On General Tommy Franks watch

In Gen. Tommy Franks book~American Soldier, he tabs; There is a decal of the World Trade Center Towers stuck to the bulkhead of the MH-53 Special Ops helicopter. Between this & other information it makes me sad to think that the majority of Americans have been led to believe that this so called War on Terrorism was fought in Iraq! Tommy Franks was CINC CENTCOM at the time & ran the battles in Afghanistan & Iraq. He leads us, in his book to believe he feels the same! Page 562: "Colin Powell said recently that he was disappointed that some of the intelligence on Iraq's WMD program was 'inaccurate & wrong & misleading.' That, of course, is the nature of human intelligence. The issue is not whether the source of the intelligence information was telling the truth, but whether George Tenet, Colin Powell, & President George W. Bush
believed-(authors italics) that the information was true. I believe they did. I know I did. And I do not regret my role in disarming Iraq & removing its Baathist regime.
Funny how only Colin Powell noticed the term MISLEADING in the text.
I served while Colin Powell was Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff & I know one thing for certain: since his resignation, of late, as Secretary of State;
Powell would NEVER have let this happen on HIS watch!
I have to say I am shocked that Tommy so believed in what he was doing & that this war was just cause & retaliation for Terrorism on us & the World Trade Center Towers!
When will they wake up & realize they are choosing the wrong battle!

Weekend Movie Review

This weekend I saw:
"Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,"
"Terminator 3" & "Cold Mountain."
All of them get an A for their style of film.
Confessions was just simply fun while Terminator 3 picked up ten years later & right before hell breaks loose. Cold Mountain is every bit a Love Saga & I really enjoyed seeing the strength of women shown in this picture.

Pentagon To Cut Boy Scouts From Bases

So I read at Military.com:The Pentagon has agreed to warn military bases worldwide not to directly sponsor Boy Scout troops, partially resolving claims that the government has engaged in religious discrimination by supporting a group that requires members to believe in God.
The settlement announced Monday is part of a series of legal challenges in recent years over how closely the government should be aligned with the Boy Scouts of America, a venerable organization that boasts a membership of more than 3.2 million members.
Civil liberties advocates have set their sights on the organization's policies because the group bans openly gay scout leaders and compels members to swear an oath of duty to God. The ACLU believes that direct government sponsorship of such a program amounts to discrimination.
"If our Constitution's promise of religious liberty is to be a reality, the government should not be administering religious oaths or discriminating based on religious beliefs," said ACLU attorney Adam Schwartz.
The Pentagon said it has long had a rule against sponsorship of non-federal organizations and denied the rule had been violated. But it agreed to send a message to posts worldwide warning them not to sponsor Boy Scout troops or other such groups.
The rule does not prevent service members from leading Scout troops unofficially on their own time, and Scouts will still be able to hold meetings on areas of military bases where civilian organizations are allowed to hold events.
The settlement does not resolve other ACLU claims involving government spending that benefits the Boy Scouts, such as money used to prepare a Virginia military base for the Boy Scout Jamboree and grants used by state and local governments to benefit the Boy Scouts, Schwartz said.
He said the Pentagon spends $2 million every year to prepare the Virginia base for the jamboree, held once every four years. He said the Defense Department also makes annual allocations of $100,000 to support Boy Scout units on military bases overseas and $100,000 to improve Boy Scout properties, such as summer camps.
Attorney Marcia Berman, who represented the Defense Department, declined to comment on the settlement Monday. But Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said the message that will be sent to bases represents "a clarification of an existing rule that DOD personnel cannot be involved in an official capacity."
The original ACLU lawsuit named as defendants the Department of Defense, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Chicago Board of Education. The schools settled, agreeing not to engage in official sponsorship of scouting activities.

General Tommy Frank's book~American Soldier

Well, I was an American Sailor
not Soldier,
I served more recently in the Balkans,
the Former Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina & Kosovo.
I served with NATO Soldiers & Saliors under the Commander in Chief U.S. Naval Forces Southern Europe & the Supreme Allied Commander
(Under Gen. Joulwan & Gen. Wesley K. Clark ).
Then with the Naval Security Groug Activity, Naples, Italy, as that I am a SPOOK aka a Cryptologist.
This book of Tommy's is good...at least the first 100pgs.
I can't seem to put it down!
For those in the VFW & others that served...
give it a try!
Good Read!

Excerpts from the book:Against All Enemies

Richard A. Clarke's book-Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror-was filled with a plethora of information, from the Reagan administration to present & how the White House has dealt with the issue of Terrorism.
I begin near the end:
"Could we have stopped the September 11 attack? It would be facile to say yes. What is clear is that there were failures in the organizations that we trusted to protect us, earlier failures to get information to the right place at the right time, earlier failures to act boldly to reduce or eliminate the threat...From the interactions I did have with Bush it was clear that the critique of him as a dumb, lazy rich kid were somewhat off the mark. When he focused, he asked the kind of questions that revealed a results-oriented mind, but he looked for the simple solution, the bumper sticker description of the problem...It was plainly obvious when four aircraft were hijacked that airline security had to be improved, but Bush resisted calls for making the airport security screeners federal employees,..It was also plainly obvious after September 11 that al-Qaeda's sanctuary in Taliban-run Afghanistan had to be occupied by U. S. forces and the al Qaeda leaders killed. Unfortunately, Bush's efforts were slow and small...The federal government was providing first responder assistance to states based upon a formula that resulted in eight times more funds per capita for Wyoming than for California. Because of the economic downturn and its effects on state and city tax revenues, cities and states were actually dismissing fire and police personnel in 2003...The clearest indication of the depth of President Bush's understanding and of his own motivations came in Diane Sawyer's interview with Bush on ABC Television. Sawyer asked Bush about the "hard fact that there were weapons of mass destruction, as opposed to the possibility that [Saddam] might move to acquire those weapons." The President's consonsidered response was, "What's the difference?" Then he added, "The possibility that he could acquire weapons. If he were to acquire weapons, he would be the danger."...It is not hard to understand why, after repeatedly hearing remarks like that, 70 percent of the American people believed Saddam Hussein had attacked the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. I suspect that many heroic U.S. troops who risked their lives fighting in Iraq thought, because of misleading statements from the White House, that they were avenging the 3,000 dead from September 11...Terrorism, which never once was addressed in by the Presidential candidate in 2000, will be a major topic in the 2004 capaign." {Funny Richard! it wasn't even touched upon, yet the War on Iraq was #1!} Richard ends his book with the responsibility on us-"As Americans, it is up to us to be well informed and thoughtful, to help our country make the right decisions in this time of testing. We all need to recommit ourselves to that ancient pledge 'to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United State of America, Against All Enemies. . ."
No question this book makes me proud I voted Democrate and sorry that the majority of America voted Republican.

Helpful Information For Those Who Could Not Get A Flu Shot

Influenza-Flu, is a viral respiratory infection.
The elderly, people whose immune systems are impaired, and people who have chronic medical problems are at risk for more severe flu symptoms or complications.
A National epidemic of flu is common every year between November and March.
The usual first symptoms are:
fever (often 101 to 103), chills, sweating, muscle aches, headache.
The symptoms that soon follow may include:
runny nose, cough, sore throat, watery eyes & light sensitivity.
These acute symptoms last for 3-5 days.
They often start improving gradually after the first 48 hours or so.
Infection with the flu virus often leads to other infections. Such as, ear, sinus, & bronchial infections.
An unusual complication of flu is Reye's syndrome, which usually occurs in children & rarely occurs in adults. A link has been shown between the use of Aspirin during the flu & development of Reye's syndrome. For this reason it is best to AVOID aspirin use when you have the flu.
If the epidemic has begun & you have not been immunized but want protection, amantadine or rimantadine may be prescribed. These drugs can be taken on a daily basis during the flu outbreak to decrease your chances of getting the flu.
If you get the flu, the medicine can make your symptoms less severe.
The oldest method of avoiding the spread of infection is hand washing.

Bill Clinton's Presidential Center Opens

His letter of information says:
Next Thursday, November 18, the Clinton Presidential Center will open in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Newsweek calls it "stunning,"and for people living today and generations to come, my hope is that it will be a vibrant place of history and learning.
The Center includes my library, the archives of the Clinton-Gore Administration and the Clinton School of Public Service. It will also be a home for the Clinton Foundation and its mission of good works here in America and around the world.
I created the Clinton Foundation not only to build the ClintonPresidential Center but also to help build a more integrated global community, one in which we recognize that, while our differences make life interesting, our common humanity matters more. And so the Clinton Foundation is at work in Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx helping small businesses survive and grow. It is promoting racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation in places like Northern Ireland and the Middle East.
The Foundation supports citizen service programs in America and South Africa, and perhaps most significantly, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative is helping countries in the developing world obtain and distribute life-saving medicine to people suffering from AIDS.
This coming week will be an exciting one not only for me and my family, but for the people of Little Rock and Arkansas, as well as thousands of people I was lucky enough to have by my side during my campaigns and my time in office.
I look forward to the opening of the Center, with its thousands of artifacts and millions of documents, and I hope its high-tech exhibits will prove to be both engaging and enlightening to people who stopand visit through the years. I am especially proud that, by locating the Clinton Presidential Center where we did, we have helped encourage more than $700million in economic investment and development in Little Rock. It's the least I can do for a community and a state that meant so much to me throughout my life. And for the country that put its faith in me for eight years, I am proud to be able to turnover the keys to the Clinton Presidential Center on the day itopens.
I am grateful, too, to the many thousands of people whose charitable donations made it happen. If you aren't able to be with us next week for the grand opening events, I hope you will visit the Clinton Presidential Centersometime soon. And in the meantime, please check out ourwebsite. It contains a wealth of information about my Administration, the Center and the work of the Clinton Foundation around the world.
Thank you for your support.
God bless you and may God bless America.
With best regards,
Bill Clinton

So Scott Peterson is Guilty!

I doubt this surprises anyone!
The only surprise is that Scott's lawyer, Mark Geragos, has lost a big legal battle.
He must have known the odds were finally stacked against his client.
With a half & half jury, of six men & six women,
I feel this case will be utilized in many college classes to come: Having a count for 1st degree murder of his wife & 2nd degree murder for his unborn son, Conner; I believe we are seeing history in the making, creating a new realm that protects the unborn child.
I have nothing against this, but that we speculate too much on those unborn & too little is done for those here on earth now.
In time, we will see if Scott gets life in prison or the death penalty.

Veteran's Day

I had a wonderful Veteran's Day; as Commander of my VFW Post, we have an annual ceremony at our local memorial chapel, to include Guest speakers. This year the Captain & Commanding Officer of our local Nat'l Guard battalion was our guest speaker. As a new American from Pakistan, he gave an interesting portrayal of how we Americans are from all corners of the earth & yet we all speak for FREEDOM!
Veterans Day honors men and women who have served in the U.S. armed services. Veterans Day, November 11th, is a legal federal holiday in the U.S. Great Britain celebrates November 11th as Armistice Day; it is not a legal holiday but special observances celebrate the armistice that ended World War I on November 11, 1918. France also calls it Armistice Day. Canada has a legal holiday called Remembrance Day that is celebrated on November 11th.
The Armistice Treaty of Versailles was signed on the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month. My VFW Post retains that tradition & we begin our ceremony on that exact time.
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day to remind Americans of the tragedies of war. A law adopted in 1938 made the day a federal holiday. In 1954, Congress changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.

Barack Obama's book:Dreams of My Father

I am in the midst of reading Obama's book & find myself reminiscing about my own father.
I lost my father in '92, just after joining the Navy & 2 weeks after going overseas.
Barack's book is intriguing as he delves into the lives of his family members & how he is drawn into the direction that fills his path with the obstacles which make him into the man his is today.
I have never read a book that caused me to consider my own paths while reading of the author's.
It is a very interesting journey; one we all should venture through again & appraise our misgivings & accept our faults.

Halo 2 goes on sale at midnight tonight!

For those of you who are true gamers, well, you already know that Halo 2 is available tonight at midnight! My brother is a huge gamer and even has his house wired with fiber optic ports for additional X-boxes when he has game days with his other buddies who also work at INTEL! I hope you all have a great day player tomorrow as we will!

Weekend Movie Review

The three movies I saw this weekend were:
"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,"
"Against the Ropes" &
"Intolerable Cruelty."
Kate & Matthew played off a cute, yet predictable, humorous film on dating & what not to do. I give it an A for the cuteness.
This must be a first for Meg Ryan in Against the Ropes, acting in a role that isn't straight up comedy. For a female empowerment flik, this was interesting. I don't care for Boxing, yet I have seen many Boxing films. This was unique in that it is based on the true story of the first woman to rise up in the Boxing world as a Manager. I give it an A and recommend it to those who, like me, enjoy watching a film for the creativity of how the film was made.
Intolerable Cruelty is the latest flik from the Coen Bros. It breaks into the realm of matrimonial Lawyers & breaks it open with the dark humor so well known of the Coen's. George Clooney & Katherine Zeta-Jones were perfect in this escapade. Intriguing list of actors who starred in the movie too! I give it an A, as that it isn't the best work of the Coen's, yet is worth adding to their humorous list of movies.

The O.C. in my Neighborhood!

Last night was the season Premiere for The O.C.
It was intriguing to have them filming right near my back yard! Well, close enough, considering they were in Portland!
I thing the music is even better this season; considering I am not a high school groupie, I do enjoy the music anyway!
The show opened with many nuances that we will see come to life in the future shows this season.
I do look forward to this Prime Time Soap!

The Republicans won

OK fellow democrats!
It's time for us to watch closely & make certain we hold Bush to all his promises he has made!
We should also remind any Republican, who might complain about ongoing politics throughout this presidency, that they voted for this candidate!
All I can say, on a positive note, is that at least no one else has to clean up after Bush and all the mess he has made of Iraq, the economy etc.
Let's make a point of knowing our congressmen & other elected officials & letting them know our concerns!