Fixing America's Problems

I got this email from a friend, and I love the idea. Thought I'd share it with you in hopes of putting a smile on your face.

Dear Mr. President,

Patriotic retirement:

There's about 40 million people over 50 years old....... in the work force - pay them $1 million apiece severance with the following stipulations.

1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - UNEMPLOYMENT FIXED

2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - AUTO INDUSTRY FIXED.

3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - HOUSING CRISIS FIXED.

True or not, I love this story

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan .'

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best -- beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is your thanks.'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'
That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

~*~*~*~*~
My dad, my FIL, and many of my grandparents served proudly in the military. I am proud to be an American. I support our soldiers 100%, without question, hesitation, embarrassment, or remorse.

If you do not stand behind our soldiers, feel free to stand in from of them.

VOTE - Presidential Election 2008

Today is Flag Day

*Photo: Thanks to csigrl06

Thank you to anyone that has flown our American Flag proud and tall.

Who I'd Like To Meet

You know how there is always someone you wish you could meet? You're asked in interviews, on MySpace, the first date. Well, for me, I'd like to meet the soldier in this story. I would be honored to shake hands with someone this bold, brave, and quick witted.

An American Soldier Helping with a Lesson From God

In Honor of Uncle Kenny

My husband's uncle was honored yesterday with a memorial service. Kenn was a medic in the military, and was killed when he stepped on a mine while carrying another soldier back to base. He spelled his name with two N's so he could be set apart from the other Ken's that were there. (That is how my husband got his name.)

Thank you for your service, Uncle Kenny. And thanks to everyone else that has offered their service.

Selo took this picture from the memorial in his uncle's honor.

In Memory

Angela, from Domestic Divapalooza, is encouraging all of us to remember on this Memorial Day Weekend.

I am grateful for all of the soldiers. Anyone that has represented the USA in any part of the world.

On Memorial Day, everyone that I work with will be holding a moment of silence at 3 pm. This will give us an opportunity to remember in reverence our fallen heroes- and those that have returned, as well. I encourage you to do the same.

Armed Forces Day

It is National Armed Forces Day here in the United States. Thank you to anyone that is part of this. I appreciate you.

Not Any More Informed Than I Was Yesterday

Alright, I admit it. I have let my politic side slide these last few weeks. Dealing with the accident, Selo's medical stuff, and everything else that is going on took the front role in my life. But I have been missing the business and involvement I normally have in the political world. So I went back to my sources to begin my normal research.

And I feel that I accomplished nothing. How can we have so much going on, and no good information out there? I know Romney will be leaving. I know McCain is doing very well. And I know Obama and Clinton are still fairly close.

I guess I was looking for something more. I suppose I was searching for bigger news. I am . . . disappointed?

Am I just not as interested as I was? Or have things really not changed that much in the last few weeks? I'm not saying people are keeping the campaign a big secret. I'm saying it is not grabbing me the way it used to.

So what about you? Are you bored with it? Have you found something in the last few weeks that has kept you glued to the news?

How Much Do You Know About Our Country?

I am proud of my country. I am red blooded, southern, and proud. I thrive on knowledge and politics and improving myself and my country.

But there are plenty of people out there just willing to complain and live off the state and others without doing anything to better themselves.

These people, to me, are unintelligent and lazy.

SO! Which one are you?

TAKE THIS QUIZ to find out. I took the quiz and received a score of 10,400. Go me!

Surprised, yet Pleased

I must admit, I did not expect the results of the Iowa caucus. But, I am pleased. I don't have any bad feelings about either Obama or Huckabee. At this point, I would be glad to have either one as my president. I wasn't expecting Clinton or Giuliani to have such low numbers, though.

You can check out the results at The Political Realm

I liked Obama's victory speech. I loved the line "We came together as Democrats, as Republicans and independents, to stand up and say we are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come." I think it was powerful, uniting, and encouraging.


I joined two political groups today. One is to keep me updated on numbers. The other is a discussion group, where I can discuss and debate. IMO, the best way to learn is to get in and get busy. So I am getting informed and getting involved.

Things are just going to keep getting better.

Speechless

This is not my story, but I was blessed to have heard it. I support our soldiers 100%, for as long as they are out there. Enjoy this short story.


One of my sons serves in the military. He is still stateside, here in California. He called me yesterday to let me know how warm and welcoming people were to him and his troops everywhere he goes, telling me how people shake their hands and thank them for being willing to serve and fight for not only our own freedoms , but so that others may have them also.

But he also told me about an incident in the grocery store he stopped at yesterday on his way home from the base. He said that ahead of several people in front of him stood a woman dressed in a burkha.

He said when she got to the cashier she loudly remarked about the U.S. flag lapel pin the cashier wore on her smock. The cashier reached up and touched the pin, and said proudly, "Yes, I always wear it and probably always will."

The woman in the burkha then asked the cashier when she was going to stop bombing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi.

A gentleman standing behind my son stepped forward. Putting his arm around my son's shoulders and nodding towards my son, he said in a calm and gentle voice to the Iraqi woman:

"Lady, hundreds of thousands of men and women like this young man have fought and died so that YOU could stand here, in MY country, and accuse a check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen. It is my belief that had you been this outspoken in YOUR own country, we wouldn't need to be there today. But, hey, if you have now learned how to speak out so loudly and clearly, I'll gladly buy you a ticket and pay your way back to Iraq so you can straighten out the mess in YOUR country that you are obviously here in MY country to avoid."

Let's Say Thanks- Don't forget the soldiers this holiday season!

A Different Kind of Christmas- Thanks Valerie

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas Gram always remembers."

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long."

"For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."


You can show your support for soldiers this Christmas. No, it won't cost any money- not even the postage. Simply send them a postcard. It will only take a moment for you, but it will make a world of difference to them.

Huckabee is Gaining

At least in my book. Since my last post, I've laid around on the couch and done research. (I know, I'm lazy. lol But it's Saturday!)Between YouTube, CNN, and Wiki, I am learning a lot. When it comes the the candidate that I would choose to represent the Republican party, Mike Huckabee is slowly climbing the ladder.
Not only do I connect with him as a Christian, but it is a breath of fresh air to hear a candidate so sure, so ready, and so un-waivering on their religious and moral beliefs. All of America could use a leader with morals this strong.

From Where I Stand

In reading up on some of the candidates for the coming Presidential election, I came across this quote by Huckabee when asked about his views on gay rights:

"What people do in the privacy of their own lives as adults is their business," Huckabee said. "If they bring it into the public square and ask me as a taxpayer to support it or to endorse it, then it becomes a matter of public discussion and discourse."


It made me think. For the last while, my standpoint has been this: I believe it would be acceptable to provide the same privileges of married couples (such as health insurance, tax benefits, ect) to a same sex couple, even though I believe that the act of being gay is morally wrong. I do not feel that the person is a bad person, or that they should be denied based on their choice of a mate. (There are plenty of straight people that I feel THAT would apply to, if brought up.) I felt that what a person does in their bedroom was their choice, and as long as it did not hurt me, it was not my place to refuse them.
However, Huckabee's statement has brought me to re-consider my standpoint on it. The part where he states "ask me as a taxpayer to support it or endorse it" brings it to my attention that that was exactly what would be happening. If I were to support a person with a same-sex relationship to be given privileges that I, as a taxpayer, would be paying for, then it DOES become my business. Which basically means that I need to re-evaluate what I feel about this situation.

At this point, I have not narrowed my decision down to one candidate. I know where I stand on most issues, and I am researching where each candidate stands.
For the Democrats, I would choose Barack Obama. He just seems real to me. He's friendly. He's straightforward. He's willing to play around and be one of the people. His attitude states that he is not better than us, he is one of us. To me, that says he would have the best interest of all the American people in mind.
For the Republicans, I would choose Mitt Romney. Although I don't particularly care for his "Utah attitude", I am very impressed by his business and financial background- which I feel would greatly benefit our country considering it's situation right now.
If I had to choose between those two, I would be back and forth for quite a while on the decision.

As for some of the other candidates:
Hilary knows what she is doing. She's very much a politician, and certainly knows how to raise finances. The amount of money she has spent on her campaign interests me for this reason: a candidate that has that kind of money must know how to raise that kind of money. If she did that while President, it would make a huge difference. The down side to Hilary is her baggage- she doesn't have a great history there- and . . . well I can't put my finger on it exactly, but her power. She seems too strong, too powerful, just too . . . much.
Rudy, I'm not too thrilled with. I don't feel fired up at all when I watch him or read about him. I am grateful for what he did during Sept 11, 2001. I don't really have anything bad to say about him, but I don't have anything good either. If he wins next month, I will do more in depth research about him. For now, other candidates are so much more interesting to me.
Huckabee is a new light to me. I didn't see anything special about him until recently. I will be watching him more closely for the next little while and doing more research about him. I don't have an opinion one way or the other yet, but I am interested in him, what he has to say, and where he is going.

No one else has caught my eye enough to make mention of.

It's called CHRISTmas

And while you're at it, you can check THIS out, too. God Bless America!

Mitt Romney's Speech was. . .

. . . very well put. I was impressed by it. Once again, I am proud to be American.

I'll go deeper into this later when I have time. Sorry so short.

Don't know who to vote for? Take this quiz to narrow down your Top Three Candidates

I love politics. I love researching and reading and talking and debating and discussing and learning and all of it. I am loving all the political stuff that is already going on for the coming election. You know, the one next year. I voted in the last few elections. Didn't shirk on my American responsibility! However, this time, I feel like I will really know the candidates when I vote. I have been studying since summer of this year. That will give me a year and a half of studying and watching and listening. (Did I mention I am loving every minute of it?) I believe I have narrowed down the candidates I prefer. Out of the current 17 candidates, I have a handful picked out, because you never know how, when, or why things could change. Today, I found a quiz. This quiz asks eleven questions, and you answer them multiple choice. The questions are on Iraq, immigration, Health Care, and Hot Topics (one question each for taxes, same sex marriage, and global warming), and one last question about your requirements for a President. The quiz totals up your scores, compares them to the candidates, and presents you with the top three that match your answers. My answers were very accurate. My top two matches I had predicted, the third one was a candidate I will be doing more research on in the near future.

So, if you are American, I expect you to do your American duty and vote in the Presidential election next year. If you don't know anything about any of the candidates, I suggest you get started. And if you would like to save time by starting with three that are the closest to your beliefs, try the quiz.

ABCs Match-O-Meter Quiz


Meet the Candidates
Introduced by:

ABC
YouTube
CNN

"Let's Say Thanks"

I am always looking for a way to support our American troops. Jess has shown me a brand new way to do it. (I am amazed by this woman, I tell ya.) I can hardly believe how simple it is to do something that would mean so much.

Visit Let's Say Thanks website.

Pick a postcard. (The postcard were drawn by grade schoolers- very cute.)

Enter your name and city (you don't give your address)

Click send.

It's that easy. And it costs you nothing but a moment and a few clicks. I think this is a great idea, and a great way to support our troops. I have bookmarked this site, and plan on visiting every day.

I am not in favor of the fighting, but our heroes deserve to be appreciated.

Thank you and God Bless You!

EDIT: Look they have created a button now!

Learn something new every day

Your Score: Neo-Conservative

You scored 31% Personal Liberty and 40% Economic Liberty!

A neo-conservative believes in moderate to high government intervention on personal matters and moderate government intervention on economic matters. Unlike most other conservatives, they may tend to support a social safety net, though to a lesser extent then most leftists. Others are more capitalistically inclined. They tend to support war, police powers, foreign intervention and laws restricting personal liberty. Neo-conservatives tend to emphasize foreign policy. Neo-conservatism is the result of "fusion" between "old left" and "new right" tendencies.

Link: The Politics Test written by brainpolice on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test