My New Address

I'm going to leave this up for awhile, so hopefully y'all can find me!



I'm at http://www.yankeemom.com/, the new home of You Betcha I'm a Proud Army Mom.

Hope to see you there!

Deb

(sticky post) She Will Never Fall!

Old Sgt's Out "Post"
"Calling All BLOGGERS, Time To Rally Around The Flag"

I'm Moving!

well, at least my blog is moving. I've decided to get my own web page so I can do more stuff than with Blogger. Blogger was great to start with, especially for a very challenged know nothing about html etc etc person like me. I looked at a couple of books on html and ended up giggling rather shrilly causing people around me to move away...

So I've been working with Greg from Greg's Notes - actually, he's been doing all the work - and he has set up a really peachy keen web page for me! He's been incredible in figuring out what I wanted from my less than intelligent emails regarding it. I've just had a peek at it and it is soooo cool. He's doing all the fine tuning on it now. He's had some great ideas keeping what I wanted in mind.

All I can say is if you want to get your own web page and are as clueless about all that as I am, or even if you're not, talk to Greg! Yes, this is an unsolicited pitch for him and a well deserved one at that!

Will let you know when the move is complete.

A UCSC Apology

Sort of...

Read this first though and be sure to read the comments too. (Anyone wonder why the recruiters left?)

Administrative Message

April 13, 2006
To: UC Santa Cruz Community

From: Denice D. Denton, Chancellor, and David S. Kliger, Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Re: Protest on April 11

On April 11, at the UC Santa Cruz Career Fair, a small group of individuals violated the principles they claimed to embrace – those of peaceful assembly and freedom of speech. In using threatening and aggressive tactics to prevent interested students from contacting military recruiters, these protesters infringed on the rights of others and acted with intimidation, intolerance and disrespect. Many did so with their faces covered, unwilling to take public responsibility for their actions.
The university, like any public body, has established guidelines that protect rights of freedom of speech, expression and assembly. Moreover, this campus provides in its Principles of Community a clear statement of standards for behavior that it expects of all its members, including the expectation that reasoned discourse includes a free exchange of ideas with mutual respect and consideration of differences.
Despite repeated efforts to engage with the Students Against War group, to discuss the time, place, and manner in which their protest could occur safely, the group declined to communicate further. A letter to them on March 27 reiterated the desire to collaborate, but there was no response from the group.
We are extremely concerned by the behaviors of the approximately 75 protesters, whose actions are not consistent with the values of our campus community, including 15,000 students. We apologize on behalf of the campus to those whose rights were violated, and we will take appropriate disciplinary action against students who are found to have been in violation of campus policies.
In contrast to the disrespectful and sometimes dangerous behavior of the protesters, true character was demonstrated by the nearly 800 students who attended the career fair for its intended purpose and by the many faculty and staff who encountered the protesters with composure and self-control.
Our primary concern at the Career Fair was ensuring the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors. We also held the goal of protecting the rights of our students to have access to the 90 employers attending the event, including the military recruiters.
Although the situation was extremely volatile, staff, faculty, and military recruiters used admirable restraint to prevent a serious situation from escalating to a point where public safety would have been further jeopardized.
We thank all those students, staff and faculty who made the best of a difficult situation, and we appreciate the vast majority of our campus community who demonstrate the ideals of our democracy by respecting the rights of all individuals.

Definitely read the March 27 letter mentioned above.

Oh! and not only that, but>>>>

Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson to headline teach-in at UCSC

Submitted by admin on Thu, 04/06/2006 - 2:26pm.

Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson—the husband of outed CIA operative Valerie Plame—will be among the featured speakers at "The War on Terror: A Credible Threat," a day-long teach-in that will take place on Monday, April 24 at the UCSC quarry.

Running from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., the event will feature a lineup of nationally known speakers for a day of reflection on U.S. international politics and university life. Guest speakers will include U.S. House of Representatives members Barbara Lee and Sam Farr; prominent law professors from across the nation; Santa Cruz mayor Cynthia Matthews; and senior members of the UCSC faculty. UCSC Chancellor Denice D. Denton is also expected to attend the event and speak briefly. Admission is free and open to both the campus and the general public.
The "The War on Terror: A Credible Threat" teach-in will take place at the Upper Quarry Amphitheater on the UC Santa Cruz campus. Follow signs to parking; purchase a $2 parking permit from the onsite attendant, who can direct you to the event location. Map at http://maps.ucsc.edu/cdquarry.html...

< >

The teach-in is designed to address the growing concern over warrantless searches of U.S. citizens, confirmed reports of torture in U.S.-controlled prisons, violations of U.S. Constitutional and international law in the conduct of the war on terror, and the deteriorating situations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the rest of the Middle East. Of particular concern is the growing violence against women in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the way in which communities of color are targeted for aggressive military recruiting in high schools. The teach-in was initiated by Faculty Against War—a group of 25 senior UCSC faculty members—and a coalition of campus student organizations, including Students Against War (SAW).
"As educators, we feel an obligation to respond, and so we have chosen to respond with education," noted UCSC Politics Professor Michael Urban, who spoke on behalf of Faculty Against War.

The idea for the event grew out of outrage at the Pentagon's spying on anti-war activities by students and a recent report in which students demonstrating against military recruiters at UCSC were characterized as being a "credible threat" to national security. Chancellor Denton, Senator Barbara Boxer, and Congressman Farr recently challenged that designation, and it was subsequently removed from the Pentagon's database.

Joseph Wilson is now at the center of a major controversy involving the White House, the CIA, and the war in Iraq. His report on the lack of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, along with his criticism of the Bush Administration's invasion plans, led to dismissal from his post as a senior U.S. diplomat. In addition, evidence now shows that Wilson's wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame, was illegally outed by high-level White House officials as further revenge for Wilson's outspoken opposition to the war. The author of The Politics of Truth, Wilson will address these issues at the UCSC teach-in.

The list of speakers slated for the event at press time includes:
The teach-in is sponsored by UCSC's Institute for Advanced Feminist Research (IAFR) and a range of other departments at UCSC, the Santa Cruz Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and other concerned campus and community organizations.
For more information, contact the UCSC Institute for Advanced Feminist Research at 459-3882.
story submitted by John Thompson

10:00-10:30 - Richard Abel
10:30 - 11:00 - Eben Moglen
11:00 - 11:30 - Miguel Tinker-Salas
11:30-12:00- Sam Farr, Chancellor Denise Denton, Mayor Cynthia Matthews
12:00 - 1:00 - Joseph Wilson
1:00 - 1:25 - David Cole
1:25- 1:55 - Dick 'n' Dubya (from the San Francisco Mime Troupe)
1:55 - 2:20 - Alan Richards
1:25- 1:55 -2:20- 2:45 - Sonali Kolhatkar
2:45 - 3:05 - Dan Wirls
3:05-3:30 - Aimee Allison
3:30-3:45 - Grant Lyon
3:45-4:00 - UCSC Students Against the War
4:00-4:15 - Nathan Escoto
4:15-4:30-- Yolanda Perez
4:15-4:40 - Safaa Ibrahim
4:40 - 5:10 - Watsonville Brown Berets
5:10-5:30 - Neferti Tadiar
5:30 - 6:00 - Judith Butler
6:00-6:30 - Maria Blanco
6:30-6:50 - Marc Sapir
6:50 - 7:10 - Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich
7:10-7:40-Bettina Aptheker

If you look up the people speaking, you might get the idea that they are going to be preaching to the UCSC choir. Just a guess...
A whole day of discussing the same old talking points of the anti war crowd. My tax dollars at work?

The teach-in is organized by Faculty Against War (UC Santa Cruz). Major funding is provided by the Offices of the Chancellor, the Executive Vice Chancellor, and Student Affairs, with additional contributions from the Anthropology Department, the Center for Cultural Studies, the Center for Justice, Tolerance and Community (CJTC), College Nine, College Ten, Cowell College, the Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office, the Feminist Studies Department, the History Department, the Institute for Advanced Feminist Research (IAFR), the Institute for Humanities Research, the Literature Department, the Women’s Center, the Santa Cruz Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and other concerned campus and community organizations. For more information, call 831-459-2663.

Invited Audience: Public [everyone]
Admission: Free Sponsored by: Organized by Faculty Against the War with major funding from the Offices of the Chancellor, the Executive Vice Chancellor, and Student Affairs. For complete list of sponsors see event description.
Estimated Attendance: 300
Contact information for this listing:Cheryl Van De VeerPhone: (831)-459-2663
Email: words@ucsc.edu Web: http://www.thewaronterror.org


Unfortunetly, CodePink's event on April 26 has been postponed until this fall. (Aww, shucks!)

Anyone care to join me up at the campus? I have this great t-shirt that says "My daughter wears combat boots".

Good News Monday

I'm feeling a rant coming on but now it's mostly just internal self pity. I think that's mostly to do with with this being the day after another holiday without Devon. God love the families who are going through the holidays with their kids overseas. I'm having a hard enough time with Devon just being in Georgia (I think I might have mentioned this before.)

So, I thought instead of doing the whiny thing (I'm a firm believer in 15 minutes of self pity, but then you get moving into positive production), I'm going to direct you to a post from the National Review, written by Bill Crawford:

Generals, See Progress (More good news from Iraq)

(h/t Instapundit)



Another good read is The Sheepdog's War over at Confederate Yankee.
Lots to think about there.

Now I'm going to go clean off my front porch as it has stopped raining for 5 minutes - and it may not rain until tomorrow!! WooHoo!!!

Happy Easter

May your chocolate bunnies all be solid

May all the hidden eggs be found (esp if you hid real ones...)

And may the dinner table conversation be mostly laughter.

Not too much into talking the past couple of days. Have things simmering inside of me, so I'm just letting them gel for a bit. Too much missing my Baby Girl, too much anger at people's nonsense and insensitivity in this area, too little physical energy and too much physical pain. And then thar be TAXES!

Anyhoo, here's a couple of links (in case you haven't seen them yet) that are absolutely wonderful. From Sgt. Hook:

No Tears In Heaven

Would You Know My Name

(you might need tissues, jest so's ye know)

Well, I'm going to go clean the bathroom and then sit down and write my guys.

Don't forget the PEEPS!!!!

Fran O'Brien's Update

Andi at Andi's World has an update on Hilton's response to the Restaurant closing.

Seems that they were inundated with emails...and now know what a milblog is - lol!

I can't be there at Walter Reed but I can speak out in support.
A big Thanks to all who stepped up and did so!

Friday Short Post

Lots to do today, so here's a cool video for your enjoyment:


Flight Safety


And a feel good video! from Andi's World

In Fred Phelps' Face

Here is your must see video of the day, courtest of the brilliant tgslTakoma, who documented the recent protest at Walter Reed Army Medical Center by the Westboro Baptist Church (*cough*). As she put it, "the soldiers at WRMAC showed remarkable restraint that day." Watch them escort the Phelps' gang off the corner. Gotta love the Rolling Thunder guys too.

Thanks, Everyone!

Final Salute

“You always hear all these statements like ‘Freedom isn’t free’. You hear the President talking about all these people making sacrifices. But you never really know until you carry one of them in the casket. When you feel their body weight. When you feel them, that’s when you know. That’s when you understand.”
Sgt. Kevin Thomas of Aurora

After a week or so of what seems like an inordinant amount of bad mouthing, slandering, military bashing, and just plain nastiness, I came across this post at Blue Star Chronicles, "Final Salute" this morning. Beth has a very good comparison of the UCSC protesters and the Marines and soldiers that come home for their final rest. It's something that is near to her heart as her son is headed over to the sandbox soon. As she calls it, "the 600 lb elephant in my house."

Every Blue Star family lives with that elephant every day and night, whether it's just a shadow on the horizon (as in my case), or it's sitting smack dab in the middle of the livingroom, at the dinner table, in the bedroom.

The Gold Star families live with the elephant forever.

(If you choose to follow the links and watch the presentation with the article, bring a box of tissues.)

So for a bunch of priviledged students of an institution of higher learning to "spit" on our military in the name of their "rights", as they did the other day at UCSC, and not seeing the irony of their doing so as the military is there to defend their "rights" and freedoms...well, I won't write the words that come to mind as they are very, very bad words.

And to know that most of the administration at this institution of higher learning supports their cause makes the knot in my stomach tighten even further.

Another reason why I want to move out of this area.

So I baked up a big batch of cookies and took it up to my guys - mostly just wanting to check in with them and let them know I'm watching.

It's more than time for us to show our support for our military every day, in every way we can, whether it's a simple thank you said to a veteran we see in the store or a big box of home you sent over to the sandbox to a soldier you don't even know. The anti-war, anti-military crowd are loud, we need to let our presence be known just as well. Of course, we will be much quieter about it and the media will ignore us. But as long as the troops know that we support them and that there are a large number of us, that's all that matters. Because they are what matters.

To all the Moms and Dads who are living with the elephant:

A Parent's Prayer

I held you as I watched your eyes fill up with tears.

Now those eyes are watchful as the enemy draws near.

I took the training wheels off and you were finally free!

Now you speed your hummer on the watch for IEDs.

The little hands that gripped the bat and swung with all their might,

Now sweat upon the rifle which depends your life.

You and your friends were laughing as you headed into town.

Now you pray they're not the ones beneath the mortar round.

I used to pick you up and hold you every time you fell.

Now I only pray for you as you go through hell.

My prayer for you used to be that you would grow up strong.

That you would always love your God and strive to do no wrong.

Now I pray for safety as you are in harm's way

For Him to bring you back to me to love another day.

But if God takes you from me to your post in the sky

I'll see you when it's my time in His sweet by and by.

David Dunham 2006

(used with permission)

To all the wives and husbands:

THE SILENT RANKS

I WEAR NO UNIFORMS, NO BLUES OR ARMY GREENS.

BUT I AM IN THE MILITARY IN THE RANKS RARELY SEEN.

I HAVE NO RANK UPON MY SHOULDERS.

SALUTES I DO NOT GIVE.

BUT THE MILITARY WORLD IS THE PLACE I LIVE.

I'M NOT IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND, ORDERS I DO NOT GET.

BUT MY HUSBAND IS THE ONE WHO DOES,

THIS I CANNOT FORGET.

I'M NOT THE ONE WHO FIRES THE WEAPON,

WHO PUTS MY LIFE ON THE LINE.

BUT MY JOB IS JUST AS TOUGH.

I'M THE ONE THAT'S LEFT BEHIND.

MY HUSBAND IS A PATRIOT,

A BRAVE AND PRIDEFUL MAN.

AND THE CALL TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY

NOT ALL CAN UNDERSTAND.

BEHIND THE LINES I SEE THE THINGS

NEEDED TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE.

MY HUSBAND MAKES THE SACRIFICE,

BUT SO DO OUR KIDS AND ME.

I LOVE THE MAN I MARRIED.

SOLDIERING IS HIS LIFE.

AND I STAND AMONG THE SILENT RANKS

KNOWN AS THE MILITARY WIFE.

(I don't know who wrote this)

To all the children:

OUR TIME TOGETHER

Daddy, you don’t know me yet.
There’s no way that you can.
While I’m busy growing you’re off in
a foreign land.

I’m sorry that they sent you there
It wasn’t the best plan
But unborn, I’m still proud of you,
you’re the best kind of man.

I know you’ll miss the kind of things
A father needs to see;
Like tummies growing lovingly
And sonograms of me;

Rubbing mommy’s aching back,
Holding her tenderly,
Listening to my heartbeat;
And that first kick from me.

We’ll have our time together, though,
Just like you’d always planned
I dream about the way I’ll feel when first I
touch your hand.

So don’t you let the time we missed
Keep you from careful plans.
Bring my Daddy back to me as quickly as
you can!

David E. Dunham - Copyright 2006

To our military:

OF THIS NATION

Grand flag of this nation, in freedom flies

Hued red, white, and blue, capturing eyes

The brave of this nation, marching by row

Determined in mission, each foe shall know

Our way has survived, because of their will

Don't ever forget, this fact you should drill

Take life at this moment, hold memories firm

For lessons well learned, should be long-term

Be proud of this nation, do well by your days

Hold God in your vision, don't live in a maze

Take love from the heart, do spread it today

Such wealth held inside, is cause for dismay

Stay mindful of those who put all on the line

Support them, do help them, don't be off-line

God Bless all fine people, good deeds they do

Hold on to what's right, a great point of view

©Copyright February 2005

by Roger J. Robicheau

(used with permission)

(I apologize for the messy html - I tried 3 times to get the spacing right and it just doesn't wnat to cooperate.)