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July 26, 2005

Back In The Saddle Again...

Discovery Lifts Off

The space shuttle Discovery roared into the skies over Florida Tuesday morning as NASA returned to manned space flight for the first time since the 2003 Columbia disaster.

The spacecraft blasted off as scheduled at 10:39 a.m. ET, following days of troubleshooting to fix a faulty fuel sensor in its external tank.

A fuel sensor problem that scrubbed the shuttle's liftoff nearly two weeks ago did not recur Tuesday, NASA said.

Discovery crew members, who awoke after midnight, appeared at a traditional photo opportunity wearing matching Hawaiian shirts in the crew dining room as astronaut Steve Robinson strummed a guitar. Later the crew donned space suits for their journey and, by 8:22 a.m. ET, all seven were aboard and strapped in.

Commander Eileen Collins was the first to board, giving a confident wave to NASA cameras before entering the cockpit.

Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi held up signs saying: "Get out of quarantine free" and "OUT TO LAUNCH."

At 9 a.m. ET, the hatch was closed.

About 10 miles from launch pad 39B, scores of shuttle-watchers who had camped out overnight along the Banana River were waking up excited about the liftoff.

"We were here when they tried to launch the first time," said Kai Novak, 41, of Hamburg, Germany. "When it didn't go, we were all really depressed. We're looking forward to seeing this today."

Also among the crowd was Thor Hurlen, 46, of Aalesund, Norway. "I think it's going to happen today," he said.

On July 13, NASA scrubbed Discovery's launch just 2 1/2 hours before liftoff when a test showed one of Discovery's four sensors in its hydrogen fuel tank was not working.

On Monday, after 12 days of troubleshooting, officials said they were again ready for liftoff but still weren't sure what caused the problem.

"We don't completely [know] because it looks like a grounding issue," said Discovery vehicle manager Scott Thurston.

An array of cameras was positioned to videotape the launch.

The cameras are among many new safety measures implemented after the Columbia disaster. They include cameras aboard two WB-57 aircraft that took off from nearby Patrick Air Force Base, according to a base spokesman. The planes are equipped with a video recording system that can capture visible and infrared images to look for any damage to Discovery during liftoff.

Columbia disintegrated on re-entry when super-heated gases entered the spacecraft through a hole created during liftoff by a falling piece of insulation foam, according to an investigative panel. All seven crew members died.

Discovery's crew is scheduled to test a battery of tools and techniques that NASA engineers developed after the loss of Columbia to inspect the spacecraft's heat-resistant exterior tiles for any damage that might occur during liftoff.

Discovery's mission also takes it to the international space station to deliver supplies and conduct repairs.

First lady Laura Bush and several members of Congress watched Tuesday's launch from a VIP observation area.

The mission is scheduled to last 12 days.

Here's to the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery...

Good luck and Godspeed!

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 07:51 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

July 21, 2005

Life's A Bitch...

Since I was initially angry (my day started off wrong) I wrote a semi-mean post about my current marital situation. I didn't mention the countless things my wife had done wrong but others who knew her chose to point out my own mistakes, so instead of starting a pissing contest between people who don't know exactly what is/has happened but are doing just what family and friends are supposed to do I avoided the senseless confrontation. I just deleted the original post and the comments.

In short, when things settle down I'll get back to posting regularly if at all possible.

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 10:05 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

July 07, 2005

Shut Up And Color! A Testament To The Professionalism Of Our Armed Forces

Straight from the Arizona Republic

Flyby honored fallen comrade

Jun. 28, 2005 12:00 AM

Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday):

On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt Jeremy Fresques.

Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the president of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.

A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?"

The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Lt. Col. Scott Pleus
Luke Air Force Base
The writer is commander of the 63rd Fighter Squadron.

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:25 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

A Good Read...

I received this in an email from a friend. I was unable to confirm its authenticity, but either way it is worth reading and making note of:

READ WHAT SENATOR JOHN GLENN SAID about things to make you think a little.

1. During the month of January.....There were 39 combat related killings
in Iraq. In the city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of
January. In only one major American city, almost as deadly as entire
war in country of Iraq .

2. When some claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war, state
the following: FDR...led us into World War II. Germany never attacked
us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lost, or an average of 112,500 per
year.

Truman...finished that war and then he started one in Korea. North
Korea never attacked us! From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,334 per year.

John F! . Kennedy. started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never
attacked us! Johnson...turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975,
58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.

Clinton ...went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent, Bosnia
never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three
times by Sudan. Clinton did nothing. Osama has now attacked us on multiple
occasions.

3. In the two years since terrorists attacked us President Bush has
liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put
nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a
shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.

Some citizens are complaining about how long the war is taking, but...It
took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch
Davidian compound.

We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less
time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records.

It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to
destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Cappaquiddick, killing a woman.

Thanks for the email T.

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 08:18 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

July 05, 2005

Great Appreciation

If you file through the (more than) 600 posts at the SlaughterHouse you will see a copius amount of links directing people to the BlogMama's place...

MamaMontezz's Mental Rumpus Room

There is a reason for this. Not only is she a wonderful person, a great blogger and mother, but she is my Aunt as well.

She has said some pretty nice things about me this 4th of July.

Hop on over take a look around and let her know her nephew sent you!

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

This Is What It's All About....

Here is a comment left in the Letters To The Troops post:

To the brave men and women who make up the United States Armed Forces: Unfortunately, there are many Americans who still do not understand what you're doing, or why. But I do; you are fighting for My Freedom. I have Muscular Dystrophy and am confined to wheelchair, I cannot fight. But you do, and I Thank You... Please be safe while you are protecting me, and I pray that you will all be able to come home soon to the families that you Love... We all Love You... And Thank You Again. Ben Dowling

This is a man who gets it, this is a man who understands and appreciates the Armed Forces. This was left on 4 July 05. I think it is not only a good way to appreciate our independence but to appreciate those who preserve it!

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 09:32 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

July 04, 2005

Denzel Is A Patriot But...

I received this email from a friend I was recently on Temporary Duty with in Germany. I promised him I'd run the story because it does fit the mold for my site. However, I did want to seperate fact from fiction. His email:

This needs as wide a distribution as we can create.

Forwarded in hopes that you all will give this info maximum disimination........FrankSubject: Denzel Washington
Subject: Brooks Army Medical Center

Don't know whether you heard about this but Denzel Washington and his family visited the troups at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio,Texas (BAMC) the other day. This is where soldiers that have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the States, especially burn victims. They have buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base but as you can imagine, they are almost completely filled most of the time.

While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it.

The question I have is why does Alec Baldwin, Modonna, Sean Penn and other Hollywood types make front page news with their anti-everything America crap and this doesn't even make page 3 in the Metro section of any newspaper except the base newspaper in San Antonio.

So what is fact and what is fiction? Like most eRumors a good place to seperate the truth from fluff is Snopes.com. According to Snopes:

Denzel Washington

Claim: Actor Denzel Washington made a large donation to the Fisher House Foundation after visiting Brooke Army Medical Center.

Status: Multiple:
Denzel Washington visited Brooke Army Medical Center and made a substantial donation to the Fisher House Foundation: True.

Denzel Washington whipped out his checkbook and "wrote a check out for the full amount (for a new Fisher House) right there on the spot": False.

Examples: [Collected on the Internet, 2005]

Hi everyone,

Dan told me a great story he heard and I wanted to share it with the rest of you. Pleaaase spread the word!

Danzel Washington was visiting BAMC (Brookes Army Medical Center, in San Antonio) the other day. This is where soldiers that have been evac'd from Germany come to be hospitalized in the States. They have buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a hotel that soldier's families can stay at, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled to the brim most of the time. While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He got his check book out and wrote a check out for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it. I hope you will spread this story!

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

Don't know whether you heard about this but Denzel Washington and his family visited the troups at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio,Texas (BAMC) the other day. This is where soldiers that have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the States, especially burn victims. They have buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base but as you can imagine, they are almost completely filled most of the time.

While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it.

The question I have is why does Alec Baldwin, Madonna, Sean Penn and other Hollywood types make front page news with their anti-everything America crap and this doesn't even make page 3 in the Metro section of any newspaper except the base newspaper in San Antonio.

Origins: In mid-December 2004, Denzel Washington — reportedly at the suggestion of a veteran known as "Ranger Jones" whom the actor met while filming the 1988 Civil War epic Glory — paid a visit to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. The popular actor took part in a Purple Heart ceremony, presenting medals to three Army soldiers who were recovering in the hospital from wounds received in Iraq.

The city's Express-News newspaper described one of the medal recipients' reaction to her encounter with the screen star:
When Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington entered the auditorium at Brooke Army Medical Center, Spc. Connie Spinks, healing from wounds from Iraq, was content to hold his hand, get a gentle peck on the cheek and hear him whisper a sweet nothing in her ear.

"He just told me he was proud of me, and that was enough," said Spinks, who has a broken femur, fractured fibula, shattered ankle, two broken fingers and second- and third-degree burns on her hands and face.

That brief encounter was enough to lift the Asheboro, N.C., native, a world away from her memories of Oct. 13, when a suicide bomber killed two soldiers and injured Spinks, 22, and four others in a convoy.

"If I wasn't already in a wheelchair, I would have fainted" when the screen star kissed her, she said.

Oh, but there was one more thing she needed. She waved her mother, Annette, up for a hug and kiss from the leading man, who has portrayed young military heroes in "Glory" and "Crimson Tide."

"I had to do that for my mother," said Spinks, who will be treated at the hospital at least through March. "She's been here for me since October."
Fort Sam Houston, which houses the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), also includes on its property two Fisher House facilities within walking distance of the medical center. Fisher Houses are a network of "comfort homes," essentially low-cost hotels built on the grounds of military medical centers in the U.S. and abroad that provide all the amenities of home and enable family members of servicemen to stay close to loved ones who are undergoing medical treatment for illness, disease, or injury. The modest fees charged by Fisher Houses (about $10 per night) make them accessible even to familes with tight budgets (a situation common to many military families).

As might be expected with the U.S. military's having been engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq for the last few years, the demand for space in Fisher Houses at some military facilities has exceeded their capacities. According to the Fisher House Foundation, when Denzel Washington was at Fort Sam Houston in December 2004, he did visit its Fisher House and learn of their need for additional facilities, and he did later make a substantial donation to the Fisher House Foundation; however, he did not, as described above, "get out his checkbook" on the spot and write a check for the full amount needed to construct a new building:
The problem, according to Fisher House President David Coker, is that while Washington did make a 'sizeable' donation to the program, the e-mail claim is almost entirely bogus.

"Denzel came to visit with the soldiers and Marines being cared for at Brooke Army Medical Center last December 17th," Coker said. "He visited with them and told them how much he respects their service. He also toured one of the two Fisher Houses at Brooke Army Medical Center."

Washington told Coker at the time he would like to make a commitment to support the work of Fisher House.

"Denzel did not take out a checkbook and write a check on the spot," Coker says. "He seldom carries a check book with him."

Coker said Washington did in fact make a sizeable donation to Fisher House several months after his visit to BAMC. He declined to comment on the size of the donation, but it was not enough to build a new Fisher House.

[Coker also] said the fact that Washington, 49, did not write a check 'on the spot' does not diminish his contribution to the Fisher House and his support 'for the men and women who serve our country.'
Evidently the confusion came about when the commander of the Brooke Army Medical Center simultaneously announced plans for a new Fisher House facility (costing about $1.5 million) near BAMC and the news of Mr. Washington's donation. People quite naturally associated the two news items with each other and mistakenly assumed Mr. Washington had donated the full amount required to build the new facility.

One version of the Denzel Washington e-mail in circulation concludes: "By the way . . . He has a son who is a Marine in Iraq." Although Denzel Washington does have two sons (and also two daughters), neither of his sons is a Marine or is stationed in Iraq. One son is far too young to be serving in the military (he's only thirteen years old), and Denzel's older son, 21-year-old John David Washington, is currently a senior (and a football star) at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Dnezel Washington is well known for his philanthropy, reportedly having made large charitable donations such as $1 milllion to the Children's Fund of South Africa and $2.5 million to the Church of God. We have no idea whether it's true or not, but the following humorous anecdote plays on his reputation for generosity:
Denzel Washington was out with friends when a homeless man asked him for money. The actor's entourage ignored the beggar, but Washington handed him a $100 bill. The man began to cry, then grabbed a passerby and choked out, "Will Smith just gave me a hundred bucks!"

Also, from Truth or Fiction.com:

Actor Denzel Washington Spontaneously Paid for the Construction of a "Fisher House" During a Visit to Brooke Army Medical Center-Fiction! But He Came Through Later! Summary of the eRumor The eRumor describes a visit by actor Denzel Washington to "Brookes" Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He saw the buildings known as "Fisher House," where families of hospitalized soldiers can say for little or no charge while visiting. He is described as having asked how much it costs to build one, pulled out his checkbook, and wrote a check for the full amount.

The Truth
Denzel Washington did make a visit to the Brooke (not Brookes) Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas, in December, 2004.
Among other things, he participated in a ceremony awarding Purple Hearts to three soldiers and visited several others.

He also toured the Fisher House facilities there, was impressed with what they were doing, and did indicate a desire to support it.
An eRumor got started that he dramatically pulled out his checkbook on the spot and wrote a check for the cost of building an entire house, which was not true.
Fisher House says the confusion may have come when an announcement was made later in that a new $1-million facility was going to be built.
It was at the same time as a mention that Denzel Washington had pledged a donation to Fisher House. Four months later, however, he came through "in a big way", according to the folks at Fisher House. They won't disclose the amount of his gift, but Fisher House spokesman James Weiskopf says it's one of the largest in the organization's history and that Denzel Washington has agreed to serve on the Fisher House board of trustees.

Fisher House is a program that provides special housing at each of the Army's major medical centers for the families of soldiers who are receiving medical treatment, often from being wounded on duty.
Fisher house is either a facility or a group of facilities where family members can stay for no cost or reduced cost, which helps ease the burden of possibly having made a long and expensive trip to be by the beside of a family member and to make it possible for even low income families to be able to stay close by.

Last updated 6/8/05 A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

From: Jackson, Gerald P Mr FAHC Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 11:35

AM Subject: Denzel Washington

I just received this from Ft.

Hood, Texas, where our son's family is stationed while he is deployed in Iraq. Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC (Brookes Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas) the other day. This is where soldiers that have been evac'd from Germany come to be hospitalized in the States. They have buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a hotel that soldier's families can stay at, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled to the brim most of the time. While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He got his check book out and wrote a check out for the full amount right there on the spot.

The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it. I hope you will spread this story.

So, clearly Denzel does support the troops, though the eRumor has been inflated over time.

My thanks to Mr. Washington for his support.

lagleRock Out!

Posted by SlagleRock at 01:27 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack