Oh, That's Rich

Senator Harry Reid is attacking Rush Limbaugh for his statement about "phony troops" - in reference to Jesse Macbeth, a man who falsely claimed to be a Ranger. This is rich. From the man who claimed the war in Iraq is "lost" & that the Surge has "failed", we get a claim that someone else is attacking the troops.

Here's the Reid quote:

Here is what we wrote: "Dear Mr. Mays." Here's the letter, Mr. President. "At the time we signed this letter, 3,801 hundred American soldiers had been killed in Iraq. Another 27,936 have been wounded. One hundred and sixty others awoke this morning on foreign sand far from home to face the danger and uncertainty of another day at war. Although Americans of goodwill debate the merits of this war, we can all agree that those who serve with such great courage deserve our deepest respect and gratitude.

That's why Rush Limbaugh's recent characterization of troops who oppose the war as "phony soldiers" is an outrage. Our troops are fighting and dying to bring to others the freedoms that many take for granted. It is unconscionable that Mr. Limbaugh would criticize them for exercising the fundamental American right to free speech. We call on you to publicly repudiate these comments that call into question their service and sacrifice and ask Mr. Limbaugh to apologize for his comments.

Obviously, the Senator from Nevada is concerned someone is going to hate the troops more than he does - something for which Senator Reid cannot stand! A man who has opposed the military at many turns has the nerve to accuse one of the most openly declared supporters of our troops - a man who has backed it up by his visits to Afghanistan & military hospitals - of calling ALL soldiers who oppose the war "phony troops".

Now, Mr. Limbaugh can stand up for himself, so I won't go any farther into defending his discussion.

As for the Senator, how dare he declare a war lost? Attempting to demoralize our troops is the same as providing aid and comfort to the enemy. For those of you who may have forgotten what Senator Reid said on this subject:

I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and — you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows — (know) this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday. Senator Harry Reid - April,20 2007

Oh and you know how, Senator? I forgot you're the preeminent military strategist. Fact is, anyone who thinks the Democrats as a party have ever supported our troops in the modern era is misled. I served in the military under President Clinton & his lack of concern for our military was evident on everything from downsizing to early-retirement programs. There was even talk of reducing paid leave from 30 to 18 days (that's just hearsay, though). I honestly can't believe there's any support from the Democrats towards our men & women in uniform.

We have a Senator who takes the same oath as other officials to "support and defend" the Constitution. Obviously, the Distinguished Gentleman from Nevada takes exception to that when he disagrees with the action being taken. Denouncing the military and their mission is nothing more than a political football to him and his party.

Shame on you, Senator. Our military deserves better representatives in government than you.

Black Belt, Black Eye

We have a saying the martial arts: You have more to fear in class from a junior belt than you ever will from a black belt. I first heard this as a white belt in HKD & I have never forgotten how true it is.

Well, apparently, I needed a huge dose of reality in the form of a clumsy, 250 lb, police officer yellow belt. Moreover, someone decided my smile (33 years, ZERO cavities!) was a bit too pretty.

This yellow belt was being way too intense the whole night (all 15 minutes of it, anyway) & I know I should have called him on it. He nearly injured a couple others & torqued on my wrist quite a bit. I figured no harm since it's flexible after four years of this treatment. Needless to say, I paid the price for my complacency: Black belts are expected to lead, not just observe & think to themselves.

Anyway, this lumbering junior belt did a breakaway from a single wrist grab that involves "pushing" your elbow into the solar plexus & driving it straight upwards into the person's chin...BUT, that's not where he got me. He didn't even drive into my solar plexus. No hit, no problem.

The problem started when he was coming down. I actually stepped back for this part knowing there's a risk you can get popped in the face when the elbow drops. Well, Skippy apparently decided to over-compensate for my compensation & drove his elbow into the bottom edge of my eye socket. This particular motion drove my head downwards (no, really!) & slammed my mostly closed jaw shut. The resulting crack made me think I lost 1/2 my teeth in that shot!

I dropped to the ground in the interest of: 1) getting away from this guy; and 2) to appraise the extent of my injuries. No blood, eye still seeing 20/20, so far so good. That's when I felt a chunk of tooth in my mouth.

Now, for anyone who's never chipped a tooth by way of having a 250lb guy driving an elbow into your skull, let me tell you that chunk gives you a baaad feeling. Add to that I have basically perfect teeth & you'll understand why I was nervous.

I went to the restroom & got the piece of tooth out. Fortunately, not that big. It was a small, angled chip off my lower incisor (#25, I think). I went home & used some fluoride mouthwash on it & went to the dentist this morning. Apparently, it's fixable with "no problems" according to the dentist (BTW, Gentle Dental rules! They are so great!)

As for the rest, the elbow impact (just below my left eye) was iced immediately & that kept the swelling to a minimum. I've still got a bit of a shiner & it's tender but I was very lucky.

The lesson learned? First, I will ALWAYS use my mouthguard - even during warm-ups. The other guys call me paranoid but that's too close a call to look like a hockey player permanently. Second, if there's a student acting a bit too rough for his/her level I will tell the person about it & slow them down. Addendum: Unless it's a very attractive "she" & then we'll see where it goes. heh heh

Seriously, take a cue from Roses & learn from another person's mistake: If it's not looking quite right or seems out of place - it probably is. Do something about it when you see it, not when it's too late.

Hilarious

That's the only way to describe this brilliant little clip from Family Guy:

HateAmerica.edu

Columbia University, despite various protests, will not cancel a speech by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the university's "World Leaders Program".

And why would they? For a school that has no love for the military - they kicked the ROTC out - and apparently the rights these service members provide these collegiate chickens we shouldn't be surprised that they want a declared enemy of the USA to speak. In this case, it's fair to assume Columbia is rallying for him to speak because they support his anti-American views.

Well, if you think, like Ahmadinejad, that the holocaust is fake & Israel should be destroyed, then you probably still believe in the Tooth Fairy & think universal heath care is a good idea. In other words: you're really a loony leftist.

If a declared enemy wanted to step on the shores of this great land in the past, he'd receive a 21-gun salute...in the form of 21 Marines popping holes in his brain case! Not only do I think this shameful display by Columbia University is un-American, it's demonstrative of how institutions of higher "learning" have become indoctrination centers for socialist leanings.

***Update***

Here's a petition in protest of Ahmadinejad speaking at Columbia University. I definitely took the time to sign it. I hope you will, too.

Communism At Its Finest

Hillary Clinton is showing more of her true colors ("puke" is a color, right?) by stating to the AP that she "could envision a day" when applicants would have to show proof of medical insurance as a pre-requisite for a job interview.

Oh, well gee, why don't we get the Klinton/Edwards ticket started right now? If we're all going to have to pay through the nose for health care - those of us with jobs, anyway - we might as well be required to have that insurance so we can prove we're not deadbeats...except for actual deadbeats, who will DEFINITELY have the insurance all us working-class folks provide.

What a load of crap. Seriously, I pay a significant portion of my income just to ensure people who aren't working still aren't working. The last thing I, or any other working Americans, need is tax & spend liberals telling us heath care is mandatory. That's just one more "burden" they're taking off of us, the little people.

Hey, while you're at it, can you take away my choice of route to drive? Ooh, how about my vacation destinations? Can Hillary tell me what to eat? I'm sooo confused on all of this!

Earned My Title

Last week I tested for & passed my 1st Degree test in Hapkido.


Before I get into details, apologies to ChlorineJenny of IDPWWO for not having the air fall video - yet. I will post the clip as soon as I have it.


My techniques went pretty well. I didn't miss any - which is good considering there's 171 of them. I do think my throws could have been better. I'm normally solid with them & while they weren't bad I expected them to be faster.


Being in the circle went well. I didn't get too fancy - that would be bad against three black belts. - & put my focus on keeping them off me. I did have to use a sort of blind fold (it had small holes that allowed no peripheral vision & screwed up depth-of-field) when doing self-defense & I took a light shot to the jaw.


Groundfighting. Ah, how to describe this unbelievable event! I had to spar one of my best friends - a guy known for his natural ability & speed on the ground - & I started off by getting him in a rear mount! Now, many of you, particularly Harvey, may be wondering why this is so great. Well, in groundfighting, there are four basic positions. In ascending order of dominance, they are:

4) Side Control (Attacker on back, chest to chest)
3) Guard (Attacker inside your legs)
2) Mount (Attacker on bottom)
1) Rear Mount (Attacker in front, back to you)

In other words a rear mount is about as good as it's going to get in a groundfight. Yes, there are ways out of it but they're all very tough. I tapped out a 2nd degree with years of experience by using this position.


So, I have Adam in a rear mount & everyone was just amazed at this. I'm pulling him up to seat the choke, I have my hooks into his legs (so he can't turn his body out of the choke) & I start to squeeze my elbows to choke him out...


That's when it happened.


I don't know how many of you ever experienced a cramp in your calf muscle but let me tell you it HURTS! Even more so when your friend is grabbing it to free himself. Adam was digging in & pushing my leg off so he could turn his body. There wasn't much I could do because that cramp was killing me.


Still, I kept in the fight. I tried to force him out with the choke but it was nothing happening. He had turned out of it & dropped his forearm on my unprotected throat. I've been in this position countless times & I've never panicked. I placed my arm on his elbow & started to push while turning my hips. That's when I realized he had wrapped his other arm behind my neck to support the choke.


There wasn't much I could do. As I went to force his hand off the back of my neck, he dropped his weight on me. Discretion being the better part of valor, I tapped when I started seeing stars & blacking out. It was a heartbreaker but there's no shame in losing to a superior opponent.


All I can remember thinking is, "Man, I HAD him"!


The groundfight against Kyle (the 2nd Degree) was good. No submissions & it went to a draw. He was in a better position (mount) at the end but I was doing OK all things considered.


Well, that's the test. It was good, no one got hurt & I was more sore than I've ever been. I'll have that video up as soon as I get it.

Finding God

Baptist Cowboy

A cowboy, who is visiting Wyoming from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.

The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, "You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time."

The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado. When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself."

The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.

The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.

One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss."

The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.

"Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking."

"Hasn't affected my brothers though."

Or Just Tune Into A Debate

Scientists have developed a LED flashlight that emits a series of bright flashes that may cause the "target" to throw up.

Fortunately, unlike the crappy debates we've been subject to (hello, talking to you, YouTube), I do NOT have access to a video of this one in action! :-)

Prince Charming

I had to work on Labor Day. Yeah, it was about as fun as you can imagine.

At one point I stood up to go to the copier. At the same time one of my co-workers asked, "Who has Charm today?" Charm is the name of a dispatcher at my company.

Not missing a beat I replied, "I've got TONS of it!" :-P

Gotta Protect Government Property

According to this AP story, John Edwards wants to mandate doctor visits ("preventative medicine") under his universal health care plan.

"Brilliant" is only one of the words I can't apply to this hare-brained scheme. Honestly, why don't we bar-code people or add tracking chips under the skin (Hey, Edwards, great idea for phase 2)? Not only are we going to have available health care for people, we're going to force health care on people - whether they like it or not!

So, what's the next step for a program like this? I ask because once a government program is initiated it pretty much becomes like the Russian guy in Highlander: immortal, unstoppable & a force that will hound you for the rest of your years.

It seems Mr. Edwards is becoming increasingly kooky with time. First, it's no more SUVs (which he owns). Second, we have forced universal health care. What's the next step? How about mandatory grooming standards? Surely if we all can't tell when we need to go to the doctor, we can't be trusted how to dress ourselves! This could become the next great Democrat platform.

The Greater Good

Presidential candidate John Edwards says Americans should give up their SUVs in the name of greater fuel efficiency.

Obviously, it's for the greater good & not our choice anymore, comrades! Heck, individualism is an anathema to promoting the common good & everyone should be willing to sacrifice their hard-earned dollars to higher taxes the betterment of society instead of spending it on themselves.

Here's some other ways we can sacrifice in the name of John "Breck Girl" Edwards:

* Hairspray: Hand them over. Not for CFCs but so Edwards' hair always has that smooth sheen to it.

* Manhood: If elected POTUS by law no one can be more manly than him. Ronald Reagan set this precedent - which was a great idea at the time of a bad mofo Commander In Chief. With an Edwards presidency we can expect Lifetime to replace Spike as TV for men. Kleenex will then be for crying only...

* Inter-dimensional Travel: Edwards constantly talks about "Two Americas" - both in this campaign & the last. This has convinced me that he has declared war on this America & seeks for the other "America" to win. If you need proof, see the SUV article. While Edwards has not explicitly called this a dimensional rift, I'm willing to bet these evil duplicates of us real Americans all have goatees.

* Reputation: America is known as the premier nation throughout the world. Our military is feared, our people free & no matter what anyone says about us, when the USS George Washington (plug for my old ship) rolls into town, it's like E.F. Hutton, whoop-a$$ style. With an Edwards presidency, kiss that goodbye. As a matter of fact, we'll be reduced to kissing, rather than kicking, our enemies butts. We'll be the butt of every joke because no country will be afraid of a POTUS who has all the clout of the Snuggle bear.

* Choices: First, it's your SUV, then it's cigarettes. Soon, we'll all be a bunch of no salt-having pansies like Rob Schneider in Demolition Man. If that's the kind of future you want, then you're on your own. Better yet, let me in on that & I'll be running that utopia in five minutes after I single-handedly disarm your "troops" with a few choice words about their mothers. I say leave choices out there for everyone, let them pay for their own medical care if they smoke, eat fast food for every meal or ride a motorcycle without a helmet. Leave the choice up to them & you'll notice the gene pool gets a lot cleaner. Fast.

Addendum

On my last note to self:

While demonstrating an air fall is a good way to scare adults away, kids will treat it like a carnival ride & keep asking you to do it again.

On the plus side, I set a new personal record for height. Estimate was almost 5'!

If you're thinking 5' doesn't sound like much jump in the air, go horizontal & land on your side. Let me know how it feels...when you get out of the hospital. ;-)

It's Called Authoritarianism

Hillary Clinton supports a national ban on smoking according to the New York Post. Now, I'm not a smoker - I've never smoked a cigarette in my life - but I have tried the occasional cigar. As it stands, one can't smoke a cigar in a majority of places (at least in Iowa). However, this is a result of restaurant owners/managers choosing to refuse guests that privilege.

That choice is key to our society. Business owners should be allowed to decide if they want their establishment to look like a shady pool hall or a pristine garden. That's the whole concept of "owning" something: the ability to determine what you want to do with it. If you want to drive your car off a cliff, I'll think you're a moron but can't really argue with it unless it involves landing on a bus of orphans.

This whole socialist concept embraced by many democrats is against the fundamental freedoms America promises. Large government - bureaucracy, pork, high taxation & regulation - does nothing for the individual and, as society is comprised of said individuals, thus we can determine that large government does nothing for the people as a whole.

What's causing such a large amount of government involvement? I blame people's laziness. Lots of people have become convinced that society should take care of them, that they are entitled to a break, etc. Never, it seems, do they stop & consider they ARE part of society & if they are fortunate enough to be able to fend for themselves, they should do so. Sure, there's a small percentage (probably less than 5%) who are not in this group & there's nothing wrong with supporting the infirm, elderly or sick. Anyone who can DO but neglects that ability should really denied public support. It's not like we're experiencing a shortage of jobs here!

I came across this political test about a year ago & found it very entertaining. I found it's an accurate means of showing someones socio-economic viewpoint. If you take it, post your scores here & we'll see how everyone measures up! Bonus points for anyone who gets lower right quadrant!

Did She Keep Count?

A woman celebrated her 100th birthday by smoking her 170,000th cigarette. Which begs the question:

Do you smokers keep count of this stuff?

Politicians

OK, I'm throwing the BS flag way high!

I'm talking to every politician out there, particularly the ones running for POTUS: Listen, dimwits, nearly every time I see an article quoting one of you doofuses you're out there claiming that such & such is doing [whatever] for political gain.

Oh, and you aren't? Please.

You. Are. Politicians. Every bleeping thing you do is for political or personal gain. Barack Obama accused AG Gonzales of "subverting justice to promote a political agenda". Yeah, and Senator Obama sure isn't concerned about politics. A POTUS candidate would never do that.

::Rolls eyes::

I call for all politicians to drop the political posturing of accusing others of political posturing. Heck, if you think that last sentence looks weird, how do you think it feels watching candidates throwing their hats in the ring almost two years before the general election? Surely, we can do better than a bunch of left/right/middle attack mongers who really only care about one issue:

Themselves.

August 24th

It's a couple (OK, three) days late but in honor of my Mom's birthday - my actual Mom, not a blog-mom (which I don't have *sniff* *sniff*) - here's On This Day In History for August 24th:

* 2006: Pluto demoted to "dwarf" planet. Suddenly more popular at wild parties.

* 1997: Greg Norman wins World Series of Golf. Shoots 273.

* 1997: Mark Calcavecchia wins Greater Vancouver Golf Open. Shoots 265.

* 2007: STILL no charges filed against either?!?

* 1995: Windows 95 debuts. Blue Screen of Death introduced to pop culture.

* 1991: Gorbachev resigns as head of communist party.

* 1991: Ukraine declares independence from USSR.

* 1991: Reagan's victory over commies complete. Ukraine provides the salt.

* 1968: France becomes world's 5th nuclear power. Can surrender with aplomb!

* 1960: -127 degrees in Vostok, Antarctica. Hillary Clinton claims she was in Maine at the time.

* 1876: Riots abolish fairs in Amsterdam. Officials wonder if there's a way to mellow the populace...

* 1215: Pope Innocent III declares Magna Carta invalid. Take that, ya limey SOBs!

August 20th

In honor of my friend, Scott's, 40th birthday I decided to send him a list of events on this day in history. Actually, it was really fun & I'll probably continue to do this...

Most of it's true, some of it's crap, but I think a lot of it's funny.


On This Day In:
* 1991: Dolphin Dan Marino surpasses Joe Montana as the highest paid NFL
player with a 5-year extension for $25 million.

* 2005: Dolphin Dan Marino finds out you can buy a LOT of twinkies with $25 million. Joins Nutri-system.

* 1990: Steinbrenner steps down as New York Yankees owner.

* 1990: Yankee Kevin Mass becomes fastest to reach 15 home runs (132 at bats).

* 2007: Steinbrenner owns Yankees again. Kevin Mass...uh, who?

* 1982: US Marines land in Beirut, Lebanon.

* 1982: Gives new meaning to the phrase, "DON'T make me come over there!"

* 1980: Mt. Everest climbed by Italian Reinhold Messner, alone.

* 1981: Reinhold Messner tried for violating the Italian surname law & Casanova Act of 1864.

* 1975: Viking 1 launched to orbit around Mars.

* 1976: Viking 1 thrown off course by impacting Alice Kramden in lunar orbit.

* 1978: Tatyana Providokhina runs female record 1K (2:30.6).

* 2007: Coincidentally, this is also how long it takes to write her name...

* 1942: Dim-out regulations implemented in San Francisco.

* 2007: Regulations still not lifted. Dimmest kooks in the country still live there.

* 1957: "Simply Heavenly" opens at Playhouse Theater New York City for 62 performances.

* 2007: And Scott made me think he was being original when he described being married to Vicki for 18 years. Copycat!

* 1994: Archbishop Quarracino wants all homosexuals to leave Argentina. Thus begins San Francisco's original "sanctuary policy".

* 1978: Mark Vinchesi of Amherst,MA keeps a frisbee aloft 15.2 seconds.

* 1978: Mr. Vinchesi comes outside & yells at young Mark to "quit screwing with that *%^# leaf-blower"!

* 1922: 1st world championship athletics for women, held in Paris.

* 2007: Still not over. Women mysteriously drawn to all the fashion shops. Husbands call off search. Cancel credit cards.

* 2007: Happy 40th, Scott!

Madness?

Wedding

No, I didn't make some crazy decision from the last post...

My little sis, Liz & her fiance, Mickey, were married yesterday at Saint Patrick's in Cedar Rapids,IA at 1pm! Beautiful (thankfully, the short) catholic ceremony during which I, being the only catholic in my row, managed to drop the kneeling rest on the foot of the lady next to me (I am so, so sorry!). Fortunately, she did not make a sound at the obvious pain & forgave me immediately. It sure made that sign of peace much less apprehensive... :-)

Liz looked absolutely beautiful in her dress: It was a traditional deal without any overkill. Let's face it, I've seen women go bonkers with the train that literally stops traffic, frills that would turn Liberace jealous & pretentious crowns that should be slapped off their heads. She was a sensible bride & picked a dress that she would enjoy, could breathe in & that wouldn't make the mass gasp in shock.

Mickey, of course, was dressed impeccably & had a rather nice tux going for him. I'm not a tails kind of guy, but it works for him. In addition to being ready-to-go in the grooming department, he was calm & cool the whole ceremony. Heck, you couldn't tell he was nervous (which, of course, he was) & he calmed an obviously emotional (in a good way!) Liz in a matter of seconds.

The reception was done on the other side of town & not until 6pm, so I took my friends Loren, Scott & Vicki to lunch at Granite City. Nice place. They don't rush you out of there & the food was well prepared.

At the reception, it was straight to the martinis for me! Grey Goose, dry, straight-up, with three olives. Yeah, I know how I like 'em! I had three over the course of three hours or so (I stopped there because I'd have to drive later on). I talked for a few minutes with Jackie, a friend in the wedding party, met a few new people who were incredibly nice & gabbed with a buddy who moved away from the area a couple years ago. I wished the bride & groom well - DUH! - & a good time was had by all.

Congratulations, sis & Mickey! You're a beautiful couple. I wish only the best blessings for you, your family & your future family! *wink* *wink* :-)

Met Someone?

Maybe.

I went to a friend's birthday party last night. He's a buddy from TKD - mostly we try to knock each other's heads off - that's a really decent person. He introduced me to a co-worker of his who's kind of cute, a tri-athlete & seems a bit introverted. Basically, she takes care of herself, is on the athletic side & isn't to assertive - pretty much my "type".

I may ask him to get me her number.

I'm a bit slow to pull the trigger since, frankly, I'm on the fragile side right now. I can't afford to have a bad date since my last forays into the dating world just went lousy, IMO. I'd say I'm a bit too much on the "traditional" side of dating. You know: Holding doors, chairs, decent manners, etc. It's apparently weird for some of the women I've dated. OK, the last one was a bit on the loopy side - scary, really - & the one before that scrutinized me like I was a conservative at the NYT (Lady, it was a FIRST date! It's about getting to know someone, not critiquing his/her life).

OK, to be up front, I haven't dated in about 3 years. For those of you who don't think it's that bad (& in some ways it isn't) look at how long it took you to graduate high school, serve one tour in the military or graduate college - weep for me...

I'm generally a sociable, confident person. You put me in front of a large group & I'll tell them what I think without hesitation. I don't fear the "normal" things: public speaking, death (not mine, anyway) or even heights. The latter, I had to conquer on my own & I'm proud of that. Rejection, however, is something that hits me square in the gut. The thought of it saps my will to even try dating again (& darn it I'm a frakkin' GOOD first date!)

I'm not even sure what this post is about. Here I am: A generally moral, somewhat athletic, average to above average-looking (with a full head of hair!) guy who does his best to give something back to the community, live an honest life & put people in his life ahead of himself. Yet, I always stop myself from going ahead of asking anyone out. I could blame it on lousy timing, bad experiences in high school/college, droughts in dating, etc. But I'm not the person to pass blame.

The responsibility rests with me but I can't figure out how to change it. The above is just a sample of the internal debate every time I meet someone - which, as you can imagine, sucks any of the thrill out of it. I actually pray that I won't meet someone so I don't have to feel this way anymore.

HELP!!!