain Dramatic, click here. Don't be shy!

Saturday's Super Site

This weeks Saturday's Super Site, is late once again. I blame the husband's birthday celebration that left me recuperating all weekend. Sorry everyone.

Without further ado, this week the honor goes to a blog that has some of the most amazing photos I have ever seen! They are breath taking, and beautiful. I know you will enjoy Light Of Soul. Below I have listed the links to my favorites.

Favorite 1
Favorite 2
Favorite 3
Favorite 4
Favorite 5
Favorite 6
Favorite 7
Favorite 8
Favorite 9
Favorite 10

There are so many there that I liked in addition to these, but these ten really caught my eye.

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

Wednesday's Hero

Sgt. Willard T. Partridge
35 years old from Ferriday, Louisiana
170th Military Police Company, 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade
August 20, 2005


Sgt. Partridge was killed by an IED that exploded near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq.

There isn't that much information about Sgt. Partridge so I though I would share some of the memories that his friends and family have of him.

"I remember Partridge from basic training and AIT. He was a very quiet guy who had a good sense of humor. I remember asking him why he joined, and he told me it was so he could take care of his family and give them a better life. I would have deployed with him any day, he was one of the good guys I graduated with. He will not be forgotten. God Bless."

"Todd was one of the best men I have ever met and I will always have great memories and admiration for him! My thoughts and prayers go out to his family!"

"I will never forget you and those awful eighteen weeks at Fort Leonard Wood. You are in every sense of the term, 'A HERO'"

"Todd was such a quite, solid person. He never demanded the attention of those around him. I remember him always just smiling while everyone else at our LARGE FAMILY get togethers made noise. I could get a hug from him, but I had to ask for it. He never assumed anything. I loved making him hug me.

Todd was a solid, faithful husband, father and man in every respect. He did what had to be done in all areas of his life. He died doing what he knew to be his job in this life. Not that he wanted to die but he wanted to serve whatever the cost might be. He knew that freedom is not free and wanted to pay his part for that freedom for himself, his wife and girls.

I have nothing but love and respect for Todd's memory and will always proudly and thankfully count him among my nephews that adore. His memory will always be honored. I thank God that He brought Todd into our family. He left his mark on it just as he did everywhere he went."


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your blog, you can go here.

Some People Should Not Be Allowed To Be Parents! Part II

My story wasn't nearly as bad as the one brought to my attention at R1ght-W!ng & R!ght M1nd3d.

This story is even more sad, and even more disgusting.

Some People Should Not Be Allowed To Be Parents!

Some people should not be allowed to be parents! It is just that simple! As if any of us needed further proof of this. Read this story.

A Bend, Oregon man was arrested Sunday in Storey County, Nevada. Why? Because he locked his two year old daughter in a car in our 90 plus degree weather while he patroned a local brothel near Mustang Ranch.

Yes, prostitution is legal in Nevada, but not in Washoe or Clark counties where Reno and Las Vegas are, but usually just out side of both counties you can find a whole slough of brothels.

Back to the story. The little girl was left in the car for two hours while her father did his business inside the brothel. Security guards found her in the car and removed her from it, and took her inside until authorities could arrive. She was suffering dehydration, but is otherwise no worse for ware. Thank God.

Her mother, in Oregon has been contacted. The child is currently in the care of Nevada child welfare services. The father, as I mentioned was arrested and is being held on charges of child neglect.

According to the Nevada Revised Statutes:

NRS 200.508 Abuse, neglect or endangerment of child: Penalties; definitions.

1. A person who willfully causes a child who is less than 18 years of age to suffer unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering as a result of abuse or neglect or to be placed in a situation where the child may suffer physical pain or mental suffering as the result of abuse or neglect:
NRS 200.508 Abuse, neglect or endangerment of child: Penalties; definitions.
(b) If substantial bodily or mental harm does not result to the child:

(1) If the person has not previously been convicted of a violation of this section or of a violation of the law of any other jurisdiction that prohibits the same or similar conduct, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 1 year and a maximum term of not more than 6 years; or

(2) If the person has previously been convicted of a violation of this section or of a violation of the law of any other jurisdiction that prohibits the same or similar conduct, is guilty of a category B felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a minimum term of not less than 2 years and a maximum term of not more than 15 years, unless a more severe penalty is prescribed by law for an act or omission that brings about the abuse or neglect.

-OR-

2. A person who is responsible for the safety or welfare of a child and who permits or allows that child to suffer unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering as a result of abuse or neglect or to be placed in a situation where the child may suffer physical pain or mental suffering as the result of abuse or neglect:

(b) If substantial bodily or mental harm does not result to the child:

(1) If the person has not previously been convicted of a violation of this section or of a violation of the law of any other jurisdiction that prohibits the same or similar conduct, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor; or

(2) If the person has previously been convicted of a violation of this section or of a violation of the law of any other jurisdiction that prohibits the same or similar conduct, is guilty of a category C felony and shall be punished as provided in NRS 193.130, unless a more severe penalty is prescribed by law for an act or omission that brings about the abuse or neglect.

We will have to wait and see if more regarding this case becomes known. It will interesting to learn the outcome. No matter what punishment this man received, it probably won't be what I feel he should get.

The Future Of Iraq

I was reading an article at Operation Iraqi Freedom, which is the official site of the Multi-National Force in Iraq. This article caught my attention, and I couldn't let it go by with out a mention. The article is titled, Diversity is strength for new Iraqi Army, and you can read the full text here.

What caught my attention, was that the article opens with this:

The strength of any democracy is the equal representation of various cultural interests; thus, the power of a military force can be measured by diversity as well. American culture takes pride in boasting equal opportunity in public service roles.

Iraqi culture mirrors this attitude, and the warriors of the Iraqi Army’s 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division – currently conducting a force integration with Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines – are a simple, flawless example of strength in diversity.

The reason this caught my attention was that I have heard all of the same reports that the rest of you have. The Sunnis and fighting the Shiite. I even had the same fears that most of you have. They just can't get along, so this is never going to work. What is surprising to me, is that there are some that have made it work, and many that are willing to try. This is a step in the right direction.

How can this happen? How did this change begin to come about? The same reason Americans are able to do the same thing. We may be from different backgrounds and religions, but we have one thing in common, and that is being American. The Iraqi's are learning that they can be Sunni and Shiite and still be Iraqi. They are learning that they have common goals in the grand scheme of things. Did you think that the Iraqis wouldn't notice that our military is made up of men and women from every walk of life, from all different religions, for all different heritages and still manage to get along? It seems that a number of them have noticed, and started taking notes.

Now, none of this is to say that the current secretarian violence is going to go away over night, as racial hatred didn't abate here over night either. This is going in the right direction though. And guess how some are accomplishing this? The same way Americans do in the work place or in social situations. What two topics do people swear they don't talk about most often? Politics and religion right? Those are the two they will start a debate or a fight any day of the week. Here is a quote from the article that I liked a great deal.

Speaking from an office at Combat Outpost Golden in Al Anbar Province here, Iraqi Army Col. Ali Jassimi, 1st battalion commanding officer, explained the cultural representation within his unit.

“My staff is Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish. We have officers from many different areas of Iraq; Mosul, Baghdad, Ramadi – and we’re all here working together,” he said. “There are many people around the world who would think this would be a problem. We are a perfect example that it is not.”

Jassimi, a native of southern Iraq, said there is a preconceived notion in some global media circles that various sectarian issues create problems within the new Iraqi Army. To combat this, he said, he avoids prejudice by ignoring religious preference altogether.

“When I get a new officer, I do not ask him if he is Shiite or Sunni. I don’t care,” he said.

The article is amazing in my opinion. It gives me hope. The article goes on that state that during field operations, if any one needed help, the all helped. The question of religious faction, or tribe never came into it. If they went into an Sunni or Shiite mosque they all prayed despite whether they were Sunni or Shiite. I am proud to say that our guys are leading by example, and the I am proud of any Iraqi who learns these important life lessons.

U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Woody Hesser, Military Transition Team commander, said within the MTT, the ethos of “one team, one fight” is clearly evident during joint operations. Hesser and his team have shadowed 1st Battalion since January, and he says with each patrol a shared interest in Iraqi security is obvious.

“We’re here fighting a war, and when we go on patrol, it’s one fight. There have never been any sectarian issues,” Hesser said. “Really, it’s almost like another Marine unit taking over, but it’s not about Marines and Iraqis, it’s about good guys versus bad guys.”

That, my friends, is the truth when looking at any country and its citizens.

On closing, I leave you with this, one last quote from the article that speaks volumes and attests to the ability to be different and co-exist, all at the same time.

“I’m from the north and I’m a Sunni,” began Iraqi Army Maj. Istabraq Ashawani. “That man over there,” he gestured, “is a Shiite. That man over there is Kurdish … everyone in this battalion is a family. We eat together, sleep together and pray together. Anything you hear on the news about us being different is not true,” he exclaimed. “Ask any Juundi or officer … we’re all the same.”

How Does History Speak Out On This Issue Of Immigration?

Now does that cartoon speak volumes or what? Does history repeat itself? Hmmmm....

For the record, I am not against immigration, it just needs to be the legal kind, and I don't think open borders are ever an option.

I proudly stole this carton from the Blogway Boys.

Ask Captain Dramatic

As I mentioned in last week's episode of Ask Captain Dramatic, this week marked the first week of third grade. CD was very excited and remains so. He also never ceases to amaze me. Here is why.

This weekend is a three day weekend compliments of Labor Day. My ex-husband, CD's biological father, wanted to take CD camping over this weekend. He called and requested that he be able to pick CD up right after school on Friday. I said that was OK, but he would have to walk over to the school with Dad-E to do so, but that would also give him a chance to meet CD's new teacher. He sounded as if he liked that idea, so I let Dad-E know, and the plan was set.

On Friday, my ex-husband met my current husband here at home and they meandered over to the elementary school together. Class let out and CD runs up to both of them and proudly proclaims to his teacher:

CD: Ms. V, these are my two dads!

That could have so been interpreted in a bad way, but Dad-E quickly explained the step-father, biological father thing, and they all went on their merry way, ending at our home with CD giving Dad-E two hugs because one was for me, who was of course, still at work.

This whole exchange impressed me. If you had asked me right after the divorce, I would have never guessed that the ex and I would be getting along, let alone the ex, and my new husband, Dad-E. Not only that, but CD impresses me even more because he has love and respect enough for both of them, and broadcasts it to anyone who will listen. It is obvious that the three adults in CD's parenting entourage, have been able to be the parents that one little boy is very proud to have. He has no fear of reprimand from any of us, for loving all of us the same, and the smile we all give him when he does is enough reward for him.

It's takes a village, doesn't it?

To learn how you can submit your questions to Captain Dramatic, click here. Don't be shy!