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January 31, 2005

More On Iraq's FREE Election

Here is a great video montage of the Iraqi Elections.

And, here is a video of those who made it possible.

H/T due to Lucianne, Mamamontezz, and Queenie

Thanks all.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)

Completely Stumped

Today's tasteless joke brought to you by Maxim Magazine:

A lady places a personal ad in the paper that reads, "Looking for a man that won't beat me, won't run out on me, and is good in bed."

Days later her doorbell rings, and she opens the door to find a man with no arms or legs.

"I'm here in response to your personal ad," he says. "I don't have arms, so I can't beat you. And I don't have legs so I can't run out on you."

"But I need a good lover too," she replies.

"I rang the doorbell, didn't I?"

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 11:54 AM | Comments (2)

January 30, 2005

Iraqi's Re-Write Their Destiny

Millions Of Iraqi's Cast Ballots Despite Violence

BAGHDAD, Iraq — For the first time in more than 50 years, Iraqis cast ballots in democratic elections Sunday and took the first steps to declaring how they wanted Iraq to be governed.

As estimated 8 million plus people — Roughly 72 percent of eligible voters— braved violence and calls for a boycott to vote in Iraq

Some 300,000 Iraqi and American troops were on the streets and on standby to protect voters.

Iraqi's braved suicide bombers, threats of attack, and a call to boycott the election by every wanna be dictator in the Middle East. Despite all of this they had a larger percentage of eligible voters cast their ballot in this first election in more than 50 years than we (the U.S.) did in the '04 Presidential race at just under 56%.

Now is their time, now is their chance to re-write their destiny and move past their troubled history.

Iraqi's not only voted throughout Iraq but throughout the world:

Al Alamara

Az Zubayr

Baghdad

Dubai, UAE

Irvine, CA

Najaf

Netherlands

Sadyr City

Sydney, Australia

Tehran

Other Bloggers Covering This Historic Event"

Emma at My Life In An Egg Roll

Emperor Misha I of the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler

Delftsman of Emigre With A Digital Cluebat

Spc Ron of Suspension Of Disbelief

Arklahomboy went of the hizzle fo shizzle.

Matt at Blackfive

Greyhawk at the Mudville Gazette

GOC at Obnoxious Droppings

Blackjack at the Hole Card

Beth at MVRWC

Linda at Something... And Half of Something

Sworn Enemy

All right, I am starting to reprint my blogroll(s). Before I get carried away, these are just some of the great bloggers that are covering the historic Iraqi elections.

This is truly a victorious day.

I'll leave you with this...

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 06:48 PM | Comments (3)

"TOWEL HEADS"

Got this joke from the inlaws:

Recently I received a warning about the use of this politically incorrect term, so please note, we all need to be more sensitive in our choice of words.

I have been informed that the Islamic terrorists who hate our guts and want to kill us do not like to be called "Towel Heads" since the item they wear on their heads is not a towel. but actually a small, folded sheet.

Therefore, from this point forward, please refer to them as "Little Sheet Heads."

Thank you for your support and compliance on this delicate matter.

Thanks for the funny!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 04:16 PM | Comments (4)

January 29, 2005

Marine Rejoins The Proud, The Few To Serve With His Son In Iraq

I'd like to know the particular of this story. It is unusual to hear of someone this age rejoining the service:

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A 51-year-old Marine veteran is returning to the military to serve along with his son in Iraq and fulfill a personal dream of serving overseas, he said on Friday.

Jim Flaherty put in 24 years in the Marines, retiring in January, 2001. He got an e-mail last December from a military contact in Iraq inviting him to sign up for a 12-month tour working on the rebuilding of Falluja.

Flaherty, married for the second time with 18-month-old twins, had doubts about whether to go, but figured this was a last chance to satisfy a dream to serve overseas.

"I'm thinking, 'What am I? Nuts, when I've got two little kids?"' he said in an interview.

His stint with the Marines is expected to start in February or March.

In Iraq, Flaherty will join his son, James, a sergeant in the Marines who has been on active duty for about eight months. He may also be joined there by his daughter, Shannon, also a Marine, who expects to be deployed in April.

Flaherty's desire to serve overseas was almost fulfilled with a posting during the first Gulf War, but he missed out when Operation Desert Storm ended in 1991.

Flaherty said he did not think the request for him to return to active service at age 51 reflected any problems the military might have in finding enough people to go to Iraq. U.S. troop numbers were raised to 150,000 last month to strengthen security ahead of this Sunday's elections.

Flaherty, currently director of facilities for Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, played down the danger of his mission, pointing out that he will be working on construction projects rather than being in combat.

"Have you ever walked through North Philadelphia or Camden (New Jersey) at night?" asked Flaherty, referring to Camden's status as the murder capital of the United States. "It's not going to be any worse than that."

I am impressed that a Father, who has already served his time would be willing to rejoin to serve alongside his son in Iraq. It is an amazing story.

If anyone has any other information about this story, feel free to place a link in the comments.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:40 AM | Comments (1)

American Hero Not Even American (Until Now)

Posthumous Citizenship Granted to Marine Killed in Iraq

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) - He was born in Vietnam and came to America at age 6. After growing up in northern Virginia, he joined the Marines even though he was not a U.S. citizen. Cpl. Binh Le became an American on Thursday, but he could not attend the citizenship ceremony held in the shadow of the Pentagon. Last month, he was buried nearby in Arlington National Cemetery, the victim of a truck bomb in Iraq during a voluntary second tour of duty there.

Le, 20, grabbed his rifle when the truck packed with explosives attacked his military post Dec. 3. He had run to a position to fire on the driver and hold back the vehicle when it exploded. His commanding officer recommended him for a Silver Star.

"His final act of bravery saved the lives of others," Capt. Christopher J. Curtain wrote in a letter read at the ceremony. "I will be forever grateful for his heroism."

An estimated 37,000 citizens of other countries serve in the U.S. armed forces. Since the Iraq war began, 54 have been awarded posthumous citizenship.

Le was raised by his aunt and uncle in Alexandria, Va. His parents, Lien Van Tran and Kim Hoan Thi Nguyen, traveled from Vietnam for his funeral. They are divorced but would like to remain in the United States to be close to their son's grave, Nguyen said.

"There's no way to describe the pain," she said.

Rep. James P. Moran, D-Va., said he is working to offer citizenship to Le's parents, which could require congressional action.

"I think this is a compelling enough case that we can get a single bill for citizenship for his parents," Moran said. "They certainly deserve it."

Tran said they didn't have a problem with their son enlisting in the Marine Corps, but they wanted him to have time to attend college.

"His main concern was to join the military so that he could help protect the country he loved so much," Tran said.

This is an amazing story. He went to Iraq, not once, but volunteered to go a second time. In a time when some of our own, actual American citizens refuse to go, and fail to report for duty, this brave young man went twice to do his part for a nation he longed to be a citizen off. It is sad that he was killed, any loss of life is a tragedy although a reality of war. I am glad to hear he was awarded his citizenship, even if only in spirit. I too hope he is awarded the Silver Star.

Now, as for his parents getting citizenship, unfortunately I disagree. There have been great parents that have had horrible children and horrible parents that have had wonderful children. I believe each person should become an immigrant on their own merit. It is a tragedy that their son passed on in Iraq, but that was his battle, his choice, his destiny if you will. If his parents are to become citizens it should be on their own merit and not a free ride "just because" their son was killed in Iraq.

Your thoughts?

SlagleRock Out!

On the Net:

Cpl. Binh Le tribute site

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:20 AM | Comments (3)

January 28, 2005

Corrections And A Little Linky Love

Today I was doing a little housekeeping here at the Slaughterhouse. I have updated my links (right hand gutter).

There were a few additions and a few changes.

For example:

Readers of Weasel Teeth the URL has changed. The link has been corrected in the gutter. If you haven't been to the WT site in a while click here and take a look at the new digs. (WT, sorry it took me so long to update. I have your site in my favorites so I hadn't clicked on the link in the gutter in quite a while.)

I have also added some new links as well.

Snugg Harbor is a great site run by a retired Navy Aviation Electronics Tech (AT1). He also participated in the BlogBurst. Stop by and let him know what you think of his site and be sure to let him know SlagleRock sent you.

Take a look at Something... And Half Of Something. It is a great site. It was first brought to my attention when the site owner posted her interest in the HEROES Act. It is a very inciteful blog. Clearly a conservative, well worth the read. Her blog is named for a Hebrew expression from the Talmud, Devar Vechatsi Devar. It is a Hebrew expression whose literal translation is "Something and Half of Something." It is one of the few instances of sarcasm found in the Talmud. Basically, it means... "Nothing."

I re-added My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy for the third time. I don't know if it is something I have done or something screwy with my site, but I keep losing you, sorry Beth.

Also, I'd like to send a shout out.

First to Beth (different Beth everyone) of Yeah, Right, Whatever. Beth, has been on a posting frenzy. If you've never been to her site or it has been a while, you need to stop by. Let her know SlagleRock sent you.

And last, but most certainly not least. I'd like to send a shout out to my Uncle Delftsman. His site Emigre With A Digital Clue Bat was lost when MBlog decided to screw over its users and shut down without notice. Through the graces of Mu.Nu he has a new home. He has been in his new digs for a short while, but it appears that he has lost some of his regular readers. If you thought Delfts was gone you can now find him here. If you have never been to his site (either the old one or the new) you need to stop by and check it out. With a little prodding and a subject that gets him going he can blog with a frenzy. Again, stop by and let him know SlagleRock sent you.

Take a look at all these great links and let them know what you think of their sites.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 05:25 PM | Comments (2)

January 27, 2005

Remembering the Wannsee Conference and the Liberation of Auschwitz

This article is posted as part of the January 27, 2005, BlogBurst (see list of participants ), to remember the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, sixty years ago, on January 27, 1945.On January 20th, we marked the anniversary of the 1942 Wannsee Conference. In the course of that Conference, the Nazi hierarchy formalized the plan to annihilate the Jewish people. Understanding the horrors of Auschwitz requires that one be aware of the premeditated mass-murder that was presented at Wannsee. Highlighting these events now has become particularly important, even as the press reports that '45% of Britons have never heard of Auschwitz' (Jerusalem Post, December 2, 2004)

The Holocaust, symbolized by Auschwitz, the worst of the death camps, occurred in the wake of consistent, systematic, unrelenting anti-Jewish propaganda campaigns. As a result, the elimination of the Jews from German society was accepted as axiomatic, leaving open only two questions: when and how.

As Germany expanded its domination and occupation of Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, the Low Countries, Yugoslavia, Poland, parts of the USSR, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Italy and others countries, the way was open for Hitler to realize his well-publicized plan of destroying the Jewish people.

After experimentation, the use of Zyklon B on unsuspecting victim was adopted by the Nazis as the means of choice, and Auschwitz was selected as the main factory of death (more accurately, one should refer to the “Auschwitz-Birkenau complex”). The green light for mass annihilation was given at the Wannsee Conference, January 20, 1942.

The Wannsee Conference formalized "the final solution" - the plan to transport Europe's Jews to eastern labour and death camps. Ever efficient and bureaucratic, the Nazi kept a record of the meeting, which were discovered in 1947 in the files of the German Foreign Office. The record represents a summary made by Adolf Eichmann at the time, even though they are sometime referred to as "minutes".

Several of the Conference participants survived the war to be convicted at Nuremberg. One notorious participant, Adolf Eichmann, was tried and convicted in Jerusalem, and executed in 1962 in Ramlah prison.

The mass gassings of Europe's took place in Auschwitz between 1942 and the end of 1944, when the Nazis retreated before the advancing Red Army. Jews were transported to Auschwitz from all over Nazi-occupied or Nazi-dominated Europe and most were slaughtered in Auschwitz upon arrival, sometimes as many as 12,000 in one day. Some victims were selected for slave labour or “medical” experimentation before they were murdered or allowed to die. All were subject to brutal treatment.

Children, victims of Nazi "medical" experiments

In all, between three and four million people, mostly Jews, but also Poles and Red Army POWs, were slaughtered in Auschwitz alone (though some authors put the number at 1.3 million). Other death camps were located at Sobibor, Chelmno, Belzec (Belzek), Majdanek and Treblinka. Adding the toll of these and other camps, as well as the mass executions and the starvation im the Ghettos, six million Jews, men, women, the elderly and children lost their lives as a consequence of the Nazi atrocities.
Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army on 27 January 1945, sixty years ago, after most of the prisoners were forced into a Death March westwards. The Red Army found in Auschwitz about 7,600 survivors, but not all could be saved.

For a long time, the Allies were well aware of the mass murder, but deliberately refused to bomb the camp or the railways leading to it. Ironically, during the Polish uprising, the Allies had no hesitation in flying aid to Warsaw, sometimes flying right over Auschwitz.

There are troubling parallels between the systematic vilification of Jews before the Holocaust and the current vilification of the Jewish people and Israel. Suffice it to note the annual flood of anti-Israel resolutions at the UN; or the public opinion polls taken in Europe, which single out Israel as a danger to world peace; or the divestment campaigns being waged in the US against Israel; or the attempts to delegitimize Israel’s very existence. The complicity of the Allies in WW II is mirrored by the support the PLO has been receiving from Europe, China and Russia to this very day.

If remembering Auschwitz should teach us anything, it is that we must all support Israel and the Jewish people against the vilification and the complicity we are witnessing, knowing where it inevitably leads.

H/T To Beth for showing me this BlogBurst.

This post was written by Joseph Norland of IsraPundit.)

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:01 AM | Comments (1)

January 26, 2005

31 Marines Lost In Helo Crash In Iraq

Deadliest day for U.S. in Iraq war

Weather suspected in chopper crash that killed 31 troops

Thirty Marines and a Navy corpsman were killed in a helicopter crash near Iraq's border with Jordan, bringing the number of U.S. troops killed Wednesday to 37 -- the deadliest day for U.S. forces since the start of the war in Iraq.

Four U.S. Marines were killed during combat in Iraq's Al-Anbar province, and two U.S. soldiers were killed in attacks in the Baghdad area, according to the U.S. military.

The cause of the chopper crash is still under investigation, although it appears to be weather-related, according to Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command.

"The weather was bad. We don't know of any enemy action; the investigation continues," he said.

It is a sad day when we lose 31 of our nations finest. Though I will say this, for this to be our largest loss in a single day in Iraq says something about the might of our military and the will of our warriors.

The flag flies at half staff today at the Slaughterhouse as we mourn the loss of these heroes.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:39 PM | Comments (1)

Condoleeza Rice Confirmed As Secretary Of State

Ex-national security adviser first black female to hold office

Condoleezza Rice won Senate confirmation as secretary of state on Wednesday, after hours of sometimes-bitter debate Tuesday that focused largely on the war in Iraq.

The final vote of the full Senate was 85-13 in favor of the nomination.

Rice, 50, is the first African-American woman and second woman to become secretary of state.

Rice had long been expected to win the GOP-controlled Senate's blessing to succeed Colin Powell as head of the State Department.

Not that I needed to tell you, but...

Leading the charge against Rice on Tuesday were Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Barbara Boxer of California.

The others were:

John Kerry of Massachusetts, Carl Levin of Michigan, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Mark Dayton, of Minn.

For the full story go here or here.

So what does everyone think about this appointment? Good!!!!

Your thoughts?

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:21 PM | Comments (1)

Redemption?

Doing the Right Thing is seldom easy-but never too late....

STORY NUMBER ONE
Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well Not only was the money big, but also Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had the best of everything: clothes, cars and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name and a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie
wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he would ever pay.

Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read:

The clock of life is wound but once
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
Now is the only time you own.
Live, love, toil with a will.
Place no faith in time.
For the clock may soon be still.

STORY NUMBER TWO
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the carrier he saw something that turned his blood cold, a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.
Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had in fact destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.

Interesting story. Though I am sure there has been some inflation of the facts it is true that Butch O'Hare was the son of Al Capones lawyer, Easy Eddie.

Acidman also blogged on this one.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:18 PM | Comments (7)

The LARK Program

Recently a man wrote a letter to the White House complaining about the treatment of a captive taken during the Afghanistan war. Attached is a copy of a letter he received back:

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20016

Dear Concerned Citizen:

Thank you for your recent letter roundly criticizing our treatment of the Taliban and Al Qaeda detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Our administration takes these matters seriously, and your opinion was heard loud and clear here in Washington.
You'll be pleased to learn that, thanks to the concerns of citizens like you, we are creating a new division of the Terrorist Retraining Program, to be called the "Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers" program, or LARK for short. In
accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided to place
one terrorist under your personal care. Your personal detainee has been selected and scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence next Monday.
Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud (you can just call him Ahmed) is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of
admonishment..
It will likely be necessary for you to hire some assistant caretakers. We will
conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with those you so strongly recommended in your letter. Although Ahmed is sociopathic and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his "attitudinal problem" will help him overcome these character flaws.
Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. He will bite you, given the chance. We understand that you plan to offer counseling and home schooling.
Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and
can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We do not suggest that you ask him to demonstrate these skills at your next yoga group He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless (in your opinion) this might offend him.
Ahmed will not wish to interact with your wife or daughters (except sexually) since he views females as a subhuman form of property. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him, and he has been known to show violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the new dress code that Ahmed will recommend as more appropriate attire. I'm sure they will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the bhurka over time.
Just remind them that it is all part of "respecting his culture and his religious
beliefs" - wasn't that how you put it?
Thanks again for your letter. We truly appreciate it when folks like you, who know so much, keep us informed of the proper way to do our jobs.
You take good care of Ahmed - and remember...we'll be watching. Good luck!

Cordially...Your Buddy,

Don Rumsfeld

(Too funny. That is about par for the left. Of course if this were a real program there would be a ton of libs that miraculously register Republican next time around.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:03 PM | Comments (1)

Logic?

Yeah, that about sums it up.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:21 AM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2005

LITTLE JOHNNY

A grade school teacher in Kentucky asked her students to use the word "fascinate" in a sentence.

Molly put up her hand and said, "My family went to my granddad's farm, and we all saw his pet sheep. It was fascinating."

The teacher said, "That was good, but I wanted you to use the word "fascinate, not fascinating".

Sally raised her hand. She said, "My family went to see Rock City and I was fascinated."

The teacher said, "Well, that was good Sally, but I wanted you to use the word "fascinate."

Little Johnny raised his hand. The teacher hesitated because she had been burned by Little Johnny before.

She finally decided there was no way he could damage the word "fascinate", so she called on him.

Johnny said, "My aunt Gina has a sweater with ten buttons, but her tits are so big she can only fasten eight."

The teacher cried.

Posted by SlagleRock at 04:10 PM | Comments (1)

Apparently These Aliens Thought They Found SlagleRock

Two aliens landed in the New Mexico desert near a gas station
that had been closed for the night. They approached one of the gas
pumps and the younger of the two aliens addressed it.

"Greetings, Earthling. We come in peace. Take us to your
leader."

The gas pump, of course, just stood there. The younger alien
started to get mad at the lack of response.

The older one said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you".

The younger alien ignored the warning and repeated the greeting.
Again, there was no response.

Annoyed by what he perceived to be the pump's haughty attitude,
he drew his ray gun and said impatiently, "Greetings Earthling. We come
in peace. Do not ignore us in this way! Take us to your leader, or I
will fire."
The older alien again warned his comrade, "You don't want to do
that. You really don't want to make him mad".

"Rubbish," replied the younger alien. He aimed his weapon at
the pump and fired. There was a huge explosion. A massive fireball
roared outwards towards them and blew the younger alien off his feet and
deposited him in a burnt, crumpled mess about 200 metres away, in a
cactus patch.

Thirty-five Earth minutes later, when he finally regained
consciousness, re-focused his three eyes and straightened his bent
antenna, he looked dazedly up at the wiser one, who was standing over
him, slowly shaking his big green head.

"What a ferocious creature," said the young fried one "It damn
near killed us! How did you know it was so dangerous?"

The older alien leaned over, placed a friendly feeler onto the
crispy, peeling flesh and shared some knowledge... "There's one thing
I've learned during my travels through the galaxy," said the wise old
alien, "When a guy has a penis he can wrap around himself twice and then
stick it in his ear, you don't mess with him!! "

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:39 AM | Comments (2)

January 24, 2005

Show Your Support For Our Troops (Another Opportunity)

Got an email from the owner/operator of My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy today.

She had another unique way to show the troops that you support them.

I would like to encourage all of you to visit the Department of Defense webpage and sign a brief message thanking the men and women of the U.S. military services. The compiled list of names will be sent out to our soldiers at the end of the month.

So far there are less than 9 million names. What a pity. There should be hundreds of millions of "Thank You's". Please forward this message to
your friends, so they can do the same.

It takes less than a minute to sign the card.

Click on this link:

Sign and Show Your Support

Show your support for the troops. Take a few seconds, follow the link and sign.

Thanks Beth, for this link and the info.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 04:00 PM | Comments (0)

The HEROES Act

Big Hat Tip to Linda for this one:

Russ Vaughn has written a most excellent article for The American Thinker, the following is an excerpt:

DON'T JUST SIT THERE by Russ Vaughn

It’s so easy to say you support the troops, regardless of which side you come down on in the issue of the War in Iraq itself. Yeah, you can send care packages and put yellow ribbon magnets on your car to make you feel all warm and fuzzy that you’re doing your own small part.

But right now, folks, we have a rare opportunity, a seldom-held power for ordinary citizens, to actually do something for the troops that will bring them more comfort than any supportive letters or boxes of cookies and candy ever possibly could. You see, right now we have the ability to provide them with comfort of mind, to lift a mental and emotional burden that they all carry with them when they enter any theater of combat. We hold in our collective hands the ability to grant them assurance that should the worst befall them, we, their grateful nation, will provide for their loved ones in a manner that will approximate what they would have provided in the normal course of their lives.

Mr. Vaughn is speaking of the Honoring Every Requirement of Exemplary Service (HEROES) Act, which Senators Lieberman and Sessions will introduce when Congress reconvenes January 24 2005, would increase the maximum life insurance coverage for servicemembers to $400,000 and increase the death gratuity paid to families of servicemembers killed in combat to $100,000.

These benefit changes would cover all servicemembers regardless of rank, and would apply retroactively to cover those lost in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This bill must pass and you can help. Listen to Mr. Vaughn:

So you say you support the troops? Then as soon as you finish reading this, start hammering that keyboard and let your two senators and your congressman know that you expect no less than their full support for early passage of the HEROES Act. To a person, they all swear they support the troops, regardless of party affiliation or individual positions on the war. Let them know, their future electoral efforts will, in your mind, be dependent upon their actions on behalf of those troops and those families who have given that "last full measure of devotion," to their nation.

Do it people, please! Addresses for Senators and Representatives are here.

Thanks again Linda!!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2005

"Wish You Were Here"

For all the free people that still protest.
You're welcome. We protect you and you are protected by the best.
Your voice is strong and loud,
but who will fight for you? No one standing in your crowd.
We are your fathers, brothers, and sons,
wearing the boots and carrying guns.
We are the ones that leave all we own, to make sure your future is carved in stone.
We are the ones who fight and die,
We might not be able to save the world, Well, at least we try.
We walked the paths to where we are at
and we want no choice other than that.
So when you rally your group to complain,
take alook in the back of your brain.
In order for that flag you love to fly
wars must be fought and young men must die.
We came here to fight for the ones we hold dear.
If that's not respected, we would rather stay here.
So please stop yelling, put down your signs,
and pray for those behind enemy lines.
When the conflict is over and all is well,
be thankful that we chose to go through hell.

Written by Corporal Joshua Miles and all the boys from 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines, Kuwait

Found on I Ride With The Cowboy.com

That pretty much sums it up!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 04:06 PM | Comments (4)

Tonight Show Legend Has Died

Born: October 23, 1925
Died: January 23, 2005

From ABC News

Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" TV host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, has died. He was 79. "Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. "He was surrounded by his family, whose loss will be immeasurable. There will be no memorial service."

Sotzing would not give further details, including the time of death or the location.

The boyish-looking Nebraska native with the disarming grin, who survived every attempt to topple him from his late-night talk show throne, was a star who managed never to distance himself from his audience.

His wealth, the adoration of his guests particularly the many young comics whose careers he launched the wry tales of multiple divorces: Carson's air of modesty made it all serve to enhance his bedtime intimacy with viewers.

"Heeeeere's Johnny!" was the booming announcement from sidekick Ed McMahon that ushered Carson out to the stage. Then the formula: the topical monologue, the guests, the broadly played skits such as "Carnac the Magnificent."

Click Continue Reading below for the rest of the story.

Here are some of my favorite Carson Quotes:

"Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas."
- Johnny Carson

"Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president."
- Johnny Carson

"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners."
- Johnny Carson

"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead."
- Johnny Carson

"Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined."
- Johnny Carson

America never tired of him; Carson went out on top when he retired in May 1992. In his final show, he told his audience: "And so it has come to this. I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something that I always wanted to do and I have enjoyed every single minute of it."

His personal life could not match the perfection of his career. Carson was married four times, divorced three. In 1991, one of his three sons, 39-year-old Ricky, was killed in a car accident.

Nearly all of Carson's professional life was spent in television, from his postwar start at Nebraska stations in the late 1940s to his three decades with NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Carson choose to let "Tonight" stand as his career zenith and his finale, withdrawing into a quiet retirement that suited his private nature and refusing involvement in other show business projects.

In 1993, he explained his absence from the limelight.

"I have an ego like anybody else," Carson told The Washington Post, "but I don't need to be stoked by going before the public all the time."

He was open to finding the right follow-up to "Tonight," he told friends. But his longtime producer, Fred de Cordova, said Carson didn't feel pressured he could look back on his TV success and say "I did it."

"And that makes sense. He is one of a kind, was one of a kind," de Cordova said in 1995. "I don't think there's any reason for him to try something different."

Carson spent his retirement years sailing, traveling and socializing with a few close friends including media mogul Barry Diller and NBC executive Bob Wright. He simply refused to be wooed back on stage.

"The reason I really don't go back or do interviews is because I just let the work speak for itself," he told Esquire magazine in 2002 in a rare interview.

The former talk show host did find an outlet for his creativity: He wrote short humor pieces for The New Yorker magazine, including "Recently Discovered Childhood Letters to Santa," which purported to give the youthful wish lists of William Buckley, Don Rickles and others.

Carson made his debut as "Tonight" host in October 1962. Audiences quickly grew fond of his boyish grin and easy wit. He even made headlines with such clever ploys as the 1969 on-show marriage of eccentric singer Tiny Tim to Miss Vicki, which won the show its biggest-ever ratings.

The wedding and other noteworthy moments from the show were collected into a yearly "Tonight" anniversary special.

In 1972, "Tonight" moved from New York to Burbank. Growing respect for Carson's consistency and staying power, along with four consecutive Emmy Awards, came his way in the late 1970s.

His quickness and his ability to handle an audience were impressive. When his jokes missed their target, the smooth Carson won over a groaning studio audience with a clever look or sly, self-deprecating remark.

Politics provided monologue fodder for him as he skewered lawmakers of every stripe, mirroring the mood of voters. His Watergate jabs at President Nixon were seen as cementing Nixon's fall from office in 1974.

He made presidential history again in July 1988 when he had then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton on his show a few days after Clinton came under widespread ridicule for a boring speech at the Democratic National Convention. Clinton traded quips with Carson and played "Summertime" on the saxophone. Four years later, Clinton won the presidency.

Carson dispatched would-be late-night competitors with aplomb. Competing networks tried a variety of formats and hosts but never managed to best "Tonight" and Carson.

There was the occasional battle with NBC: In 1967, for instance, Carson walked out for several weeks until the network managed to lure him back with a contract that reportedly gave him $1 million-plus yearly.

In 1980, after more walkout threats, the show was scaled back from 90 minutes to an hour. Carson also eased his schedule by cutting back on his work days; a number of substitute hosts filled in, including Joan Rivers, David Brenner, Jerry Lewis and Jay Leno, Carson's eventual successor.

Rivers was one of the countless comedians whose careers took off after they were on Carson's show. After she rocked the audience with her jokes in that 1965 appearance, he remarked, "God, you're funny. You're going to be a star."

"If Johnny hadn't made the choice to put me on his show, I might still be in Greenwich Village as the oldest living undiscovered female comic," she recalled in an Associated Press interview 20 years later. She tried her own talk show in 1986, quickly becoming one of the many challengers who could not budge Carson.

In the '80s, Carson was reportedly the highest-paid performer in television history with a $5 million "Tonight" show salary alone.

His Carson Productions created and sold pilots to NBC, including "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes." Carson himself made occasional cameo appearances on other TV series.

He also performed in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J., and was host of the Academy Awards five times in the '70s and '80s.

Carson's graceful exit from "Tonight" did not avoid a messy, bitter tug-of-war between Leno and fellow comedian David Letterman. Leno took over as "Tonight" host on May 25, 1992, becoming the fourth man to hold the job after founding host Steve Allen, Paar and Carson.

Carson was born in Corning, Iowa, and raised in nearby Norfolk, Neb. He started his show business career at age 14 as the magician "The Great Carsoni."

After World War II service in the Navy, he took a series of jobs in local radio and TV in Nebraska before starting at KNXT-TV in Los Angeles in 1950.

There he started a sketch comedy show, "Carson's Cellar," which ran from 1951-53 and attracted attention from Hollywood. A staff writing job for "The Red Skelton Show" followed.

The program provided Carson with a lucky break: When Skelton was injured backstage, Carson took the comedian's place in front of the cameras.

Producers tried to find the right program for the up-and-coming comic, trying him out as host of the quiz show "Earn Your Vacation" (1954) and in the variety show "The Johnny Carson Show" (1955-56).

From 1957-62 he was host of the daytime game show "Who Do You Trust?" and, in 1958, was joined for the first time by McMahon, his durable "Tonight" buddy.

A few acting roles came Carson's way, including one on "Playhouse 90" in 1957, and he did a pilot in 1960 for a prime-time series, "Johnny Come Lately," that never made it onto a network schedule.

In 1958, Carson sat in for "Tonight Show" host Jack Paar. When Paar left the show four years later, Carson was NBC's choice as his replacement.

After his retirement, Carson took on the role of Malibu-based retiree with apparent ease. An avid tennis fan, he was still playing a vigorous game in his 70s.

He and his wife, Alexis, traveled frequently. The pair met on the Malibu beach in the early 1980s; he was 61 when they married in June 1987, she was in her 30s.

Carson's first wife was his childhood sweetheart, Jody, the mother of his three sons. They married in 1949 and split in 1963.

He married Joanne Copeland Carson in 1963; divorce came in 1972. His third marriage, to Joanna Holland Carson, took place in 1972. They separated in 1982 and reached a divorce settlement in 1985.

On the occasion of Carson's 70th birthday in 1995, former "Tonight" bandleader Doc Severinsen, who toured with musicians from the show, said he was constantly reminded of Carson's enduring popularity.

"Every place we go people ask `How is he? Where is he? What is he doing? Tell him how much we miss him.' It doesn't surprise me," Severinsen said.

The brisk sale of the video collection "Johnny Carson: His Favorite Moments From The Tonight Show," released in 1994, offered further proof of his appeal.

He won a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 1992, with the first President Bush saying, "With decency and style he's made America laugh and think." In 1993, he was celebrated by the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors for career achievement.

He truly was a legend

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 11:35 AM | Comments (1)

January 22, 2005

Making Their Parents Proud

Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Due, right, a U.S. Army recruiter, is surrounded by protesters at Seattle Central Community College, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005, in Seattle. After about a 10-minute standoff during which protesters tore up U.S Army literature, the protesters were successful in getting Due and another recruiter to leave their table under escort by campus security officers. Several hundred students walked out of classes at several Seattle colleges and universities to protest the inauguration of President Bush

Wow are these your children? I hope the parents of these kids are very proud to see their kids acting like this. These douchebags are protesting one of the very people who fights to secure their right to a college education.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You don't have to agree with the war in Iraq, or the current administration, but you have an obligation to support the troops. There is no room for argument here. If you enjoy your freedoms you owe that to the men and woman in uniform.

Do you think life in the US is so grand because our nation is enclosed in some kind of forcefield? Do you think that with the exception of domestic terrorism and the events of 9/11 this country has remained untouched by foreign invaders "just because"? Absolutely not, this nation is what it is because of all the brave men and woman in uniform who fight, both at home and abroad to protect our freedoms.

Any of the kids involved in this protest should be expelled from school. That recruiter would not have been there without the permission of the school. Protest if you must, but they had no right to tear up "U.S Army literature."

Their smiles disgust me. When did we become a nation so small minded that it pleases us to place one of America's finest in a position like this.

I invite all of these "protestors" to show how much they really believe in the filth they spew. Enlist, do your part to make sure things are done the way you think they should be done.

They must have felt real tough shouting down the soldier...being that there are around 20-30 of them and only ONE of him. How about evening the odds and trying that shit when 30 of your ignorant screaming friends aren't around?!?

SFC Due, I salute you and all who serve!

These kids are nothing more than DOUCHEBAGS, products of the media.

SlagleRock Out!

H/T to Mamamontezz for the link.

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:29 AM | Comments (3)

Klansman Byrd Attempts To Slow The Nomination Of Dr. Rice

This one is straight from:

"Ex"-Clan Member/ US Senator Set to Derail Rice Nomination

Senator Robert Byrd, the Democrat from West Virginia is set to spearhead the effort to derail Secretary of State-nominee Condoleezza Rice. An interesting choice for the task considering the man’s past.

As recently as 2001, the West Virginia Democrat was forced to apologize after blurting out during a nationally televised interview: "There are white n*gg*rs, I've seen a lot of white n*gg*rs in my time. I'm going to use that word."

In 1972, Byrd pushed to have the Senate's main office building named after Dixiecrat Sen. Richard Russell, a leading opponent of anti-lynching legislation who Byrd called "my mentor."

Byrd filibustered the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act for 14 straight hours.
Three years after he said he'd left his white-sheeted brethren behind, he wrote to Georgia's Grand Imperial Wizard urging: "The Klan is needed today as never before."

Sen. Byrd was also a fierce opponent of desegregating the military, complaining in one letter, "I should rather die a thousand times and see old glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again than see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen of the wilds."

Once again the Democratic Party, the "party of peace and understanding" has chosen the worst possible person to speak on their behalf. Let's have the racist denounce Condoleeza Rice. What in the world were they thinking?

Other Media Outlets Covering This (links to be updated later today):

The Washington Times

Other Bloggers Covering This(links to be updated later today):

The Daily Kos

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:58 AM | Comments (5)

January 21, 2005

Conservative Punk...

Is that an oxymoron? Absolutely not. Some of you may have noticed a small button in my gutter (though hard to read it is the white one with the gold star) to the Conservative Punk website. That button has been in my gutter since I started my site in April of last year. There is a reason that they get such a button.

As of January 31, 2004, ConservativePunk.com officially launches. The site has been created to educate, inform and increase the little known demographic of the Conservative Punk. This is not C-SPAN meets MTV; this site boasts conservatives from well-known artist Michale Graves of Gotham Road and former lead singer of the Misfits, to conservative talk show host and former rock jock Andrew Wilkow, to the average person on the street.

This site has been created to counteract the multiple liberal punk sites on the web, which are run by only a small number of punk artists who are choosing to make up the minds of thousands of voters.

ConservativePunk.com will finally allow conservatives who have decided to keep their punk ideals alive a place to air their thoughts on government, liberal counterparts and music. It is being released this year to help inform America's youth about the upcoming election and let them make up their own minds, rather than push liberal sentiment down their throats. Nick Rizzuto, the founder of ConservativePunk.com hopes that this site will energize and excite young people to come to their own conclusions and hopefully register to vote this year. He hopes to inform young people of more conservative ideals and hopes that they will be unafraid to say that they are a "conservative punk".

Since 1992, multiple outlets for America's youth have tried to get them more involved in politics and in voting; the only similarity between all of these channels is that they support left wing ideals. ConservativePunk.com is hoping not to change this trend, but to give today's young people a way to view politics from a different perspective.

About Conservative Punk:

A Statement of our Mission

At Conservative punk, our mission is threefold: To inform today's youth that identify themselves with the punk scene with the facts, rather than rumor and conspiracy theory. To encourage today's youth to register to vote and become engaged in politics. To encourage youth voters to draw their own conclusions rather than indoctrinate them into a certain way of thinking. Punk music has been, and still is, one of the most heavy-handed genres of music there is. Unfortunately the topics of such heavy-handed songs are almost always seeped in left wing propaganda, bumper sticker rallying calls and oversimplifications of otherwise complex topics. Unfortunately the websites established by such bands to further their political views don't offer much more by way of information and truth than the music does. We at conservative punk mean to be the foil to this trend. We plan on filling in the gaps. We will offer our own views while still urging young punks to search for their own conclusions. Hopefully in doing so we will energize and excite young people enough to become engaged in politics and exercise their power at the ballot box.

Conservative Punk is a very interesting website and is hosted by some very intelligent people.

Whether you are a left wing loon who is curious to see what a right wing punk web site is all about, or you are a punk fan who is intrigued by the idea of a Conservative Punk click the banner below and take a look around. It is a great site for information and up to date point of views on world politics.

Click on the banner below and check out their site!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:55 AM | Comments (1)

January 20, 2005

Truly A Great Day In History

Today, January 20th, 2005 was the second time that George W. Bush was sworn in as president of the United States.

Here is some information on todays events:

Thousands Brave Cold to Ensure Successful Parade
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2005 – Thousands of people began assembling in the Pentagon parking lot this morning in the frigid pre-dawn hours to ensure the presidential inaugural parade stepped off down Pennsylvania Avenue just as planned. As military marching units from all services and components, high-school and community bands, and drill teams of all ages gathered across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., members of the Joint Task Force Armed Forces Inaugural Committee were setting up on the National Mall, between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, to get the groups in the right order. Full Story

Bush Begins Second Term Vowing to Protect Nation
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2005 – His No. 1 duty as president is "to protect this nation and its people against further attacks and emerging threats," and the best way to do so is to help expand freedom and democracy worldwide, President Bush said during his second inaugural address here today. Following his swearing-in by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist on the west front of the nation's Capitol, the president said he is "mindful of the consequential times in which we live" and determined to fulfill the commitment to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. Full Story

Ball Benefits Wounded Servicemembers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2005 – A host of celebrities is slated to turn out tonight to honor America's wounded servicemembers during the Red, White & Blue Inaugural Ball, a benefit event to be held at the Mellon Auditorium here. Wounded servicemembers receiving treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here, and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., along with their family members, will be honored during the event. Full Story

Note: Each year my Father shares his birthday with the Inauguration of the President, but this year is special, it is the second time he has gotten to share this joyous day with President George W. Bush

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 04:38 PM | Comments (9)

Mock Coffins And Anti War Chants As Bush Sworn In

A demonstrator stands beside coffins draped with American flags as part of a protest to memorialize American soldiers who have died in the war with Iraq (news - web sites) at Washington's Malcolm X Park, January 20, 2005. Flag-draped coffins and anti-war chants competed with pomp and circumstance on Thursday at the inauguration of President Bush (news - web sites) along the snow-dusted, barricaded streets of central Washington. Photo by Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Mock Coffins and Anti-War Chants as Bush Sworn In

"Right wing scum, your time has come," read a banner at a march of about 200 anarchists heading toward Pennsylvania Avenue, where the inaugural parade was scheduled in the afternoon.

Why even acknowledge these people in the Main Stream Media? Why give them the publicity that they are seeking? 200 Anarchist hardly reflect public opinion.

Just rediculous.

SlagleRock Out!

Update: Murdock at Blogging At 20,000 Feet weighs in on the demonstration

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:48 PM | Comments (3)

Someone In The Main Stream Media Finally Gets It

Pillorying the Army will not help right to triumph in Iraq

The UK Telegraph makes a great point about the medias twisting of the facts and efforts to undermine the efforts in Iraq:

The reaction of Arab commentators is relatively easy to explain. Opportunities to occupy the high moral ground are rare and, when they come along, they jump on them.

The tone of the British press is slightly harder to fathom. How is it that the alleged actions of three lowly soldiers, reprehensible though they may be, severely undermine the reputation of the other 111,777?

If the standards that sections of the media are applying to the Army were imposed on doctors, the entire medical profession would have to hang its head every time a GP went off the rails. Ditto policemen, lawyers, accountants - even journalists.

The reason for this searing scrutiny is political. For those opposed to the Iraq war, the scandal reinforces the argument that, launched as it was on a false prospectus and prosecuted (at least on the American side) with incompetence and disregard for human life, all those engaged in it are morally tainted.

The whole adventure may be riddled with ethical confusions. But it is grossly unfair to link the alleged wrongdoing of a handful with the blameless conduct of the 65,000 men and women - half the British Army - who have rotated through Iraq.

Not just blameless, but admirable. Anyone who has seen British soldiers at work in and around Basra can vouch for the cheerfulness and restraint with which they go about their task. Their living conditions are grim. Fun is an alien concept. The natives for the most part may appear to be friendly, but the threat of an ambush or a car bomb is never far away.

No one wants to be there, but no one really complains - at least no more than usual. Despite the daily diet of depressing news, commanders persist in believing that the mission is worthwhile and that Iraq will get there in the end.

Just like in our own media, with Abu Ghraib, the actions of a few are supposed to reflect on the behavior of our entire military. This is clearly not so. The seven Army Reservists involved in the Abu Ghraib "scandal" are not a clear representation of our military. The actions of those 7 do not speak for the near millions of men an women in uniform.

It is time for the media, which is supposed to be an unbiased outlet for information, to step up to the plate and print a balance of information. Yes, things like Abu Ghraib are terrible, but what about the hundreds of thousands of us who have been rotated through Iraq and Afghanistan more than once and served with honor and integrity?

We need to hear of more school openings, and commerce and the elections. More stories of the Iraqi appreciation and less of the focus on the rogue few who fight against the coalition.

Major news outlets need to not only step up but grow up, show your support for our troops and maybe just maybe a hint of patriotism.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 11:03 AM | Comments (1)

13-Year-Old Girl Throws Newborn Out Of Window

A 13-year-old mother/child threw her 3-day-old baby out of her apartment window and into an alley where it lay for 14 hours with a fractured skull and broken ribs. The baby died and was deposited, in a basket, at the front steps of a Baptist church by the girls 15-year-old boyfriend.

According to the New York Times(You must be a subscriber to read the NYT full story):

The police said a 13-year-old girl and her 15-year-old boyfriend, who is the baby's father, had told them the girl had given birth to the baby in her bedroom sometime Friday. But the girl said she panicked when she could not quiet the baby's cries and she threw him out a window and into an alleyway behind her apartment. The child lay in the cold alley for 14 hours, until the boyfriend arrived on Friday night and learned what had happened, the police said.

The police said the teenagers told them that the boyfriend wrapped the baby in some towels, placed him in a "Happy Birthday" gift bag and left him on the stoop of the Second Prince of Peace Baptist Church at 464 East 183rd Street, a few blocks from the girl's home.

It amazes me that in the year 2004 atrocities like this still happen in the United States. So many states have open adoptions and some even allow a mother to drop her child off at a hospital without repercussion. It is sad that the lack of education and information would lead a young mother to murder her own child. If only the boyfriend would have placed the baby in a basket and taken it to the church before the mother tossed it out the window.

H/T to Digger for the story.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 11:00 AM | Comments (4)

Happy Birthday Pop

Two Score And 12 years ago my Father came into this world.

Figure that one out?

Anyway, I just wanted to wish a Happy Birthday to my Dad!

You have always been an inspiration.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Dad

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:49 AM | Comments (2)

January 19, 2005

Apologies

Today I was doing a little housekeeping here at the Slaughterhouse and I noticed that a link was missing. My friend Murdock was one of the victims of the MBlog fiasco. When MBlog shut down without notice many bloggers were left "homeless" so to speak. Well the good ones got invites to other hosts or started from scratch at Typepad or Blog-City.

Murdock got his new site up and running and I never put his link back up.

Sorry for this Murdock, it was truly an oversight.

Please do me a favor, swing by his site, Blogging At 20,000 Feet and take a look around. Leave your comments and let him know that SlagleRock sent you.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)

Dirty Bomb In The U.S.???

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has been placed on standby, and public safety officials are meeting at the bunker, officials said Wednesday.

There have been reports that the FBI office in Boston received a call from an FBI office in California warning officials about a suspicious person that may be in the area. There have been no specific threats made, but FBI agents in Boston have been put on alert, and officials started to gather at MEMA at about 1:30 p.m.

NewsCenter 5 and TheBostonChannel.com will have more information as it becomes available.

Federal and state authorities are investigating a nuclear terrorist threat against Boston after a man calling from Mexico told California police that he smuggled two Iraqis and four Chinese over the border, the Boston Herald has learned.

According to the Boston Globe:

The FBI has triggered a massive manhunt for six people -- four Chinese and two Iraqis -- who may pose a terrorist threat to the city of Boston, law enforcement officials briefed on the threat said today.

The six are suspected of having come into the United States from Mexico, and may have headed to New York and then to Boston, the target of a planned attack that could involve a lethal substance, possibly chemical or biological or explosive, three law enforcement officials briefed on the threat said.

H/T to the Back Country Conservative for keeping us updated on the situation.

Hopefully this will be nothing more than a false warning or someone seeking publicity. Although this is one of the most "specific" threats I have seen or heard in the media in quite a while.

Stay tuned...

SlagleRock Out! (For Now)

Posted by SlagleRock at 05:12 PM | Comments (2)

January 18, 2005

Main Stream Media Gets Spanked By A True Patriot

Media's coverage has distorted world's view of Iraqi reality

Travel around the blogosphere or surf the MilBlogs specifically and you will notice one strong trend. Most of us who have been there tend to disagree with the picture painted by the Main Stream Media. Turn on the news, and you will hear stories of innocent civilians killed or "another" U.S. Soldier that died in Iraq today.

What you don't hear are the positive side of things, the reality of things in Iraq. You very rarely hear of the Iraqi's who are grateful for their freedom from Hussein and his Ba'ath party.

Do you honestly believe that these people would rather live a life of wonder, not knowing if today is the day they'll be gang raped or maybe their son will get thrown through the wood chipper?

Well, that is what most of the Main Stream Media would like you to believe. I have heard the Thank You's and seen the smiles. I know that the media quite frequently tells a one sided story, or a story that is all together wrong.

I remember catching a few minutes of CNN here or there during the war and on more than one occasion they reported something contradictory to an Intel brief I had just attended or photos I had just seen.

Click Continue Reading for a very well written editorial by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Ryan, Commander, Task Force 2-12 Cavalry, First Cavalry Division in the Abu Ghraib sector of Iraq. He's seen the best and worst of the events in Iraq and his view is very different than the "main stream" media.

It is worth the read!

**UPDATE** General says life in Fallujah is getting better and Iraqi's are returning to their homes.

SlagleRock Out!

Media's coverage has distorted world's view of Iraqi reality

By LTC Tim Ryan
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Editors' Note: LTC Tim Ryan is Commander, Task Force 2-12 Cavalry, First Cavalry Division in Iraq. He led troops into battle in Fallujah late last year and is now involved in security operations for the upcoming elections. He wrote the following during "down time" after the Fallujah operation. His views are his own.

All right, I've had enough. I am tired of reading distorted and grossly exaggerated stories from major news organizations about the "failures" in the war in Iraq. "The most trusted name in news" and a long list of others continue to misrepresent the scale of events in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a fraction of the events in Iraq and, more often than not, the events they cover are only negative.

The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.

The fact is the Coalition is making steady progress in Iraq, but not without ups and downs. So why is it that no matter what events unfold, good or bad, the media highlights mostly the negative aspects of the event? The journalistic adage, "If it bleeds, it leads," still applies in Iraq, but why only when it's American blood?

As a recent example, the operation in Fallujah delivered an absolutely devastating blow to the insurgency. Though much smaller in scope, clearing Fallujah of insurgents arguably could equate to the Allies' breakout from the hedgerows in France during World War II. In both cases, our troops overcame a well-prepared and solidly entrenched enemy and began what could be the latter's last stand. In Fallujah, the enemy death toll has exceeded 1,500 and still is climbing. Put one in the win column for the good guys, right? Wrong. As soon as there was nothing negative to report about Fallujah, the media shifted its focus to other parts of the country.

More recently, a major news agency's website lead read: "Suicide Bomber Kills Six in Baghdad" and "Seven Marines Die in Iraq Clashes." True, yes. Comprehensive, no. Did the author of this article bother to mention that Coalition troops killed 50 or so terrorists while incurring those seven losses? Of course not. Nor was there any mention about the substantial progress these offensive operations continue to achieve in defeating the insurgents. Unfortunately, this sort of incomplete reporting has become the norm for the media, whose poor job of presenting a complete picture of what is going on in Iraq borders on being criminal.

Much of the problem is about perspective, putting things in scale and balance. What if domestic news outlets continually fed American readers headlines like: "Bloody Week on U.S. Highways: Some 700 Killed," or "More Than 900 Americans Die Weekly from Obesity-Related Diseases"? Both of these headlines might be true statistically, but do they really represent accurate pictures of the situations? What if you combined all of the negatives to be found in the state of Texas and used them as an indicator of the quality of life for all Texans? Imagine the headlines: "Anti-law Enforcement Elements Spread Robbery, Rape and Murder through Texas Cities." For all intents and purposes, this statement is true for any day of any year in any state. True — yes, accurate — yes, but in context with the greater good taking place — no! After a year or two of headlines like these, more than a few folks back in Texas and the rest of the U.S. probably would be ready to jump off of a building and end it all. So, imagine being an American in Iraq right now.

From where I sit in Iraq, things are not all bad right now. In fact, they are going quite well. We are not under attack by the enemy; on the contrary, we are taking the fight to him daily and have him on the ropes. In the distance, I can hear the repeated impacts of heavy artillery and five-hundred-pound bombs hitting their targets. The occasional tank main gun report and the staccato rhythm of a Marine Corps LAV or Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle's 25-millimeter cannon provide the bass line for a symphony of destruction. As elements from all four services complete the absolute annihilation of the insurgent forces remaining in Fallujah, the area around the former insurgent stronghold is more peaceful than it has been for more than a year.

The number of attacks in the greater Al Anbar Province is down by at least 70-80 percent from late October — before Operation Al Fajar began. The enemy in this area is completely defeated, but not completely gone. Final eradication of the pockets of insurgents will take some time, as it always does, but the fact remains that the central geographic stronghold of the insurgents is now under friendly control. That sounds a lot like success to me. Given all of this, why don't the papers lead with "Coalition Crushes Remaining Pockets of Insurgents" or "Enemy Forces Resort to Suicide Bombings of Civilians"? This would paint a far more accurate picture of the enemy's predicament over here. Instead, headlines focus almost exclusively on our hardships.

What about the media's portrayal of the enemy? Why do these ruthless murderers, kidnappers and thieves get a pass when it comes to their actions? What did the the media show or tell us about Margaret Hassoon, the director of C.A.R.E. in Iraq and an Iraqi citizen, who was kidnapped, brutally tortured and left disemboweled on a street in Fallujah? Did anyone in the press show these images over and over to emphasize the moral failings of the enemy as they did with the soldiers at Abu Ghuraib? Did anyone show the world how this enemy had huge stockpiles of weapons in schools and mosques, or how he used these protected places as sanctuaries for planning and fighting in Fallujah and the rest of Iraq? Are people of the world getting the complete story? The answer again is no! What the world got instead were repeated images of a battle-weary Marine who made a quick decision to use lethal force and who immediately was tried in the world press. Was this one act really illustrative of the overall action in Fallujah? No, but the Marine video clip was shown an average of four times each hour on just about every major TV news channel for a week. This is how the world views our efforts over here and stories like this without a counter continually serve as propaganda victories for the enemy. Al Jazeera isn't showing the film of the C.A.R.E. worker, but is showing the clip of the Marine. Earlier this year, the Iraqi government banned Al Jazeera from the country for its inaccurate reporting. Wonder where they get their information now? Well, if you go to the Internet, you'll find a web link from the Al Jazeera home page to CNN's home page. Very interesting.

The operation in Fallujah is only one of the recent examples of incomplete coverage of the events in Iraq. The battle in Najaf last August provides another. Television and newspapers spilled a continuous stream of images and stories about the destruction done to the sacred city, and of all the human suffering allegedly brought about by the hands of the big, bad Americans. These stories and the lack of anything to counter them gave more fuel to the fire of anti-Americanism that burns in this part of the world. Those on the outside saw the Coalition portrayed as invaders or oppressors, killing hapless Iraqis who, one was given to believe, simply were trying to defend their homes and their Muslim way of life.

Such perceptions couldn't be farther from the truth. What noticeably was missing were accounts of the atrocities committed by the Mehdi Militia — Muqtada Al Sadr's band of henchmen. While the media was busy bashing the Coalition, Muqtada's boys were kidnapping policemen, city council members and anyone else accused of supporting the Coalition or the new government, trying them in a kangaroo court based on Islamic Shari'a law, then brutally torturing and executing them for their "crimes." What the media didn't show or write about were the two hundred-plus headless bodies found in the main mosque there, or the body that was put into a bread oven and baked. Nor did they show the world the hundreds of thousands of mortar, artillery and small arms rounds found within the "sacred" walls of the mosque. Also missing from the coverage was the huge cache of weapons found in Muqtada's "political" headquarters nearby. No, none of this made it to the screen or to print. All anyone showed were the few chipped tiles on the dome of the mosque and discussion centered on how we, the Coalition, had somehow done wrong. Score another one for the enemy's propaganda machine.

Now, compare the Najaf example to the coverage and debate ad nauseam of the Abu Ghuraib Prison affair. There certainly is no justification for what a dozen or so soldiers did there, but unbalanced reporting led the world to believe that the actions of the dozen were representative of the entire military. This has had an incredibly negative effect on Middle Easterners' already sagging opinion of the U.S. and its military. Did anyone show the world images of the 200 who were beheaded and mutilated in Muqtada's Shari'a Law court, or spend the next six months talking about how horrible all of that was? No, of course not. Most people don't know that these atrocities even happened. It's little wonder that many people here want us out and would vote someone like Muqtada Al Sadr into office given the chance — they never see the whole truth. Strange, when the enemy is the instigator the media does not flash images across the screens of televisions in the Middle East as they did with Abu Ghuraib. Is it because the beheaded bodies might offend someone? If so, then why do we continue see photos of the naked human pyramid over and over?

So, why doesn't the military get more involved in showing the media the other side of the story? The answer is they do. Although some outfits are better than others, the Army and other military organizations today understand the importance of getting out the story — the whole story — and trains leaders to talk to the press. There is a saying about media and the military that goes: "The only way the media is going to tell a good story is if you give them one to tell." This doesn't always work as planned. Recently, when a Coalition spokesman tried to let TV networks in on opening moves in the Fallujah operation, they misconstrued the events for something they were not and then blamed the military for their gullibility. CNN recently aired a "special report" in which the cable network accused the military of lying to it and others about the beginning of the Fallujah operation. The incident referred to took place in October when a Marine public affairs officer called media representatives and told them that an operation was about to begin. Reporters rushed to the outskirts of Fallujah to see what they assumed was going to be the beginning of the main attack on the city. As it turned out, what they saw were tactical "feints" designed to confuse the enemy about the timing of the main attack, then planned to take place weeks later.

Once the network realized that major combat operations wouldn't start for several more weeks, CNN alleged that the Marines had used them as a tool for their deception operation. Now, they say they want answers from the military and the administration on the matter. The reality appears to be that in their zeal to scoop their competition, CNN and others took the information they were given and turned it into what they wanted it to be. Did the military lie to the media: no. It is specifically against regulations to provide misinformation to the press. However, did the military planners anticipate that reporters would take the ball and run with it, adding to the overall deception plan? Possibly. Is that unprecedented or illegal? Of course not.

CNN and others say they were duped by the military in this and other cases. Yet, they never seem to be upset by the undeniable fact that the enemy manipulates them with a cunning that is almost worthy of envy. You can bet that terrorist leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi has his own version of a public affairs officer and it is evident that he uses him to great effect. Each time Zarqawi's group executes a terrorist act such as a beheading or a car bomb, they have a prepared statement ready to post on their website and feed to the press. Over-eager reporters take the bait, hook, line and sinker, and report it just as they got it.

Did it ever occur to the media that this type of notoriety is just what the terrorists want and need? Every headline they grab is a victory for them. Those who have read the ancient Chinese military theorist and army general Sun Tzu will recall the philosophy of "Kill one, scare ten thousand" as the basic theory behind the strategy of terrorism. Through fear, the terrorist can then manipulate the behavior of the masses. The media allows the terrorist to use relatively small but spectacular events that directly affect very few, and spread them around the world to scare millions. What about the thousands of things that go right every day and are never reported? Complete a multi-million-dollar sewer project and no one wants to cover it, but let one car bomb go off and it makes headlines. With each headline, the enemy scores another point and the good-guys lose one. This method of scoring slowly is eroding domestic and international support while fueling the enemy's cause.

I believe one of the reasons for this shallow and subjective reporting is that many reporters never actually cover the events they report on. This is a point of growing concern within the Coalition. It appears many members of the media are hesitant to venture beyond the relative safety of the so-called "International Zone" in downtown Baghdad, or similar "safe havens" in other large cities. Because terrorists and other thugs wisely target western media members and others for kidnappings or attacks, the westerners stay close to their quarters. This has the effect of holding the media captive in cities and keeps them away from the broader truth that lies outside their view. With the press thus cornered, the terrorists easily feed their unwitting captives a thin gruel of anarchy, one spoonful each day. A car bomb at the entry point to the International Zone one day, a few mortars the next, maybe a kidnapping or two thrown in. All delivered to the doorsteps of those who will gladly accept it without having to leave their hotel rooms — how convenient.

The scene is repeated all too often: an attack takes place in Baghdad and the morning sounds are punctuated by a large explosion and a rising cloud of smoke. Sirens wail in the distance and photographers dash to the scene a few miles away. Within the hour, stern-faced reporters confidently stare into the camera while standing on the balcony of their tenth-floor Baghdad hotel room, their back to the city and a distant smoke plume rising behind them. More mayhem in Gotham City they intone, and just in time for the morning news. There is a transparent reason why the majority of car bombings and other major events take place before noon Baghdad-time; any later and the event would miss the start of the morning news cycle on the U.S. east coast. These terrorists aren't stupid; they know just what to do to scare the masses and when to do it. An important key to their plan is manipulation of the news media. But, at least the reporters in Iraq are gathering information and filing their stories, regardless of whether or the stories are in perspective. Much worse are the "talking heads" who sit in studios or offices back home and pontificate about how badly things are going when they never have been to Iraq and only occasionally leave Manhattan.

Almost on a daily basis, newspapers, periodicals and airwaves give us negative views about the premises for this war and its progress. It seems that everyone from politicians to pop stars are voicing their unqualified opinions on how things are going. Recently, I saw a Rolling Stone magazine and in bold print on the cover was, "Iraq on Fire; Dispatches from the Lost War." Now, will someone please tell me who at Rolling Stone or just about any other "news" outlet is qualified to make a determination as to when all is lost and it's time to throw in the towel? In reality, such flawed reporting serves only to misshape world opinion and bolster the enemy's position. Each enemy success splashed across the front pages and TV screens of the world not only emboldens them, but increases their ability to recruit more money and followers.

So what are the credentials of these self proclaimed "experts"? The fact is that most of those on whom we rely for complete and factual accounts have little or no experience or education in counter-insurgency operations or in nation-building to support their assessments. How would they really know if things are going well or not? War is an ugly thing with many unexpected twists and turns. Who among them is qualified to say if this one is worse than any other at this point? What would they have said in early 1942 about our chances of winning World War II? Was it a lost cause too? How much have these "experts" studied warfare and counter-insurgencies in particular? Have they ever read Roger Trinquier's treatise Modern Warfare: A French View on Counter-insurgency (1956)? He is one of the few French military guys who got it right. The Algerian insurgency of the 1950s and the Iraq insurgency have many similarities. What about Napoleon's campaigns in Sardinia in 1805-07? Again, there are a lot of similarities to this campaign. Have they studied that and contrasted the strategies? Or, have they even read Mao Zedung's theories on insurgencies, or Nygen Giap's, or maybe Che' Gueverra's? Have they seen any of Sun Tzu's work lately? Who are these guys? It's time to start studying, folks. If a journalist doesn't recognize the names on this list, he or she probably isn't qualified to assess the state of this or any other campaign's progress.

Worse yet, why in the world would they seek opinion from someone who probably knows even less than they do about the state of affairs in Iraq? It sells commercials, I suppose. But, I find it amazing that some people are more apt to listen to a movie star's or rock singer's view on how we should prosecute world affairs than to someone whose profession it is to know how these things should go. I play the guitar, but Bruce Springsteen doesn't listen to me play. Why should I be subjected to his views on the validity of the war? By profession, he's a guitar player. Someone remind me what it is that makes Sean Penn an expert on anything. It seems that anyone who has a dissenting view is first to get in front of the camera. I'm all for freedom of speech, but let's talk about things we know. Otherwise, television news soon could have about as much credibility as "The Bachelor" has for showing us truly loving couples.

Also bothersome are references by "experts" on how "long" this war is taking. I've read that in the world of manufacturing, you can have only two of the following three qualities when developing a product — cheap, fast or good. You can produce something cheap and fast, but it won't be good; good and fast, but it won't be cheap; good and cheap, but it won't be fast. In this case, we want the result to be good and we want it at the lowest cost in human lives. Given this set of conditions, one can expect this war is to take a while, and rightfully so. Creating a democracy in Iraq not only will require a change in the political system, but the economic system as well. Study of examples of similar socio-economic changes that took place in countries like Chile, Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia and other countries with oppressive Socialist dictatorships shows that it took seven to ten years to move those countries to where they are now. There are many lessons to be learned from these transfomations, the most important of which is that change doesn't come easily, even without an insurgency going on. Maybe the experts should take a look at all of the work that has gone into stabilizing Bosnia-Herzegovina over the last 10 years. We are just at the 20-month mark in Iraq, a place far more oppressive than Bosnia ever was. If previous examples are any comparison, there will be no quick solutions here, but that should be no surprise to an analyst who has done his or her homework.

This war is not without its tragedies; none ever are. The key to the enemy's success is use of his limited assets to gain the greatest influence over the masses. The media serves as the glass through which a relatively small event can be magnified to international proportions, and the enemy is exploiting this with incredible ease. There is no good news to counteract the bad, so the enemy scores a victory almost every day. In its zeal to get to the hot spots and report the latest bombing, the media is missing the reality of a greater good going on in Iraq. We seldom are seen doing anything right or positive in the news. People believe what they see, and what people of the world see almost on a daily basis is negative. How could they see it any other way? These images and stories, out of scale and context to the greater good going on over here, are just the sort of thing the terrorists are looking for. This focus on the enemy's successes strengthens his resolve and aids and abets his cause. It's the American image abroad that suffers in the end.

Ironically, the press freedom that we have brought to this part of the world is providing support for the enemy we fight. I obviously think it's a disgrace when many on whom the world relies for news paint such an incomplete picture of what actually has happened. Much too much is ignored or omitted. I am confident that history will prove our cause right in this war, but by the time that happens, the world might be so steeped in the gloom of ignorance we won't recognize victory when we achieve it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Postscript: I have had my staff aggressively pursue media coverage for all sorts of events that tell the other side of the story only to have them turned down or ignored by the press in Baghdad. Strangely, I found it much easier to lure the Arab media to a "non-lethal" event than the western outlets. Open a renovated school or a youth center and I could always count on Al-Iraqia or even Al-Jazeera to show up, but no western media ever showed up – ever. Now I did have a pretty dangerous sector, the Abu Ghuraib district that extends from western Baghdad to the outskirts of Fallujah (not including the prison), but it certainly wasn't as bad as Fallujah in November and there were reporters in there.

Posted by SlagleRock at 02:41 PM | Comments (2)

January 17, 2005

Graner Gets 10 Years (He Should Have Gotten The Maximum)

In todays earlier post I stated that Army Reserve Specialist Graner was convicted on 9 of the 10 counts of prisoner abuse and sexual humiliation he was charged with.

CNN says he got 10 years.

Graner, 36, will serve his prison term as a private, with no salary, and will be dishonorably discharged after he is released.

Led from the courtroom in handcuffs and leg chains, Graner twice answered "No, ma'am" when asked whether he had regrets or apologies.

His mother, Irma, said her son took the rap for high-ranking officers, whom she said were "all guilty."

She criticized them for failing to testify on his behalf.

"He got 10 years in prison for something he was told to do," she said. "He committed a crime for obeying orders, and he would have committed a crime if he didn't obey orders."

Asked about his parents' claim that he was a scapegoat, Graner said, "I was a soldier, and if I did wrong, here I am."

I think there were many failures in the Abu Ghraib prison incident, but for any of the accused to try and say that they were "just following orders" is absolutely absurd. As members of the military we must obey LAWFUL orders. In order for the military establishment to function properly we must understand not only our rank structure, but what is lawful and what is not.

There is always the possiblilty that these people were ordered to commit some or even all of the atrocities that the MSM turned into the freak of the week ratings hike. However, the fact of the matter is all of these people had an obligation to do what was right. If disobeying a direct order was the right thing to do then they could have hashed that out in court. It would have been much better for the public to hear about a soldier denying an unjust order than it was for us all to be flooded with pictures of Graner and his crew doing the things they did.

Our kids don't need to see pictures of a pyramid of naked Iraqi's. They don't need to see that horrible little troll Lindsey England pointing to the penis of a nude prisoner of war. What they need to see are the just actions of those who serve with pride, loyalty and above all integrity.

So far, in my opinion, the people convicted of these atrocities have gotten off lightly. Graner and all of the others (if convicted) should automatically get the maximum allowable sentence.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:09 AM | Comments (1)

More From Abu Ghraib

According to CNN.com the "Ringleader" in the Abu Ghraib prisoner scandal, Army Reserve Spc. Charles Graner, was convicted of 9 of the 10 counts he was charged with.

Graner faces up to 15 years in prison after a military jury at Fort Hood found him guilty Friday afternoon. Prosecutors accused him of being a ringleader in the physical abuse and sexual humiliation of prisoners, a scandal that surfaced in January 2004.

According to pool reporters in the courtroom, the 36-year-old Graner stood stiffly at attention, showing no emotion, while the verdict was read.

The prosecution was allowed to speak before and after the defense closing arguments. As a final statement, Graveline said of the naked pyramid photo, "This cannot become the recruitment poster for the United States Army."

Graner, an Army reservist from Uniontown, Pa., is the first soldier to face trial among seven military guards charged in the Abu Ghraib scandal.

Three of those guards -- all from the 372nd Military Police Company -- have pleaded guilty in the case: Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick II, 37, of Buckingham, Va.; Spc. Jeremy Sivits, 24, of Fort Ashby, W. Va.; and Spc. Megan Ambuhl, 29, of Centreville, Va.

Graner reportedly had a relationship with England, who is awaiting charges from the case, and reportedly fathered a baby with her. Ambul testified this week she also had a brief sexual relationship with him.

He will get what is coming to him. I am glad to see that his family supports him, but for his Mother to say that he will always be a hero is not only asinine but irresponsible. He was not a hero, he was an embarrassment to the United States Army Reserve and all who serve with integrity within the Department of Defense.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:48 AM | Comments (1)

January 16, 2005

On This Day In History

The "Superman" comic strip debuted in 1939.

I just thought I'd share. Any of you Superman fans out there?

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 03:18 PM | Comments (2)

Matt's At It Again

Matt Margolis is at it again. In his never ending pursuit to support our great President he has developed a new blog site:

Matt is also the the founder/editor of Blogs for Bush:

Get on over to GOP Bloggers and see what's cookin' and how you can help support our President.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:44 AM | Comments (0)

License Plate Contest

And this years winner of the "Best License Plate Contest" is....

Thanks for the pic, Andy!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2005

Shipwrecked ED

Ed finally decides to take a vacation. He books himself on a Caribbean cruise and proceeds to have the time of his life - until the boat sank.

He found himself swept up on the shore of an island with no other people, no supplies... Nothing. Only bananas and coconuts.

After about four months, he is lying on the beach one day when the most gorgeous woman he has ever seen rows up to him. In disbelief, he asks her, "Where did you come from? How did you get here?"

"I rowed over from the other side of the island," she says. "I landed here when my cruise ship sank."

"Amazing," he says. "You were really lucky to have a rowboat wash up with you."

"Oh, this?" replies the woman. "I made the rowboat out of raw material found on the island. I whittled the oars from gum tree branches; I wove the bottom from palm branches; and the sides and stern came from a Eucalyptus tree."

"But ... but ... that's impossible," stutters Ed. "You had no tools or hardware. How did you manage?"

"Oh, no problem," replies the woman. "On the South side of the island, there is a very unusual strata of alluvial rock exposed. I found if I fired it to a certain temperature in my kiln, it melted into forgeable ductile iron. I used that for tools and used the tools to make the hardware." Ed is stunned.

"Let's row over to my place," she says.

After a few minutes of rowing, she docks the boat at a small wharf.

As Ed looks onto shore, he nearly falls out of the boat. Before him is a stone walk leading to an exquisite bungalow painted in blue and white. While the woman ties up the rowboat with an expertly woven hemp rope, he can only stare ahead, dumbstruck.

As they walk into the house, she says casually, "It's not much, but I call it home. Sit down, please. Would you like to have a drink?"

"No, no thank you," he says, still dazed. "Can't take any more coconut juice."

"It's not coconut juice," the woman replies. "I built a still. How about a Pina Colada?"

Trying to hide his continued amazement, he accepts, and they sit down on her hand-woven couch to talk. After they have exchanged their stories, the woman announces, "I'm going to slip into something more comfortable. Would you like to take a shower and shave? There is a razor upstairs in the cabinet in the bathroom."

No longer questioning anything, Ed goes into the bathroom. There, in the cabinet, is a razor made from a bone handle. Two shells honed to a hollow-ground edge are fastened on to its end inside of a swivel mechanism. "WOW! This woman is amazing," he muses, "what next?"

When he returns, she greets him wearing 'nothing but vines' strategically positioned, and smelling faintly of gardenias. She beckons for him to sit down next to her.

"Tell me," she begins suggestively, slithering closer to him, "We've been out here for a really long time. I know you've been lonely. There's something I'm sure you really feel like doing right now, something you've been longing for all these months. You know..."

She stares into his eyes. He can't believe what he's hearing!

"You mean ...", he swallows excitedly, "We can watch the Colts game from here?"

Thanks for the Joke, Jack. It's a keeper.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:06 AM | Comments (3)

January 14, 2005

CIA Conspiracy

Ladies, if you are afraid that you may fall for this, call me immediately for assistance.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:49 PM | Comments (5)

January 13, 2005

Happy Birthday To You...

Happy birthday to you, you look like a monkey and you smell like one too!

I just wanted to wish the Middle Slagle™ a Happy 21st Birthday!!

May your belly be filled with liquor abound
and your barf make it into the toilet and by Dad not found!

Have a blast, party hard (and this time it'll be legal) and be smart about it!

Happy Birthday Bro!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:27 PM | Comments (2)

"Two Bags" or Just Plain Nuts???

I'll tell you this. I got an "incentive" ride in an F-16D (2-seater) when I was a young Airman and Mr. Reilly's account (see below) is very accurate. I am proud to say I didn't "barf"

Anyone who has had the opportunity to experience such a ride truly should appreciate what these "fighter jocks" are capable of. It is truly amazing.

Below is an article written by Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated. He
details his experiences when given the opportunity to fly in a F-14 Tomcat.
If you aren't laughing out loud by the time you get to "Milk Duds," your
sense of humor is broken.

"Now this message is for America's most famous athletes:

Someday you may be invited to fly in the back-seat of one of your country's
most powerful fighter jets. Many of you already have... John Elway, John
Stockton, Tiger Woods to name a few. If you get this opportunity, let me
urge you, with the greatest sincerity...

Move to Guam.
Change your name.
Fake your own death!
Whatever you do...
Do Not Go!!!

I know. The U.S. Navy invited me to try it. I was thrilled. I was
pumped. I was toast! I should've known when they told me my pilot would be
Chip (Biff) King of Fighter Squadron 213 at Naval Air Station Oceana in
Virginia Beach.

Whatever you're thinking a Top Gun named Chip (Biff) King looks like, triple
it. He's about six-feet, tan, ice-blue eyes, wavy surfer hair,
finger-crippling handshake -- the kind of man who wrestles dyspeptic
alligators in his leisure time. If you see this man, run the other way.
Fast.

Biff King was born to fly. His father, Jack King, was for years the voice
of NASA missions. ("T-minus 15 seconds and counting....."
Remember?) Chip would charge neighborhood kids a quarter each to hear his
dad. Jack would wake up from naps surrounded by nine-year-olds waiting for
him to say, "We have a liftoff."

Biff was to fly me in an F-14D Tomcat, a ridiculously powerful $60 million
weapon with nearly as much thrust as weight, not unlike Colin Montgomerie.
I was worried about getting airsick, so the night before the flight I asked
Biff if there was something I should eat the next morning.

"Bananas," he said.

"For the potassium?" I asked.

"No," Biff said, "because they taste about the same coming up as they do
going down."

The next morning, out on the tarmac, I had on my flight suit with my name
sewn over the left breast. (No call sign -- like Crash or Sticky or
Leadfoot. but, still, very cool.) I carried my helmet in the crook of my
arm, as Biff had instructed. If ever in my life I had a chance to nail
Nicole Kidman, this was it.

A fighter pilot named Psycho gave me a safety briefing and then fastened me
into my ejection seat, which, when employed, would "egress" me out of the
plane at such a velocity that I would be immediately knocked unconscious.

Just as I was thinking about aborting the flight, the canopy closed over me,
and Biff gave the ground crew a thumbs-up. In minutes we were firing nose
up at 600 mph. We leveled out and then canopy-rolled over another F-14.

Those 20 minutes were the rush of my life. Unfortunately, the ride lasted
80. It was like being on the roller coaster at Six Flags Over Hell. Only
without rails. We did barrel rolls, sap rolls, loops, yanks and banks. We
dived, rose and dived again, sometimes with a vertical velocity of 10,000
feet per minute. We chased another F-14, and it chased us.

We broke the speed of sound. Sea was sky and sky was sea. Flying at
200 feet we did 90-degree turns at 550 mph, creating a G force of 6.5, which
is to say I felt as if 6.5 times my body weight was smashing against me,
thereby approximating life as Mrs. Colin Montgomerie.

And I egressed the bananas. I egressed the pizza from the night before.

And the lunch before that. I egressed a box of Milk Duds from the sixth
grade. I made Linda Blair look polite. Because of the G's, I was egressing
stuff that did not even want to be egressed. I went through not one airsick
bag, but two.

Biff said I passed out. Twice. I was coated in sweat. At one point, as we
were coming in upside down in a banked curve on a mock bombing target and
the G's were flattening me like a tortilla and I was in and out of
consciousness, I realized I was the first person in history to throw down.

I used to know cool. Cool was Elway throwing a touchdown pass, or Norman
making a five-iron bite. But now I really know cool. Cool is guys like
Biff, men with cast-iron stomachs and freon nerves. I wouldn't go up there
again for Derek Jeter's black book, but I'm glad Biff does every day, and
for less a year than a rookie reliever makes in a home stand.

A week later, when the spins finally stopped, Biff called. He said he and
the fighters had the perfect call sign for me. Said he'd send it on a patch
for my flight suit.

What is it? I asked.

"Two Bags."

Well, I can tell you first hand, as Rick Reilly mentioned many famous athletes have had this thrill. I won't say when or which base, but I remember when Tiger Woods got his flight. He was scheduled to have an autograph signing afterwards...

He cancelled the signing.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:42 AM | Comments (2)

Police Quotes

The following were taken off of actual police car videos around the country.

"Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch out after you wear them awhile."

"Take your hands off the car, and I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document."

"If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

"Can you run faster than 1,200 feet per second? In case you didn't know, that is the average speed of a 9mm bullet fired from my gun."

"So you don't know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?"

"Yes, Sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh .. did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"

"Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

"The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

"Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy, and step in monkey shit."

"Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

"In God we trust, all others we run through NCIC."

"Just how big were those two beers?"

"No sir we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want."

"I'm glad to hear the Chief of Police is a good personal friend of yours. At least you know someone who can post your bail."

and the best one . . . . .

"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

Thanks Andy

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:30 AM | Comments (2)

Ever Wonder?

1. Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, I think I'll
squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever
comes out?"

2. Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there.... I'm
gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it's butt."

3. Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a
horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

4. Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

5. If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

6. Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?

7. If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of
coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

8. Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but
don't point to their crotch when they ask where the
bathroom is?

9. Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed if they
are going to look up there anyway?

10. Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're
both dogs!

11. If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that Acme crap, why
didn't he just buy dinner?

12. If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

13. If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from
vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

14. If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

15. Is Disney World the only people trap operated by a mouse?

16. Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the
same tune?

17. Stop singing and read on ....

18. Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

19. Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere,
but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?

20. Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad
at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks
his head out the window?

21. Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive
faster?

22. Do you ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address in the
first place?

I got this in an email from my friend Bill, hence number 22.

Thanks brother, too funny.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:22 AM | Comments (1)

January 12, 2005

Iraqi Girl Saves US Troop Lives

I received this in an email from a retired Chief Master Sergeant, USAF:

Hello everyone…received a story from my American Legion post the other day and just wanted to share it with you..don’t worry, it’s short. Let me preface it by saying that each and everyone of you does make a difference with people you meet and in the war on terrorism…the question is what kind of difference do you want to make? For those who were at my retirement you may recall my point about the “George Bailey Affect”. Okay, here’s the story:

“A convoy of U.S. Humvees and trucks were moving down a road out of Bagdhad in Iraq, they came to a little girl sitting in the middle of the road. The convoy stopped momentarily and then proceeded to drive around the little girl. When a Marine in a Humvee approached the little girl, he recognized her as a child he had given a teddy bear to a few days before. He ordered the driver to stop, got out and approached the girl, noticing she was clutching the teddy bear in her arms. She then scooted over a couple of feet and using her finger pointed to the spot where she had been sitting. The little girl had seen terrorists plant a land mine in the road and her thoughtful action saved the lives of some of our military. This is the generation of Iraqi’s that must be saved from terrorists.”

An amazing story that I am sure you won't hear about in the Main Stream Media. This is far to positive for them to run.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:53 AM | Comments (2)

January 11, 2005

Tending Distant Fires

I received this from Greyhawk of The Mudville Gazette. Greyhawk is currently serving in Iraq and Mrs. Greyhawk is keeping the home fires burning while Greyhawk himself is:

Tending Distant Fires

Far from hearth and home, watching
Cold alone but not alone
On distant shore and only wanting
Safe return and little more

What tales we'll tell
When that time comes
When tales can be told

When things grim
Seem far away
When other fires go cold

Some distant sunset, vision fading
Memories remain
And tired eyes gaze 'pon folded flags
While distant drums beat their refrain

Saluting fallen friends whose names
And youth will never fade
Here's to those on other shores,
for them live well, the price is paid

- Greyhawk,
-- Iraq, December 2004

Thanks Greyhawk for doing what you do. To quote your site...

"Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

When called upon we go and do!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:21 AM | Comments (2)

January 10, 2005

Michael Reagan

I got this from Todd at Stryker News.com:

Michael is a very well known portrait artist and a Vietnam veteran. He recently decided to retire and focus exclusively on providing free portraits of fallen service men and women for their families. He's done this for a number of our Stryker soldiers. He's trying to get the word out and I'd like to help him accomplish that. In his own words via email:

"I'm about to retire early from my job and the reason
for that is the love I've received from all of you.
This hasn't been an easy decision, I've prayed a lot
about what to do but each time the answer is the same,
do the pictures. I need to reach as many parents and
families of those we are losing with my gift."

If you think it's appropriate you could mention this
on your blogs. Otherwise, keep the following link
handy and feel free to send it to the families you
hear about that have lost loved ones.

You can visit Mr. Reagan's site here

Also take a look at the actual articles from the Stryker news here and here.

His is truly a noble cause and is worth all the exposure we can give it.

Take a look at all the links for the full story on Mr. Michael Reagan.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 11:08 AM | Comments (1)

January 09, 2005

Good Plan

Two buddies, Bob and Larry, are getting very drunk at a bar when suddenly Larry throws up all over himself. "Oh, no... Now my wife will kill me!"

Bob says, "Don't worry, pal. Just tuck a twenty in your breast pocket and tell your wife that someone threw up on you and gave you twenty dollars for the dry cleaning bill."

So they stay for another couple of hours and get even drunker. Eventually Larry stumbles home and his wife starts to give him a bad time. "You reek of alcohol and you've puked all over yourself! My God, you're disgusting!"

Speaking very carefully so as not to slur his words, Larry says, "Nowainaminit, I can e'splain everythin Itsh
snot wha jew think. I only had a cupla drrrinks. But thiss other guy got ssick on me...he had one too many! and he juss koudin hold hizz liquor. He said he was verrry sorry an' gave me twennie bucks for the cleaning bill!"

His wife looks in the breast pocket and says, "But this is forty bucks.."

"Oh, yeah... I almos' fergot, he shhhit in my pants, too."

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:40 PM | Comments (1)

Stress Reliever

Ok, before some of my female readers get offended, this next link is all in fun.

I have been called incorrigible lately so I thought I'd stick with the trend.

Here is a silly game sure to piss people off.

Are you a real Pimp?

Have fun and don't be offended.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:35 PM | Comments (1)

January 08, 2005

Super Mario Brothers

Everyone remembers the original Nintendo (Hell I had an Atari and before that Pong). The game that started it all... Super Mario Bros. Mario was a huge character and the spin offs from the Mario Brother series is practically endless.

Well thanks to a friend I have a link to the original ending....

Super Mario Brothers

If you ever wondered how it really ended now you'll know.

**Snicker**

Enjoy!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:39 PM | Comments (2)

January 06, 2005

Deserter Deserts Again!?!?

Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun who was first believed kidnapped by terrorists then appeared to have deserted then again rumored to have been captured then freed and ultimately charged with desertion appears to have deserted again!

What a confusing mess this is for the United States Marine Corps.

According to Fox News.com Hassoun had been on leave with his family in West Jordan, Utah, when he was scheduled to return to Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Tuesday, military officials told FOX News. As of 3 p.m. EST, Hassoun's command "officially declared him a deserter and issued authorization for civil authorities to apprehend Hassoun and return him to military control," a military statement said.

Wait a minute did that say on leave? This guy disappears from a Marine Camp near Fallujah, shows up in a terrorist video where they threaten to behead him, miraculously escapes or is freed (under very questionable circumstances), ends up in Lebanon and is ultimately charged with desertion was allowed to go on leave?

Now, I don't mean to be rude, and I have nothing but respect for the Marine Corps, but you see something like this and it doesn't make the term “Jarhead” so hard to understand. What were they thinking? A man is charged with a crime during a time of war and they allow him to go on leave?

Sources told FOX News Hassoun had been allowed to go on leave to visit his family for New Year's. He was due back at noon on Tuesday.

But Hassoun's brother said the family did not know his whereabouts, and had not heard from him since Dec. 28, when they took him to the Salt Lake City airport for a flight to North Carolina.

Mazen Hassoun said his family was trying to reach military officials to confirm Wassef Hassoun's status.

Talk about pathetic, I know people who are serving honorably, who are not under suspicion of anything and couldn't get time off to be with there families for the holidays, yet Hassoun who appears to have had some sort of conspiracy with terrorists was allowed to be on leave to "visit his family for New Year's."

This story gets more and more pathetic and the Marine Corps looks worse and worse with every new event.

I hope that they catch Hassoun. He needs his day in court.

"I did not desert my post," Hassoun told reporters in July after returning to the United States. "I was captured and held against my will by anti-coalition forces for 19 days. This was a very difficult and challenging time for me."

Yeah, he didn't desert his post then and let me guess, some nice Mormon Grandma kidnapped him at the Salt Lake City Airport and he isn't a deserter this time either.

"I would like to tell all the Marines as well as all those others serving in Iraq to keep their heads up and spirits high. Once a Marine, always a Marine, Semper Fi," Hassoun said, invoking the Marine Corps motto, Latin for "always faithful."

Always faithful my ass! Faithful to who? Bin Ladin, Zarqawi, yourself? Twice you have disappeared under extremely questionable circumstances.

Many Marines say, once a Marine, always a Marine and you will here former Marines refer to themselves as former and not ex. Well, I sincerely hope that if you are convicted of the things it is starting to look like you did, you realize that you will not be a former Marine nor will you qualify as an ex Marine, you will be nothing more than a deserter, an un-American.

I blogged quite a bit on this subject (as you can see by the numerous links that started this post) but now I feel as if perhaps I wasted my time.

SlagleRock Out!

**UPDATE** BC, The Imperial Torturer tells us that through ATM records Hassoun has been tracked through Canada and back to Lebanon.

Posted by SlagleRock at 11:54 AM | Comments (5)

January 05, 2005

Letters To The Troops

Many of you may remember my original Letters To The Troops campaign.

Twice here at the Slaughterhouse I have hosted a drive to generate letters of support for the troops serving abroad.

The first letter project generated 328 letters of support by the deadline, and has generated more letters since then.

This last drive was an attempt to generate 500 or more letters of support for the troops for the holidays.

I am proud to say that the holiday letter project also exceeded its goal of 500. I received 50 letters hosted via the TrackBack to other great blogs. I received 130 letters in the comments of that post. I found more than 25 letters left on other blogs via TrackBack. I received another 251 letters directly in my email which I printed and forwarded. I also recieved 54 Christmas Cards from the classmates of a BlogFriends children. This post has also picked up a few more letters since the original deadline.

I have comrades in arms who have just recently deployed to such sunny locations as Iraq and others who have been in the sandbox for several months.

Bloggers, I urge each and every one of you to write your own letter to the troops overseas. Make it a general open letter to any Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine. Keep in mind that the people reading these letters will be both male and female of all ages, ethnic origins and religions. Once your letter is posted, please trackback to this post so that I may find and print your letter. Please direct your readers to this effort as well. Non-bloggers, please leave your open letter of support in the comment section of this post. While it is possible for you to email me your letters, I'd like to see them in the comments so that troops overseas can access and read them online.

I've decided to make this an ongoing effort. I have a button posted on the right side of my site for the "Letter Project". Other Bloggers such as Mamamontezz and Delftsman have also posted this button. Any blogger who is interested is welcome to copy the letter project button and put it up on your site.

Anytime you would like to say thank you to the troops in harms way this is one way to ensure your words are read, I have many military readers and all of my friends who are deployed get regular updates from my site.

Please forward the link to this post to as many people as you can, both Bloggers and non-bloggers.

Let's keep the letters coming year round.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 06:03 AM | Comments (139)

January 04, 2005

And The Hits Just Keep On Coming...

...Thanks to all of you.

The Slaughterhouse had its 30,000th visitor today at approximately 0530 PST.

Thanks again to all who read!

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 06:49 AM | Comments (4)

January 03, 2005

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION

UNCLASSIFIED

As a mark of respect for the victims of the Indian Ocean Earthquake and
the resulting Tsunamis, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by
the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, that the flag
of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and
on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval
stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the
District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its
Territories and possessions from Monday, January 3, 2005, until Friday,
January 7, 2005. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at
half-staff for the same period at all United States embassies,
legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all
military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
January, in the year of our Lord two thousand five, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-ninth.

///SIGNED///
GEORGE W. BUSH

Posted by SlagleRock at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)

Ann Margret

With John Kerry's recent failed bid for the Presidency names of other American traitors such as Hanoi Jane Fonda once again became common place.

In spite of all of this negativism there are other great stories to come from the Vietnam era. While I do not know the origin, author or authenticity of this story a close friend asked me to post it so please enjoy:

Viet Nam 1966

Richard, (my husband), never really talked a lot about his time in Viet Nam
other than he had been shot by a sniper. However, he had a rather grainy, 8
x 10 black and white photo he had taken at a USO show of Ann Margret with
Bob Hope in the background that was one of his treasures.

A few years ago, Ann Margret was doing a book signing at a local bookstore.
Richard wanted to see if he could get her to sign the treasured photo so he
arrived at the bookstore at 12 o'clock for the 7:30 signing.

When I got there after work, the line went all the way around the bookstore,
circled the parking lot and disappeared behind a parking garage. Before her
appearance, bookstore employees announced that she would sign only her book
and no memorabilia would be permitted.

Richard was disappointed, but wanted to show her the photo and let her know
how much those shows meant to lonely GI's so far from home. Ann Margret
came out looking as beautiful as ever and, as second in line, it was soon
Richard's turn.

He presented the book for her signature and then took out the photo. When
he did, there were many shouts from the employees that she would not sign
it. Richard said, "I understand. I just wanted her to see it."

She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes and she said,
"This is one of my gentlemen from Viet Nam and I most certainly will sign
his photo. I know what these men did for their country and I always have
time for 'my gentlemen.'"

With that, she pulled Richard across the table and planted a big kiss on
him. She then made quite a to-do about the bravery of the young men she met
over the years, how much she admired them, and how much she appreciated them
There weren't too many dry eyes among those close enough to hear. She
then posed for pictures and acted as if he were the only one there.

Later at dinner, Richard was very quiet. When I asked if he'd like to talk
about it, my big strong husband broke down in tears. "That's the first time
anyone ever thanked me for my time in the Army," he said.

That night was a turning point for him. He walked a little straighter and,
for the first time in years, was proud to have been a Vet. I'll never
forget Ann Margret for her graciousness and how much that small act of
kindness meant to my husband.

I now make it a point to say "Thank you" to every person I come across who
served in our Armed Forces. Freedom does not come cheap and I am grateful
for all those who have served their country.

Thanks Bill, that is far better than any of the horrors of John Kerry, Hanoi Jane or the so called Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:32 AM | Comments (1)

January 02, 2005

The French

I ran a few of these quotes a while back, but some are new. Either way they are still relevant and funny.

Enjoy:

"France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by prostitutes."
---Mark Twain

"I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me."
--- General George S. Patton

"Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion."
--Norman Schwartzkopf

"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it."
---- Marge Simpson

"As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure"
---Jacques Chirac, President of France
"As far as France is concerned, you're right."
---Rush Limbaugh

"The only time France wants us to go to war is when the German Army is sitting in Paris sipping coffee."
--- Regis Philbin

There was a Frenchman, an Englishman and beautiful young woman sitting together in a carriage in a train going through a French Provence. Suddenly the train went through a tunnel and, as it was an old style train, there were no lights in the carriages and it went completely dark. Suddenly there was a kissing noise and the sound of a really loud slap. When the train came out of the tunnel the woman and the Englishman were sitting as if nothing had happened and the Frenchman had his hand against his face where he had been slapped. The Frenchman was thinking: 'The English fella must have kissed her and she missed him and slapped me instead.' The woman was thinking: 'The French fella must have tried to kiss me and actually kissed the Englishman and got slapped for it.' And the Englishman was thinking: 'This is great. The next time the train goes through a tunnel I'll make another kissing noise and slap that French bastard again.'

Next time there's a war in Europe, the loser has to keep France.

An old saying: Raise your right hand if you like the French.... Raise both hands if you are French.

"You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it."

---John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona

"You know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he hates America, he loves mistresses and wears a beret. He is French, people."
--Conan O'Brien

"I don't know why people are surprised that France won't help us get Saddam out of Iraq. After all, France wouldn't help us get the Germans out of France!"
---Jay Leno

"The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into Paris under a German flag."
--David Letterman

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:28 PM | Comments (3)

January 01, 2005

Rather, Jennings And A Hero (Joke)

Dan Rather and Peter Jennings, along with a U.S. Marine assigned to
protect them, were hiking through the Iraqi desert one day when they
were captured by terrorists. They were tied up, led to a village,
and brought before the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al Qaeda leader in
Iraq.

Zarqawi said, "I am familiar with your western custom of granting
the condemned a last wish; so, before we kill and dismember you, do
you have any last requests?"

Dan Rather said, "Well, I'm a Texan; so I'd like one last bowlful
of hot spicy chili." Zarqawi nodded to an underling who left and
returned with the chili. Rather ate it all and said, "Now I can die
content."

Peter Jennings said, "I am Canadian, so I'd like to hear the song
'O Canada' one last time." Zarqawi nodded to a terrorist who had
studied the Western world and knew the music. He returned with some
rag-tag musicians and played the anthem. Jennings sighed and
declared he could now die peacefully.

Zarqawi turned and said, "And now, Mr. U.S. Marine, what is your
final wish?"

"Kick me in the ass," said the Marine.

"What?" asked Zarqawi. "Will you mock us in your last hour?"

"No, I'm not kidding. I want you to kick me in the ass," insisted
the Marine. So the leader shoved him into the open, and kicked him
in the ass.

The Marine went sprawling, but rolled to his knees, pulled out a
9mm pistol hidden in his cammies, and shot Zarqawi dead.

In the resulting confusion, he leapt to his knapsack, pulled out
his M4 carbine, and sprayed the remaining terrorists with gunfire.
In a flash, they were either dead or fleeing for their lives.

As the Marine was untying Rather and Jennings, they asked him, "Why
didn't you just shoot them? Why did you ask them to kick you in the ass?"

"What," replied the Marine, "and have you assholes call me the aggressor?"

H/T to Bill Faith at Small Town Veteran

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:11 AM | Comments (3)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I hope 2005 is everything you want it to be. I also hope that whatever (if any) resolutions you have are met and worth the effort.

Again...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

SlagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)