Sunday, December 31, 2006

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Tony vs. Paul - time lapse

A superb time lapse production that will leave you wondering HOW DID THEY DO THAT? Click the YOUTUBE logo to learn more about how they did it.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Monday, December 18, 2006

Solid Potato Salad [1944]

Just think, these girls are now over 80 years old and have great grand-kids! It is quite a talent show!

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Middle East Correspondent

Matt Settle provides another report from the Middle east.

Well another week and one less week to go. As I was thinking about what to write this week, I first thought that not much really was going on. On second thought, I went to a concert, found another Christmas gift idea, and had my leg amputated and guts hang out from an explosion (it was a drill). ;-)

The concert was at Camp Arifjan the other day and was quite nice. It consisted of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Keni Thomas, Al Franken, Leeann Tweeden, The Washington Projects, Mark Wills, and Darryl Worley. All the singers were good. I am not sure I appreciated the Washington Project as much as the younger crowd but I also think the younger crowd didn’t appreciate the country music like I did. One thing is for sure we all RELLY like Leeann Tweeden and the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. J Actually, Leeann and Al Franken did some very funny skits and the cheerleaders came on stage in the Burka (long black robe) before the two removed it to show their outfit. It was a lot of fun just to get out and do something a little different for a change. By the way, BMO is short for Black Moving Object. Anyway, the four of us from the watch section had a great time but then paid the price the next morning after our mid-watch was over. Hey, I guess sleep is over rated. We can all sleep when we are dead. (THIS REPORT CONTINUES UNDER "COMMENT" LINK UNDER THIS POST)

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Relive 1952 - Instructional Film for Youth

Here at the intenet film archives you can watch old movies that are lost to time. This one is called A YOUNG MANS FANCY. Historical value, but funny in today's context!!

I have long enjoyed this film and include it as a bonus in some of my short features. IT was part of a govt. morale boosting film project in 1945 and the artist is Ella mae Morse. More about her at http://tinyurl.com/v9j9k. Enjoy!

FW: Bad navigation day or lower the river, don't lift the bridge

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.
Asiatic Fleet Remembered

In May of 2006, survivors and veterans of the US Asiatic Fleet met in Asheville to remember their shipmates. This American Fleet had a long history in the waters of the Western Pacific. The Movie "Sand Pebbles" depicts part of their history. A massive and modern Japanese fleet destoyed the Asiatic Fleet and its allies in early 1942. The Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor was unable to come to their aid as planned out in pre-war doctrine. They faught and died with their allies - almost unnoticed by an America that by necessity put its focus on the war in Europe.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

What You Don't Know ... 1+1=

If you have not yet listened in on Don's theories and postulations, you have missed a big part of life.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Foreign Object Damage

Foreign Object Damage
This is an interesting commentary on Iraq. The poster believes the "speech" is bogus for several reasons he states at the end of the piece. I left a comment on this blog. I think the "speech" has some problems defining strategy in Iraq.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Expensive Ignorance.......

ALL ABOUT FULL UNDERSTANDING 
 
Shortcut to: http://www.lewrockwell.com/reese/reese322.html 
I just argued this very thing recently as the basis behind a liberal mass media. In effect the "liberal" media is the effect of Ignorant journlists - the result of education that fails to address the issues Reese talks about in this artcle. (History - Economics - Basic Science) ..Vic www.me3tv.com (thanks to RG)


 

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Movies in which we're the bad guys

Watch video clips of propaganda from Russia, DDR (East Germany), DPRK (North Korea), Iraq under Saddam, Iran, etc. which portrays USA as the bad guys. The Russian cartoon of a Stephen King techno-thriller is especially interesting. Click the country, video, blank screen.  This is from  Carl: 
http://www.vunet.org/?q=Soviet&section=viihde&FP_SECTION=finnish&maxts=80

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Old Photos of Lake Mohawk

Retrostockphoto has these pictures. You should take a look sometime. Some of them are for sale in local stores in Sparta, NJ. ... (more)

Friday, November 17, 2006

Beauty Queen goes to Iraq

http://www.yahoo.com/s/439834
Beauty Queen Goes to Iraq.
Well, I'll be darned.
vic - www.me3tv.com
am posting this on www.incountry.blogspot.com

Monday, November 13, 2006

Sussex County 120MM Years Ago

Our own video team took the time to go back 120MM years ago to see how things looked around this part of NJ before the deer population exploded, and farmland preservation became a great concern of the taxpayers. Actually, this is an animation from ANIBOOM.com. Enjoy it. There are courses in animation taught at the local community college.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Check out Conclusion Firs

Click here: Conclusion First, Debate Afterwards
This is what the Baker Hamilton report will say.......... uh oh.

30 Major Terror Plots - AOL News

Click here: Britain's Spy Chief Warns of 30 Major Terror Plots - AOL News
you wondered...well just ask Nancy Pelosi..what will she do .

A McCain Dialogue

I am placing a recent dialogue about McCaine into the "COMMENTS" link just under this post. McCain has good qualities and also some huge liabilities from the point of view of conservatives. But IMHO - he may be the eventual candidate to against Hillary in 2008. Anyway it will be interesting to watch unfold.
1972-73 NGFS missions and radio conversation with ships and spotters.

Parkland Memorial Hospital ... illegal immigration

What an eye-opener! And, this is just ONE hospital and ONE industry. I do not think any forceful illegal immigration policy will be forthcoming for a long time with the new majority in congress. Look at the voter base that this largesse supports -- ie: "pays off" for when and if they are given amnesty and allowed to vote. PLUS all the support cash for ancillary and direct support to the hospital community for its work caring for the health issues of illegals. It is an industry with huge implications to job opportunities tied to the largesse. People with THOSE jobs will certainly not be eager to cut back on illegal immigration! They are essentially bought off with taxpayer dollars to support their own jobs through a liberal congress. I give you the direct SNOPES link because it helps to validate the article.

Friday, November 10, 2006

World War Two Google Earth

A tour of WWII Battles
Battle For Berlin
Mark Rolef made this video in October. The SKIRMISH fields in PA are often used for scenario games. A day at this is exhausting - so imagine what the REAL veterans of the Battle for Berlin went through! God Bless our Veterans. Your use of stock footage of WWII with your footage from the day, give this a sense of heritage - with the excitement of scenario combat. I was there for this day and I have to say, I really HATE that German tank! It took me out in a very painful way! Outstanding video, Mark. Keep them coming! For history buffs - may I suggest a book? "Armageddon - The Battle for Germany 1944-45". Thanks for the vid.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Why the Rebublicans lost Congress and Senate

MAINLY IT WAS IRAQ . IRAQ and IRAQ -- but also:

Dumb politicians. The R's have often showed how poor they are at explaining their policies and this was no exception. How come R's are so dumb about political strategy and painting their positions so they can be understood and D's are so good at creating positve perceptions for the muddled middle?
Examples:
A. The Deficit was headed that way from the last half of Clinton's presidency when the 'bubble burst' but Dems continued to make hay out of it even after 9/11 which required 'super spending' by the govt. to jump start a dead patient (the economy). The corresponding tax cuts generated huge tax REVENUES to the government that eventually began to cut into the deficit. This has never been explained well by R's. Pictures - cartoons - editorials ... nothing really addressed very well how the economy was booming but would be DEAD without the tax cuts. Now you can expect tax increases with the D's and very likely a stalled economy - and LOWER tax revenues -- but under a Bush Presidency. Hello Hillary in 2008.
B. IRAQ - and Rumsfeld. HE became a lightning rod for the war protestors and I think he enjoyed it. Bush allowed the circuits to break (this election) before he would make any move to replace Rummy. A replacement for Rummy 3 to 6 months ago was all he needed to show he was listening and he wanted a new perspective. Bush is too loyal to a performing staff member even though the staff member is crushing the party from an undeserved but nevertheless effective rant from the left.
C. Chaney has been painted effectively as "the devil" by Dems and unfortunately his photographic persona plays well to the left who see him that way. Is he effective? Yes. Is he now irrelevant? Yes. He is a placeholder at the VP spot where someone else could be making strides toward the 2008 race. He should not have been on the ticket in 2004, but he could still find a graceful "out" for health reasons if he cared about the country ... and the R's chances in 2008.
D. Immigration was not on the front burner for the voters that made the difference here. If it had been, R's would still hold congress. InVitro fertilized eggs and blastomeres research was not on the front burner for those who chose to vote Dem. Gay marriage was not on the front burner for those who voted Dem. But these topics were manipulated by Dems to land in wedge positions to be argued by R's and thus took steam away from the R successes. R's are just really bad at making their case and are easily felled by wedge issues.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Animation de marionettes ( mains)


Animation de marionettes ( mains)
Video sent by eXsistenZ1968
funny short

Friday, November 03, 2006

How to Make a Video

Tim Carter from <http://www.askthebuilder.com>AsktheBuilder.com</a> demonstrates the equipment and techniques you need to film a good video. Discover a wealth of secret tips while watching this informative and humorous video. Tim shares his eight years of network television experience to help you create professional videos.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on National Review Online

Ilan Berman on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on National Review Online
<http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/berman200601190821.asp>

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

The port lookout is commenting on the scene of a B52 strike along the coast area which is much much more impressive than NGF explosions. Later in this sequence - a spotter has us take on a target that is moving. We expend 50 rounds - much to his surprise at the end when we note the toal rounds expended.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Friday, October 27, 2006

An 8 year Portrait - Time Lapse

This video is a time lapse of 8 years of daily self portraits by a chap named JK. It is intersting to watch and only takes a couple of minutes. Ever wonder what YOU would look like over time?

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

United for Our Troops

"WE WANT TO BE HEARD"; Families United Launches New Web Video
Families United press release
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Families United today released Voices, a new Web video featuring Gold Star Families who feel their voices and their support for our troops and their mission are not represented in the mainstream media. In the video, available online at www.familiesunitedmission.com, Gold Star Families share their stories of sacrifice and display their hope that America's mission in the Global War on Terror especially in Afghanistan and Iraq is not abandoned before it is completed successfully. The video also implores mainstream media to no longer overlook stories of success and heroism in the War on Terror, and to look beyond the anti-war leaders of the left as regular sources for War on Terror stories.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Middle East Media Research:...FIVE YEARS LATER

The Middle East Media Research Institute Presents: Since the attacks on September 11, 2001, The Middle East Media Research Institute has monitored, translated, and recorded what was said in the Arab and Iranian press about that day. Prominent journalists, members of academia, leading religious figures, and even Arab government officials helped shape conspiracies about what "really" happened. The carefully documented collection is now available as a PDF and includes a compilation of articles and editorials from the mainstream Arabic and Persian language press, as well as transcripts from television programs. A documentary film about the Arab and Iranian reaction to 9-11 incorporates footage from various TV and satellite stations in the Middle East. It was made with Interface Media Group and narrated by acclaimed actor Ron Silver.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Teenager Bear in Sparta

The Bear was a "teenager" looking for its own range. A garage door was accidentally left open and the bear found our garbage can quickly. A neighbor called to tell us a bear was in our driveway. I grabbed a video camera and took this footage. I mildly encouraged the bear to leave until I had some footage. Then I became forceful and he left. IT was too old to have a mother around and too young to have good respect for humans - especially with the enticing odor of food nearby. It was better to encourage the bear on its way as soon as possible to avoid it gaining a tolerance for people. We have too many snack sized kids in the area for bears that have no fear of people. MORE WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS IN LOCAL NEWSPAPER ONLINE.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

If you have not taken a glider flight out of Blairstown, NJ this time of year (october) you have missed a great view. This is the season! Posted by Picasa It is a great view this time of year from a sail plane over the Delaware River. This historic valley is gorgeous this time of year! The Glider Port is in Blairstown. The color in October is amazing. MORE HERE Posted by Picasa Thanks to Paul Avery of AlphaPoint Technology (great software for the company that needs to track its hardware).

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Mesa Verde Tour

Dan Haff, a Student at Sussex County Community College did this video as a project in his Broadcasting I class. It is pretty informative. About 4 minutes. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

This is a 12 Minute preview of the "Snowetry" DVD "theme card". The DVD is available only in packs of 4 DVDS (for $20) that are suitable for mailing as a greetng card. On the face of the DVD is space to write a personal message with a "sharpie" felt-tip pen. There are no advertising overlays on the purchased versions.See Buzz Creek for details. The individual "SNOWETRY" features are available online . These can be downloaded in high quality and sent as short greetings attached to email. 100% of the video was shot in Sussex County, NJ. The project was put together in a virtual partnership with M.J. Trenkler in Jacksonville, Fl.

Our Navy in Kuwait

Matt Settle, originally from Jay, Florida on a cruise in Kuwait. Story is added below under the "comments" link.
Interviews with man-on-the-street. Dumb people. I really hope these people are not aware that they can vote in America, if they even know they are in America or where it is on a map. I suppose people in other countries are just as dumb. I hope so. It will even out the playing field.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Deomocrat Plan for Iraq

http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/dpatton/2006/dp_10022.shtml

foley folly

Here are some of my thoughts on the pickle the R's now have with the Foley mess... I think it needs to go into the strategy for defense of the Republican leadership.
WHY HOMOSEXUAL CONGRESSMEN (Public Figures who are also predators) - Get by For so Long:
I think one of the questions not brought out by anyone (that I have seen) is the roll played by "socially acceptable" ways of confronting homosexuals who may have predatory tendencies. I am thinking most heterosexuals are confused about exactly HOW to confront issues involving homesexuality in society. When most heterosexuals learn of a person's homosexuality, they are now "tuned by acceptable behavior norms" to AVOID making the person's orientation an issue. It is avoided at all costs because of laws prohibiting harrassment of persons of color, race, religion, orientation, age, sex, nationality, regionality, physical challenge, height, weight, style of dress, financial status, educational status, or profession (among other things). So - people who are "thought to be" homosexual - are given a wide berth of "polite" avoidance in any discussion (with ANYONE) of the person's "orientation". This allows the homosexual PREDATOR a wide margin of error in their activity until wide public knowledge of their orientation is expressed. Thus, some congressmen who are homosexual and known to be so are more acceptable to their constituents. If sexual misbehaviour occurs, it will be obvious. When such a pubic figure is secretly homosexual (like McGreevy) the public and even their peers in government are unable to effectively identify misbehavior until it is too late. "Don't Ask - Don't Tell" may work in some cases, but "Not Telling" reduces oversight. It probably should be criminal for an elected official to represent his constituency under any false pretenses of sexual orientation. Once "outed" there should be criminal charges for misrepresentation because while "in the closet" the public is isolated from potential misbehaviour by the social rules of conduct that are effectively a "gag order". A heterosexual who misbehaves will be more readily exposed because the rules SUPPORT the reporting and discussion of sexual harrassment. A closet homosexual who misbehaves is using the social stealth and cloaking tools provided by rules supporting suppression of discussion about orienteation.
Vic Campbell www.me3tv.com www.buzzcreek.com

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Oriskany Sinks off Pensacola

A great short video with music of the "reefing" of the USS Oriskany. Please view Discovery Channel Documentary to witness Resolve's work in sinking of the U.S.S. Oriskany. Please visit our latest accomplishment: Resolve Marine, U.S. Navy sink Oriskany as reef. Extra: Here is a link to a video made with pride for a kid's brother in Iraq.

Hillary/Conde Ho-Down

This is a riot! YOU HAVE TO SEE IT! Hillary and Condi sHo-down! Enjoy a good laugh!
For another version of "You Ain't Woman Enough" see this INCOUNTRY selection from the Farmer's Opry.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Glasgow Scotland

I think this is a funny commediane ... or is that redundant? Anyway ... take a little tour of Glasgow Scotland with Janey Godley. On the river Clyde with Janey. Thise comes from live digital.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Me262 at the ILA2006 in Berlin (original sound)

I THINK a LOT of Airmen in the US ARMY AIRFORCE in WWII would have a huge fear of this thing in 1945!! Footage of a restored Messerschmitt 262 from the ILA ( Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung ; International Aerospace Exhibition ) 2006 in Berlin. take-off / flight / landing ( Me262 Me-262 Messerschmidt262 Messerschmitt262 Messerschmitt-262 Messerschmidt-262 schwalbe ww2 World War 2 Jet fighter german )

Friday, September 15, 2006

The Lebanon Hizbolah Situation

seen with different eyes
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/krauthammer090106.php3

Immigration - philosopher input - I-have-spoken

This is a long article. I confess to skimming the middle of it. It can be a bit academic. However, reading the first two or three paragraphs for context and then reading the last 3 or 4 paragraphs will provide a good assessment of immigration from the philosopher's point of view. thanks to RG
Shortcut to: http://www.newcriterion.com/archives/25/09/have-spoken/ 
This is also posted on my blog: www.myemailstuff.blogspot.com
vic
 

Saturday, September 09, 2006

USGS Image from TerraServer-USA

Check out this image I found on TerraServer-USA: A microsoft website. Very good US Govt. Aerials. You can drill down on most any location in the usa. vic www.chumuckla.blogspot.com

Grandma's Happy Fist


Grandma's Happy Fist
Video sent by dekku
The Wolf has NO CHANCE! Here's a short movie from the Class of 2004 of the Ringling School. The author is Hyun-Ho Choi.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Chumuckla Goat Farm

One of the nice things about country living in a place like Chumuckla, is there is plenty of open space to have a few animals to raise. We hope to hear more about this goat farm soon. Stay tuned.

Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

ETHNICITY - PC Death

VIC (re: Rob-below): I wonder what the ratio of enemy deaths by nationality) is to each ethnic contribution to their demise? I should think the PC Patton would want to know how many of THEIR "soldiers" are being killed. Come to
think of it ... I don't think I have seen a single news report that states how many enemy have been killed (maybe once or twice in general terms and for specific time periods). Our own news media and our own PC conscience wants to know every name and the racial make-up of our losses but they have no curiosity about the damage done to the enemy. Or...do our war fighters FEAR the release of death figures of the enemy based on the "body count" fiasco of Vietnam?

ROB: How some people keep score The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments: Shortcut to: http://icasualties.org/oif/ETHNICITY.aspxNote: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent sending or receiving
certain types of file attachments. Check your e-mail security settings to determine how attachments are handled.

Monday, August 28, 2006

10 Non-Iraq Books for Understanding Iraq

Thomas E. Ricks has been a longtime military correspondent for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, and his new book, 'Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq' ; , is the most thorough and devastating critique yet of what he calls the "American military adventure" in Iraq. In his account, perhaps the greatest strategic error the U.S. made was failing to recognize the insurgency as it began and using traditional military means to fight it. As he writes, many officers scrambled to find classic analyses of past counterinsurgencies to understand how best to fight this new war, and here he shares with us the 10 books not about Iraq he found most useful in understanding the war there. As he notes, "most were recommended to me by thoughtful military officers or counterinsurgency experts."

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Hezbollah: Coming Soon To Your Hometown

Duh? We got us a problem here people!

Sunday, August 20, 2006

A Book Critical of How the Iraq War is Fought

Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq (Hardcover)
by Thomas E. Ricks United States Marine Corps (Ret.) Brigadier General (Retired) Edwin H.
Simmons Dear Rob,I can also recommend another new book. I believe Tom Ricks' Fiasco to be the best book so far on the planning for and execution of the Iraqi War.Best, Ed Simmons
This email was sent in by RG (thanks) POSTE ON www.myemailstuff.blogspot.com ... Bear in mind the Washington Post is no fan of Bush - critic of this book may have some legitimate points to
make.

Bull Run to Appomattox: A Boy's View

From Bull Run to Appomattox: A Boy's View
<http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/books/?archive=/2005_11_01_index
.htm#113320900377067049> , Review by William Potter

Repton, Alabama is a ghost town now. We passed through Repton on the way to visit Burnt Corn as we came up thorough Milton and Chumuckla and Jay. Repton used to play Chumuckla in Class CCC High School Basketball. It looks like some people still live around there, but the "downtown" area is deserted - completely. We, in Chumuckla used to think that Repton was a "big" town. At this point, Chumuckla is in revival because of booming growth in the Panhandle of Florida and people seeking some rural relief. I imagine there are a lot of towns like Repton in Alabama. Great movie sets! Maybe the remnants wil one day become clustered, air conditioned boutique shops for retired Baby Boomers to rekindle their grandparent's view of life in the early 20th century in Alabama - without the heat and the poverty and the social issues of those days. Peterman, Alabama is another such town we visited. It too is near Monroeville. MORE PICTURES FROM THIS TRIP.
Posted by Picasa

Burnt Corn, Alabama

If you have never been to Burnt Corn, maybe you should go. It is about 60 miles north of Pensacola, Florida. It has not changed much in a hundred years. There are some historicial connections between this area and many small towns in South Alabama and NW Florida because of the skirmish with Creek Indians here in 1812 and the aftermath - a bloody massacre at Ft. Mims. Rosie, a very good friend of our family, lives there. We found her house with the help of Roosevelt Betts and David Rankins (pictured). The town of Monroeville, home of Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird) is nearby. Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

A Hole in The Soul

Shortcut to: http://bobstewartband.com/mm/augie/holeinthesoul.html   This was written by Bob Stewart, the composer of "A Million Miles Away FromHome." He wrote it in a matter of a couple of hours after learning Augie   came home in a coffin and two urns.Bob's new CD, "A Millions Miles Away From Home," is on iTunes and  Rhapsody,which are online music stores. This means that when someone wants to buyjust one song off the CD (e.g., "A Million Miles...") they can do so.Also, when they load the CD onto their iPod, all of the name information   about the song will appear correctly as well. I don't know if that means anything to older folks, but it does to young people w/iPods. *** Augie is a young Marine some of us were following earlier in this blog. This is an anthem for many of those we have lost in war.  Contributed by RG

Larry Cutrone Comedy and Music


Larry Cutrone performs comedy routines in the studio at ME3TV. Larry's website is at http://www.larrycutrone.com . Here are more of his YouTube presentations! These are some CLASSIC TV clips from the 1970's with Cutrone and Friends of Cutrone. It is well worth the visit for a dose of nostalgia - especially those who knew the New Jersey entertainers of that era.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Sasha's Journey

Sasha's Journey
Our niece, Tamara, has adopted a baby from Russia. This blog is the journey to adoption. They will be back in a few day - beginning a new family life. By the way, Tamara has always been a most superb writer. It is an enjoyable read. (Vic- ME3tV)

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Death - Down By The RIver

Dustin Terwilliger, who is studying TV producton in college produced a film a few years ago about 'Trout Fishing in New Jersey". It is a nice intro to fishing in NJ. The film can be found on channel 973 of ME3TV (search "trout" in the upper left corner search box). This film is a funny horror film about A "Man Who Kills Fishermen Down By the River". Dustin's humor at work here. Some minor language ratings, but fine for most people who will enjoy the humor.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Girls loved this in 1962

FUNNY! But even the scummy dud date in this game is pretty high class these days. I coud probably write a whole anthropological treatise on this commercial. I wonder if those girls in the film ever found a real dream date and where they are now? This came from films on yahoo video where our NINJA CHIPMUNK video has had over 400,000 views so far - not counting of course the 200,000 at Google Video and other places. See ME3V.com

Sunday, July 09, 2006

The 8th of November - Airborne

O.K. am Navy. But I just got this from my friends the Schnoors who run a Christmas Tree Farm near Chumuckla. Dean Schnoor served in Gen Abrams' staff. He and Joyce said this video was good and you know? It is!! Me? I am not sure I was in Vietnam, now. But, I know I saw the movie. (Vic) Attached note: From my 173rd Airborne Caspers contact - a tribute by Kris Kristofferson begins this piece, "THE EIGHTH OF NOVEMBER" (see the video link on the webpage) Kris remains a good friend to the US Army, the Airborne and Army Aviation. Kris Kristofferson's father was an Air Force general who pushed his son to a military career. Kris went to Pomona College in California. From there, he earned a Rhodes scholarship to study literature at Oxford. He ultimately joined the army and achieved the rank of captain.

God Bless Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar

Michael Moore <http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?p=Michael+Moore>
making a point , but at the expense of others as usual !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar Plouhar was killed on June 26 by a roadside bomb in Anbar province in his second tour of duty in Iraq, weeks before he was to return home. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Pendleton, Calif.
He was featured in Michael Moore "Fahrenheit 9/11," portrayed as an overzealous Marine recruiter who targeted poor kids. It was as a recruiter that Plouhar was seen in Moore's award-winning "Fahrenheit 9/11." The segment shows Plouhar and another Marine in a mall
parking lot in a depressed suburb of Flint; it suggests the two men were cynically hunting for poor teens to sign up, rather than go to a wealthy suburb where they'd likely be rejected. Plouhar's father says his son told him he had been misled and believed he was being filmed for a documentary that would appear on the Discovery Channel. (Moore's office didn't return calls or e-mail messages seeking comment.) "He cried when he found out what it really was," his father says. "He never dreamed that it was going to be something to slam the country, which he
dearly loved." The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:
Shortcut to: STORY.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Vernon NJ Reporter in IRAQ

Rachel Brune is a graduate of Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, NJ. She joined the army to get involved with film / video production and is now a really and truly embedded reporter in Iraq. Her latest report is from Mosul. Watch your back Rachel! Your Sussex County fan club wants you safe and sound. See her ME3TV channel , the blog SIEGERAT. Be sure to check her photo album linked from the blog.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

20/2' Busts 10 Body Myths

hmm.. interesting.
vic .. www.me3tv.com

From Weight Loss to Memory Loss, How Well Do You Know Your
Body?

June 23, 2006 - - When should you begin checking your blood
pressure? Is your sunscreen really giving you the protection you think it
is? "20/20" teams up anti-aging guru Dr. Michael F. Roizen and heart surgeon
Dr. Mehmet Oz, authors of "You: The Owner's Manual" to debunk 10 body myths
-- from why you gain weight to aging and memory.

Here are the body myths we debunked with our health experts and the truth
behind them.
Memory Loss Is Inevitable
A lot of people believe that we use only 10 percent of our brain. Is that
true?
"It's not true. In fact, you'd be in big trouble if you only used 10
percent. The reality is that we use all of our brain, but we don't use it
all the time," said Dr. Oz.
"The brain was really hidden from us until we had new technologies that
could allow us either to operate on the brain, or to see what the brain does
when you're actually thinking or doing tasks."

Thanks to these advances, we can now see how
challenging your mind can keep your brain young. Suzanne, who speaks four
languages fluently -- English, Swiss-German, French, and German -- was
recently diagnosed with a brain tumor in the language center of her brain.
The problem is trying to remove the tumor without destroying her ability to
speak her languages. Her treatment will give doctors at UCLA a rare
opportunity to literally see how learning a language exercises the brain.

During surgery to remove the tumor, Suzanne,
at one point, was awakened. She was shown pictures and asked to identify
them in each of her languages.

An MRI lights up the part of the brain that
Suzanne uses as she speaks. This helps the surgeon avoid the language area
when removing the tumor. But the doctors discover something quite amazing --
each of Suzanne's languages resides in a different part of her brain.

The surgery is successful -- the tumor is
removed and Suzanne's knowledge of four languages is saved. Her case busted
a big brain myth -- that language resides in just one tiny area of the
brain. Because Suzanne learned her languages at different ages, her brain
stored them in different places -- showing that challenging your brain
creates new neural pathways.

"Just like you challenge a muscle to grow
it, well, the brain gets new connections," said Dr. Roizen.

And that busts another big brain myth --
that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Memory loss is not inevitable.
Want to keep your brain young? Exercise it.

Try learning to play a musical instrument,
doing crossword puzzles, learning a language -- even playing computer games.

"The data now indicate that an hour of games for 40 weeks
can make your brain equivalent, your brain's real age, 10 years younger,"
Roizen said.

And one final brain myth: Does the size of a
person's brain have anything to do with their intellectual capacity?

"There is no correlation with the size of a
human brain and its intellect. In fact, Einstein was sort of a famous
example. His brain was about average size -- no difference between his and
almost any other brain," Oz said.


Slow Metabolism Makes You Fatter

We've all heard for years
that people who are thin have won the biological lottery. They look like
they can eat whatever they want without gaining a pound. We think they're
lucky to have a high metabolism.

"It's generally false that your metabolism
is the reason for your weight," said Oz. "And this has been looked at
numerous times."

To figure this out, we turned to Dr. Jim
Levine, an obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic, who's studied the
metabolism of lean and heavy people, such as lean Kathy Strickland and a
heavier Dawn Campion.

"Dawn's numbers are actually higher because
we find continuously is that people with weight problems who have obesity
have a higher basal metabolism compared to people who are lean," Levine
said.

Levine says most patients that come to his
clinic have a higher metabolism.

"Your basal metabolism is the calories you
burn to keep your body going, so if your body is bigger of course your basal
metabolism is greater," Levine said. "If your body is smaller your basal
metabolism is less."

Levine says the reasons behind weight gain
are simple. People who weigh more move less.

"People with obesity have a tendency to be
seated, a natural tendency to be seated for two-and-a-half hours per day
more," Levine said.

Levine believes people can combat obesity by
simply moving more. Even standing up at your desk can increase your
metabolism by 40 percent.

"We're talking about shaking up everything
we do because we have no choice in it," Levine said. "Obesity is collapsing
corporations in America, but much more importantly, it's devastating our
health and it's taking over our children. We have no choice but to do
something. We have no choice but to do something big."


Can Heartburn Lead to Cancer?

Obesity is a legitimate epidemic in the
United States, and obesity contributes to greater numbers of people
suffering from heartburn. Here's the connection: If you are overweight, fat
pushes against the stomach, causing acids to rise up to the esophagus, which
is not designed to handle stomach acids.

Although, you don't have to be overweight to have heartburn,
you should know that heartburn can lead to something worse -- cancer of the
esophagus. Most people are unaware that heartburn (also known as GERD or
"acid reflux") is similar to over-exposure to the sun in that chronic
inflammation can cause the cells of the esophagus to change. Over time
people can develop "burn holes" in their esophagus, said Oz. "If you have
chronic burning of the esophagus, you develop tissue there called Barrett's
esophagus. That's the precursor of cancer," he told "20/20." And here's a
complicating factor in diagnosis serious esophageal problems:
over-the-counter medications work so well that people think they've
corrected the problem. "Although they neutralize it much of the time, they
don't neutralize it completely and sometimes you will have the reflux
without the pain," said Roizen. Television ads are very effective but they
won't help you diagnose whether your problem is more dangerous. Follow the
directions on those heartburn medications which say that if you're not
better after two weeks, it's time to see a doctor. And if you need to --
lose the weight.


Men Can Drink More Alcohol Than Women

This is not just a sexist
myth. Men are biologically better equipped to drink more than women.

"It's true not just because they're bigger
but because they have an extra enzyme in the lining of their stomach and
that enzyme, when it sees alcohol, begins to metabolize it immediately,"
said Oz. "So only about half the alcohol that they actually drink gets into
the bloodstream."

Women, on the other hand, don't have as much
of that enzyme in their stomachs. So more of the alcohol gets into the
bloodstream and they get drunk quicker.

That gender difference is even more
problematic, because while overall drinking trends are down over the past 20
years, many young women are drinking more than ever.

But the more a person drinks, the more their
body builds up a tolerance for alcohol, according to Oz. So they actually
begin to metabolize it faster.

"So women who are exposed to a lot of
alcohol, do begin to catch up to men in their ability to cope with the
drinks that they have," Oz said.

But before women get their hopes up that
excessive drinking will level the playing field, remember that men still
have the biological advantage.


Marijuana Gives You the Munchies

In movie after movie,
smoking pot soon leads to binge eating.

"Without any question, marijuana gives you
the munchies," Oz said. "And, specifically, you start to crave sweet foods,
comfort foods."

The drug affects people's brains in a way
that actually makes food more appealing.

"It's not just a mindset," Oz said. "It
actually chemically alters the way you perceive food."

Ironically, this drug that gives people the
munchies may actually hold the key to controlling people's hunger.

"If we know what drug causes you to get
hungry and we can understand its mechanism, maybe we can block that
mechanism so you'll never get hungry," Oz said.

At 100 hospitals across the United States,
researchers have been studying a drug called rimonabant that blocks the same
hunger receptors that chemicals like marijuana stimulate.

"By blocking that chemical we may be able to
block your ability to crave foods," Oz said.

Results from seven years of testing the drug
are promising.

Pat Robison, who took rimonabant for a year,
said it reduced her appetite, and she lost 15 pounds. On average, people
lost 20 to 25 pounds and took two to three inches off their waists.

Research on the drug is continuing.


A High SPF Will Fully Protect You from Skin Cancer

You know the drill --
summertime means sun and sun means sunscreen. We're a changed nation these
days, fully aware that those warm, enveloping rays can not only crease the
skin and age us, they can potentially kill.

But a sunscreen with a high SPF will protect us, right?

Not necessarily. Doctors say the idea that a high SPF is all
you need for full sun protection -- is a myth.

But Oz notes that a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will give
you a lot of protection, but it's protection against only one type of sun
ray -- UVB rays.

UVB rays are the short ultraviolet rays that cause most
sunburns. A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 will do a fine job against them.

But there's another villain that you rarely hear about --
the longer UVA rays that penetrate more deeply beneath the skin.

They're responsible for a lot of your wrinkles, and both can
cause cancer. Much of what you buy today claims to offer protection against
both UVB and UVA. But it can be difficult to be certain.

Many products contribute to the confusion with unclear
labeling. The problem is, there is no FDA-approved measure of how well a
product screens out UVA rays. So what can you do to protect yourself against
them?

Dr. Rachel Herschenfeld, a dermatologist in Wellesley,
Mass., says you've got to read the fine print.

"There are certain ingredients that actually provide
effective protection against UVA. The three most common include zinc oxide,
titanium dioxide and something called Avobenzone, or parsol 1789,"
Herschenfeld said.

She recommends using products with the first two
ingredients, especially for children.

But be careful if you're relying on Avobenzone. It degrades
quickly in the sun, so keep putting it on, or look for a stabilizer like
Helioplex, available now in just two products approved for sale in the
United States: Neutrogena with Helioplex and Aveeno Continuous Protection
Sunscreen. Outside the United States, look for products with the ingredient
Mexoryl.

Too much science? Well, this part's easy.

Stay in the shade during peak sun hours. When you do venture
out, apply sunscreen early -- at least 20 minutes before you go outside. Be
generous with it: use about four times what you think you need, and reapply
it all day long , especially, if you go into the water.

"There is no way to produce a sunscreen that is truly
waterproof. The best it can be is water resistant," said Herschenfeld.

It may sound like a lot of work for a little
sunshine in your life, but keep in mind, even with all the sunscreen, the
incidence of skin cancer is on the rise. Melanomas, many sun-related, have
doubled over the last 25 years.

But that doesn't mean you're condemned to stay inside.

"I don't tell my patients to be hermits. I tell them to put
on their hats and their sunscreen and their sunglasses and get out there,"
Herschenfeld said.


Nothing Will Age You Faster Than the Sun

You might think it's just
the sun that causes premature wrinkles and ages your body, but a growing
body of research shows your own anxiety levels can take years off your life.

"Stress is the greatest ager of all and it's
the only thing we know that causes an increase in arterial aging, heart
disease, strokes, memory loss & immune aging, infections and cancer," said
Roizen.

So how does stress attack your body? That's
exactly what Ronald Glaser and his wife, Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, have been
studying for 25 years. Their research actually began as a marital
disagreement. Janice, a psychiatrist, believed stress harms the body;
Ronald, a molecular virologist, did not.

"There were a lot of skeptics, and I was one
of them," he admitted.

And what better subjects to test for stress
than med students taking exams?

Early on in their research, the Glasers
exposed their subject to microbes via a vaccination.

"We found immune changes associated with
them taking the exams, and quite frankly, I was absolutely blown away with
that," Ronald Glaser said.

More than two decades later, the couple is
studying whether the stress of fighting with your spouse would slow the
body's healing. The researchers created blisters on the volunteers' forearms
and then stressed the couples by making them talk about their pet peeves.
All the while, the researchers analyzed their blood and tissues samples.

"We found that even a minor stress can
really slow how fast you heal," said Janice Kiecolt-Glaser. She also noted
that when couples argued, they took longer to heal.

Surprisingly, not all types of stress
actually damage the human body. Ironically, it's those nagging tasks that
you put off that'll drive you nuts and age you.

"For one nagging unfinished task, it puts on
about eight years on your life. So if you're 30, it makes you 38," said
Roizen.

According to Dr. Oz, the stress of a
specific event -- like blowing out a car tire on the road -- is "not as
damaging as one that's a nagging unfinished task."

Stresses of day-to-day life -- like a
demanding boss or pressing deadlines -- aren't particularly damaging either.

But major life stressors, like losing a spouse or a job can
have a significant aging impact.

"They really are hugely aging. The great
news is there are easy things each of us can do to ameliorate or modify it,"
Roizen said.

Oz and Roizen say there are some simple ways
to de-stress and reduce your risk of major illness -- just by simply
bending, breathing and laughing.

Roizen also said friendships offer great
anti-aging, health-boosting benefits.

"One important element of staying connected
to the world is to maintain friendships," he said. "And we actually have
numbers on this. People who see six friends a month actually do better long
term. So, if you're gonna put a number in the back of your mind, try to
reach out to six folks that you care about every month."


Superfit = Superhealthy

For the majority of us, the
more we exercise, the stronger and healthier we are. But excess physical
activity is as destructive to your body as Mike Tyson's right hand.

Over-exercising can damage your muscles,
your bones and your joints, or it can mask other problems, because you think
you're invulnerable, even when you're not.

Professional athletes are not the only ones
at risk. From local marathons to your neighborhood gym, chances are you know
that person who's obsessed with pushing harder and working out longer than
anyone else.

"You always want to be the best at what you
do," said former track star and spokesperson for Bally's Fitness Nikki
Kimbrough. "So sometimes people tend to over-train, and that's not healthy
for us."

It's not just your joints that can be
affected. Experts say exercising for more than two hours a day can cause a
host of other health problems -- chronic fatigue, problems sleeping,
headaches, depression, gastrointestinal problems, difficulty healing, a
reduced sex drive, or disrupted menstrual cycle.

"Maximum health doesn't require maximum
fitness," said Dr. Michael Roizen. "You don't have to kill yourself to get
the huge wonderful benefits of exercise."

Roizen recommends 30 minutes of walking a
day, a half an hour of aerobic exercise 3 times a week, and lifting weights
for 30 minutes once a week.

And most important, listen to your body. If
you're hurting, slow down.


Cholesterol Is the Major Cause of Heart Disease

"It's widely
believed but absolutely false," said Oz. "Cholesterol levels are important,
but they're not the best predictor of whether you'll have a heart attack. It
turns out that honor belongs to high blood pressure."

Blood pressure can tear holes in your
arteries. The way the body repairs the hole is to fill it with cholesterol.

"If it's healthy cholesterol you get a nice smooth lining,"
said Oz. "But if you've got cholesterol that's sort of rotten, now the body
has to heal that. The body heals cuts by putting scabs on them and that scab
quickly builds on top of this and blocks off the artery."

And that blocked artery can cause a heart
attack.

At what age should we start being concerned
about our blood pressure?

Dr. Oz says you should start to check your
blood pressure at age 12.

"Certainly by age 20 you ought to know your
blood pressure," Oz said. "And you ought to check your blood pressure at
least every five years after that."

The optimal blood pressure is 115 over 75.
But fewer than half of all Americans have that. And if you get above 140
over 90, you're in the danger zone. You can monitor the numbers yourself at
the corner drug store, for free. And if your pressure is too high, the good
news is, hypertension can be reversed.

"If you're going to remember one number, if
you're going to focus and fixate on one number in your entire health
profile, it better be your blood pressure because that's where the money
is," Oz said.

How to lower your blood
pressure:

1. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, nine servings a day.

2. Exercise -- even walk -- at least 30 minutes a day.

3. If necessary, talk to your doctor about medication.


There's a Wrong Way to Breathe

It turns out there's
actually a better way to take a deep breath than what you're probably doing.

"I would say less than one
in 10 Americans knows what a deep breath is because we were all taught to
believe that it's about straining our ribcage up," said Oz. "It's not. That
doesn't even feel good."

The key to deep breathing is to use the
stomach, not just the chest, according to Oz. Take in a breath and push out
the stomach. That pulls down the diaphragm, a strong muscle, which pulls
down the lungs, allowing air deep in the lungs. When you breathe out, pull
in the stomach. That moves the diaphragm up, pushing the air out of the
lungs.

Oz recommends taking four seconds to breathe
in and four seconds to breathe out.

"That's a deep breath," Oz said. "That's one
of the best ways to cope with stress. It's one of the best ways to deal with
asthma, it's one of the best ways to get your lungs to truly fill with the
air we know is of value."

On June 10, rowers Jordan Hanssen, Brad
Vickers, Greg Spooner and Dylan LeValley set out on an incredible journey -
the only American team in what could be a grueling three-month long race
across the Atlantic Ocean in rowboats. There is no prize money - just the
chance to be the first Americans to do it.

It's a challenge that's
particularly important to Hanssen, whose father died of an asthma-related
illness and who also has a mild form of asthma himself.

Hanssen was diagnosed with mild asthma as
child. In a twist of fate, when he got to college, he discovered he had a
real talent for competitive rowing - a sport that demands extraordinary
breathing power.

"A rower's power comes from his lungs, and
so does everyone's power," Hanssen said.

But, Hanssen said, "I think I'm pretty lucky
to be in a position to row across the ocean. I think I was given the lungs
that my father didn't have. "

Right now the Americans are in the lead, on
their boat named the James Robert Hanssen - in honor of Jordan's father and
the gift of a healthy breath. [Click here
<http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2109264&page=1> to read more about the
rowers' and their progress.]


Copyright C 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/print?id=2109291

--
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.5/377 - Release Date:
6/27/2006

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Monday, June 12, 2006

From the Patriot Post

"Without baby boomers, there is no global warming. Not because boomers are uniquely gaseous, but because they are uniquely egotistical. The notion that, as Al Gore put it on my radio station last week, humans are 'baking the planet to death' can only be swallowed whole by those whose appetite for self-importance has reached global proportions. For boomers like Al Gore, nothing ever happened in the world until it happened to them. The first president ever assassinated was JFK; no war had ever been protested or opposed before Vietnam; government corruption was invented by Nixon and Bill Clinton proved the boomers could all still get laid." -Michael Graham...
from jean in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Startup Panel Control

http://mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml
A small free program that helps you manage the programs that start up when
windows starts.
This tip came from a newsletter from www.bmyers.com which I subscribe to for
a fee. Another similar program for this task is http://www.ccleaner.com/

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Facts and Figures - Vietnam

http://www.rolling-thunder-nh1.org/Newsletters/NH0407.pdf
worth a read.(From Marine- RG)

Friday, June 09, 2006

Cell Phone Charges!

Subject: No-charge 411
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 or more for 411 / information calls when they don't have to. When you need to use the 411 / information option, simply dial 1-800-FREE-411 or 1 800 373 3411 without incurring a charge at all except for the minutes required to make the call. Verified as TRUE on Snopes.com. See: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/free411.asp

Web Poll - Marines

http://www.savage-productions.com/webpollmarines.html

michael savage

this came from a marine friend
http://www.savage-productions.com/ for more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Savage_%28commentator%29

hyscience is ANTI islam

http://www.hyscience.com/

About The Marine (So-Called) Killings...

Dr. Laura

I will make this short and sweet as I am sure you have many e-mails to read each day. I am the father of a marine just returned from Iraq. He is in the same Brigade as the marines that are being investigated for the massacre in Haditha. First, he is in a different company but same unit. I have just talked to him about this and this is what he said happen. Note: it is different than the press and on your show today you made it sound as though you believe the press reports that are always out to hurt the USA and the military.
That particular day the insurgence attacked all FOB's (forward operational bases) and it was total chaos for the marines. Foot patrols where under fire, bases were under attack and they were under fire primarily houses and buildings. The marines had to clear the buildings to get the insurgents but if you want to send marines home in body bags just have them go into a building with suicide driven insurgents. They have to clear the buildings first before our I REPEAT OUR boys go in. That is often done in the heat of battle by grenades being thrown in and then they go in after.
Sadly, the insurgents hide behind civilians and the civilians are unfortunately killed in the process. Believe me, it is horrible for the marines who enter a house to see this. I have talked to
them and they are effected drastically but they are left no choice. Also, this is only done in extreme situations and not with every house. After this in Haditha battle there were civilians killed in the middle of the battle.
The insurgents came back and video taped the bodies for a propaganda hit. These guys are smart and know how to use our press to their advantage. These marines are caught in the ugliest of places and I am not talking about Iraq. They are caught between a press that is out to get them hung and a war that is incredibly different than any other war. Their lives are on the line and I wonder if we have the courage as a nation to fight these kind of people? We will find out, but this I know- My son does and is doing it. It is unfortunate that someone else's son is caught up in the media war on USA and people want to hang the marines who out of fun and
joy shot civilians........ Do you really believe that?????? So many have judged them and want a person like your son to pay for the propaganda war we have found ourselves in. He like others who put their lives on the line to go over there could simply be in the wrong place and the wrong time and be up for a "hanging" just for trying to stay alive. Just so you know I am not a ethnocentric American. I, my wife, and two sons lived in Nepal for over 3yrs doing development work in the mountains of Nepal. My marine son grew up in a village that never saw a white person before and his best friends were Nepali kids. Our village was a 4 day walk into it and he is one tough kid. Iraq reminds him of Nepal and he understands that the ordinary Iraqi is caught up in this also and hates it also. M.

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Asiatic Fleet - Otto Schwarz

I visited Otto recently at the Lyons Veterans Nursing Home. I'd have to say, he is not in the best of health (as if that is anything new). He is getting more and more miserable. I took my son and two of his friends by to visit briefly. Being blind, and having nobody with him for any length of time but for the occasional day Trudy and other family can be with him. Blind isolation is wearing him down. We each picked up his hand and shook it - a salute of sorts ... after all, he could not see a salute anyway. He was not resting well when we stopped by so we kept it short. This time, more than the other times I have been by, he was tremendously miserable. He said "I have to get out of here somehow even if it is in a pine box". He meant it. Blindness and many operations over the past few years have taken a toll. We wish him comfort and peace. I told him about the speech I gave to the Asiatic Fleet Vets in Asheville. I quoted him twice in the speech. I would have read some more to him from the manuscript for the Oct. release book "Ship of Ghosts" by Hornfischer, but he was too miserable to enjoy some reading. Reference. Check out the recent publication on the Asiatic Fleet HERE, "Playing for Time".

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

THE TRUE STORY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAQ

An interesting perspective. It appears very little of today's problems are derived from Democrat leadership in this take on history. I guess from this we are to assume Hillary C. or Al Gore are our best bet in 2008. WELL, Yet ANOTHER OPINION Click here: Thanks for the Memories
<http://www.bushflash.com/thanks.html>


Friday, May 19, 2006

Diane Ochiltree is a children's author. Here she reads from one of her latest works.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

The wars we fight

You and I must be from similar backgrounds only you are less ugly than me and I am less dumb than you. Or is it the other way around? Whatever. I enjoy your thought provoking philosophical missiles. FRED on EVERYTHING.
I usually feel enlightened and as if I am bleeding from internal injuries after reading them.
Your latest column "On Recent Wars" reminded me of a book I heard about last year and you prompted me to look it up again and to order it. It think it takes your premise and expands on it, perhaps on a different tack. I thought I'd pass along the link for you.
The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century
Thomas X. Hammes
Hell, if you really are as smart as me, you probably already read it.

Superman's Religion?

If you have a lot of time on your hands.. this is interesting. More interesting is the fact that people actually have time to analize this kind of thing. Posted now at www.myemailstuff.blogspot.com. This came from my friend, Carl Zimmerman. http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/Superman.html

Monday, May 15, 2006

A Pensacola Note

Pensacola is the metropolis for my hometown at www.chumuckla.net. The big news now is the new reef being created soon by the sinking of the USS Oriskany. Neat story.

Friday, May 12, 2006

Fred on Multiculturalism

Painful read. It'll never be heard. And nothing will occur to change the direction of things. I do believe that if everyone - all cultures- stopped milking the "i am a victim" cow, and start facing themselves in the mirror and seeking self improvements, a world of change could occur. (As if THAT will EVER happen?) The link is from FRED ON EVERYTHING. Read it and ponder.

Some Rap from Iraq

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Mission Of Hope2


Mission Of Hope2
Video sent by hopeforlife
Mission of Hope 2- A presentation of a second mission trip to Mississippi (March 18-22, 2006). Hope Lynch was an online student of mine last year (From Sussex County Community College). This presentation is eveidence she "got it" as it concerns "new media". In addition, this is a very good selection of photos and music to illustrate the devastation in Mississippi. This was "Katrina". Hope notes that it is yet 6 months from their last mission trip to help and little seems to have changed. From my own experience with friends and relaatives living in the Ivan "zone of destruction", I'd say they might expect another year before they begin to see appreciate the cumulative small bits of change that occurs from the massive self-help and volunteer efforts tha t go into reconstruction. It takes many hundreds of thousands of volunteers to bring areas like this back to normalcy. It would take decades instead of years to recover if not for the generous help of volunteers, such as the Hope For Life ministry in Dingman's Ferry, PA.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

A Priest - A POW - A Ship

This (note at end) corresponds with my visit last week with Otto. I got to read about 40 pages of "SHIP OF GHOSTS" to Otto while I was there. Everyone who visits should take some time to read from it. Due in October, it is a supeb book! Otto is such fun to talk with. He's the real deal and even in pain he manages a positive outlook, except when he does not, if you know what I mean. I was on my way to an interview with a WOWOTUH vet from USS Franklin when I got a cell message that allowed me a two hour delay. It was a perfect opportunity to stop in and visit with Otto (At the Lyons, NJ Veterans Nursing Home). I told Otto about the other vet ... the connection is to my ship, USS O'Callahan (DE-1051) in service from 1968 to about 1992. I've been helping our reunion team with the ship's website, - but as yet, I have never been to a reunion myself. One of the leaders let me know by email about the WOWOTUH vet, Mr. James Blanchard, who lives in Barnegat, NJ. Blanchard is the "dying sailor" in a famous photo and film of a priest giving last rites aboard the kamikaze struck Franklin (1945). The Priest was Father O'Callahan (Medal of Honor for what he did that day that saved the ship - his sister, Rose Marie, (a nun) was at that very time, just liberated from Japanese imprisonment in the P.I. - she later Christened the USS O'Callahan!). In the photo Blanchard had just been rescued from the depths of the ship where 300+ sailors were trapped. Lt. Gary (Medal of Honor) was the one who went below in a maze of passageways inside air pipes and maintenance spaces and got the doomed sailors out into the air. There was a DE named USS Gary (DE-326) too (my friend Dallas Bethea was CO of Gary in the 80's when the ship starred in the movie RED OCTOBER). Dallas read my book (it is online and free) about "stuff" including my adventures aboard O'Callahan. When he was CO of USS Cowpens (CG-63) ... Dallas invited me to come to Hawaii and ride his ship back to San Diego on a Tiger Cruise. Truly, before that, I had put the Navy way way way in the back of my mind. Later as I adjusted my self-employment - I decided to get involved with video. I ran into some WOWOTUH Tin Can Sailors and began taping their stories for a documentary about Destroyer Sailors. Then... I attended a state meeting and heard a one-eyed salt lay out the story of the USS Houston and the Burma Railroad (River Kwai). I was stunned. "How come I did not know this story?" The video resulted and now it is a DVD along with the JAVA SEA (from the Dutch). To get word out about the DVD, I built a website - . The purpose of the website was also to expand on the information I could not cover in the film. It became a complicated mess of patchwork at one point, but I lucked out and had a class teaching web design. The shoemaker had no time, but the students did, and the result is the look and feel of the website today. With Hornfischer's NEW book("Ship of Ghosts") coming out (His last book: "The Last Stand of The Tin Can Sailors" ) and the Houston and Java films reborn as DVD's, things are on a roll. Meanwhile, I have a lot of other interviews from Houston Survivors and family and lots of Tin Can Sailor interviews and more -- Many of these will eventually find their way to web videos where people can learn even more about the Asiatic Fleet and the Heroes who served it. And one day, I will do a Tin Can Sailor film from all the interviews. Mr. Blanchard's interview will likely be on the O'Callahan website and on ME3TV in a few weeks or a couple of months. I'll be spending a few days down in Asheville, NC with USS Houston's kin, the Asiatic Fleet - next week. Of course, I plan to do some more interviews there. In the course of time, I have also found myself helping some other veterans groups get their history onto tape or DVD. The 11AD (army) now has a number of DVD's available from Buzz Creek. Some "home movies" made by Sgt. Raymond Buch, shows the liberation of Mathausen Concentration camp. Gruesome to say the least. One of those liberated was a young Jew named, Tibor Rubin. Tibor joined the US Army when of age and won the Medal of Honor in Korea. President Bush ony recently presented the medal to Mr. Rubin at a ceremony at the White house. Such History! Such a generation! Thank you - all of you.
To all the Houston Family
I send my most humble thanks for letting me be a part of your lives.
Vic Campbell, Buzz Creek
(message to Val follows - this was forwarded to all the Houston Family) (Note - Otto is totally blind now for about 7 years) Hi Val,
I was in New York this past weekend for Reserve drill and took the opportunity to visit with Otto at the VA Nursing Care center in New Jersey. He is doing as well as to be expected. Understandable he's a bit frustrated at all the poking and pordding he's getting while the doctors try to stabilize his condition and make him as comfortable as possible. He's been listening to books on tape and Trudy has been vreading him the manuscript for the new Houston book that's due out in October. He sang high praises for it, and so I am contacting the author to see about getting a copy for the Annapolis Library when it is released.
Naturally, passing the long days are difficult. The other gentleman in the room is hard of hearing, so conversations of any great length between them is virtually nill. My wife and I enjoyed our visit with him, and since I am now attached to the Bronx Reserve Center, I plan to stop by next month as well.
He really enjoys receiving the cards and letters folks have been sending, so if you chat with the other members and NOK, encourage them to write. He also mentioned how proud he was as to how the NOK and all have taken up the mantle of keeping the Houston memory alive and well.
Although Otto is a fighter, it is clear to me and his situation is a serious one. I think hoping for a recovery to the level where he would be allowed to return home would be somewhat miraculous, at best. But - miracles do happen from time to time. I hope this finds you well. Please pass on to the members to keep Otto and Trudy in their prayers. Regards, Dave K.
__CDR David Kenney, USN (RC)