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August 31, 2005

Hurricane Katrina -Blogosphere Relief Effort

Here at "Cursed by a Classical Education" we'd like to join our brethren bloggers in helping raise funds to help those suffering as a result of Hurricane Katrina. While we're just small fish compared to the really big guys out there, we'd like our readers to do what they can to support this concerted effort.

Tomorrow is the day where we hope to make the difference and raise a big pile of money for various charities who will no doubt be instrumental in the recovery efforts.

Cursed by a Classical Education would like you to consider contributing to the Salvation Army by clicking HERE.

I'll post some more links to offer you some other choices...fighting with my network this morning.

See you on the high ground...and let's help get some other people there too!

MajorDad1984

Update

Okay, today's the day folks. MajorDad's kicked in his donation, so unless you kick in too, I'm just going to have to call you cheap bastards.

Don't let that happen to you.

In all seriousness, this is part of what makes America what it is. The fact that when the chips are down most of us dig into our pockets to see what's there to share. Let's do what we can do to fix what's wrong with New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast right now.

Thanks...and see you contributors on the high ground!

MajorDad1984

P.S. If you're looking for a loved one or a friend in the area, you might want to go to a website that's been setup by a good samaritan. Go to KatrinaFinder...

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 10:44 AM | Comments (2)

August 30, 2005

Casey's Mom... A Musical?

Today the TexasBigGuy and I headed downtown for lunch together, I can't remember quite how it came around...but the song Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne came up in the conversation. It sent the wheels to spinning. Here's what I came up with...move over Weird Al, I may be gunning for you!

(If I were an MTV video producer....I'd have heroes in heaven, Casey and his buddies. These are the buddies)

Casey's mom is gettin' it all wrong.
Casey's mom is gettin' it all wrong.
Casey's mom is gettin' it all wrong.
Casey's mom is gettin' it all wrong.

Casey, what's your momma doing down there? (down there)
Dissin' our Prez, spewing hot air. (really hot air)
When is your mom going home to Vacaville? (to Vacaville)
Give it up Mizz S, before the terrorists are thrilled.

(Casey)

Mom, I wasn't the little boy that I used to be.
I was grown up. My life belonged to me.

(Casey and his buddies)

Casey's mom is gettin' it all wrong.
This job wasn't bad, I'd been with you too long.
Mom, I joined up freely to serve this great country.
You know it was my own choice, why are you now shaming me?

Casey's mom is getting it all wrong.
Casey's mom is getting it all wrong.

(Casey's buddies...Casey nodding in agreement)

Casey do you remember when we got that call? (got that call)
Those guys had got hit, we had to haul? (had to haul)
The boss told you that you didn't have to go...
You smiled and grabbed your gear then we began to roll?

(Casey)

This ain't what I'd want. I was where I had to be.
Mr. Bush, my chief, is right. Iraq needs more guys like me.

Casey's Mom is gettin' it all wrong
This job wasn't bad. I'd been with you too long
Mom I re-upped freely, to serve this great country
You know it was my own choice, why are you now shaming me?

(Casey and buddies fade away with the last lines....)

Casey's mom is getting it all wrong.
Casey's mom is getting it all wrong.

I didn't write this to denigrate Cindy Sheehan, but I did it to honor the memory of her son's service not only to this nation, but also to the fledgling Iraqi nation. Men and women do not freely live in tyranny and I have to believe that what we're trying to do in Afghanistan, Iraq, and for the moment throughout the Middle East is to improve the lots of so many that don't know much more than abject poverty or what it's like to live under oppressive regimes. It's also written in the memory of those yet to fall, but those that go out each day on the dangerous missions they feel worth supporting as volunteers.

I sure would like to see this hit a lot of site...at least I think it's pretty good...

See y'all on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:01 PM | Comments (4)

August 29, 2005

Interesting Test...and a Peak into the Scary Place of MajorDad's Personality

13

Just for grins...if you're coming here as a reader, take about 5 minutes to take this test and report back to us all about your "type."

You should be able to "cut and paste" the code that this site generates for you and paste it into a reply.

Hope to learn more about you...and what might make you tick.

See you on the high ground....(moody? Moi?)

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:59 AM | Comments (5)

August 28, 2005

Report from Crawford...

This appears as a comment in one of my earlier posts, but I thought that it deserved its own posting.

Thanks for the report, Linda. And I'd like to think that you couldn't find any more support and prayers for those heading off to complete the mission than you will with us here at Cursed by a Classical Education.

I attended the "Cindy Doesn't Speak for me" Caravan/ Rally for our troops yesterday. Then I read the write up from the AP and posted on MSNBC and I almost destroyed my computer!

Lie number one; Sheehan had 3000 supporters, Move America Forward had 1000 to 1500.

So many cars in the caravan arrived that we ended up parking beside the road and walking the rest of the way to Crawford. Our car was parked by the Welcome to Crawford sign with a photo of President and Mrs. Bush. Because we had to walk several miles in the sweltering heat, taking time out to rest and drink lots of water, we couldn't be there by 1:00. I am witness to the fact that our rally for the troops and our Commander in Chief topped 3000 people.

Lie number two in the AP article posted on MSNBC; it was announce that folks 'Camp Casey' were yanking up and destroying the crosses of OUR Gold star moms. AP/ MSNBC reported that OUR people were destroying our own crosses, thinking they belonged to Camp Casey. I spoke with a Crawford police officer; they arrested folks from Camp Casey for destroying OUR Gold Mom crosses, held them for a while, and let them go (unfortunately).

They wrote that we were heckling. I can witness to the fact that as we were walking to Crawford, A heckler yelled at us from his car that Bush was possessed by Satan. My beloved husband, David, said, "They said the same thing about Jesus. God Bless you." The man continued on that Bush had Bin Laden destroy the twin towers on 9/11. We ignored him.

I wrote MSNBC demanding a retraction and to report the TRUTH. Hasn't happened, ain't gonna. But I will say this. Our rally was peaceful, loving, told the TRUE story of Casey Sheehan and held a moment of silence for him. Parents of soldiers who had been killed spoke of their heroic sons and daughters and of supporting our troops and the President. We sang "America the Beautiful". There were ample bottles of cold water. No one was dissed or put down.

MSNBC, Fox, ABC, CNN, NBC, CBS......Shame on you!

P.S. My son informed me yesterday he will returning to Iraq in October and he and his wife joined us at the Rally (he came home March 3rd this year). For those of you so inclined, please pray for ALL our troops here and abroad, and for their families.

Thanks for the report!

See you on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 07:31 PM | Comments (4)

National Geographic's Inside 9/11

I'm not a huge fan of the National Geographic Channel, but I do have to tip my hat to them for the work they did in documenting not only the events of 9/11, but also the "runup" to the event.

If you haven't noticed, me and "the big guy" have referenced this four-hour documentary (with limited commercial interruption) in our previous posts. I would urge you to watch this to help understand what we are up against in the global war on terrorism.

You'll have to check your local guides, but I believe these times to be accurate...

Thursday September 8: 7P (ET) Inside 9/11 War on America [TV-PG] (Repeats at 11pm (ET) and again on Sunday, September 11, 2005)

Thursday September 8: 9P (ET) Inside 9/11 Zero Hour [TV-PG]
(Repeats at 1am (ET) and again on Sunday, September 11, 2005)

National Geographic's Inside 9/11 site contains quite a bit of information you can look at while you wait a few weeks for the shows to come around again.

That's your homework assignment...

See you on the high ground!

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 05:08 PM | Comments (0)

What if President Bush Wrote Cindy Sheehan a Letter?

I would like to think that it might just sound like this one I found over on ScrappleFace's site. If you've never been there, he is the master of sarcasm and satire. When I first came across something he'd written, he really had me going. I believed it hook, line, and sinker.

Open Letter to Cindy Sheehan

To add to what "ScrappleFace" says in this fictional letter, for all the things that Cindy Sheehan might think wrong with this country...isn't it nice that:

1. Nobody is ripping her out of her sleeping bag at Camp Casey at night to take her to a rape room in a dark, dank prison?

2. That the aircraft a scant 10 minutes flight time from Camp Casey aren't loaded with incendiary bombs or thousands of rounds that would tear her protest platform to shreds?

3. That helicopters from Fort Hood aren't spraying chemical weapons on the protesters to silence them?

4. That the rest of her family is as safe in California as they are? No masked/hooded men are pulling them off to prison for her own sins?

5. That we'll never find any of your fellow protesters buried in mass graves in the middle of nowhere?

If her name was Cindy Al Sheehan...and she had been born in Iraq...and Saddam Hussein was still in power...what do you think would happen to this protest?

Mrs. Sheehan, thank your lucky stars and those of your followers too that you were born in this country and have the protected right to say what's on your mind. The flip side to this is that you will have to live with the knowledge that your protests are gaining enough coverage that they'll undoubtedly wind up in recruiting literature and videos for the freedom fighters (your words, not mine) drawing in young, impressionable Islamic men. Not only will you have the blood of American, Iraqi and other coalition forces' casualties on your hands...you'll also have that of the peaceful believers of Islam who were corrupted by the images and words you've delivered to the terrorist recruiters.

I salute your son's sacrifice. I understand your grief.

See you on the high ground...

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 01:19 PM | Comments (2)

August 27, 2005

The Folded Flag

A definite "hat tip" to Mrs. Greyhawk over at the Mudville Gazette for sharing this with us all.

The Folded Flag…

His Mother held the folded flag,
It was a somber day.
A mosaic of tears and memories,
As she heard the bugler play
The last song for a soldier,
As she held his folded flag
And memories of the letter
He wrote her from Ft. Bragg.
He wrote, "Please Mom, don't worry.
I have to see this through
Make your world a safer place.
It's something I just had to do!
It's not just Nine-Eleven Mom,
That stirred my warrior soul,
Not screaming words of Jihad,
A hero's words, "Let's Roll!"
Scenes of Dark September, Mom,
As people fell like snow.
For me, it was the tattered flag
Raised high...at Ground Zero.
Remember how I waved her Mom
When I was only ten?
I waved and waved her on The Fourth,
And Veterans Day...waved her again!
It was the words that grandpa said,
"She stands for all that's true.
Her red is for the blood men shed.
Son, that's what soldiers do!
Guard her well and wave her high.
Let no one treat her bad.
Honor the men who died for her,
They gave her all they had.
A gift of home and family,
Golden memories as they grew old.
A fine young grandson...like I have.
Son, Freedom's bought....not sold!"
So Mom, If I should pay the price
To keep her waving high,
And you receive the folded flag-
Mom, be proud of me.....don't cry!
Place my flag on grandpa's shelf
With his medals from World War II
And the folded flag.....he got last year
That grandma gave to you."
His Mother held the folded flag.
It was a somber day.
She placed it high on "grandpa's shelf",
Then bowed her head to pray.

-unkn

I'd sure like to think that this is the same sort of sentiment that most of us who have worn the uniform and those that wear it today share. Borrowing from General of the Armies Douglas MacArthur's final address to the Corps of Cadets at West Point in 1962...

"This does not mean that you are war mongers.

On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.

But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."

I pray that as long as there are men that would attempt to enslave others, that there will always be good men that see this as a tremendous evil...and will do what needs to be done to destroy the evil-doers.

While I believe that the majority of the followers of Islam are indeed peaceful, gentle people, there is a radical fringe element that chooses to interpret the word of Allah to fit their own desires. I would call upon the Imams across the globe to denounce this fanaticism and join in our fight to destroy it.

See you on the high ground...

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:30 PM | Comments (1)

History Repeats Itself....

		Cindy Sheehan returns to Texas.  Here you see her with her "Marine" handler.  I believe that this is the same guy that gave a cameraman from San Francisco a hard time today, Saturday 27 August.
		And here's Cindy Sheehan with her son's boots (that he allegedly wore in Iraq...if they were those boots, they'd be desert brown ones).
		And here's our former President Bill Clinton outside the funeral for his Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown.  Apparently Mr. Clinton's having a good time here...
		But moments later he spies a camera...and turns on the waterworks. History repeating itself, this time in Crawford, TX?

You can't have it both ways...or can you?

I'll leave the answer up to you...and TheBigGuyInTexas to answer. He's a "big fan" of the media these days...

See you on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:40 PM | Comments (5)

New Links...

Hey...I've finally gotten familiar enough with MovableType that I froggy and added some links to other blogs that I've been reading for months, but just never had the courage to tinker with something that was working. A little rain today gave me a reprieve on the lawn, so here goes nothing.

Please take a look at the right hand sidebar to find some sites I read with great interest!!!

See you on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)

August 26, 2005

E-mail Chuckles

Greetings and salutations!

In my continued quest for levity and humor (can't talk about Cindy Sheehan all the time like they do on the Huffington Post)...here's one of the funnier emails I've received lately. Not only is it hilarious, it could be quite useful as well.

Are you evaluating anyone anytime soon? You might find these helpful too!

1. Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.

2. I would not allow this employee to breed.

3. This employee is really not so much of a "has-been," but more of a definite "won't be."

4. Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.

5. When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet.

6. He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle.

7. This young lady has delusions of adequacy.

8. He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them.

9. This employee is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.

10. This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts, the better.

11. Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together.

12. A gross ignoramus -- 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus.

13. He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier.

14. I would like to go hunting with him some time.

15. He's been working with the glue too much.

16. He would argue with a signpost.

17. He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves a room.

18. When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell.

19. If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he's the other one.

20. A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on.

21. A prime candidate for natural DE-selection.

22. Donated his brain to science before he was done using it.

23. Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.

24. He's got two brain cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it.

25. It he were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week.

26. If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change.

27. If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean.

28. It's hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm.

29. One neuron short of a synapse.

30. Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled.

31. Takes him 2 hours to watch "60 Minutes."

32. The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.

Looking for more humor? Check out this collection of e-mail funnies!

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:28 AM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2005

Wonder No More...

Ever wonder why you don't see Cindy Sheehan interviewed for more than a 2 minute spot on the evening news or new "magazine?"

Follow the link to Alex Jones' InfoWars.com to find out.

Ya know? Like I've been doing this for months? Ya know? He needs to put his 'skin' in the game...ya know?

(I'm beginning to wonder where the guy that pulls her string hides...)

You're here, you're smart, you'll figure it out.

See you on the high ground!

MajorDad1984

P.S. If you really do support our troops (whether you're for or agin the war) visit Project Valour-IT to make a donation to put a laptop with voice recognition software onto the bed of a recovering soldier, sailor, airman or marine that can't use his hands right now.

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 10:05 PM | Comments (1)

Wow! Now that's a Resignation Letter!

This is just one of those classic things that shows up in your e-mail box from time to time. Feel free to cut and paste at will. (Don't try to get in touch with Bob to ask how...)

Mr. X,

As an employee of an institution of higher education, I have a few very basic expectations. Chief among these is that my direct superiors have an intellect that ranges above the common ground squirrel. After your consistent and annoying harassment of myself and my co-workers during the commission of our duties, I can only surmise that you are one of the few true genetic wastes of our time. Asking me, a network administrator, to explain every little nuance of everything I do each time you happen to stroll into my office is not only a waste of time, but also a waste of precious oxygen. I was hired because I know about Unix, and you were apparently hired to provide amusement to myself and other employees, who watch you vainly attempt to understand the concept of "cut and paste" for the hundredth time.

You will never understand computers. Something as incredibly simple as binary still gives you too many options. You will also never understand why people hate you, but I am going to try and explain it to you, even though I am sure this will be just as effective as telling you what an IP is. Your shiny new iMac has more personality than you ever will. You walk around the building all day, shiftlessly looking for fault in others. You have a sharp dressed useless look about you that may have worked for your interview, but now that you actually have responsibility, you pawn it off on overworked staff, hoping their talent will cover for your glaring ineptitude. In a world of managerial evolution, you are the blue-green algae that everyone else eats and laughs at. Managers like you are a sad proof of the Dilbert principle.

Seeing as this situation is unlikely to change without you getting a full frontal lobotomy reversal, I am forced to tender my resignation, however I have a few parting thoughts.

1. When someone calls you in reference to employment, it is illegal to give me a bad recommendation. The most you can say to hurt me is "I prefer not to comment." I will have friends randomly call you over the next couple of years to keep you honest, because I know you would be unable to do it on your own.

2. I have all the passwords to every account on the system, and I know every password you have used for the last five years. If you decide to get cute, I am going to publish your "favorites list", which I conveniently saved when you made me "back up" your useless files. I do believe that terms like "Lolita" are not usually viewed favorably by the administration.

3. When you borrowed the digital camera to "take pictures of your mothers b-day", you neglected to mention that you were going to take pictures of yourself in the mirror nude. Then you forgot to erase them like the techno-moron you really are. Suffice it to say I have never seen such odd acts with a ketchup bottle, but I assure you that those have been copied and kept in safe places pending the authoring of a glowing letter of recommendation. (Try to use a spell check please, I hate having to correct your mistakes.)

Thank you for your time, and I expect the letter of recommendation on my desk by 8:00 am tomorrow.

One word of this to anybody and all of your little twisted repugnant obsessions will be open to the public. Never screw with your systems administrators, because they know what you do with all your free time.

Sincerely,

Bob

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 05:44 PM | Comments (1)

The Media is "Easy Pickings"

The media is "Easy Pickings" for criticism…

Went to Matt Drudge for my daily screening and saw and article about how CNSNews would "run an expose" on protesters.

I decided to dig deeper for some truth.

Anti-War Protests Target Wounded at Army Hospital by Marc Morano, a CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer posted August 25, 2005.

He offers a wonderful expose on the Anti-War protester pestering wounded veterans at Walter Reed. In his 1300+ word article he waits until the last 300 words to really let us know who is behind this protest.

"Code Pink, the group organizing the anti-war demonstrations in front of the Walter Reed hospital, has a controversial leader and affiliations. As Cybercast News Service previously reported, Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin has expressed support for the Communist Viet Cong in Vietnam and the Nicaraguan Sandinistas.

"In 2001, Benjamin was asked about anti-war protesters sympathizing with nations considered to be enemies of U.S. foreign policy, including the Viet Cong and the Sandinistas. "There's no one who will talk about how the other side is good," she reportedly told the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Benjamin has also reportedly praised the Cuban regime of Fidel Castro. Benjamin told the San Francisco Chronicle that her visit to Cuba in the 1980s revealed to her a great country. "It seem[ed] like I died and went to heaven," she reportedly said."

Always good to know that our local communists care about the Republic.

Hasta la Vista…

TheBigGuyinTX

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2005

Toughen Up, Buttercup!

Man, I think I've finally heard it all. Has anyone else heard about the doctor in New Hampshire that's being investigated by a female patient because he wanted to talk to her about her obesity? If you haven't, you might want to check out the following stories:

From FoxNews

From NewsNet5

What's a doctor to do? It's no mystery that we as Americans have become a little chubby over the years and we're finally fessing up to the fact. You can't seem to pick up a newspaper or watch a newscast without being told that 1 out of 4 Americans can be considered obese. (Yeah, probably by definition your scribes here MajorDad and The Big Guy fall into this category...but we've been bigger!) So, who is supposed to clue us into this?

Well, if you haven't seen your toes or genitalia in years...most of us would realize something had gone wrong But you know as well as I do, some people just can't take a hint.

What would happen if the doctor NEGLECTED to mention this patient's weight issues, then she suffered a heart attack that put her six feet under in a LARGE pine box? The same doctor would find himself in court answering some ambulance chaser's snotty questions. Damned if you do, damned if you don't! Pretty soon we won't have a health care capability that is envied by those around the world.

But this is just an underlying symptom...the weight issue that is. How about the simple problem we seem to have here in America...being offended? Whatever happened to the old mantra, "Sticks and stones might break my bones, but words will never hurt me?"

We, as a society, have become slaves to the concept that we should never do anything to damage a person's self esteem. Bosses no longer give individual ass chewings (like in the good old days), today they send a blanket email to everyone talking in generalities about the misdeeds of "someone." Teachers have to pump up children to feel good about themselves even when there is little cause for such feelings of elations. They don't teach children how to spell correctly or use good grammar. Today all kids playing in a youth sports league get lavish trophies just for showing up. (I received ONE crummy little plaque as a little league baseball player...and we won the town championship!)

The way to feel good about yourself is through knowing that you absolutely left it all out on the field...tried your hardest...and hopefully received some sort of positive recognition for your efforts. If people are blowing smoke up everyone's "fourth point of contact" (ask a paratrooper what this might be) about how absolutely wonderful they are, what does this do for the real achievers out there? (Hint: Me and the Big Guy are victims of this...REALLY!) It makes us cynical and bitter, forcing us into the blogosphere. Aren't you guys lucky?

Seriously, think about what you did today. Did you give it your all? Do you really deserve to feel giddy about yourself? Or can you dial it up a notch tomorrow? No need to answer me...you have to look in the mirror tomorrow night, not me.

See you on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:13 PM | Comments (4)

CPT Z and Project Valour-IT

Y'all need to go visit CPT Ziegenfuss' blog, TC Overide.

He speaks (quite literally) about the project and how important it is.

If you believe me though...you can donate right now!

See you on the high ground. That's an order!

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 01:24 PM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2005

Proving a Negative...

Not to be outdone by "The Big Guy" I thought I'd write something this evening too.

Well, I broke my promise to myself this evening and surfed over to Arianna's Huffington Post for a little light comic relief. I have to laugh at most of the cr@p I read there...because if I didn't, I'd be in tears to think that I live in a country where people actually believe some of the drivel she spews.

In any event, not being disappointed, the moonb@ts are up in arms over the fact that a CBS affiliate won't air a Cindy Sheehan commercial in her efforts to chase President Bush across the country through TV ads.

In any case, CBS's response to the issue is that she cannot prove that there never were WMDs in Iraq...so the whole premise she's basing her crusade on is shaky at best.

Ding...ding....ding. Give the boys some cigars! They finally got it right.

While it might appear to be quite logical that after two years of being on the ground in Iraq we haven't found the colossal stash of WMD that nearly all the intelligence agencies in the free world believed to be there...one would deduce that Hussein never had them. Nothing could be further from the truth...and if you've had any schooling at all in statistics OR logic, you'd know that you simply cannot prove a negative hypothesis (unless you can turn over every rock, search every location, etc to look at the entire population of the possible). In a country the size of Iraq (roughly the size of California), in a pre-war state where lots of things apparently found their way into Syria, and a less than open Syrian administration...we cannot know the WHOLE TRUTH.

Good on CBS in Idaho...and thank God someone's finally using some common sense.

See ya on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

P.S. Over a Chinese buffet lunch, The Big Guy posed an interesting question. Do you suppose that Hussein might throw himself on the mercy of the court to cut a deal when found guilty...and sentenced to death...to cop a complete confession as to where the WMD went, where ALL the bodies are buried, etc to get just a life sentence? Interesting!!!

UPDATE: Cindy Sheehan's stated she'll soon be back in Crawford, TX as that's her presumed place of duty. An interesting thing is happening on one of her major "springboards" over at the Huffington Post though...it would appear that her support there is waning. That or the anti-Cindy forces just get up earlier than her supporters. Go check out her latest missive and the comments at the Huffington Post.

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)

Sheople?

Ah, finally another contribution from my friend, "The Big Guy." He might not write all that often, but you can change that...comment!!!

MajorDad has been on my @$$ to write something…here goes:

Sheople: Are people really like sheep?

I was watching the National Geographic Channel last night while they reviewed the 9-11 incident. The four-hour documentary hit me as hard as the original incident. My anger and patriotism were revived…how quickly we seem to forget what happened less than four years ago in New York, Northern Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania. So many lives taken by a coordinated terrorist attack inspired by Osama bin Laden.

It really made me realize how much people are like sheep. This morning I hopped on the 'puter and Googled "people like sheep" to refresh my small brain. The conventional wisdom behind the "people like sheep" analogy comes from the thought process that sheep are not very smart, easy prey for wolves, and they need a Shepherd. There is actually a book for sale by Gail Blanton called Sheople Incidents: The Sheep and People Parables.

But how do we know if we are Sheople? I'm going to steal from Jeff Foxworthy.

You might be a Sheople if: You get all your news information from ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, or PBS.

You might be a Sheople if: You think the terrorists (wolves) will leave us alone if we stay out of their territory.

You might be a Sheople if: You believe unlimited tort liabilities or raising taxes on corporations is a good idea (they would never pass the increased costs to consumers).

You might be a Sheople if: You want our legislatures (the Shepards) to pass laws to solve all your problems.

You might be a Sheople if: You read this article and think "what a bunch of garbage" or "that is one smart dude".

God gave you a brain to think for yourself…use your gift…think!

Clearly define issues or problems, gather your facts, carefully consider alternatives, make sound decisions…and most of all enjoy the freedom.

Hasta la Vista...

The Big Guy in Texas

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:15 PM | Comments (2)

August 21, 2005

San Francisco Snub The Iowa

A quick hat tip to Breitbart.com on this story about the City of San Francisco.

Apparently the "powers that be" in San Francisco are lining up to refuse to dock the retired WWII-era battleship Iowa for political reasons.

The reasons stated include opposition to the war in Iraq/Afghanistan and the military's stance on homosexuality. Rather than allow San Francisco to add yet another tourist attraction to the long list of things to see in the city by the bay...they're trying to convince themselves that by "looking the gift horse in the mouth" that they'll change national policies. Silly people!

For all you merchants, hotels, restaurant owners and the like...remember this next time you have a chance to change the face of your city council and leadership.

See you on the high ground...

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)

Volunteer Guidelines...

Guidelines for Organizing a Successful Volunteer Effort

1. Plan, plan, and then plan some more. Before “going live” with a project, assemble a core team of fellow volunteers to help map out the project timeline. Sometimes starting at your “end state” and working backwards toward the “kick off” is the easiest and best way to work it. Make sure to include all major and minor tasks that will get you to the brass ring.

2. Get to know your volunteers. Learn what their strengths are and exploit them. Consider using a form on your project website to gather information about your volunteers. Have them tell you what their strengths are, how much time they can devote a week to the project, and even ask them if they have any contacts with media or industries that you’re seeking donations. Even people that have no time or real skills might have a friend that works in a media outlet that can help get the message out to potential donors or get you a super deal on products and materials that you might otherwise have to pay full price for.

3. Before jumping out of the blocks, if you have rules you want your volunteers to follow, make them known up front. Try not to be too restrictive in terms of hard and fast rules. You might even consider calling them guidelines or “rules of the road.” Most people that volunteer understand what to say and how to represent their organizations.

4. Learn to delegate tasks. You can’t do everything yourself. Learn to trust the people that are working with you. More often than not, they are just as committed to project success as you are.

5. Identify your leaders and your do-ers. This goes back to Rule #4. You can’t and shouldn’t try to do everything yourself. Figure out who can take ownership of certain aspects of the project and let them run the do-ers.

6. People with strong leadership qualities are sometimes difficult to work with. Just make sure that before you chastise them, you’re not dropping a key player that can help you achieve results. Treat them the way you’d like to be treated and things will go much more smoothly.

7. Don’t micromanage. “Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” George S. Patton As long as people are following the group rules and guidelines, let their enthusiasm drive them towards the finish line.

8. Make people responsible for their tasks and hold them to deadlines. Make sure that your volunteers understand what you want done (not how…) and when you expect them to have their tasks complete. If necessary, use the “magic” of the Internet to hold online discussions in any number of chat applications that you can use to hold “group” meetings.

9. Keep people posted on how the team’s doing on making progress. There are times when people want to know how much money’s being raised, where the donations are coming from, etc. You don’t need to do this every day, but it is motivational to volunteers and team members to see forward motion when it comes to progress. Weekly updates should be sufficient. If you have a particularly gifted “techie” you might be able to automate some of these functions.

10. Use technology where it makes sense. If your team is disbursed geographically, using websites, blogs, and email can be key to keeping up good communications. Consider using a “leaders only” site as a means for you to communicate to your core team…and not necessarily everyone involved in the project. Sometimes things you say don’t need to be heard by all members on the team.

11. When in the brainstorming phase and even beyond, be receptive to suggestion and criticism. You should realize that you don’t have all the answers. Listen to discussions and recommendations carefully. You might be pleasantly surprised when someone you don’t expect to contribute much cracks one of your toughest problems.

12. Mid-course corrections are not a bad thing at all. Sometimes when you’re very involved in a project or program it’s quite useful to have someone not as involved to review the work done to date. Since they’re not as involved, they may provide a much more honest assessment in the actions they observe. If they identify something that’s not going quite according to plan or isn’t achieving the expected goals, it might be time to take a look at another way of “skinning the cat.”

13. NEVER make a volunteer feel badly about something they’ve done that doesn’t quite live up to the way you’ve done it. Unless you’re an expert with a proven track record, some of your volunteers might do things better than you.

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)

Duty, Honor, Country....

Take 33 minutes out of your life to follow the link to this audio of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur address the United States Military Academy's Corps of Cadets in 1962.

General Douglas MacArthur: Thayer Award Acceptance Address

This might help explain to those that simply don't understand why we in uniform do what we do...it's because we believe in concepts like General MacArthur speaks about in this audio.

See you on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2005

A Happy Ending...

This last week, besides the media extravaganza being held in Crawford, TX another story about supporting our soldiers hit the national media...and yes, right here in Texas.

Apparently Marine Corporal Carl Basham, a tour two veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, was being denied the "in-state" tuition rate at Austin Community College due to a confusion about his state of residency. WorldNetDaily's story documents the happy ending.

My question is why do administrators and bureaucrats seem to always fall on the side of what they "CAN'T" do rather than seek ways to accomodate deserving people? It was only when the story reached the big media outlets in the talk radio world and the blogosphere were they able to "find" the loophole they could have used in the first place? If that wasn't possible, why couldn't they have simply used their noodles to figure out a way to create a "win-win" situation to support this combat veteran?

Rather than dwelling on what's possible, I think that we as a people have lost the American "can do" mentality in many regards. As long as we continue to handcuff ourselves, we'll always be fighting to be a good as we've been as a nation. To borrow from the Air Force's recruiting motto...we all need to "Aim High!"

See you on the high ground.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 09:29 AM | Comments (2)

August 18, 2005

"Cindy Doesn't Speak for Us"

Now that we're nearing the end of the second week of the media circus going on in Crawford, TX a couple of important developments.

1. Cindy Sheehan's mother had a stroke today that has Cindy on her way back to California. We here at "Cursed by a Classical Education" wish her a safe journey...and hopefully a speedy recovery for her Mom.

2. Having said that, today I found an interesting news item reported over at Move America Forward. When Cindy returns from her trip home, she's likely to have company in Crawford from another mother, Deborah Johns. Deborah's son is a Marine currently serving in Iraq.

I do think that it's time for the "other side of the coin" to be exposed and from the looks of this counter demonstration, we'll see it. The caravan will leave California, travel through Arizona and New Mexico on the way the our Great State of Texas. They should arrive in Crawford sometime on Saturday afternoon.

Now will the media spend as much of an effort publicizing the fact that these "Mothers for the Troops and our President" get the same kind of coverage as Cindy Sheehan has. That's a question that should be answered next week.

If you haven't figured it out yet, I do support our President and at the same time can understand a mother's grief, but given the choices to support Cindy or to support President Bush, I'll choose President Bush every time.

Mr. Bush has extended you his condolences once...and continues to offer his support to you in your time of grief, but for him to stop the country to respond to your challenge is something he cannot and will not do. There are hundreds of thousands of families have lived through the uncertainty of having their loved ones deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places that haven't made it to the front page yet. I believe that he always finds time in his actions as President to make sure that he thanks them...and I'll bet a dollar to a donut, he prays for them every day.

The world is an ugly, nasty place Ms. Sheehan. George Orwell once said, "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." I've been one of those rough men...and so was your son, Casey. We both knew the risks. We both knew our mothers would worry about us. However we both felt a call to duty that a mother doesn't want to understand. Because of our service alongside our brothers and sisters in arms, millions of people (including you) do indeed sleep peaceably in their beds at night.

Are the missions complete in Iraq and Afghanistan? Not by a long shot, but the good news isn't making headlines. People that would rather see us fail seem to be in control of those outlets.

If it wasn't for blogs and reports from the field, the average person would probably think we were being handed the greatest military loss we've ever suffered on the battlefield. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Just like your side chose to do during Vietnam, you run the risk of actually extending hostilities longer than they need to be...and in the meantime, cause the deaths of more Americans, Coalition Forces, and Iraqis/Afghans.

Your family needs you in California...that should be your place of duty until that need is over. Maybe this break will give you time to think about what you've accomplished so far...and perhaps see your way to turning your grief and passion towards more productive actions.

See you on the high ground!

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 09:39 PM | Comments (7)

August 16, 2005

Project Valour-IT

Valour-IT stands for Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops. This is a new endeavor from the good folks at "Soldiers' Angels" an organization whose motto is "May no soldier go unloved."

The Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT is committed to providing Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines who have served in harm's way with laptops loaded with voice recognition software so that those recovering from hand and arm wounds will be able to communicate with family, loved ones, and even buddies still in the fight without having to fumble with a keyboard or a mouse.

This program is established in memory of SFC William Ziegenfuss, the father of one of our injured troops currently on the mend in the Washington, DC area. CPT Chuck Ziegenfuss is a fellow military blogger who had just barely gotten started in the blogosphere before being wounded in June 2005. He recently started using the software that is the centerpiece to Project Valour-IT. Visit his blog to read about how the voice recognition technology is making a difference for him and his family.

Please, please, please visit the Project Valour-IT website and take the time to learn about this ambitious project. Of course, if you feel the urge to make a donation to help us out, here's my thanks in advance.

See you on the high ground...and I know that you'll do what you can to help us help our troops coming home that aren't able to use a computer the way we just have.

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2005

An Open Letter to Cindy Sheehan

Cindy,

We've heard your voice, your message, and know that the odds of you meeting with President Bush again are quite the longshot.

Your family (as reported through the media today) is telling you that it's time to pack it in and head home. I tend to agree with them.

Having served in harm's way before...I would recommend that all soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines let their families know how they'd like those that they might leave behind to act if something were to happen to them. The first postcard I sent my parents from the Middle East in January of 1991 and I clearly stated that I was exactly where I wanted to be. Not that I would ever think that my parents would ever consider question the motives of our Commander in Chief, but I'm sure it sent them a message...that I was there of my free will as an adult child.

Casey's re-enlistment a full five months after the invasion of Iraq sends me a very clear message...the Army is exactly where he wanted to be as well.

Cindy, I understand you are grieving...and you're also lashing out at the administration as a scapegoat. If you truly honor the memory of your son it's time to re-direct your compassion in other directions...and urge your followers to do the same. The amount of money being spent to back your cause in Crawford could be used to assist those veterans that are coming home with special needs and items. The Wounded Warrior Project is just one of many organizations that can take the money you're spending on your quest...and do something very positive with it.

Causes are great things...but eventually the "lost ones" need to be realized and ended.

Very respectfully,

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:08 PM | Comments (2)

August 10, 2005

Enough was Enough...

Sorry folks, but I'd had enough of the "comment spam" that started appearing inside this blog.

If you choose to do so, you can register to receive a username/password combination from "TypeKey" that will allow you to become a "trusted" poster to any "Movable Type" driven blog. It's not a bad thing...just a thing that should help keep the jackholes that have been trying to get us to sign up for online casinos, viagra, and other cheesing offers from posting anymore crap.

If you choose not to sign up for a TypeKey account by following that link above, I'll have to manually "accept" your comments when I check several times a day. I promise not to "deny" anyone's posts, provided they're somewhat civilized and not full of "potty mouth" language. Capische?

Sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks for your patience.

See you on the high ground. I'll be the one with the "salt gun" up in the tree looking for "comment spammers."

MajorDad1984

UPDATE

Something's not working quite right...folks, go ahead and post your comments the way you normally did, I'll just have to "approve" them one at a time.

I'm working on the problem. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 11:44 PM | Comments (1)

August 09, 2005

The Price of Exploration and Change

Greetings...I received the following email from "The Big Guy" at work today. In the afterglow of a successful return to Earth by Discovery and her crew this morning, we had been discussing the cost in human life of other explorative ventures. "The Big Guy" seems to have done his homework here. Take a quick read of some facts he dug up this afternoon.

While we rejoice in the safe return of the brave crew of the Discovery today (August 9, 2005). We are frequently reminded of the disasters of Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967), Challenger (STS-51-L on January 28, 1986), and Columbia (STS-107 on February 1, 2003).

Sometimes we need a reminder of the price of exploration:

James Cook commanded three voyages of discovery for Great Britain, and sailed around the world twice. Captain Cook's voyages lead to the establishment of colonies throughout the Pacific by several European countries. He is considered one of the world's greatest explorers. On February 14, 1779 Cook was stabbed to death by Hawaiian natives while investigating a theft of a boat by an islander.

Francis Drake made the "Famous Voyage" - the circumnavigation of the world in 1577-1580. In 1596 Sir Francis Drake was stricken by a tropical disease - "the bloody flux" (perhaps yellow fever) - during a less-than-successful expedition against the Spanish in the Caribbean.

René-Robert-Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle came to Canada as an adventurer and trader in 1666. In 1682 La Salle claim for France the Mississippi and the wide territory that it drained. But, five years later, in the wretched failure of an attempt to plant a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi, he was murdered by mutineers from ambush.

Ferdinand Magellan was the first circumnavigator of the real world; died during his voyage of discovery. His fleet consisted of five vessels provisioned for 234 persons for two years. The fleet sailed 20 September, 1519. On 16 March 1521, Magellan discovered the Philippines. He thought to stay here for a time, safe from the Portuguese, and rest his men and repair his ships. Magellan wished to subdue the neighboring Island of Mactan and was killed there, 27 April, by the poisoned arrows of the natives. Only the one ship, the Victoria, with Sebastian del Cano as captain, and a crew of eighteen men, reached Spain on 8 September 1522.

Jacques Marquette was the discoverer of the Mississippi River. Marquette heard tales of a great river and concluded that the Mississippi emptied into the Gulf of California. On 17 May, 1673, with five other Frenchmen, in two canoes, Marquette and Joliet set forth on their voyage of discovery. On June 17, their canoes glided out into the broad, swift current of the Mississippi. Marquette drew a map of the country through which they passed and kept a diary of the voyage. Down the river the party sailed, passing the mouth of the muddy Missouri and the Ohio until they reached the mouth of the Arkansas, and learned with certainty from the Indians that the river upon which they were navigating flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. This was the information which they sought; and fearing danger from the Spaniards if they went further, they turned the prows of their canoes northward. In 1675, Marquette started for the village of the Illinois Indians whom he had met on his return voyage, but was overtaken by the cold and died at the age of thirty-nine. Two years later the Indians carried his bones to the Mission at Mackinac.

Juan Ponce de León set out from San German, Puerto Rico on 3 March, 1513, with three ships. On Easter Sunday, 27 March, he came within sight of the coast which he named Florida in honor of the day and on account of the luxuriant vegetation. On 2 April he landed at a spot a little to the north of the present site of St. Augustine and formally took possession in the name of the Crown. His voyage had been without result as far as the acquisition of gold and slaves, and the discovery of the "fountain of youth" were concerned. In 1521 he set out with two ships and landing upon the Florida coast, just where, it is not known, he was furiously attacked by the natives while he was building houses for his settlers. Finally driven to re-embark, he set sail for Cuba, where he died of the wound which he had received

Sir Walter Raleigh was an explorer who led expeditions to North America and South America. He also established colonies on Roanoke Island on two separate occasions (1585 and 1587). In 1615, after the king locked him in the London Tower for twelve years, he finally convinced the king to let him free by promising him the gold of Spain. The king had ordered him not to engage the Spanish in war but Raleigh's son attacked a village and was killed. Upon return to England Raleigh was executed for disobeying orders in 1618.

Hernando De Soto set sail with a fleet of nine vessels on 18 May, 1539. He had with him 1000 men exclusive of the sailors, all well armed and making up what was considered to be the best equipped expedition that had ever set out for conquest in the New World. They were constantly deceived by the Indians, who tried to get them as far away as possible by telling them stories of great wealth which was to be found at remote points. They wandered from place to place, always disappointed in their expectations, but still lured onward by the tales they heard of the vast riches which lay just beyond. On 20 June, 1542 (according to some authorities on 21 May), he was stricken with a fever, and prepared for death. On the fifth day de Soto succumbed without having reached New Spain by land. This expedition of de Soto, though it ended so disastrously, was one of the most elaborate and persistent efforts made by the Spaniards to explore the interior of North America. It was the first extensive exploration of at least six of the Southern states: South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas. He died on the banks of the Mississippi the latter part of June, 1542.

This got me thinking about some of the naysayers and doubters about our missions in standing up to those that started the Global War on Terror.

How different are our current expeditions around the world combatting the shadowy adversaries who plot, strike fast - hard -ruthlessly, just to melt back into the populace?

Yes, the coalition forces are today's modern crusaders, but rather than choosing to permanently occupy and colonize...isn't it safe to say that we're attempting to set up an environment where Afghani and Iraqi can live in relative safety, worship freely, and prosper like they never have before?

You just read the accounts of brave men that ventured into things they didn't understand in spite of the risk. How different are the young men in women deployed from America, Britain, Poland, Romania and the other coalition partner nations from the explorers you just read about? They know the risks the day they raise their right hands and swear their oaths.

I ask you to join me in saluting the explorers of the past, present and future. Join me in saying "well done" to those that are currently in harm's way, those that have made the ultimate sacrifice, and those that have given something less, but will never be whole again.

They're out there making a difference. What have you done for "us" lately?

See you on the high ground!

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:37 PM | Comments (0)

August 06, 2005

Homespun Blogger Symposium XXXI

This week I posed the following questions to my Homespun friends...

Back in June, you probably heard about a story from Camden, NJ where three young boys were found dead in the trunk of a Toyota after having gone missing. Here's a link to an updated story that should provide you enough background to formulate an opinion on this story. 1010 WINS New York's All News Station...

This story not only discusses the incident, but the legal actions that one of the dead boy's parents intend to follow through with. Here are some questions for you out there in the blogosphere...

1. Who is ultimately responsible for the loss of these three children?

2. Do you believe that the police were at all responsible for not finding the children in time? (It's hinted that on of the parents has decided to sue the City of Camden New Jersey)

3. Do you believe that auto manufacturers are responsible for providing additional safety features that would prevent this type of tragedy in the future? (They've also been named as potential litigants in this case.)

4. Why do you think that if this parent feels so strongly about going after the "wrongdoers" in this case, why doesn't he try to sue the parents of the other children lost in the incident?

As always, I'll try to break this down point by point not only to help me think...but to make my logic easier to understand. My answers follow:

1. Who is ultimately responsible for the loss of these three children?

Having just as much information as you about this case, it would appear that this is an example of parents not knowing where their children are at all times...and the children not keeping their parents informed about their whereabouts.

Being a parent is a tremendous responsibility and to be quite honest, it can be inconvenient at times. That does not absolve a parents' responsibility to ensure the safety of their children. Obviously, there was a breakdown between three sets of parents and their children that afternoon that had horrendous consequences.

2. Do you believe that the police were at all responsible for not finding the children in time?

Having said what I just did in the words above, I'm not completely absolving the police by pointing a finger of blame at the parents. I think they could have been more thorough in their efforts, but as the events that unfolded, the focus was probably pointed towards some "sexual predator" when looking closer to home was more appropriate.

I can't take them completely off the hook, but I certainly don't think that there was any misconduct on their part.

3. Do you believe that auto manufacturers are responsible for providing additional safety features that would prevent this type of tragedy in the future?

Absolutely not! I know that there have been measures to prevent the accidental (or even intentional) trunk "lock-ins" as evidenced by that funny "glow in the dark tag" you see in the trunks of most autos/sedans today. That feature was mandated in 2002. With this car being a pre-2002 model, I'm not sure how the family intends to force Toyota to pony up any money.

If my child drives a car into a lake, becomes disoriented or panics, and winds up drowning...am I going to try to sue the auto manufacturer because there wasn't an emergency oxygen system and GPS transmitter onboard? I think not.

4. Why do you think that if this parent feels so strongly about going after the "wrongdoers" in this case, why doesn't he try to sue the parents of the other children lost in the incident?

Unfortunately, I believe that this is fallout from our over letigious society. I'm sure that some entrepreneurial young ambulance chaser saw this story on TV and figured he'd won the lottery. Rather than go after the other parents (they'd been implicated for negligence by the official reports) the attorney took a look to see where the money was. Most major cities can and have been sued successfully for huge amounts of money. Obviously they've been hoping that Camden's got the bling in the bank. The other target quite clearly is going after Toyota Motor Company to dig into their deep pockets as well. Sad.

Why are the other parents exempted from the litigation? They don't have the money...that this third parents wants.

While this is a tragedy...it shouldn't be about money. If the parent feels so strongly about making the Camden Police Department...and the auto manufacturers that put our vehicles on the road change their ways, the suit could be about them changing their policies...not filling up a grieving (?) father's bank account.

See you on the high ground. Do you know where your children are?

MajorDad1984

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:57 AM | Comments (6)

August 04, 2005

Where there's smoke...

Got this from "The Big Guy" at work this afternoon. Seemed too perfect not to share with all of you!

Food for thought, especially considering the London bombings and the increased surveillance on our own public transportation!

HISTORY TEST Please pause a moment, reflect back, and take the following multiple choice test. These are actual events from history. They happened!

Do you remember?

1. 1968 Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed by:
a. Superman
b. Jay Leno
c. Harry Potter
d. A Muslim male extremist between the ages of 17 and 40

2. In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:
a. Olga Corbett
b. Sitting Bull
c. Arnold Schwarzenegger
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

3. In 1979, the US embassy in Iran was taken over by:
a. Lost Norwegians
b. Elvis
c. A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

4. During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
a. John Dillinger
b. The King of Sweden
c. The Boy Scouts
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

5. In 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
a. A pizza delivery boy
b. Pee Wee Herman
c. Geraldo Rivera
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

6. In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard in his

wheelchair by:
a. The Smurfs
b. Davy Jones
c. The Little Mermaid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

7. In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a US Navy diver trying to rescue passengers was murdered by:
a. Captain Kidd
b. Charles Lindberg
c. Mother Teresa
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

8. In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
a. Scooby Doo
b. The Tooth Fairy
c. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

9. In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
a. Richard Simmons
b. Grandma Moses
c. Michael Jordan
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

10. In 1998, the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
a. Mr. Rogers
b. Hillary Clinton, to distract attention from Bill's women problems
c. The Dream Team
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

11. On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked; two were used as missiles to take out the World Trade Centers and of the remaining two, one crashed into the US Pentagon and the other was diverted and crashed by the passengers. Thousands of people were killed by:

a. Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd
b. The Supreme Court of Florida
c. Mr. Bean
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

12. In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
a. Enron
b. The Lutheran Church
c. The NFL
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

13. In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
a. Bonnie and Clyde
b. Captain Kangaroo
c. Billy Graham
d. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

No...I really don't see a pattern here to justify profiling, do you?

So, to ensure we Americans never offend anyone, particularly fanatics intent on killing us, airport security screeners will no longer be allowed to profile certain people. They must conduct random searches of 80-year-old women, little kids, airline pilots with proper identification, secret agents who are members of the President's security detail, 85-year old Congressmen with metal hips, and Medal of Honor winning and former Governor Joe Foss, but leave Muslim Males between the ages 17 and 40 alone lest they be guilty of profiling.

P.S.... And guess who just bombed London?

Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:12 PM | Comments (6)