Citizens will Give with No Questions to Their Vets!

I happened to be in the Eastern most portion of Oregon today to do some VFW recruiting. A group from the local Post and the District Commander were present, as well as myself and another Oregon Dept. Officer.
We hadn't put out a donation can with our Buddy Poopies and yet people would come by and drop foldable money on the table and Thank us for our service and walk away!
So many of them just gave that it choked me up!
We would tell them we didn't have the Buddy Poppies and that we were out to celebrate the National Vietnam Veteran's Week and to recruit new members and these folks STILL want to donate!
I have to say I was very impressed and I DO know that the Pendleton Post 922 has a good deposit of funds in their Veterans support fund now!

Movie Reviews

I had a chance to see:
Love Actually, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Motorcycle Diaries and Jersey Girl.
Love Actually is everything it was hyped up to be! Not being in a relationship, I was hesitant to see it and yet was very glad I finally chose to! Wonderful flik that leaves you with a feel good attitude.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a real ME type film. I loved the idea that you could just have a memory erased from your brain and yet the realization that you want to keep these memories, even if they are broken heart painful.
Good movie!
Motorcylce Diaries number one is NOT about the bike! The Norton 500 doesn't even make the entire journey! It is about two friends with similar interests in healing Lepers and how they journey from Buenos Aires to the Northern most of South America to study a colony of Lepers there amongst the Doctors and staff.
Along the way they not only have adventures of the heart, but find the broken cultures due to overrun Governments.
Outstnading movie!
Jersey Girl wasn't as great as I have expected. I just didn't push the edge of the envelope and left us with just a cute film. The little girl is going to give Dakota Fanning a run for her money! Excellent little Actor!

Great Memories of a Great Comrade

I attended the memorial services for a Great VFW Comrade today.
There was a service in the chapel of his church he attendee and then at the gravesite was the VFW Honor Guard service.
Of all I like the part in the chapel when the Minister went around with a microphone for anyone to share a story about Hal.
everyone of those stories was fill with the joy of life and the humor in this man we all grew to love and admire.
I have never been to any kind of service where we laughed so much! I really feel that we all are filled with the true love of life that Hal had.

I'm getting pissed a LOST!

So it wasn't a Re-run, but it sure was a Re-brief! How precocious to compile all the highlights of the season into one show with no new information and dump it on us!
If I didn't like the show I would change the channel and never watch it again!

Chronicles Vol. 1 - Bob Dylan

I've just read Chronicles Vol. 1, Bob Dylan's Autobiography.
He wrote the book much like his lyrics, they jump around on the page.
He gets into specifics on his music and how it has filled his lifes and helped to lead him down the path he chose.
He does not ramble on about family etc, although he does drop many names in the entertainment business.
I enjoy 'getting into other peoples heads' so I like the book. It's not a mainline book, but then neither was his music. Might be wrote your look.

A Purple Heart Award Ceremony

I was invited to attend the Purple Heart Ceremony for a National Guard Soldier in the Battalion that my VFW Post had adopted.
SPC Matthew Braddock lost his left leg & suffered severe injury to his right leg when his vehicle hit an artillery land mine in Iraq.
There are many medals we in the military have dreamt of owning, but this medal no one wants!
It is a tragic thing to lose a limb for the safety and chance of democracy in a distant country.
Matt has great strength and passion for life. You can see it in his eyes and I know that the support of his family, community and fellow Comrades has helped him with this.
There is nothing more humbling than a Purple Heart Award Ceremony. I hope our Country has very few of them from now on!
Peace to all!

My Brother & His Wife Really Know ME!

My brother & his wife just returned from a ten day driving vacation to visit friends and relatives in other states.
I watched their dogs for them, so they always return with little gifts, in Thanks, for me.
Well this time they hit the nail on the head! Boy they got my personality and tastes just right! They found a beautiful incense burner made of maybe Teak wood, carved and enclosed. You can burn 1 or 2 sticks in it and close the lid so the hand carved vent holes 'smoke!'
They also got me a beautiful pair of earrings and a necklace shaped in butterflies, from Arizona!
I love helping out my Bro & his wonderful wife, & I have to say they really have an idea of who I am and that makes me feel good!

Dogs vs Cats

There is no question, after having watched my brother's 2 dogs for him while he was on vacation, I am very much a CAT person!
Everything about a cat is cool and dogs are...Well they are just dogs! They bark, they don't care where the pee or poo, they embarrassingly sniff people in the wrong places and eat like pigs!
Cats, and especially mine, clean themselves, bury their poo & even if they meow, which mine does not, they are much quieter than dogs. There is a barking time limit in most cities. Here it is 5mins & you can call the police or Animal Control.
Plus Cats don't need leashes, don't attack neighbors or tear up your garden.
My cat chooses not to meow, so I strung up bells in the hallway and outside next to the back door and outside my bedroom window. It only took one day and little girl figured out what they were for! Now she just rings when she needs something, like the little princess she is!

The Best Dish to Bring to a Pot Luck

I have found that the best dish to bring to a Pot Luck is a Veggie Tray with your own choice of dressing to include olives and pickles.
I have done this one different occasions within my Department of the Veteran's Of Foreign Wars and found it to be perfect!
No one thinks of this and I know I can enjoy them if they don't and won't spoil my diet. Kraft foods has a wonderful group of Carb Well salad dressings and I tried the Ranch style tonight. Very nice with no off taste! I will use it as a staple brand from now on! No sugar and no carbs! Check it out!

The Grass Isn't Always Greener On the Other Side of the Fence!

For some time now I have been distressed with my fellow Comrades at my VFW Post. It is worse with me being the Post Commander.
If is hard to get many of them excited about engaging in a community activity or even during Memorial Day and Veteran's Day to go out and get donations for our "Buddy" Poppies.
Well, last night I attended yet another Post's meeting and have come to the conclusion they all have difficulties and I'd rather keep my Post and it's difficulties!
I could almost hug my guys after seeing what other Posts have to deal with!

The Church Has A New Pope

As said by CNN: The conclave of 115 cardinals had voted three times previously -- once Monday night and twice Tuesday morning -- before selecting the new pope.
The cardinals' morning ballots were burned at about 11:50 a.m. (5:50 a.m. EDT).
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has been selected by the Roman Catholic church as the new pope.

Weekend Movie Review

My Movies this last weekend were:
Welcome to Moose Port-with Gene Hackman & Ray Romano & Ray-with Jamie Foxx.
Welcome to Moose Port was a nice cutesy story of the past President returning home & finding himself in a run for Mayor. Fun & surprisingly entertaining!
Ray was every bit as great as they say & more so! I grew up listening to his music, was never graced with a ticket to a concert of his & followed his life struggles & accomplishments.
This is indeed an excellent movie & Jamie Foxx has much to be proud of! Of all the work done on this film & dubbing of Ray's sound, Jamie still performed five of the songs & piano work himself.
He deserved every ounce of that Oscar gold!

Calling Out of The Past

I received an Email from my mother, down in Southern California, where I grew up; she wrote to tell me my Ex, that is-my first Ex, had called her out of the blue. He told her he just wanted to talk to me and "Catch Up."
All I could think of, while reading the Email, was catch-up on what? We have been divorced going on twenty years! He never called in concern during all this time, I knew there was an Agenda!
Frankly, I NEVER intend to be someone's, especially a man's, Agenda again!
I don't go backwards! Only Ginger Rogers, when dancing with Fred Astaire, could pull of going backwards! (Note: Ginger Rogers could done everything Fred Astaire could and she did it BACKWARDS and in High-heels!)
So I intend not returning this call.
He was the one that chose to end the relationship and he was also the one to file for divorce.
What he wants now he isn't gonna get from me!

Administrative Professional's Day is the 27th!

I don't have a personal assistant, nor do I work...at least for money!
Being Disability Retired from the US Navy, there isn't much I can do in an 8hr workday, but none-the-less, I am active in the VFW and our Department of Oregon Administrative Professional has been with the dept. for going on EVER!
She IS the Dept. and she is also the one everyone calls for an answer!
Now that I am well into my second year with the VFW and like I say, very active, I decided to let Penny know that some of us, or at least this Lady Comrade Thinks of her and wishes her a very special Day!
So I went online and found a delightful gift of Chocolate Truffels, even if she doesn't like chocolate, and who doesn't, she will enjoy handing out the tasty joy to others.
Funny, I am so excited and delighted with myself for having done this!
I feel like a child who sunk all their allowance into a gift for their parents for Xmas!
This indeed is what gift giving is all about! I love this feeling! Pure Happiness!
A great quote on happiness is:
"There is no Road to Happiness, Happiness IS the Road."~Bob Dylan's Grandmother
Remember someone, anyone, on Administrative Professional's Day!

Deep Descent: Adventure & Death Diving the Andrea Doria

Kevin F. McMurray, a Deep Wreck Diver himself who has visited and penetrated the Andrea Doria on a few occasions, writes a very touching book on the history of Diving the Andrea Doria, from the time of her demise 60 miles off New York when broadsided by the Stockholm in 1956, through the monetary interests of her sunken fortunes that Peter Gimbel went after and was the first Deep Wreck Diver to touch her hull, on through the changes of Deep Diving to Technical Diving, including a profile of each Diver who lost his life diving the Doria.
The Andrea Doria is called "The Mount Everest of Wreck Diving." Yet I don't think ever so many people attempted Mt. Everest as did the Doria!
This was indeed a good book and for the diver in me, a safe way to make the "Deep Descent!"

LOST in Re-Runs!

That is how I feel-lost!
I am enjoying this new show this season, but find it hard to stay attached, or as my friend says-"To stay a Fan!" when they keep showing re-runs in the middle of the season!
You don't see NBA or NFL showing Re-Runs in mid-season! So why good TV shows?
They are making it easier and easier for people to loath standard TV and move to Cable networks!

Mid-Week Movie Review

I had the chance to see Collateral and I have to say that it just didn't do it for me!
Jamie Foxx did an outstanding job and I can see why he was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar, but seeing an assassin do his dirty job in a one night spree using a taxi and his driver leaves me empty.
I am not sure what Michael Mann was trying to portray and the fact the movie ends so suddenly without a sigh of relief at the end, I just couldn't get moved by it.
Many will want to see it just because Tom Cruise plays a villain.
OK! Don't expect anything else though!

What You Wear Can Change Your Life

Trinny & Susannah have got a great book here that steps you through your closet and drawers and make up case.
They show you how to find the best colors for you and even how to organize your closets and drawers!
They even have a chapter on traveling and how to pack lighter than ever, then they go on to show and explain how you should ALWAYS pose for a photo on holiday, this way you can look flattering and enjoy the camera looking at you rather than hide.
There is even a chapter for pregnant women.
Great reference book and I DO recommend this for any woman who cares about how she looks to the world.

'Apprentice' Chris arrested

Well...Well!
The Loose canon finally shows what an idiot he can be!This from CNN: Shelton, 22, one of six remaining contestants competing for a job with Donald Trump, was taken into custody early Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. He was released after posting $250 bail.

Grandpa's Gourmet Foods-Hazelnut Sauce

If there is one little thing that makes the difference between an OK cooked chicken breast and a Great Chicken breast, it's because the Great one was marinated before cooking, roasting, BBQing etc.. with Hazelnut Sauce from Grandpa's Gourmet Foods from right here in Portland, Oregon!
Though it is great on steamed rice and veggies and used with other meats, I prefer it best with chicken.
Oregon is famous for Hazelnuts and I have never found a more excellent use of them then this sauce.
Try it yourself, or one of their others and NO I am not s spokesman. I just like to spread the work when I find something good!

Charles and Camilla Wed

I really don't give a hoot, not being a Brit and all, but having married a Divorcee, doesn't Charles have to religiosity his title to the throne as others had to in the past?
Why has this not been an issue in our time?

Movie Review

I just saw Kill Bill Vol. 2 & I Robot.
Kill Bill Vol. 2 had many slow points, but considering Vol. 1 was all action, somewhere Quentin had to add the storyline!
It was good, though of course not as good as Vol. 1 for action. The tossing of the spitoon was the big gross-out for me! Didn't need blood and guts for the effect the spitoon had on me!
I Robot was terrific! I totally dug it!
It keeps you wondering who is on the bad side and the digital work WETA did with the robots is fantastic!
Totally recommended and for those who saw Kill Bill Vol. 1, you might as well see Vol. 2 for the ending of a great Quentin Tarantino movie.

The Apprentice

I cannot believe the tobacco chewing wild gun is still there!
Boy oh Boy! I almost watch just to see when that Jerk finally gets it!
Funny how some people just don't see the image they portray to the world, like they live in their own little world!

LOST

Is this TV show wild or what?
Each week they come up with such a surprise and the characters are always developing and struggling within themselves, as well as, each other.
I have to say that when the show first started, I watched thinking this won't last long and Boy am I wrong!
One of the most interesting hours of Television since The Twilght Zone!

Book Review: Hidden Messages in Water

I just read a rather interesting little book. Masaru Emoto has been studying water crystals for more than a decade now and has now been doing a rather interesting body of study. He has been subjecting the purest water he can find, tap water being polluted with chlorine and lake water being polluted by people and smog. He has been using bottled water and has subjected these bottles to music, such as Beethoven and then heavy metal and found that after freezing the water would create beautiful crystals with the fifth symphony where as it would have mutated or nonexistent crystals with heavy metal music.
He then began subjecting the bottles to words, using various languages, and found the LOVE and GRATITUDE created the most beautiful of crystals where hateful and negative words cause no creation of crystals.
Further analysis had him find that the water can predict earthquakes, in that the water creates damaged and deformed crystals, if any at all, before an earthquake and yet after the water creates well formed crystals.
He then postulates on this that there is a vibration at which we all exist within and being made of 70% water, we humans should considered water more and ponder this relationship.
He might, shall I say, go off the deep end, but his study is worth investigating.
If you enjoy new scientific oddities that border on the religious realm, I recommend this book.

Are These Desparate Housewives getting MORE Desparate!

The Desparate Housewives are Really pouring it on now!
What a show!
I have to say I am glad my neighborhood isn't that crazy!....Or is it!

A Sad Day For Us ALL

One who had done so much for peace and the betterment of ALL peoples; the First Pope to visit a synagogue and the Western Wall; A strength and hope for better toleration has left us.
We ALL will morn his loss and yet hope that the coming white smoke brings to the world a new Pope who can lead the Church through the changes in world technology and bring together the people.

The Pope receives Last Rites

It is a sad day that the Pope's health is so bad he receives Last Rites.
We all, even use non-Christians and non-Catholics are concerned and are praying.