A Good Cause

As many of you know, my husband and I are active in our local cub scout pack. In fact, I am the current publicity chair. It is my job to find a way to let the community know what our pack has been up to, and to bring the great things the boys are learning and doing in the community, to the attention of community, as well as to help get the scouts the recognition that they yearn for and deserve. Many local newspapers across the country help in this endeavor, as they publish short articles for free. My local paper, seems to, but I have not had much luck getting through to them or getting our events published. Despite this I still wanted my community to know what our scouts were up to.

That is when I found a website run by a great gal named Jan. She doesn't run the site to make money. She simply wants to make sure the events happening in our community, and news items for our town, were accessible to those that live here, and possibly even to a wider audience at some point in time. When I had trouble getting my scouts information into our local paper, and getting word of our wonderful scouts out to the community, I turned to her website. She has always been more than willing to assist us in getting the word out. For that I could never express my gratitude enough.

As many of you know websites cost money, and the more traffic you attract to your site, the more it costs. Who would have ever thought bandwidth would cost what it does! People like Jan try to make things easier for organizations that are non-profit, but the upkeep and overhead doesn't pay itself, and neither does the needed bandwidth.

It is our turn to give back. I know that most of you who read this blog aren't from my little community. Perhaps you can help out anyway, and gain a little from it yourself.

You can help by donating $1.00 at her site. By donating $1.00 you will get a link to your blog, social networking site, company web page, etc. Any web page listed for one dollar. If it is a business site, the $1.00 can be written off as an advertising expense. It doesn't stop there though. Not only do you get a little free advertising and a boost in traffic to your page, but you could possibly win $250.00.

Links will be reviewed prior to the posting of the link. Porn will not be allowed, but just about anything else will. Sites with overwhelming profanity probably wouldn't be considered either. Sites that are rated PG, and possibly PG-13 should be fine.

I truly hope you will consider helping out. The cost to you is minimal, and you stand to gain a great deal for a very small cost. Not only that, but good things should happen to good people, and what better way to thank those that give so much of themselves, than to give a little back.

You can visit the site and read for yourself here. When you are done catching up with the news, feel free to take a look at the pages of those who have already signed up here. To sign up your site you can go here.

I hope you can and will help. Please accept my thanks in advance, and comment me with any questions or concerns. I would also love a note from you if you were able to help.

Wednesday's Hero

Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marc A. Lee

28 years old from Hood River, Oregon

Navy SEAL

August 2, 2006





"Marc was amazing. He was my best friend, my love," his widow, Maya, said. 



Petty Officer Marc A. Lee joined the Navy in 2001 and became an AO after completing Naval Air Technical Training.  Later that year he attempted to complete the grueling BUD/S program but caught pneumonia and had to drop out.  He tried again in 2004 and completed the course.



On August 2, 2006, Marc A. Lee became the first SEAL to be killed in combat in Iraq when he was fatally wounded in a firefight in Ramadi, Iraq.  The following is from the award citation:



"During the operation, one element member was wounded by enemy fire. The element completed the casualty evacuation, regrouped and returned onto the battlefield to continue the fight.  Petty Officer Lee and his SEAL element maneuvered to assault an unidentified enemy position. He, his teammates, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams tanks engaged enemy positions with suppressive fire from an adjacent building to the north.



"To protect the lives of his teammates, he fearlessly exposed himself to direct enemy fire by engaging the enemy with his machine gun and was mortally wounded in the engagement. His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives of many of his teammates"



"It was so like Marc to give up his life to save his friends," his mother, Debbie Lee, told the Hood River News. "I am so proud of him. He is my hero."



Petty Officer Lee was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star with combat "V" for his actions in Iraq during his team’s combat tour and the Purple Heart medal.



All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com



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 site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

Sgt. Pablo A. Calderon
26 years old from Brooklyn, New York
1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
November 30, 2004


"He wanted to fight for his country," said his heartbroken younger sister, Lilliana Calderone. "He always wanted to be there."

Pablo Calderon joined the Army in 1997, right out of High School. "He went straight to the army from high school," said his sister. "He wanted to improve himself. He was proud. He loved his country."

Sgt. Calderon was killed when an IED was detonated near his vehicle in Fallujah, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Sgt. Jose Guereca of Missouri City, Texas.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com & NYDailyNews.com

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 site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

USS George H.W. Bush


Sailors assigned to the Air Department of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) are silhouetted against the setting sun at the conclusion of flight operations. George H.W. is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting flight deck certifications.

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 site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos
25 years old from Paterson, New Jersey
3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade
May 11, 2009


On Mother’s Day, Eugenia Gardos made a tabletop shrine to her recently deceased mother — surrounding her photograph with silk roses, a small white rosary cross, two votive candles and a prayer card of Senor de los Milagros, the patron saint of Peru.

The next day, May 11, she added her son's picture to the shrine for the dead.

Sgt. Gardos was killed along with five fellow servicemen; Army Spc. Jacob D. Barton, Army Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, Navy Cmdr. Charles K. Springle and Army Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr. in the attack on Camp Liberty.

"The first time he left for Iraq, when they would read the lists of the dead on the news, we used to hold our breath, praying he wasn't on it," his mother said. "I don't understand how he could have died this way. I just don't understand it."

Sgt. Galdos had emigrated with his family from Mollendo, Peru, as a child and had been a U.S. citizen since high school. His mother, two older brothers and older sister recalled how he used to hand out candy to children in Iraq the same way he always did in Paterson — never making a trip to the corner bodega without a group of neighborhood children tailing behind, knowing he would buy them candy or a soda.

"We were all here at home," Carlos Bueno, Sgt. Galdos's father, said. "I was getting ready to go to bed when I heard screaming downstairs. I ran downstairs and everyone had thrown themselves to the floor, thrashing around, screaming."

Bueno said he does not feel bitterness toward the man accused in the shootings, whom he described as "mentally ill."

"We want people to know we're proud of our son's Army, but if my son had died in war we would be able to handle that," he said. "But not to die in this manner."

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

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 site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

Spc. Robert Hamilton


Spc. Robert Hamilton, from Corpus Christi, Texas, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, prepares to bandage the thumb of an Iraqi boy in Ula Market in Sadr City, April 19. The boy cut his thumb while preparing meat at a local butcher shop.

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 site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

1st Lt. Michael A. Cerrone
24 years old from Clarksville, Tennessee
2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
November 12, 2006


Cerrone's men said in written statements of remembrance that he put their safety and welfare first. He lead from the front and all of the paratroopers would "unquestionably" follow him into battle.

His platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Ronald H. Berryhill, said Cerrone was more than a leader, but a friend and "little brother."

He remembers the first day Cerrone got to the unit. At the time, he was shy and quiet. But after a few months, he became more outspoken.

"I am truly blessed to have known him and to serve under his leadership," Berryhill wrote. "He will never be forgotten. I will carry him with me always and I will always watch over his platoon. We will make him proud of his boys."

Sgt. Cerrone was killed when a suicide bomber detonated the bomb he had strapped to himself in Samarra, Iraq. Also killed in the attack was Specialist Harry "Buck" Winkler. You can read more at BLACKFIVE.

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 site, you can go here.

Wednesday's Hero

Operations Specialist 3rd Class Leonel Yanez


Operations Specialist 3rd Class Leonel Yanez (Right), from Huntington Park, Calif., monitors a radar screen in the Combat Direction Center aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis is on a scheduled six-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean.

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 site, you can go here.

Born Again American

One of my cousins sent me a link this week that I had to share. When I clicked it took me to a page where a song immediately started playing. A song with very powerful lyrics, and a message that should be shared with all Americans.

After listening to the song and reading the pledge, I signed the pledge. The pledge is this:

"I am a Born Again American
I am my Country's Keeper
My President and my Congress report to me
And so -
I will stay informed and involved
I will make my voice heard
And not just at election time
I can make a difference
I matter
I am an American, Born Again"

The Declaration of Independence is out nation's birth certificate. Recommit to its principles and declare yourself to all a Born Again American by adding your signature.

The site also has a list of the next steps, such as registering to vote, volunteering in your community, contacting your elected officials, and how to learn about your freedoms. Visitors can also share their stories. It is definitely a site to take a look at, and more importantly, it seems to outline what Americans should be doing, no matter what religion, race, gender, or political party they belong to.

I hope that all of you will sign the pledge, and help take back America.

Please click here.

Wednesday's Hero

Pfc. Alan R. Blohm
21 years old from Kenai, Alaska
425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
December 31, 2006


Alan R. Blohm enlisted in the Army in 2004 because "He wanted to serve the country," his brother Jeremy said. "His grandfather had been in the Army, and it's just something he wanted to do."

Blohm graduated in 2004 from Bay City Western High School, where he was a 250-pound defensive player for the football team. Blohm's size prompted coach Jim Eurick to nickname him "Biggins Blohm," his brother recalled. "I know he paid the ultimate sacrifice with his life," Mark Boileau, Blohm's former school Principal, said. "We know Alan will be in a better place because of the sacrifice he made, because of his love for our country."

PFC. Blohm died of wounds suffered when an IED detonated near his unit while on combat patrol in Baghdad Besides his brother, he leaves behind his parents and a younger sister.

Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com & The Iraq Page

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 site, you can go here.

Race For Life

I received an email today from my sister-in-law who lives in the United Kingdom. She is going to be participating in the Race For Life Cancer Walk. She didn't ask that I help, but I want to. She has always been amazingly kind to me, and I couldn't think of a better person to help or a better cause for that matter.

If you have anything you can spare, please consider donating it via her Race For Life website. Keep in mind that she is in the United Kingdom, and the funds will be collected in Pounds from your credit card. This means, that due to the current exchange rate, that if you donate 20.00 Pounds via her website, your credit card will be debited about $29.41.


Click here to donate.

Click here to convert Pounds to Dollars.

The minimum amount that can be donated is 2.00 Pounds. Please let her know in the comments when you donate that her sister in the states sent you. I don't want to freak her out :P

Thank you to all of you for taking the time to read this, and great big hug to all of you who can, and have donated.

Calling 911

So, there are numerous things that would lead a person to calling 911. Some are more serious than others, but I am pretty sure we are all in agreement that 911 should only be called in life and death emergencies.

Not for the reason this woman called.

Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
Associated Press, 04.07.09, 07:43 PM EDT

A woman called 911 to report she didn't get as much shrimp as she wanted in her fried rice at a Fort Worth-area restaurant. Police on Tuesday released the taped emergency call, in which the customer is heard telling the dispatcher, "to get a police officer up here, what has to happen?" The customer also said: "He didn't even put extra shrimp in there."

The upset customer was gone when an officer arrived Monday afternoon.

Restaurant workers said the woman had been denied a refund after leaving with her order, then returning to complain.

Cook June Lee said there was nothing wrong with the meal, and that "some customers are happy. Some are not."

Waste of time, waste of taxpayer money, and a perfect example of how petty and selfish other people's children really are. I really can't make it anymore simple that that.

A Whole New Definition

How many of you have seen professional athletes on TV playing their sport of choice? How many of you enjoy the show-boating that sometimes occurs on the field? Well, I am sure some of you are like me and think it silly to some extent, but here is some show boating by NFL players that you are sure to enjoy. It gives show-boating a whole new definition.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Which was your personal favorite? My favorite was the player kicking the ball and ringing the bell. The player diving through the open windows of the SUV was a very close runner up.

Follow-Up: Which One These Men MadeTheir Mother Proud?

I wanted to follow up on previous story, found here.

Below is an article regarding Officer Robert Powell and Houston Texans Running Back, Ryan Moats. You will recall that Ryan Moats was stopped for rolling through a red light on his way to the hospital with his wife. They were on their way to be at the side of Moats Mother-in law during her final moments of life on this Earth. I wanted to post this as a follow up to my earlier writing as I thought those of you who were following the story would like to know.

Here is the article.

DALLAS (AP)—The police officer who pulled out his gun and threatened an NFL player with jail instead of allowing him inside a hospital where his mother-in-law was dying resigned Wednesday.
Officer Robert Powell had been placed on paid leave pending an investigation of the March 18 incident.
“I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward,” Powell said in a statement issued through his attorneys.
He had stopped Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats’ SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in suburban Plano after the vehicle rolled through a red light.
The officer pulled out his gun and threatened Moats with jail as the player and his family pleaded to be allowed to go inside the hospital. Powell continued writing Moats a ticket and lecturing him even after a fellow officer confirmed that Moats’ mother-in-law was dying.
Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, died of breast cancer before Powell allowed Moats to go inside the hospital.
Powell’s resignation was first reported by Dallas-Fort Worth television station KTVT. He later issued an apology, and Moats said he would accept it.
“I still hope to speak with the Moats family to personally express my deep regret, sympathy, and to apologize for my poor judgment and unprofessional conduct,” he said in the Wednesday statement.
He also said he wanted to apologize to his fellow officers.
A call to Dallas police was not immediately returned Wednesday.
Dallas police Chief David Kunkle previously apologized to the family and said Powell acted inappropriately. He also lauded Moats’ restraint, noting that he did not try to seek special treatment by identifying himself as an NFL player.
Moats, 26, explained that he had waited until there was no traffic before continuing through the red light. When Powell asked for proof of insurance, Moats grew more agitated and told the officer to go find it.
According to video from a dashboard camera inside the officer’s vehicle, Moats’ wife, Tamishia Moats, and another woman disregarded Powell’s order to get back inside their vehicle, and they rushed into the hospital. After Powell yelled at Tamishia Moats to stay in the SUV, she said, “Excuse me, my mom is dying—do you understand?”

I am glad to see that Officer Powell recognizes the wrong in his actions that night. I am proud of him for making such a public apology. Apologies are always tough, but one this public has to be ten times harder. It has also occurred to me that a man who offers a public apology, and steps away from his job, shows his recognition of his errors, the sincerity of his apology, and a hope to move on with his life in a job he may be better suited for. I can even say, that it is my opinion, that even if Mr. Powell moves on to a different police force, or a different line of law enforcement, that he probably learned a very important lesson, and probably won't commit the same mistake again. Only time will truly tell that story though, and perhaps a new career or field of expertise is in order.

I am also glad to see that Mr. Moats is continuing with his previous inclination to be a very stand-up guy, and accept this apology. I am happy to see this outcome. I wish both officer Powell and the Moats family all the best. I truly do.

Wednesday's Hero

Spc. Jeffrey Scantlin, Sgt. 1st Class Erich Phillips, Sgt. John Hayes, 1st Lt. Aaron Thurman, Sgt. Hector Chavez and Spc. Tyler Hanson
2nd Platoon, Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment


In the early morning hours of July 13, 2008, Soldiers from Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment were not thinking about medals as they fought off roughly 200 insurgents attacking their vehicle patrol base in Afghanistan.

No Soldier in combat does.

The Army, however, takes pause afterward to honor those who distinguish themselves in battle and recognizes them before their peers.

Read the rest of the story.

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 site, you can go here.