August 28, 2004
Something to ponder
If "Toys R Us" sells toys, what does "Babies R Us" sell???
The Great Minnesota Get Together: Fried and on a stick
Today, the Northern Alliance Radio Network will be broadcasting live from the Minnesota State Fair. I haven't been to the Fair yet, but it seems to be THE thing to do here in Minnesota at the end of the summer. I've heard that there are tons of people there, butter sculptures (?), an all-you-can-drink-milk stand, and lots of fried food on a stick. Highlights of this year's fair include:
"New treats for 2004 include the Cob Dog (battered deep-fried corn on the cob on a stick), Safari Snacks (caribou, antelope, elk, boar, alligator, kangaroo and other big game meat sticks), and a deep-fried Reuben-style sandwich on a stick. Chocolate milk has been added to the popular All the Milk You Can Drink stand."
Why would anyone want to pass that up? (How often can you get a reuben sandwich deep-fried and on a stick, after all?) I plan to visit the Fair tomorrow. Until then, I leave it up to the guys from the Northern Alliance to let us know how things are going over there around noontime today.
August 26, 2004
The "Bush" Series
I might be a 20-something unmarried female Ph.D. student living in Minnesota (probably not the typical audience for NASCAR), but that doesn't mean I can't be a fan. At least I do have something in common with some of my favorite drivers:
Bush big winner in NASCAR campaign contributionsBy Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
ATLANTA - The 2004 Presidential election may be a statistical tie according to a poll earlier this month, but based on political contributions from people associated with NASCAR, it's a landslide victory for George W. Bush.
Since campaign contributions are a matter of public record, a quick Internet search located several motorsports benefactors. With only a few exceptions, most of those are solidly in the Republican camp, including the France family.
Bill France, Betty Jane France, Brian France, James France and Lesa France Kennedy all donated the maximum $2,000 allowable by law. In addition, International Speedway Corp. made a $7,500 contribution to the Republican National Committee.
Add NASCAR president Mike Helton as a Bush supporter, as he contributed $1,000, plus $500 to the RNC. Greg Penske, a member of the ISC board and son of Roger Penske, also contributed $2,000 to the Bush ledger.
The only exception was ISC vice president John Graham, Jr., who gave $1,000 to the Bob Graham campaign.
Track owners were also solidly in the Republican camp, as Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George donated $15,000 to the Grand Old Party, while Kentucky Speedway's Jerry Carroll added $2,000 and California Speedway's William Miller $1,000 to the Bush campaign.
Teresa Earnhardt was listed as a $2,000 Bush contributor, while the Hendrick family was split. Joseph Hendrick Jr., Rick Hendrick and Ricky Hendrick gave a total of $4,000 to John Edwards, but Joseph Hendrick IV contributed $2,000 to Bush.
Dale Jarrett gave $2,000 to the Bush campaign, as did Darrell Waltrip and his wife.
As of July 31, Bush had received $237 million in individual contributions and had approximately $32 million in cash remaining, while John Kerry reported $209 million in contributions and $50 million in cash, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission.
August 25, 2004
"THE NEW SOLDIER" by John Kerry
Read the book that is no longer in print and very difficult to find...
"THE NEW SOLDIER"
by John Kerry and Vietnam Veterans Against the War
(Note: It is free but does require Adobe Reader to view.)
Many thanks to Jennifer at A Collection of Thoughts for sharing this link!
How rude!
Well, if she's going to keep up the name calling, this lady is a twit.
(No, that wasn't very nice of me, but when someone says she hates you, calls you a bastard, says you're an idiot, and then tries to take it back after being recorded, then I feel inclined to let her know what I think of her - and you can put that on tape.)
Stupid, "Feel-Good" Garbage
Because we all know that when some fool years from now is fired for being a complete idiot at their job, they will think to themselves, "Well, I might have to live in a cardboard box, but at least my boss didn't fire me using red ink!"
Nearly five years ago, as I was working on my degree/teacher certification in early childhood education, they told us about this - to use something besides red ink to grade papers for fear we'd "disturb" the kids who associated the red ink with "bad." Well, maybe those kids NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY DID SOMETHING WRONG so that they can fix it! Hello! The goal of school is NOT to make kids feel "comfortable" - it is to give them skills to function in the real world so that they can earn a living and be successful in life. "Comfortable" may be sleeping in everyday until noon and watching cartoons all afternoon - do we let kids do that? Will that make them better citizens and able to support a family someday? Probably not. Being psychologically scarred by using red ink...GIVE ME A BREAK!
(Hat tip to Dave over at Blogged and Dangerous for reminding me to comment on this issue.)
Wictory Wednesday (Donate Now!)
I'll be at an orientation all day, but it is still Wictory Wednesday!
This is the day of the week that I ask my readers to volunteer and/or donate (REMINDER: After the convention, you will NOT be able to donate to the campaign! Do it now!) to the Bush 2004 campaign if they haven't already done so.
If you have a blog, you might consider joining Wictory Wednesdays. If interested, send an email to wictory@blogsforbush.com. Here are some other blogs that support Bush:
August 23, 2004
Another Vet: Kerry is not fit for command.
An op-ed piece for the Northwest Veterans Newsletter by Medal of Honor awardee, Major General (ret.) Patrick Brady:
16 Aug 04
America has no kings or queens but we do have nobility - our nobility is called Veterans. That nobility is responsible for the bounty that is America but tragically their influence has faded in recent years and the values they died for are under attack. But this election year they are back in demand and some have said the veteran vote could decide this election. It may have put Bush in the White House. With this in mind, John Kerry is seldom seen with out his band of brothers and constantly plays the" hero" card as a cornerstone of his bid for president, indeed, as the definition of who he is. Kerry defines patriotism as "keeping faith with those who wear the uniform" of this country. He also brags that he "defended this country as a young man." If Missouri is the show me state, Veterans are the show me voters - we are not much for words, deeds are our stock in trade. Let's look at Kerry's deeds.
Before Kerry played his "hero" card, he played the atrocity card. When Kerry came back from Vietnam he joined with Jane Fonda and in 1971 denounced "those who wear the uniform" as terrorists-like rapists and assassins who "cut off heads, taped wires...to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, shot at civilians, razed villages, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks"...and said he "committed the same kinds of atrocities as thousands of others." He made these charges under oath. Kerry says today that he would have framed some of what he said in 1971 differently. But he does not say he lied, which he did, nor does he apologize. How can one properly frame the denunciations of ones comrades in arms as modern day Genghis Khans...
August 21, 2004
Pat Oliphant: Swift Boat Vets are "drunk wannabes"
As mentioned on the Northern Alliance Radio Show this afternoon, a recent editorial cartoon reprinted by the Minneapolis Star Tribune this weekend shows characters representing the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth as drunken stooges for Bush. And Kerry claims he's the one being smeared???
I think Captain Ed's response to the insulting cartoon says it all:
"This is such a disgusting display that I find it difficult to describe it in polite terminology. Suffice it to say that Oliphant (the cartoonist) has aligned himself with the same quality of people who spat on veterans returning from honorable service because of the slander and lies of people like John Kerry."
And some people wonder why Vietnam vets (including my own father) harbor such hatred for the left and aren't supportive of Kerry? The continuing portrayal of Vietnam veterans as drug-users, drunks, criminals, and low-lifes in the movies, on TV, and in the sorry-excuse for a cartoon described above are part of the reason why. If you see this cartoon in your paper, be sure to let them know that you don't appreciate them allowing our vets to be portrayed as fools.
Tune-in today
Michelle Malkin will be on Minnesota-based Northern Alliance Radio today! Catch it live via the web noon-3pm CST (that's 1pm-4pm for you folks on the east coast). Michelle will be on the second hour of the show.
UPDATE (2pm CST): If you missed the show, be sure check out Michelle Malkin's new book, "In Defense of Internment."
Operation Caring Hands
Another group helping our soldiers help Iraqi children:
U.S. soldiers reach out to Iraqi kidsBy Tiffany Pakkala, August 18, 2004
Iraqi children initially may seem very different from their American counterparts thousands of miles away.
But some Pennsylvania soldiers stationed north of Baghdad insist they are just like the kids they know back home.
Iraqi children "exhibit much of the same tendencies. The little boys are still disgusted by the thought of being kissed by a girl. The girls are still shy when we roll in," Spc. Robert Valvo of New Hope Township near Pittsburgh said in a recent e-mail.
He and the rest of New Kensington-based 458th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, which includes local soldiers, take unannounced trips to schools to give children gifts from "Operation Caring Hands," which collects clothing, school supplies and toys in America and ships them to troops in Iraq for distribution.
The children "all like shiny new things. They love to display their knowledge to fit in with the grown-ups. (And) when they're not busy trying to sell us stuff, they play soccer with their friends," Valvo said. "Almost reminds me of when I was their age."
"They just want to be like kids in America, go to school, go home and play with their friends and be happy," added Spc. Ralph Brown of Hazelton.
or visit the
Kerry's Current Self-Inflicted Wounds
I guess it is about time the Democrats showed us that they can't handle it when the criticism is pointed at them. Gotta love that double standard - "do as we say and not as we do" should be the official motto of the Kerry campaign. There are groups like Moveon.org and Michael Moore attacking Bush and spreading lies and spin - even comparing our President to Hitler. But when a group of vets questions Kerry's "war hero" claims - SHAZAAM - all of a sudden that's not playing fair! Aww...poor, picked-on John Kerry.
A rich man who doesn't like a candidate spends money helping "shadowy groups" create ads against that candidate?
Hmm...am I referring to the Texas insurance guy who funded the anti-Kerry ads by the swift boat vets?
Or maybe I am referring to George Soros who threw millions to the Moveon.org wackos to create anti-Bush propaganda?
Either way, you didn't see Bush running out to say Moveon.org or Michael Moore were "fronts" for Kerry or the Democrats. You didn't hear Bush whining to the FCC about unfair ads or "smear tactics." Bush has better things to do as President which is more than Kerry can say about his job as Senator as he leaves ol' Ted Kennedy as the only Senator from Massachusetts actually showing up in D.C. (when they let Ted on the airplane that is - ha ha ha.)
This is the biggest bunch of hypocritical crap - Kerry and the Democrats can't take the heat so they'll go crying to the FCC about the swift boat vets' ads while garbage is churned out by the truckload thanks to "independent" left-wing groups (but that's supposed to be okay and 'freedom of speech'). Funny how it's always freedom of speech until you question the Democrats! Whether you believe the vets or not, at least Bush didn't freakin' hire someone from the Swift Boat Vets for Truth to run part of his campaign, UNLIKE JOHN F'IN KERRY WHO ACTUALLY HIRED ONE OF THE MOVEON.ORG GUYS TO RUN HIS CAMPAIGN'S ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS. The Democrats aren't shy about aligning themselves with a left-wing "shadowy group" that plays dirty to churn out lies and distorts the facts on a regular basis. Maybe that's why they are accusing the Bush campaign of such tactics - since it is a strategy they use themselves.
I don't know whether the swift boat vets or John Kerry are lying or not - I was not in Vietnam (although some of my DNA happened to be) and only those who were there know the REAL story. The vets do, however, have a right to ask questions and tell their side of the story if Kerry is going to parade around the country and push his Vietnam stories on all of us, claiming his experiences in the military make him more qualified to be President than anyone else. (God forbid the discussion turn to real issues because Kerry sure doesn't have much to brag about there given that he's contradicted himself so many times.)
So much for that high road, Mr. Kerry - thanks for turning the campaign into a he said/they say contest between you and a bunch of vets about stuff that happened 20 years ago instead of the issues and then attempt to blame that on Bush. Bush isn't the one who brought up your experience in Vietnam more than a half dozen times at the Democratic National Convention. Sorry - by bringing up your "heroic" experiences in Vietnam (which you completely separated yourself from immediately after returning from Vietnam - experience that you deemed as "war crimes" back then, you suddenly wear on your sleeve as evidence of your qualifications to be President), you opened your own Pandora's box.
August 19, 2004
A good cause
Adopt a puppy to make your home a little safer. Adopt one of these to make your community and country a little safer:
(Hat tip to wat dan ook for bringing this website to my attention!)
Speaking of Minnesota Politics
Here's another Minnesota blog I'll have to keep an eye on:
[Note to those who haven't lived in Minnesota: Democrats here are so weird that they don't even call themselves the "Democratic Party" - they are the "Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party" (DFL for short).]
Ranting over Randy
There's a group in Saint Paul petitioning for the removal of Mayor Randy Kelly. It seems that his support for President Bush has ticked off a few people. Among the grounds that they list for a recall is a charge that Democrat Kelly has violated "trust by taking the power of the non-partisan office of mayor and using it, not to better Saint Paul, but to actively campaign for George W. Bush."
So this group of highly partisan people thinks that the Mayor has betrayed the citizens of Saint Paul by NOT towing the party line, by breaking ranks with his party, and by saying what he thinks? Hmm...last time I checked, the citizens of Saint Paul did NOT elect the whole DFL party or the Democrats' Presidential candidate as the Mayor - they elected a person, Randy Kelly, who was sworn to serve the citizens of Saint Paul - NOT only members of the DFL party nor the candidacy of John Kerry. As stated by Mayor Kelly himself:
It is not in the national interest to feed the politics of hate. I feel it is in the national interest to keep the economic and international course we are on.
Americans are looking for strong, steady, and principled leadership. They crave politicians who stand for something, rather than rally us against someone. The American people I know - the ones I represent in Saint Paul - care about leaders who stand steady in difficult times - who do not waver - nor bend to the wind - they want strong, determined leadership - and, I believe George Bush provides us that leadership today at this point in our history.
I've been a Democrat all my life and after this announcement I'll continue to be a Democrat. But I believe I have a higher loyalty to what's best for my country and our city than to party.
So this November, George W. Bush has my endorsement for President of the United States.
The "Recall Randy" people are nuts. Get over it already. Following their way of thinking, if I was a voter in Minneapolis, I could push for the recall of their mayor who has been out supporting Kerry because isn't he, after all, showing his partisanship through stumping for the Democratic candidate?
Hang in there, Randy! Some of us in Saint Paul are glad to see that you're not just pushing your political party's line.
Newsflash: University employees lean left!
I was walking around the University campus this morning, getting all the 'exciting' HR paperwork completed so that I can start my new job in a couple of weeks and I noticed this earth-shattering headline on the campus newspaper:
U employees give more to Dems
My first thought: How long did it take to reach this conclusion? Why are they wasting space with this news? Is this a shock to anyone? (If it is, lean a little closer so I can smack you on the head.)
Even when I was working and studying at Texas A&M; University (WHOOP), supposedly one of the most conservative universities in the country and home to the Bush School of Government and Public Service, most of the faculty members I worked with were card-carrying Democrats. (I even knew a few who'd prefer to be called "socialists" instead of "Democrats.") Now, here I am at a much more liberal university and the newspaper thinks the news of employee support of Dems here is worthy of a headline? Sheesh.
Hostile towards Kerry?
Some vets, even if they aren't 'Swift Boat Vets for Truth,' do not like John Kerry, but not that you'd know that from the most of the media (CBS, NBC, ABC) who kept showing Kerry at the VFW convention yesterday as though he was well-received. On the contrary:
But many veterans did not clap at some standard stump-speech lines that usually draw applause, suggesting that numerous former warriors were skeptical if not hostile. At least two men heckled Kerry.
One word explained the tough crowd: Vietnam.
Kerry's public protests against the Vietnam War as a young veteran newly home from Southeast Asia were a sore point for many veterans.
I think "sore point" would be putting it mildly.
If you are following the saga of the 'Swift Boat Vets for Truth versus John Kerry,' I encourage you to check out the latest over at Captain's Quarters, a blog which was recently mentioned in a Washington Times editorial. (Congrats on hitting the big time, Captain Ed! I'm glad to see a fellow Minnesotan blogger getting some well-deserved attention!)
August 18, 2004
The Name Game
Also from FactCheck.org:
In their eagerness to dismiss the Bush ad's charges, Kerry campaign aides claimed that the senator had been vice chairman of the intelligence committee, which isn't true. In fact, former Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska was vice chairman of the panel for several years while Kerry was a more junior member of the panel. John Kerry left the committee in January 2001. He never served as vice chairman, a committee spokesman confirmed to us.
The erroneous claim appeared in several places on the Kerry website, one dating back to January, 2004, and another in a posting Aug. 13 to rebut the Bush ad. It said, "Kerry is an Experienced Leader in the Intelligence Field � John Kerry served on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence for eight years and is the former Vice Chairman of the Committee."Kerry senior adviser Tad Devine told Fox News, which first reported the discrepancy, that the campaign would be "happy to correct the record" if needed:
Devine: I'll have to check with the issues people. It was my understanding he was. But if that's, you know -- but if that's not a factual case, I'm sure we will be happy to correct the record.
Two days later the erroneous claim was still appearing on the Kerry website, however. On Aug. 17 The Associated Press quoted campaign spokesman Michael Meehan conceding the error, adding: "John Kerry, Bob Kerrey -- similar names."
Bob Kerrey, John Kerry - Carrie Fisher or perhaps Keri Russell? (I think it is safe to assume that they weren't thinking of "conceal and carry.") They are so focused on "anyone but Bush" they don't care who it is. Kerry's own people don't even know their candidate's experience or lack thereof. I guess if you can't run on your own record, then might as well run on someone else's, right? Sheesh.
Wictory Wednesday (in Minnesota)
George is in town! (The President will appear at a St. Paul, MN rally this evening.) Speaking of politics, here are a couple things worth checking out from around the web:
Kerry's apparent absence from 38 of the hearings actually figures out to an absentee rate of 77.6%.
However, the Bush ad's lower figure plays it safe -- giving Kerry credit for attending one hearing for which the record is a bit ambiguous. The record of that hearing, on June 22, 1999, lacks the usual list of the senators and staff members who attended. We checked the full transcript for any sign that Kerry had been there, and found no record of Kerry speaking, or anyone else noting his presence. If Kerry is counted as absent from that hearing as well as the others, he missed nearly 78%. But if he attended and didn't speak, then he would have missed only 37 of the 49, for a no-show rate of 75.5%, which the ad properly rounds up to 76%.
In a rebuttal to the ad, the Kerry camp accused Bush of "fuzzy math and bad stats," saying "They rely only on whether Sen... Kerry made statements in one of a small number of open hearings." That's not true. Records list senators and staff members as being present whether or not they spoke, and -- to repeat -- the 76 percent figure actually gives Kerry credit for attending one hearing for which there's no evidence of his participation."
And that reminds me...it is Wictory Wednesday!
It's another Wednesday and once again I'm asking my readers to volunteer and/or donate (only a couple weeks left - after the convention, you will NOT be able to donate to the campaign) to the Bush 2004 campaign if they haven't done so.
If you have a blog, you might consider joining Wictory Wednesdays. If interested, send an email to wictory@blogsforbush.com. Here are some other blogs that support Bush:
August 16, 2004
Operation Shoe Fly
Although this story was covered a couple of months ago by several blogs, I think it's worth sharing again. From the Army Public Affairs website:
Shoe Fly Brings Hope to Afghani ChildrenAugust 13, 2004
Operation Shoe Fly began as a small, simple effort to make a difference in Afghanistan one child and two shoes at a time.
It's is a humanitarian effort by Soldiers and families of Company B, 214th Aviation Regiment Hillclimbers that deployed to Afghanistan in March. Spearheaded by 1st Sgt. Jim Thomson, Operation Shoe Fly started as a home-grown idea by a small Army unit that mushroomed into a program that now boasts local and national support.
"OPSF is the culmination of an idea born by a group of CH-47 [Chinook] crew members in support of Operation Enduring Freedom," Thomson said.
Noticing that many children were shoeless, Thomson and his "crewdogs" debated how best to help them and Operation Shoe Fly was born.
The company's motto "helping to bring the hearts of America to the soles of Afghanistan," poetically describes the task undertaken by the Hillclimbers.
Thomson reached out to Americans with an Internet letter that has launched the collection of 2,000 pairs of shoes and counting.
"The idea of course, is that there must be many like piles in garages across America and here I am in a country struggling to find itself and stand on its own, barefooted," he said.
You can send your shoes to:
Operation Shoe Fly
B Co, 214th Aviation Regiment
Bagram, Afghanistan
APO AE 09354-9998
August 13, 2004
Learn more about Democrats!
When the election year starts to make me bitter, Frank J. can make me smile. Hee hee hee.
Newsflash: Some Vets Don't Like John Kerry!
So the left now has its feelings hurt because the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are criticizing their man, John Kerry? They're whining that Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is a "Republican front operation," of the group's "suspicious" ties to Texas, and its $100,000 in funding from a home builder in Houston. They've even filed a lawsuit claiming that the group has taken unfair advantage of a loophole in the campaign finance law. Aw...poor babies.
How about MoveOn.org creating ads comparing Bush to Hitler? How about George Soros and his $15 MILLION dollars in contributions to fund organizations in an effort to defeat Bush? And then you have Michael Moore, who doesn't even attempt to hide his obvious bias, completely distorts the truth (and in many completely lies), and is trotted out by the media as a legitimate political commentator (he'll be covering the GOP convention for USA Today). That's all fair in war and politics, but we're supposed to believe the left's claim that it's not fair when a group of vets gets together to express their views against the liberals' war hero? Funny how that works.
Even if the swift boat vets are all 'secret Republican operatives' and members of the 'vast right wing conspiracy,' the simple fact remains (hold onto your bleeding hearts) - THERE ARE VETS WHO DO NOT LIKE JOHN KERRY! (Yes, I know it is a shock.) There are vets that don't like the man. They don't like his politics or policies, his record in the Senate. John Kerry is the one who keeps mentioning how his military service in Vietnam gave him the skills to be President and he continues to tout his support among vets. Maybe some veterans (and some of us related to vets) disagree? Service in Vietnam didn't seem like a big issue for the left when it was Clinton running for office against George H.W. Bush (a WWII vet) or Bob Dole (a WWII vet who lost the use of his right hand after being hit by Nazi gunfire). It's not in question whether or not John Kerry served his country (even if the exact details of his service and awards may be in dispute). The thing that seems to bother some vets (and at least one non-vet, me) is how the same man who touts his experience in Vietnam so he can be elected President had a very different story twenty years ago, as he expressed shame and guilt over his actions in Vietnam:
"There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 caliber machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down."
-- John Kerry, on NBC's "Meet the Press" April 18, 1971
I guess his actions in Vietnam would be considered "atrocities" in 1971, but now he's a hero. Is it any wonder there are vets who don't like this man? And I don't think I even need to mention Kerry's voting record regarding military issues (which he doesn't like to focus on anyway).
Yep, maybe Swift Boat Veterans for Truth doesn't like John Kerry and maybe politically they are more aligned with the right and get supported financially by those who also don't like the policies of John Kerry, but that's politics, people - until the left decides to stick a sock in George Soros' mouth or 'denounce' the movie by Michael Moore or separate themselves from MoveOn.org, then liberals, blow it out your ear. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have a right to criticize Kerry just as much as your cronies have a right to bash Bush. By bringing your military service up as a political issue, Mr. Kerry, you asked for it.
August 11, 2004
Tickets for Troops
I went online to look up information on University of Minnesota sports and found this:
"The University of Minnesota Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is proud to partner with the Minnesota Guard and Reserve in honoring troops and their families from Minnesota who have been or are now deployed overseas, by providing complimentary tickets to these families for the September 11th Gophers v. Illinois State Football Game!
Show your pride in our troops and the Golden Gopher Football team by making a donation to sponsor "Tickets for Troops" and enable them to attend the September 11th game."
Not that Gopher football is all that great (ha ha ha - I'm a Texas Aggie as well as the daughter of an Ohio State Buckeye fan), but I still thought this was a nice thing to do. If you'd care to donate, you can download the pdf form with more information here - http://www.gophersports.com/Fundraising/PDFs/TicketsForTroops.pdf
August 10, 2004
Just chillin' - literally
I always hated the summertime heat and humidity while living in Texas, so I guess I can't complain too much:
Today's high temperature in Saint Paul, MN (where I'm located): 59 degrees
Today's high temperature in Fairbanks, Alaska: 78 degrees
Sheesh. With it being this chilly in August, I'm starting to get nervous about experiencing my first winter up here. *gulp*
At least I now have my new computer to keep me warm. I'll be getting it all set-up this week and will attempt to get back to more regular blogging asap. Ahhh - it's nice to be online again.
August 04, 2004
Good news and bad news...
First, the bad news: My.computer.died. Yep, after 4 years it finally kicked the bucket. In a week or two, I should be getting a really big package from Dell. I ordered a completely new desktop computer. I suppose I needed a newer system anyway, especially with school starting in a couple of weeks. I'll have a nice, new, shiny Dell computer with Windows XP at my home very soon. Until then, here I am....blogging to you live from the University of Minnesota student computer labs. Whoo hoo. I guess I can't complain too much. I haven't paid tuition yet and they still let me set-up my computer account and use the computer labs here at the University - that was pretty nice (thank you tax and tuition payers).
So in case I don't comment as much on current events over the next few days, just know that I'm not gone forever - I'm just waiting for the UPS guy to bring me my new computer (and counting down the minutes).
Now for the good news: I found a job! I'm glad my computer decided to give up after I'd already secured a job. Whew. It's a BIG relief. At this point, I'll just say that my position is related to my studies and that I've appreciated all the well wishes, prayers, and support I've received from everyone regarding my job search. I really feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be at this point in my life and am pleased that I won't have to live in a cardboard box this coming winter.
And one last bit of good news: Saint Paul's Democratic (or DFL, as the party is known here in Minnesota) mayor, Randy Kelly, came out in support of George W. Bush this weekend. I'm glad to know that there's another "Kelly" in this town who supports the President and although I know that the DFLers up here will probably give him heck for his stance, I say kudos to Kelly for breaking with the party line. I knew there was a reason I moved to Saint Paul instead of Minneapolis. Heh heh heh.
Off to take what's left of my computer and throw it out my window...
August 02, 2004
Injured Staff Sergeant Helping Iraqi Kids
Staff Sgt. Paul Brondhaver is someone you should know:
Sergeant always helping kids: Whether in Cincinnati or Iraq, Brondhaver finds way to make connection
In his five months in Iraq before a rocket-propelled grenade peppered his body with shrapnel last week, Staff Sgt. Paul Brondhaver drove nearly 10,000 miles around the war zone.
He delivered mail to fellow soldiers, transported supplies, and learned the ways of the desert. On combat patrol once near Baghdad, he hugged Iraqi kids storming his vehicle and passed out candy, and their parents said, "America very good."
What most struck the director of the Mount Washington Community Center as the saddest part of Iraq were the lives of the kids.
So, in typical fashion, he decided to do something.
At first, he tried to get playground equipment for Iraqi kids.
Reality check, Paul, said his recreation colleagues from Cincinnati. You can't afford shipping playground equipment to Iraq.
The 35-year-old settled on a more modest but just as important project: collecting shoes and socks for Iraqi children who walk around barefoot.
And it's just as typical that, from his hospital bed at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany last week before being transported to a military hospital in Washington, D.C., then on to Fort Knox, Ky., Brondhaver worked the phone to ensure the sock drive continued.
"Someone described him as the type of guy you want to be," said Mark Celsor, Brondhaver's current boss with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. "If anybody is a hometown hero, he is. He's done so much for his community, for the kids of the community, and for his country. Putting your life on the line - you can't do more than that."
