give thanks

If you ask my wife, she would tell you that I am not a big fan of PBS as a source of news. However, I was browsing for pictures to share with you this Thanksgiving, and I came across this article about the food we eat on this particular Thursday, and I found it interesting enough to share with you. If you are like Rocky Balboa and think that today is just another Thursday, then I am sure there is at least one turkey out there who thanks you for that. :-)

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving, and try to not trample anyone at the mall tomorrow, okay?

King Neptune has spoken

At 0800 this morning, after being ritualistically cleansed of the city sludge and dirt of the land, I have been declared a Shellback by King Neptune and his royal court. The ship's captain came over the intercom just after 1000 to announce that we had just crossed the equator on our way back to port but since the cleansing had not been completed for some of the crew yet, we had turned to a new course (270 - due West) to avoid actually crossing before the ship had been purged of slimy pollywogs. The final count was that over 1500 sailors and Marines were declared to be "Trusty Shellbacks" and welcome to King Neptune's Realm. Trust me, the article I've linked to here today discusses things that were way worse than the stuff I had to do this morning, Mate. Arrrrrrr!

11-0!

Whew! It's been a long day. I woke up at 0330 as the game was coming on. I'd already set my alarm for later, so I went back to sleep for awhile. I woke up again at 0500 and checked the score. It was 21-2 and nearing the end of the 1st half. I thought, "No problem," and went back to sleep again. When I woke up at 0630, the score was much closer. I think it was 24-21 or something like that. I watched the rest of the game with a little bit of apprehension, especially after OSU lost two fumbles on bad snaps. But the Buckeyes held on. They completed the season with a perfect record and the Big-10 title. They are going to play for the national title, but who are they going to play? That's a good question. The results should be out in another day or two and we will see then. If I were a betting man, I'd guess that if USC beats Notre Dame next week, then they will be number 2 and get a shot at the title.

In honor of the Cincinnati Bearcats playing host to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers, I thought I would post a survey about being from the Queen City. If you are from the area, or know someone who is, you will probably laugh at most of these jokes. If you are not, then maybe this list will shed some light on all the jokes about Cinicinnati.

You Know You're From Cincinnati When...

Your idea of a three-way is chili over spaghetti topped with cheddar You know what Gaeta is - and you've eaten it You hate Cleveland, but you don't know why, and you've never been there You think Pete Rose and Marge Schott were railroaded You say "Please?" instead of "Excuse me?" You think Northern Kentucky is part of Ohio You've been to California, Wyoming, Coney Island, and Over-the-Rhine in one day There are less than 100 murders a year, and you still think you're in Detroit You think Dayton is a Third World country What groundhog? It's the St. Patrick's Day parade leprechaun that forecasts how much longer winter will last. Losing football teams draw more fans than winning baseball teams. Indiana is about 20 miles away, but it takes about four hours to get there. It's too cold in the winter, and too hot and humid in the summer, to ever stay outside for very long. You drive to Columbus or Louisville to avoid the prices at the Cincinnati airport. City council members hold debates on whether or not they should debate in the first place. Tourists still flock downtown to catch a glimpse of cast members from "WKRP," even though the show hasn't aired on network television since 1984, and the show was filmed in LA anyway. You ask lifetime residents where the President Taft house is, but they don't know either. If you do something -- anything -- in public long enough, sooner or later it will be banned. Your low-fat diet is never low enough to exclude Graeter's ice cream. You get through winter listening to Marty and Joe's broadcasts from the grapefruit leagues. Big Red Smokies are a ballpark treat, not cause to dial 9-1-1. If necessary, the city could easily be sliced into two new cities: East and West, and it would take 20 years for anyone to notice something happened. Chocolate and cinnamon, not peppers and beans, are in your chili. You can drive 30 minutes in any direction to hear a different accent than your own. You can accurately judge people's social status by which Kroger's store they frequent. You can go to any church festival in any neighborhood on any weekend and see at least five people you either work with, went to school with, or dated. Even the slightest mention of former baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti makes your blood boil and your ears steam. If the temperature hits 45 degrees, and the sun comes out in any month between November and April, people walk around downtown wearing shades and no jackets. The top stories on the local 6 o'clock evening news look suspiciously like the articles you read in the newspaper that very morning -- and even use the same quotes. Any carbonated beverage is a "coke." Your favorite convenient store sounds like a labor union. You can't hear the words "Mike Brown" without getting angry. You honestly believe that Pete Rose should be in the Baseball Hall Fame. You have more stadiums, coliseums, and arenas than you know what to do with. It doesn't seem weird to you that everyone has an Uncle Al. Your favorite Coney Island isn't in New York. You like Nick Clooney better than George Clooney. You know how Jerry Springer got his start. You know what a pony keg is. You have friends and neighbors with names like Machenheimer, Guckenberger, Schlottman, Schoenling, and Schweitering. You know that cars (like eggs) are cheaper in the country. An all-boys or all-girls school doesn't seem that odd to you You think a mixed marriage is when an East Sider marries a West Sider. You know the difference between Hudy and "Who Dey." You know what cream ale is, and you think that cream soda should be bright red. You think Kentucky is only slightly more civilized than Afghanistan. You know in which state the Greater Cincinnati Airport is located. You actually understand the word, "CRAVE" and white castle burgers. You can almost name the seven "hills" minus one or two. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Cincinnati.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here



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You know, Mark Twain once said that if the world were coming to an end, he'd want to be in Cincinnati because everything happens there 10 years later. I don't know what he means by that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check out this new group called "No Doubt." I hear they're supposed to be pretty good. Have a great week.

respect

I learned this morning that Bo Schembechler has died.

I grew up watching the man work his magic at the University of Michigan as they competed for the Big-10 title almost every year, it seemed. The traditional game between my beloved Buckeyes and the loathed Wolverines is this weekend. I do not know how this loss will affect UM. Coach Bo has not been in Ann Arbor for several years, but I am sure his passing will still have an impact on the team. The emotional factor is bound to be high. Even higher than it was going to be already, I'm sure.



Coach Schembechler, our thoughts and prayers go out to your family in this hour of loss and I know your extended family includes hundreds of thousands of Big Blue faithful.

Go Buckeyes!

Honor, Courage, Commitment

The United States of America is the Land of the Free because it is the Home of the Brave. Cpl Jason Dunham's story is not unique among the Marines I have served with for the last couple of years save for the level of recognition that his story has earned. I mean no disrespect and I hold Cpl Dunham up as a hero. I only mean to say that there are a lot more men just like him and I am humbled for the chance to serve with them and grateful to them, as a husband and a father, for the sacrifices they make to help me protect my family.

Semper Fidelis.

weekend in review

I just wanted to touch on a couple of different issues here before I forget.

Since I've already done my ranting and raving about the election process, let me address an issue my wife raised in an email earlier today. She asked if the shift in the balance of power would have any impact on my deployment schedule. Unfortunately, I doubt it. Yes, the Democrats made huge gains in their numbers in both houses of Congress. Conversely, of course, the Republicans lost a large number of representatives and senators. However, the President of the United States is still the Commander-in-Chief. As such, it is entirely within his authority and responsibility to defend America's interests as he sees fit. I will try to keep an eye on the nomination process for Mr. Bob Gates to replace Mr. Donald Rumsfeld as the Secretary of Defense and we the people should be able to judge how much the Democrats want to cooperate by this very important confirmation process. We are fighting a war on two different fronts right now and the President needs a Secretary of Defense to help him develop and implement policy.

I must admit that when I saw that the Chargers were scheduled to play in Cincinnati, I was not sure who I wanted to win that game. The Chargers still have a good shot at the playoffs I think, and the Bengals could regain some much needed momentum with a win at home. True to the billing, the game turned into a shoot-out and the Bengals were able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory yet again. I hate to say it that way, but if you score 21 unanswered points in the first quarter and go into half-time up 28-7, then you should be able to win the game. That's not to take anything away from the Chargers, but come on. Of course, neither team appears in my sports link list to the right, so I guess it's not that big a deal. It looks like I missed an exciting game, though. That brings me to the game scheduled for this Saturday.

Once again, the nation's focus will be on Columbus OH as the number 1 ranked Buckeyes host their arch-rivals, and the team ranked number 2 in the national standings, the Wolverines from the University of Michigan. I honestly believe that this is in all reality the national championship game. The winner this weekend will be the only undefeated team in the country except possibly Rutgers (wait... Rutgers?!) (yep) and will claim the Big-10 title in the process. Unfortunately, the losing team will probably drop to at least number 3 in the polls, depending on how USC does, and will have to settle for a lesser bowl game in January. Go Buckeyes!

I've already mentioned that I've started a new blog. However, since creating it I've changed the name a couple of times. Check it out and tell me what you think. You may have noticed that I've also tweaked the layout of this blog a bit. I thought I should move some stuff around, and I wanted to add the countdown to the top. Please let me know what you think of these changes.

I've already posted two surveys this week (citizenship and logic) so I won't post another one just now. I am going to try to get into a regular routine about when I update each blog, but until I get that figured out, you'll just have to come back every now and again and see what's up. Have a great week, friends, and thank you for your continued support.

Veterans Day rededication

Veterans Day.

Typically, Veterans Day is almost a sacred holiday for me. Ever since I joined the Corps (actually, when I still in high school) this day has been special day to me. I have an aunt who retired from the Air Force and an uncle who was in the Army. Heck, even my father-in-law is a Marine no longer on active duty. (We don't have "former" Marines. They just no longer serve on active duty status.) Of course, I didn't know him when I was in HS, but I had friends who went to Desert Shield and they were only a year or two ahead of me in school. I've always known I would join the military and do my tour of duty for the flag. I just didn't think it would turn into a career the way it has. Through the years, I have always tried to maintain the standards that were passed to me from senior Marines. This trail of training started with Staff Sgt Huston (who retired a few years ago as a Master Sgt) who recruited me and Sgt Clark, my senior Drill Instructor at Parris Island. There was Sgt Ford who was the platoon sergeant for a time when I was with the Division Band with CWO Grimes and Master Guns Harris. Then, suddenly, I was the platoon sergeant with the Wing Band at El Toro. Guys like Dave Studer and Alan Benoit made that band a lot of fun. I've seen guys reenlist in combat zones because they wanted to be there. I've seen guys voluntarily extend their tours to deploy with their buddies and end up not coming home. I know a Marine who survived an attack and was sent home as the escort for his twin brother, who didn't make it. Through it all, I've met men and women from just about every service (sorry Coast Guard) and I can tell you that despite our sometimes-not-so-friendly rivalries, I could not be more impressed with the caliber of young people in today's military.

We held a traditional cake cutting ceremony in the hanger bay of the Essex yesterday. The oldest Marine present was a Master Gunnery Sergeant who was born in 1955. He received the first piece of the cake, cut by the MEU commanding officer. He turned and passed his piece to the youngest Marine present to symbolize the passing of traditions from one generation to another. The new generation was represented by a young Lance Corporal who was born in 1988.

Did I have a point I was trying to make? Actually, yes.

Every year, people all across the country promise to better themselves starting with the new year in January. I've decided I'm not going to wait that long. I started the 2006 with a goal of running 2000 miles this year. I've stopped counting how many miles I did run, but I know it was nowhere close to 2000. I even started a 2nd blog to track my progress, but I had not updated it since May. I've deleted that blog. I started another one, though, and I started today. I'm not going to wait until January. I'm also not going to force myself to try and run 6 miles a day (that's 2000 miles for the year) to start. I started with 4 miles on the treadmill this morning. It is my intention to run every day but Sunday and as I get into better shape, I will increase my distance. In this manner, I will set a better example to junior Marines who look to me to set an example. I will try to honor the sacrifices made by all those who have gone before. And I will look and feel better. If you would like to keep tabs on my progress, you may click here and be taken to my new blog, "on the not-so-fast track" and leave a comment if you so choose. I will continue to post here of course, but I hope you will stop by my new site from time to time. If not, though, that's not a problem. I'm not doing this for you. I'm not even doing this for me. I'm doing this for Him who created me and wants me to honor Him by taking care of His temple, and I'm doing this for those who can no longer do it for themselves.

A Birthday Ode

The young man was nervous and maybe afraid
He wasn’t quite sure what he’d been thinking that day
He’d gone to Tunn Tavern to grab a quick brew
And walked out after signing on as one of the Few
It was November Seventeen Hundred and Seventy-Five
And a Corps had just come to life
He’d pledged his life to something unseen
He was the first enlistee: the first Marine

The young man was hot. Sweat dripped from his brow
He wondered what his friends were doing just now
He was on a long march led by his lieutenant
But for some reason his heart wasn’t in it
He’d left home months before
And crossed the ocean to fight in this war
The President said that it needed to be done
So he’d packed up his gear and picked up his gun
The temperature rose and his blood began to boil
This young man for a fight he did spoil
After the battle was over and he’d done his part
He was awarded a coveted Purple Heart
On the shores of Tripoli they’d been true to their word
And Lt O’Bannon was given a fine sword

The young man sat weeping for his friends who had died
The fighting was fierce, but they’d turned the tide
Most of the men he’d known for many years
Had fallen and that was the reason for his tears
He vowed to remember them. He swore to recall
The battle that took place in Montezuma’s hall
So to his trousers he added a stripe of red
To remind him of the blood that was shed

The young man stood tall although he was weary
The news was bad and the weather was dreary
Today they would assault through Belleau Wood
And drive out the enemy as best as they could
He fixed his bayonet and checked his gas mask
Would he be up to this difficult task?
From tree to tree and trench to trench the battle raged
It was a fierce fight in the first war of the machine gun age
He fought with courage and they carried the day
The Huns who survived would report back and say
That they’d fought like Devil Dogs they were so tough
And the Germans who’d held the woods had had enough

The young man felt fear as his boat neared the shore
This was a new way to fight a war
And yet some things were very much the same
He carried the history of the his Corps to help keep him sane
The Higgins boat hit the beach and the gate crashed down
All of his preparation had not readied him for the sounds
He stormed the beach covered in black sand
It was tough to run and suicide to stand
He fought to the top of the mountain and helped raise the colors
It was a tremendous way to inspire the others
He never made it back from that hill
On Iwo Jima you can visit him still
His brothers had fought on Guadalcanal and the atoll of Kwajalein
On Tarawa and other places that he’d never seen

The young man was awed by the leader he’d just met
He was from Texas. This winter was his coldest yet
He’d landed at Inchon and marched inland
Until the enemy had shown their true hand
“We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem.” Chesty Puller had said
And in a fighting withdrawal his troops he then led
The 1st Division fought its way home through the snow
And destroyed 7 enemy divisions as they did so

The young man was ready, eager in fact
He wanted some action. He was ready to act
He thought he’d be drafted so he had volunteered
And signed up for the job that everyone feared
He was a Marine with a rifle and on that great day
He fought through the streets in the city of Hue
Through the streets one block at a time
The Marines advanced over every phase line

The young man was restless and could find no respite
He’d been here six months with no end in sight
The build up continued with troops all around
They struggled to dig holes in the sandy ground
Finally the word came to move in
The Shield had become Storm and it was time to win
His friends had scoffed when he joined the Corps
But he knew what he was doing and what it was for

The young man was envious of those in the past
Until one day, his turn to fight came at last
He went to the desert from where all life came
And he carried with him the proudest of names
It wasn’t his surname he sought to uphold
But the legacy of the Corps from those days of old

The young woman stayed home and cried every night
She waited until the children were asleep out of sight
She worried for her Marine and the things he must do
But she was a patriot and a proud woman, too
She’d married her love and knew it for sure
He was married to her and in love with the Corps

For Two Hundred and Thirty One years the Corps has been true
Dedicated to the principles of the Red, White, and Blue
In every clime and in any place
The Marines have always shown their face
America is and always shall be
Blessed to be protected by the U-S-M-C

Semper Fidelis

Rights and Responsibilities

Disclaimer: I am standing on my soap box and I am about to speak from the bottom of my red, white, and blue heart. You have been warned.

Okay, let’s see… after a disclaimer like ^that^ I wonder what could possibly be on my mind today. It’s the elections, of course. Not just the elections this year, but voting in general. I have to take a deep breath because I don’t want to just spout rhetoric and nonsense. I know this may come as a surprise to the liberals out there, but yes, there is such a thing as original thought in America these days.

Anyway, I have seen on the news that the Democrats have won enough seats to take control of the House of Representatives. Let me pause right there to ask, if it really is a House of Representatives, who do they represent? I know the Constitution says they represent the people who voted for them to be in office, but is that truly the case? I often wonder, but I digress. I don’t get a chance to watch very much news from the States out here in my current location, but I’ve seen enough to get the gist of what the national strategy was for the D’s. Their entire platform seemed to be to criticize anything and everything the President did and claim to be able to do better. Well, here’s your chance, Ms. Pelosi. (Even Fox News analysts say it’s a forgone conclusion that Nancy Pelosi will likely be the next Speaker of the House.) The challenge for the next couple of years, I think, will be to actually do something with this power. The Democrats have done nothing constructive for the past 6 years and I will be very curious to see what they intend to do now that the party of Ted and John is in charge of the budget writing process. I already know that my taxes are going up. Prove me wrong, blue team. Renew the tax cuts enacted by President Bush and the Republicans. Let me do what I think is best for my family. Stay out of my pocketbook as much as possible. Oh, and that’s assuming that I will continue to make enough money to even pay taxes. The last couple have years have convinced me that we need an overhaul of the tax code. I made almost as much money on my tax return as I made in reportable income for the tax year 2005. I don't get it.

The Democrats hold the likes of Cindy Sheehan and Jane Fonda close to their hearts. That does not bode well for the military. I didn’t join the Corps to make a fortune, but I would feel better if I knew that the budget funds will be there to get the supplies we need. I’m not even talking about plasma TV’s or hi tech satellite gear. I just want enough paper to print my contracts and fuel for the vehicles. Oh, having ammo might be a good idea and if you are so certain that we don’t have enough armor in Iraq, then you’re more than welcome to approve a budget for R&D to fix that problem. Of course, that’s taking the huge leap of faith that you intend to see the Global War on Terrorism through to the end. Will you do that or will you cut and run and allow Iraq to fall apart and then try to place the blame on the President?

By the way, the coverage of the elections by CNN sucked. True, the elections are a big news story. True, there are people out there who may not understand exactly all the nuances of what happened yesterday, but when you report that the Republicans are losing to the Democrats, could you at least try to do it with a straight face? I thought Wolf Blitzer was going to have an orgasm as he kept reporting on the races as they were being called. It was clearly another fine example of the liberal bias of the main stream media. For every Republican they had on CNN to “explain the loss”, they had two Democrats gloating. At least on Fox, they had evenly split coverage between the two sides. Don’t believe me? Check the footage. Okay, that’s my pitch on the results of the election. I haven’t heard yet how the local issues did in California, so I can only make generic observations about the bigger picture.

Now, for those of you who voted to not vote, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to walk up to a member of the military. Whether he or she is active duty, reserve, retired, or just got out after serving for four years doesn’t matter. I want you tell them that you did not exercise your right to vote; a right for which hundreds of thousands of men and women have sacrificed, fought, bled, and even died to protect; and I want you to say, “I did not vote because I do not care about my freedom.” And I want you to slap them in the face. I fully support your right to vote any way you choose, even if I think you voted incorrectly, and I have been separated from my family for half of the last three years to defend that right. I want you to slap me physically so I can see it coming and I want to look you in the eye before and after you hit me. It is difficult to say that democracy is alive and well in America when less than ½ of the country’s registered voters even bother to voice their opinion.

By the way, if you didn’t vote and you’re eligible to do so… SHUT UP! I hereby revoke your right to say what you want. Hey, you didn’t vote, so I’m suspending the rest of your rights as a citizen of the United States. Until you participate in the process of democracy, you have no right to voice your opinion as far as I’m concerned. You have voluntarily abandoned one right, so I’m saving you the trouble of having to surrender the others one by one.

The quiz for today was taken a long time ago. I may have even posted these results before. If so, I’m sorry, but it’s my blog and I can post whatever I want.

You Are Incredibly Logical

Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

Oh, I figured this is as good a time as any to update the name of this log as well. Since it seems to be my question to the Democrats, and is also my question to every Marine I counsel about their career options, I thought it appropriate for this forum. Have a great rest of your week. I’ll be back in a few days.

Open Water

Well, we're back on the open water, or "Blue Water" as the Navy refers to the open ocean. I thought all water was blue, but I'm just a Jarhead, so what do I know? We completed the exercises that we'd gone to the Philippines for and spent a couple of days in Subic Bay for liberty. Other than buying souvenirs for the family, I think I spent a total of maybe $10 on myself. That money got me lots of good food, including what may very well be the absolute best hot wings I've ever had, and even a nice tight haircut complete with straight razor around the hairline. There were plenty of opportunities for me to get into trouble, but I was able to resist the worst parts of town for the most part. Don't forget that I am 48% evil after all. (LOL) That reminds me... how was your Halloween? Mine was the same as the 30th, and the 1st, but at least I didn't get a rock for trying to go "trick or treat"-ing like poor old Charlie Brown.

And now we're on the down hill side of this deployment. I am so ready to get home to my family that it makes me sick. Wait, maybe that's the water from Subic Bay... Still, I'm glad to be closing in on another homecoming. I hope it's my last one for a while. I know there are Marines who love this sort of thing, but I don't happen to be one of them. Don't get me wrong. I know I have a job to do and I gladly do my duty, but my family life is too important to sacrifice them on the altar of the EGA gun club. (That would be the Corps, if you weren't paying attention.) My wife is raising our children by herself right now and that's not right for any of us. My kids need their Daddy, my wife needs her husband, and I need them. Besides, whether I finish out my 20 years and retire, or get out at the end of this contract, the Corps will still be there. The National Marine museum that's about to open in DC is a monument to that fact.

Speaking of Washington… don’t forget that it's almost election time back in the States. Whatever your political affiliation may be, I would like to urge you in the strongest terms possible to get out and vote on Tuesday. Voting is a right that is purchased every time a soldier lays his life on the line to protect that right. The sailor who sails into harm's way to ensure that others don't have to worry about roadside bombs on I-5, I-40, or I-95 has given of his soul to protect your right to vote. The pilot who flies the unfriendly skies over remote corners of the world and gazes down on people who risk a form of martyrdom to stand in line to cast their ballots has sworn to defend their right to do so. The Marine who fights for right and freedom and strives to keep his honor clean while conducting some very dirty business against some very evil people has bled and many of us have died to deliver the God-given right to vote to a population hungry to breathe free air. Please do not sit on your couch on Tuesday and complain that you don't understand how to use the computer voting system. Please do not say that you don't really care who's in office so you're not going to bother with voting this year. You have the right to vote and by not voting, you are forfeiting your right to complain. There, I said it. Take note, Cindy (Sheehan). I may not like your opinion (although for those of you who read this, I tend to agree with you) but I will defend to the death your right to have and voice that opinion. God bless America! By the way, I passed the American Citizenship test. How did you do?

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 9 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?