Monday, January 20, 2014
Viet Nam: A Visit To The Wall
This was written by a Navy fighter pilot, but could have been written by just about any Vietnam pilot who has been to the "WALL."
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For those who were there, you’ll understand. For those who weren’t, it may help you to understand.
Happy New Year
As we face a new year, I recall visiting with three old friends, a few years back, at a park in the nation's capital. It seems like only yesterday that we were all together, but actually it has been 42 years. There was a crowd at the park that day, and it took us a while to connect, but with the aid of a book we made it. I found Harry, Bruce and Paul. In 1970-72 we were gung-ho young fighter pilots on America and Constellation off Vietnam, the cream of the crop of the U.S. Navy, flying F-4J Phantoms. Now their names are on that 500-foot-long Vietnam War Memorial. I am hesitant to visit the wall when I'm in Washington DC because I don't trust myself to keep my composure. Standing in front of that somber wall, I tried to keep it light, reminiscing about how things were back then. We used to joke about our passionate love affair with an inanimate flying object-we flew. We marveled at the thought that we actually got paid to do it. We were not draftees but college graduates in Vietnam by choice, opting for the cramped confines of a jet fighter cockpit over the comfort of corporate America. In all my life I've not been so passionate about any other work. If that sounds like an exaggeration, then you've never danced the wild blue with a supersonic angel. To fight for your country is an honor. I vividly remember leaving my family and friends in San Diego headed for Vietnam. I wondered if I would live to see them again. For reasons I still don't understand, I was fortunate to return while others did not. Once in Vietnam, we passed the long, lonely hours in Alert 5, the ready room, our staterooms or the Cubi O'Club. The complaint heard most often, in the standard gallows humor of a combat squadron, was, "It's a lousy war, but it's the only one we have." (I've cleaned up the language a bit.) We sang mostly raunchy songs that never seemed to end-someone was always writing new verses-and, as an antidote to loneliness, fear in the night and the sadness over dead friends, we often drank too much. At the wall, I told the guys only about the good parts of the years since we’ve been apart. I talked of those who went on to command squadrons. Those who made Captain and flag rank. I asked them if they've seen some other squadron mates who have joined them. I didn't tell them about how ostracized Vietnam vets still are. I didn't relate how the media had implied we Vietnam vets were, to quote one syndicated columnist, "either suckers or psychos, victims or monsters." I didn't tell them that Hanoi Jane, who shot at us and helped torture our POWs, had married one of the richest guys in the United States. I didn't tell them that the secretary of defense they fought for back then has now declared that he was not a believer in the cause for which he assigned them all to their destiny. I didn't tell them that our commander-in-chief avoided serving while they were fighting and dying. And I didn't tell them we "lost" that lousy war. I gave them the same story I've used for years: We we re winning when I left. I relived that final day as I stared at the black onyx wall. After 297 combat missions, we were leaving the South China Sea …heading east. The excitement of that day was only exceeded by coming into the break at Miramar, knowing that my wife, my two boys, my parents and other friends and family were waiting to welcome me home. I was not the only one talking to the wall through tears. Folks in fatigues, leather vests, motorcycle jackets, flight jackets lined the wall talking to friends. I backed about 25 yards away from the wall and sat down on the grass under a clear blue sky and midday sun that perfectly matched the tropical weather of the war zone. The wall, with all 58,200 names, consumed my field of vision. I tried to wrap my mind around the violence, carnage and ruined lives that it represented. Then I thought of how Vietnam was only one small war in the history of the human race. I was overwhelmed with a sense of mankind's wickedness balanced against some men and women's willingness to serve.
Before becoming a spectacle in the park, I got up and walked back up to the wall to say goodbye and ran my fingers over the engraved names of my < BR>> friends as if I could communicate with them through some kind of spiritual touch. I wanted them to know that God, duty, honor and country will always remain the noblest calling. Revisionist history from elite draft dodgers trying to justify and rationalize their own actions will never change that. I believe I have been a productive member of society since the day I left Vietnam. I am honored to have served there, and I am especially proud of my friends-heroes who voluntarily, enthusiastically gave their all. They demonstrated no greater love to a nation whose highbrow opinion makers are still trying to disavow them. May their names, indelibly engraved on that memorial wall, likewise be found in the Book of Life. Remember that throughout the new year.
As an afterthought, I find it funny how simple it is for people to trash different ways of living and believing and then wonder why the world is going to hell. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of morality is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny isn't it? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what I think of me.
I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2014,
Teachers ‘instructed’ to teach ‘all right wing extremist groups’ are fascist
11:44 PM 01/18/2014
Hillsdale professor Terrence Moore, author of “Story Killers: A Common Sense Case Against Common Core,” exposed some of the more distressing aspects of the controversial Common Core education
standards program, saying that all teachers must tell young students that all right-wing groups are fascist.
Moore highlights how it is not just the reading lists and course materials — which have already attracted a large amount of criticism — that need to be examined by parents. It’s also the teaching notes and standard curriculum; the notes and standards come as part of a comprehensive package. Moore noted through his research that a distinctly political slant is introduced, one which dictates not only what children are taught, but also how they should be taught.
“For example, take the novel Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which is a great classic, we all know it,” he told The Daily Caller in an exclusive interview. “Just because it’s part of our culture.”
Moore calls Common Core and what goes on in school “frightening” and “monstrous.”
“What they do is give you about three or four pages of Mary Shelley, not a selection from Frankenstein, but just writing about Frankenstein, and then you will have four or five of a modern author talking about frightening stories that she heard as a child that have no relation to Frankenstein. You might see a picture from a 1950′s movie of Frankenstein Monster. The teacher will ask the class to dress up as Frankenstein sometimes to actually write an autobiography of a monster so you put yourself in the position of a monster. Why? Because monsters are never properly understood. So to figure out what it means to be a monster you have to put yourself in the monster’s shoes. I’m not making this up.
“Then on top of that, and this is in a leading text book they have five and a half pages, two more pages than the words you get from Mary Shelley, five and a half pages of a skit from Saturday Night Live on Frankenstein.”
In the skit, Moore explains, an actor makes a comment about Frankenstein having green skin. That the skit is concluded by Frankenstein saying, “Oh, so this is a race thing? What are you guys? A bunch of fascists?”
Moore also details teaching standards and notes about what the teacher wants to do at that point in the class.
standards program, saying that all teachers must tell young students that all right-wing groups are fascist.Moore highlights how it is not just the reading lists and course materials — which have already attracted a large amount of criticism — that need to be examined by parents. It’s also the teaching notes and standard curriculum; the notes and standards come as part of a comprehensive package. Moore noted through his research that a distinctly political slant is introduced, one which dictates not only what children are taught, but also how they should be taught.
“For example, take the novel Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which is a great classic, we all know it,” he told The Daily Caller in an exclusive interview. “Just because it’s part of our culture.”
Moore calls Common Core and what goes on in school “frightening” and “monstrous.”
“What they do is give you about three or four pages of Mary Shelley, not a selection from Frankenstein, but just writing about Frankenstein, and then you will have four or five of a modern author talking about frightening stories that she heard as a child that have no relation to Frankenstein. You might see a picture from a 1950′s movie of Frankenstein Monster. The teacher will ask the class to dress up as Frankenstein sometimes to actually write an autobiography of a monster so you put yourself in the position of a monster. Why? Because monsters are never properly understood. So to figure out what it means to be a monster you have to put yourself in the monster’s shoes. I’m not making this up.
“Then on top of that, and this is in a leading text book they have five and a half pages, two more pages than the words you get from Mary Shelley, five and a half pages of a skit from Saturday Night Live on Frankenstein.”
In the skit, Moore explains, an actor makes a comment about Frankenstein having green skin. That the skit is concluded by Frankenstein saying, “Oh, so this is a race thing? What are you guys? A bunch of fascists?”
Moore also details teaching standards and notes about what the teacher wants to do at that point in the class.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/18/teachers-instructed-to-teach-all-right-wing-extremist-groups-are-fascist-video/#ixzz2qxkOSJUe
Thursday, January 9, 2014
5 minute-4 ingredient no bake cheesecake
Just a little whipped cream on top
Source: Bing Images
Gluten and color free
I
have always loved this recipe, my grandmother passed it down to me when
I started my own family. She would always make the creamiest, most
fabulous cheesecakes in church. Every time there was a pot luck, this is
what she would make. Years later as an adult, a mother and apparently,
the new cook of the family, this is still what I make. So if you want
this easy recipe to be your "specialty" come the holidays, here you go.
Ingredients-
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1 8 ounce tub of cool whip
1/3 cup of lemon or lime juice
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese.
Most important part of this recipe, is to leave the cream cheese out for a couple hours at room temperature. The cream cheese will become soft and smooth. The importance of this is to create a smooth texture. Not doing so, will create horrible lumps of cream cheese that will ruin the flavor of this pie.
After your cream cheese is softened enough, I like to see if it will spread easily with a plastic spatula. In a mixing bowl, mix all before mentioned ingredients. Please note: the lemon/lime juice must come last. The reaction of the citrus juice will start to harden your mixture almost immediately.
On the low speed of you hand mixer, blend well. Around 2 minutes of so is plenty, just make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Immediately pour mixture into a waiting graham crust or for those of us that can't have the gluten, I opt for muffin cups. Refrigerate for an hour to and hour and a half. Serve chilled and enjoy!
Ingredients-
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1 8 ounce tub of cool whip
1/3 cup of lemon or lime juice
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese.
Most important part of this recipe, is to leave the cream cheese out for a couple hours at room temperature. The cream cheese will become soft and smooth. The importance of this is to create a smooth texture. Not doing so, will create horrible lumps of cream cheese that will ruin the flavor of this pie.
After your cream cheese is softened enough, I like to see if it will spread easily with a plastic spatula. In a mixing bowl, mix all before mentioned ingredients. Please note: the lemon/lime juice must come last. The reaction of the citrus juice will start to harden your mixture almost immediately.
On the low speed of you hand mixer, blend well. Around 2 minutes of so is plenty, just make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Immediately pour mixture into a waiting graham crust or for those of us that can't have the gluten, I opt for muffin cups. Refrigerate for an hour to and hour and a half. Serve chilled and enjoy!
Add-ons-Make it your own!
To make this recipe your own, there are several things you can add.Oreo cookie crust. Incorporate a few of the cookies in to the batter, smashed of course. Top with a few whole or halved cookies as well.
Fresh strawberries, with or without glaze. I like to cut the strawberries up in to quarters and place in a zip-lock bag. Gently whacking the bag of berries on the counter a few times to start releasing the juices. A half an hour later, you have a no fuss, no extra sugar strawberry topping and glaze. Although a little vanilla in bag wouldn't hurt anything.
Key lime juice instead of regular. This will give you a tart cheesecake, more like a key lime bar if you lessen the cool whip content. About half is needed for recipe, although the more that is used, the lighter and fluffier the taste and texture will be.
Morning Coffee News
"Excuse me sir." "Yes, what is it, can't you see I am busy." I tried to mask the derision I felt rising in my face, "Sir, you can't really call this 'Morning Coffee News' when it's 12:57 pm" "Oh, really" "Well, you could have fooled me.
"What do these folks want?" "They want to know what you are doing." "I am looking for some music to play for the 'Noon Time Music Hour'."
"Wow, how are you going to top that?" I Believe, I just did.
And here comes another one.
This ones a Heart Breaker as she has taken her own life. To late to notice her now.
"What do these folks want?" "They want to know what you are doing." "I am looking for some music to play for the 'Noon Time Music Hour'."
"Wow, how are you going to top that?" I Believe, I just did.
And here comes another one.
This ones a Heart Breaker as she has taken her own life. To late to notice her now.
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