January 04, 2005
America, stingy?
We are six percent or less of the world's population, yet we give almost half. We are a very small number of people, relatively speaking, and we carry the weight of a dozen countries. Secondly, we maintain a military structure that keeps the peace of the world.....Who is in the Indian Ocean with the aircraft carriers, helicopters, skilled personal? No one has the infrastructure in the world, we spend almost half a trillion dollars a year on our military structure, which is essentially the fire department of the planet and is it always at the disposal of people hit in a national disaster.....Incidentally on food aid, we give 60% of all the food aid in the world. It is simply irresponsible to talk about the U.S. as anything other than the most generous nation on the planet.
Charles Krauthammer
Hat tip to: Real Clear Politics
December 25, 2004
Christmas visit by the SECDEF
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Thank you to everyone who has sent wishes for a Merry Christmas this way, especially: family, old friends from New Jersey and Texas, new friends in Virginia, and the students, teachers, faculty and staff at North Warren.
Here's two pictures of Rich, my roomate, with Secretary Rumsfeld who visited our Camp yesterday. You can read Rich's account at his website.
December 23, 2004
Track Santa
Michelle found the following while watching a spot on Santa on the Biography Channel:
You can log in to NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) on Christmas Eve and see where Santa is--betcha didn't know the Military keeps track of these things.
Apparently, Rudolph's nose sends off an infra red signal that they track with satellites. They also have a file of "declassified" pictures of Santa and other assorted Santa sighting related material.
Merry Christmas!!!
December 22, 2004
QOTD
"It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its Mighty Founder was a child Himself."
-Charles Dickens
"Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no ambition corrupt thee, no example sway thee, no persuasion move thee to do anything which thou knowest to be evil; so thou shalt live jollily, for a good conscience is a continual Christmas."
-Benjamin Franklin
"The Christmas spirit of peace, hope, and love is the spirit Americans carry with them all year round, everywhere we go... The tree that lights up our country must be seen all the way to heaven... Its lights fill the air with a spirit of hope, and joy from the heart of America."
Ronald Reagan
December 16, 2004
Some Moving Tributes
One of my soldiers sent me the following link.
Until Then
It's a moving tribute to the soldiers serving throughout the world. Make sure you turn up the sound as the slide show includes the music Homeward Bound from The Road Home by The Choirs of Brigham Young University.
The Folks that made that have other tributes at their site, GCS Distributing.
Each of the Tributes is done very well with excellent pictures and set to beautiful scores. They may take a little while to download but they are worth the wait. I encourage you to check them all out, but you might want to secure a box of Kleenex and a friend first.
Direct links to thier tributes are:
We Support You, OIF I Tribute
To Our Parents, Vietnam Veterans Tribute
9-11, This one takes you back to that day we'll never forget
Unitl Then, Soldiers fighting the Global War on Terrorism
Freedom Isn't Free, Korean War Tribute
December 15, 2004
Fake Tree & Real Sunset: Both Bringing us Some Cheer
More Christmas Cheer.
It was hard to get a good photo of the Tree the night of the Lighting Ceremony, but here's a nice shot:
And here's a little of Mother Nature's Cheer.
This tiny miracle put a smile on everyone's face on the way to dinner last night.
December 13, 2004
Let it Snow!
OK, flurries might be more accurate, but there are definitely little white flakes floating around! This is so exciting!! It is really getting me in the Christmas spirit!
I have one more exam and a paper to turn in, so I am about halfway through finals...I can't WAIT until Wednesday when this is all over!
Hope everyone had a good weekend!
December 11, 2004
The Official Start of Christmas in Iraq
While I have been, not so quietly ushering in the holiday season, the Commanding General officialy kicked it off Thursday night with a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Rich and I were clearly in the festive mood.
As you can see from Margaret and SFC Julien it's contagious!
December 09, 2004
One Down, Three to Go!
Well, I had my first final today and it went Ok. It is hard to speculate, but at least it didn't leave me panic stricken. And now I will never have to worry about contracts again...until I take the bar that is. The other good news is that although contracts is not all that interesting to me, my professor for that class was definitely my favorite this semester and I got him again next semester for property!
Well...I'm off to eat lunch and study for Criminal Law! Thanks for all your encouragement everyone!!!!
PS---Congratulations to Matt for being elected class president and Lauren for landing an awesome new job! Way to go guys!
Hello Pippi !
Meet Pippi. Isn't she the cutest?
Pippi's parents are Kristen and Dwight. Dwight is a first year law student with Michelle at Washington and Lee.
Whitney and Toby are anxious for their first play-date.