whitesox33’s blog

 


               Prime  Minister John Howard - Australia  


Muslims  who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on  Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted  radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.  
 
Separately,  Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying  he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.  Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or  Leave It I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we  are offending some individual or their culture. Since the  terrorist attacks on Bali ,  we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of  Australians.'  


'This  culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles,  trials and victories by millions of men and women who have  sought freedom'.
 
'We  speak mainly ENGLISH; not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese,  Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you  wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!'  
 
'Most  Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right  wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and  women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this  is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display  it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I  suggest you consider another part of the world as your new  home, because God is part of our culture.'  
'We  will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we  ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful  enjoyment with us.'  
 
'This  is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow  you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done  complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge,  Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage  you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,  
'THE  RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
 
'If  you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come  here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU  accepted.'
 
Maybe  if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will  find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same  truths.

 

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/index.php

 

 

The 40-vehicle convoy was more than an hour behind schedule as it rolled down Route 1 south of Wiscasset late on the afternoon of Dec. 9.

The veterans, truck drivers and other "Wreaths Across America" volunteers had already visited two dedication ceremonies and watched countless well-wishers, old and young, wave from the side of the road.

It was dark, and the convoy turned its headlights on.

Clarence Nelson of Columbia said he looked through the windshield of the sport utility vehicle he was riding in and caught a glimpse of an "amazing" image.

"One guy was out there, all by himself, waving an American flag," said Nelson, 67, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy.

Nelson was among the dozens who trekked south from Harrington to South Portland on Dec. 9, day one of a weeklong mission to take thousands of wreaths from a warehouse in Maine to Arlington National Cemetery. The patriotic trip is an annual rite now in its 16th year.

Morrill Worcester, president of Worcester Wreath Co., launched the campaign in 1992, when his company had a surplus of wreaths at its Topsfield warehouse late in the holiday season - too late to sell them all before Christmas.

Worcester decided to take the excess wreaths to Arlington and lay them against the headstones of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

The tradition has grown from a single man trucking his wreath company's extra wares to a lengthy motorcade hauling thousands of garlands to Virginia.

Worcester changed his path to Arlington from the fast, easy interstate to the slow but highly visible Route 1 last year - when the Civil Air Patrol took the event nationwide, a move that created a demand for more public appearances along the motorcade route.

This year, the company doubled the number of wreaths headed to Arlington, from 5,000 to 10,000. It allowed visitors to the charity's Web site, www.wreathsacrossamerica.org to sponsor wreaths and expanded the scope of its tribute to U.S. veterans' cemeteries abroad.

Worcester said thousands of additional wreaths - in excess of the 10,000 headed to Arlington - are now on their way to veterans' sites in other states. The company cannot ship its garlands overseas because of trade restrictions, so it paid for wreaths to be placed at cemeteries overseas.

The wreaths will be dedicated during simultaneous ceremonies scheduled for Dec. 15 at noon Eastern time at veterans sites across the nation and abroad, Worcester said.

On Sunday, the procession to Arlington stopped for ceremonies in Sullivan, Rockland and Portland before pulling into a hotel in South Portland for the night around 10 p.m.

It fell more than an hour behind schedule along the route, mostly because of the number of times the caravan slowed to a crawl to acknowledge the crowds along Route 1, said John O'Leary of Norway, an organizer with the military support group Patriot Guard Riders. "That slowed us way down," O'Leary said.

O'Leary and Nelson, the Vietnam veteran, said they didn't mind the delays - despite looking tired at the end of the day.

"Little kids and their parents, old couples, young people - it was just beautiful to see," Nelson said.

 Good for him!!!
Surprised CBS let him get away with this even though he's right

Right on, Andy Rooney !

Andy Rooney said on "60 Minutes" a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers.. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE ?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich I don't pity the poor

I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa ; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe . I am proud to be from America and nowhere else

And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! And what about CANADIANS-We feel the same. Bravo for the  Canadians  too!!!


I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if I don't. It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having "In God We Trust" on our money and having "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 14% to  BE QUIET!!!

A Strong End To A Great Year   Dear Barbra, Last week we told you about a soldier who was being asked to return part of his signing bonus after being wounded and medically discharged, and thousands of you took action to end the practice by sending messages to your Congressional Representatives. In addition to your grassroots efforts, we worked to keep the story in the news - I appeared on CNN Headline News, as did Todd Bowers, our Director of Government Affairs. Now our efforts are paying off. This week, a bill was introduced in the Senate that will ensure injured soldiers can keep their full enlistment bonuses. With the support of people like you, we're creating a powerful voice for a new generation of veterans, and we're making real progress in Washington and across the country.  Help us build on this momentum by contributing today. We are grateful to everyone who has served our nation in uniform. And it is our goal to see that they always get what they need - on the battlefield, and when they come home. But we can't do it without your generous support. This year alone, IAVA organized thousands of veterans and civilian supporters to back a Veterans Suicide Hotline and push for a timely VA Budget. We teamed up with Major League Baseball and the Ad Council to promote veterans' issues during the World Series, and we went to Washington to advocate for better mental health care for returning troops. IAVA veterans and supporters like you worked to make Veterans Week a huge success, bringing an IAVA presence to over 140 events nationwide. And just a couple of weeks ago, we kicked off our campaign to support a new GI Bill - one that would ensure our troops can continue their educations when they come home from war. Five years of war in Iraq and six years of war in Afghanistan have taken a huge toll on our military and their families, and our troops and veterans need our support now more than ever. The sacrifices borne by our men and women in uniform have been enormous. You have been with us every step of the way - writing letters, contacting Congress, and helping to spread the word. Please build on that support today by contributing what you can to keep us going strong. Thank you for your continued support. Sincerely, Paul Rieckhoff Iraq Veteran Executive Director Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

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Marine Corps News | November 20, 2007 MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Families have spent thousands of dollars attending homecomings of returning Marines, but with costs of airfare sky rocketing, many families can’t afford to make the trip. Addressing this issue, Christie Rooney, a Marine mom from Bixby, Okla., contacted America Airlines in order to ease these costs with fare discounts for Marine families, traveling to homecomings, discounts on airfare. “Over the past few months, I've heard Marine families discuss the [difficulties] of making travel arrangements for homecomings,” said Rooney. “I decided to call America Airlines to see if they could help.” Within two weeks America Airlines signed a contract with SATO Vacations to offer discounts to families traveling to their Marines’ homecoming from Nov. 1 – Dec. 15. “The only airport that America Airlines flies into near the Camp Lejeune area is Raleigh-Durham Airport, which is why this is the only airport where we can honor the discounted prices for military families,” said Jerry Krus, for America Airlines. If the arrival dates are changed and the military families notify America Airlines about the changes, the fee will be waived, as long as the families purchase their tickets through SATO Vacations, said Krus. If America Airlines handles the exchange transaction, a $15 reservation fee will apply, he continued. Marine families, who are unable to make the flight due to uncontrollable circumstances will be able to refund their non-refundable tickets for travel vouchers, concluded Krus. For more information about the discounted airfare, call SATO Vacations at 1-877-698-2554, or visit the Web site at www.satovacations.com. Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion. Copyright 2007 Marine Corps News. All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.

 

 

Dear Barbra, I'm writing today to ask you to please take a minute to help us out on an important issue that is affecting wounded servicemembers. When Jordan Fox was serving as a Private First Class in Iraq in May of this year, he was injured by a roadside bomb. The attack left him with a back injury and blind in his right eye, and as a result, the Army sent him home. A few weeks later, to his surprise, they sent him a bill for nearly $3,000. The Army demanded that he return part of his enlistment bonus because he had been injured and medically discharged before completing his enlistment. Jordan had signed up to serve his country and was injured in the line of duty, and now the Army was asking for its money back. Fortunately, there's a new bill gaining momentum in Congress that would ensure this doesn't happen to others in his situation. Pennsylvania Congressman Jason Altmire has introduced the "Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act" (H.R. 3793), and IAVA is making a major push to ensure it gets passed as soon as possible. Please take a minute to send a message to your Representatives urging them to support it. Throughout this fight, Jordan has maintained that he is proud of his military service, and would serve again if asked. But this is a loophole that needs to be fixed immediately. The men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan have served our nation proudly, and this is a terrible way to welcome them home. So please take a minute now to send your Representatives a message, and tell them to support the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act. On behalf of Jordan, and future wounded veterans, thank you. Sincerely, Paul Rieckhoff Iraq Veteran Executive Director Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

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HOUSTON -- Regina Foster, sitting in the elegant, tawny-toned living room of her new home, spontaneously burst into tears. The glistening saline drops nearly exploded from the outside corners of her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

This has been happening a lot lately.

Foster was describing the feeling of seeing her 7-year-old son, Reggie Freeman, cross the threshold of their Alief-area house a week earlier in a safe, leafy neighborhood.

"I was just overwhelmed," Foster said. "He realized this is his home. He didn't have to worry about anything. Reggie was dancing through the house, running. When he wants to go outside, I just unlock the door and he can play in the backyard.

"He would walk up to me and pat me on the face and give me a kiss. And I was like, 'He's happy.'

"And that was all that mattered."

Reggie, who is diagnosed with severe autism, has the mind of a 2-year-old. He cannot speak, except to mimic passages from his favorite movies, "Shrek" and "The Little Mermaid." But suddenly, Reggie and Regina, a 37-year-old single mother, have a future.

This is because a grown man wanted desperately to play a game with a familiar number on the front and back of his uniform. Crazy, but in the spirit of this Thanksgiving season, true.

More on "Sunday Countdown"
Watch Greg Garber's video report on this story on "Sunday Countdown" (11 a.m. ET, ESPN).

"I didn't want to part with 3-0," Houston Texans running back Ahman Green said Tuesday in the bowels of Reliant Stadium. "I couldn't do it. I've already had too much to adjust to this season, personally. Being in a new city, losing my dad [to cancer] -- I didn't want to adjust to that."

Green was assigned the No. 30 jersey when he arrived at the University of Nebraska, and after he matriculated to the NFL, first in Seattle and then in Green Bay (where he was named to four Pro Bowls), it became his identity. When he signed a four-year, $23 million contract with Houston during this past offseason, he approached defensive back Jason Simmons, who had worn No. 30 since the birth of the Texans franchise in 2002.

The market value for numbers in the NFL is very specific. Redskins running back Clinton Portis paid $38,000 for the No. 26 when he arrived in Washington. Giants quarterback Eli Manning gave punter Jeff Feagles a family vacation for the No. 10. Feagles then had No. 17, which he parlayed into a new kitchen when he traded it to wide receiver Plaxico Burress.

"[Green] was real apprehensive. When he called, I could hear it in his voice," Simmons said. "I didn't believe it was him on the phone, because he was stuttering. I told him my plan, my vision and he jumped right on board. He said, 'Whatever plan you have, I'm with it.'"

"I don't want any money from you," Simmons told Green. "But it's going to cost you."

Simmons, moved by the generosity of fellow players such as Derrick Brooks, Donald Driver and Warrick Dunn, wanted to find a deserving single parent and use the proceeds of the number swap to buy a home. In the end, Green contributed $20,000, Simmons gave $5,000 and Texans owner Bob McNair matched them to bring the total to $50,000 -- a significant amount in Houston.

Both Green and Simmons grew up in Los Angeles and understood the hardships of raising a family under difficult circumstances.

Texans director of community relations Regina Woolfolk put the program together and Foster heard about it from her realtor. In her application, she wrote, "Home ownership would give me a piece of the American Dream. Having a permanent residence would provide a solid foundation for Reginald and is critical to his success in therapy and life."

Woolfolk helped screen the applicants to five qualifiers and then a pair of finalists. The two players were split on the winner, but Tiffany Simmons broke the tie, overruling her husband.

"Regina touched me more, because I have an autistic family member," she explained. "I knew the severity of what it is to take care of an autistic child."

When did she know Regina Foster was the right choice?

"The moment I met her," Tiffany Simmons said. " I could see the sincerity in her that this was something she really wanted for her and her son."

The Texans surprised Regina at work on July 23. It was just like a Publishers Clearing House affair; Green held the cheesy, oversized check for $50,000 and Regina started crying.

"The first thing that came into my mind was Reginald -- 'Oh, my God, why are all these people here' -- what happened?" Regina said. "I just broke down. I thought, 'Someone wants to help my baby.'"

For Regina, a mortgage broker who could not purchase this home on her salary alone, this was always about Reggie.

After some serious scouting work, she found the perfect 1,810-square-foot home. It was only two blocks away from the school Reggie has attended since he was 2 years old. The purchase price in Houston's affordable housing market was a little more than $100,000, so even with taxes and insurance, her 30-year mortgage left her with a monthly payment that's $95 less than what she was paying on her previous 1,100-square-foot apartment.

On Nov. 13, the Texans had a ribbon-cutting ceremony and, amid the pomp and circumstance of cheerleaders, team mascot Toro and intense media interest, Regina and Reggie were ecstatic.

"When I walked through the door, I still couldn't believe it," she said. "I was overwhelmed that my struggle and my journey was over. Reggie has what he needs. It's a beautiful home in a nice neighborhood, and in a district that can accommodate his special needs."

Sponsors rushed to join the story. Reliant Energy will provide a year of electricity to Foster's home, Gallery Furniture supplied furniture for several rooms, Comcast kicked in cable, high-speed Internet and digital phone service and HEB Grocery Company filled her cabinets with food.

Public relations-wise, this has been a tough year for the NFL. Michael Vick, Adam "Pacman" Jones and other players have generated their share of bad news.

"The headlines are always negative, other than the score," McNair said. "And so, to see something positive like this is different.

"We talk to our players about giving back to the community. This was [Jason's] idea, so I was just very proud of him. I thought it was a very ennobling thing to do. I just think it is marvelous."

Simmons and Green are genuinely surprised by all the attention they've received.

"I don't want to overstate what we did," Simmons said, "but it could really affect their future for the long haul. That's touching."

Said Green, "I love it. I can definitely say I've done something to change somebody's life."

For her part, Foster is still trying to process the whole thing.

"I don't have to leave, and I can afford it," she said, smiling.

Later, Reggie buried his face in her dress and hugged his mother. Finally they were home.

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

One of my favorite websites while my boyfriend was deployed to Iraq was the Marine Parents website.  There was plenty of information given about care packages.  There are also support groups, donations by companies, and the companies who support the website. 

I did end up buying some calling cards from Military Exchange - the cards needed to be specific so they could be used overseas.  Also I sent socks from Covert Threads and they were fantastic, that's what he said at least. Covert Threads makes their socks for many different enviroments, sand, water, snow, etc... so it doesn't matter where they are deployed to.  Covert Threads will ship directly to your Marine etc. or to you - I had them shipped to me so I could send them with some other items. 

Marine Parents does also list the deployed units so you can keep in touch with or read posts from other family members who are left back at home.  There are rules to posting so make sure to read first.

http://www.marineparents.com/contact/mission.asp 

 

This link is to look up the Marine units that are deployed:

http://www.marineparents.com/USMC/back-to-iraq.asp

 

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48094