Carol Burnett Show: Wrong Number

The Carol Burnett Show was a television smash success for years.  The video, below, is one of her many brilliantly hilarious skits.  This one features Carol and Tim Conway interacting after Tim answers the phone only to find it was a wrong number.  Check it out.

[My thanks to Edna Oeth for forwarding this]

United Airlines Messes With the Wrong Guy

United Airlines did it again!  This time their abysmal customer service department stonewalled a musician whose $3500 Taylor guitar was damaged by baggage handlers.  This is just another of the countless incidents involving terrible customer service by the airline (see my previous articles, Flying the "Unfriendly Skies": A Despicable Story and Flying the "Unfriendly Skies": The Pilots Step Up).  But this time, they messed with the wrong person.  After being stonewalled by United customer service for OVER NINE MONTHS, singer and songwriter, Dave Carroll, wrote a song, created a video and posted it on You Tube.  It was an instant success.  As I write this, nearly 6.5 MILLION PEOPLE have viewed the video, leaving thousands of comments and personal horror stories on the site.  After the huge success of Dave's video, United, allegedly, contacted him to offer a settlement if he would agree to remove his video.  Dave refused.  He has subsequently appeared on several major TV networks to tell the story in his own words.  Check out his video, below.

You can view one of Dave's network TV interviews and his sequel video with the following links:

Dave Carroll's Early Show Interview
United Breaks Guitars Sequel 

[My thanks to Rick Douglas for forwarding this]

Holiday Humor: Beware of the Doghouse

This clever video clip shows what happens when a man gives his wife or girlfriend the wrong gift for the holidays.  I posted this JC Penney video last holiday season.  I enjoyed it so much, I thought I'd show it to you, again, this year.

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year!

Ralph

Create Your Own Music Radio Stations

This is better than Sirius and XM Radio!  And it's free!  I just discovered a remarkable Internet site. It is called Pandora Internet Radio.  With it, you can create your own CD quality stereo MUSIC RADIO STATIONS personally tailored to your taste and any themes you choose.   Getting started is very simple.  Just select the artists and/or songs you want.  The website will do the rest, creating a THEME RADIO STATION based on your selections.  This is not like any other music site on the web.  It is the product of the Music Genome Project in which 50 musical analysts with 4 year degrees in music theory, composition and performance have been analyzing all types of music since 2000 to develop a huge  music database.   It is phenomenally all inclusive.  I assure you, you have not experienced a music website like this one.  It's like it can read your mind and learn your innermost musical taste when you give it just one artist or song.  And you can give it multiple criteria if you want.  Below, is an excerpt from the Music Genome Project website.

Each song in the Music Genome Project is analyzed using up to 400 distinct musical characteristics by a trained music analyst. These attributes capture not only the musical identity of a song, but also the many significant qualities that are relevant to understanding the musical preferences of listeners. The typical music analyst working on the Music Genome Project has a four-year degree in music theory, composition or performance, has passed through a selective screening process and has completed intensive training in the Music Genome's rigorous and precise methodology. To qualify for the work, analysts must have a firm grounding in music theory, including familiarity with a wide range of styles and sounds. All analysis is done on location.

No matter what type of music you like (rock, rap, jazz, big band, classical, modern, oldies, etc), whether you want to listen to background music while working or blast out your favorite theme tunes at a party, I guarantee you will love this site!  I'm not a big music listener, but this site won me over.  Please note:  The site will give you about a 15 minute tease after you set up your first "radio station".  It will, then, ask you to become a member.  Membership is free.  My guess is, by that time you will be hooked, as I was.  Click on the following link to get started:

Pandora Internet Radio

For more information, check out the following links:
About Pandora     Music Genome Project

Healthcare Rationing Has Arrived!

Remember the solemn promise by the President and the Democrats that healthcare reform would NOT result in rationing? Well, it appears the Whitehouse has taken the first step to do precisely that!  A new government study concluded that women should NOT get mammograms as is currently recommended.

The American Cancer Society currently recommends, "Women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year, and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health."  A study just released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, however, stated that regular mammography screening need not be started before age 50, and, then, only once every two years, and it, further, stated that women should NOT perform self examinations.  It reached these conclusions despite the fact that 17% of breast cancer deaths in 2006 were among women in their 40s, and many breast cancers have been discovered by women performing self examinations.  So, why has the Federal Government published this study now?

Recommendations from the task force are used as the basis for insurance companies determining what procedures they will pay for.  Adherence is not mandatory, but insurance companies can use the recommendation to reduce the number of mammograms they will pay for.  If insurance companies decline payment for mammograms the result would be thousands less of these procedures performed each year.  And if women cease to perform self examinations, there will be thousands less follow-up procedures.

With the huge pending cost of healthcare reform, the addition of thousands of new patients and the prospect of doctors leaving their practices, rationing is unavoidable.  Despite promises from the President and the Democrats, it, not only, WILL happen, but, with the release of this study, they have begun laying the groundwork for it.  And they didn't even wait until the reform package was passed!

If you don't want your healthcare rationed, you need to let your congressmen and senators know, NOW!*  The House bill has already passed.  If the bill in the Senate passes, there will be a vote on a final package, and healthcare reform will be law, along with the inevitable rationing the Federal Government promised would never happen.

*Enter your zip code in the "Write to Congress" box at the upper right of this page.

Veterans Day Tribute 2009

This morning I rode my Harley to the Florida National Cemetery for the Annual Veterans Day Ceremony. A little girl approached me with her brother in tow and gave me a certificate of thanks that she made in school. It said, "Dear Veteran, I love you. Thank you for not killing nobody." Out of the mouths of babes! Still, it was very touching.

The experience left me thinking about all who served since the birth of our country. She and her brother are the reason we served: to keep them safe! At this moment thousands of brave Americans are far from their homes and families defending us, our country and our way of life. Millions throughout our history put their lives on the line to defend us. Many made the ultimate sacrifice. On this Veterans Day I would like to extend my warmest regards to my military colleagues and all who served.

Political Cartoons

It appears the honeymoon is over between cartoonists and the Obama Administration. Take a few moments to enjoy the political cartoons below. If they are too small to read, click on individual cartoons to see them full size.

[My thanks to Greg Thew for forwarding these]

In the Company of Heroes

Early this year I became aware of an Air Force program called the Retired Rated Officer Recall Program (RRORP) which would return retired rated officers to active duty. It appears there is, now, a shortage of pilots and navigators due to the requirements of the War On Terror. Additionally, the vast expansion of the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) in the war has and will create huge additional requirements for rated officers to support that mission. The program is available to retired rated officers under the age of 60 with the rank of Lt Col and below. Applicants would return to active duty to fill both flying and support roles for two to four years.

In February of this year, I began the process of applying for this program. I believe in the War On Terror. It is essential that we establish stable governments in, both, Iraq and Afghanistan to preclude Al Qaeda and other extremists from using those places as breeding grounds to export terrorism throughout the world, including the USA. You may remember, Afghanistan is where Al Qaeda planned and coordinated the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on 9/11. Failure to secure those countries would result in horrific terrorist incidents equal to and greater than the events of 9/11 as well as incidents of daily terrorism like the nation of Israel endures. I have been beside myself trying to find a way that I could help in this effort. The RRORP was just what I was looking for. So, I applied.

During the application process I found myself at military installations for the first time since 9/11. My first encounter was at Buckley Air National Guard Base, CO, where I began the process of completing the required return to active duty medical. There, I found myself among otherwise regular civilians who had given up their careers and home lives to don Air Force uniforms and deploy to the Middle East.

Later in the process, I found myself at MacDill AFB, FL (CENTCOM Headquarters). While eating lunch at the food court at the Base Exchange (BX) complex, I looked around me. It was bustling like I had never before seen with dozens of military men and women from every service: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard and foreign services. All were dressed in desert camouflage and flight suits, preparing to deploy to the Middle East. All these people were leaving their families and putting their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe, many deploying for the second, third and fourth time. While the rest of us were going on with our lives unaware, this process was going on as it does every day, 365 days a year. I was surrounded by dozens and dozens of heroes. They were humble. They were not complaining. They were busily going about the business of preparing to go to war.

Later that day, my business took me to Flight Medicine where I encountered an Air Force Sergeant. She was preparing for her THIRD deployment to the Mideast. She was very matter-of-fact. She did not complain. I got chills. I was humbled to be in her presence, the same as I was at the food court a short time earlier and at Buckley ANG Base before that. SHE was a hero and didn't even know it. I told her so. She reacted the same way all heroes do. "I'm not a hero," she said. "I'm doing what anyone else would do."

That evening, I began to think about my Air Force colleagues, the ones I had served with. They would probably think I was nuts to go back on active duty at almost 58 years of age. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. As I write this, well over 500 "retired" rated Air Force officers have returned to active duty in this program. And more apply for the program every day. I have learned that three of my classmates from the Air Force Academy Class of '75 have applied/been accepted to return to active duty. Greg Collier, US Airways Captain, has applied and is awaiting an assignment. Ben (Rini) Bosma, entrepeneur and small business owner, will be flying UAVs in Nevada. Don Lewis, my former Academy roommate, after serving 28 years on active duty, is leaving the comfort of his Texas ranch with an assignment to the 17th Air Force (Air Force component of AFRICOM) Operations Staff in Germany. I was assigned a staff position at Headquarters Air Combat Command in Virginia working Total Force Integration. I am sure there are many others of whom I am not aware.

Yesterday, I was informed I was medically disqualified for return to active duty. I will not go to my assignment at Air Combat Command Headquarters. Of course, I am sorely disappointed. But, I am honored that I have had the opportunity to know and work with heroes: My Air Force Academy classmates, Air Force colleagues and the countless military heroes, Active, Reserve and National Guard who I have had the privilege to work with and know, who gave, and continue to give, their time, sweat and lives to answer our country's call.

"I'm Alive" Slide Show

This is pure entertainment. The slide show below, not only, has great aircraft pictures, but is synchronized to Celine Dion singing "I'm Alive". If you avoid the temptation to manually advance the slides (it is fast moving), you will be treated to an entertaining and uplifting experience definitely worth a few minutes of your time. You will need PowerPoint software to view this slide show.

Turn up your speaker volume and enjoy!

"I'm Alive" Slide Show

[My thanks to Phil Upman for forwarding this]

We Used to Know What Freedom Is

In 1948 HARDING COLLEGE produced an animated cartoon heralding the principles of freedom that made this country great and defining the threats posed by excessive government to these same freedoms. The cartoon explained in a simple, entertaining way how FREE ENTERPRISE built this nation and transformed it into the envy of the world. It showed how EXCESSIVE GOVERNMENT can erode the freedoms we take for granted every day by REPLACING CAPITALISM WITH SOCIALISM and by RESTRICTING OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH guaranteed by the First Amendment of our Constitution. It, further, showed how the INSTIGATION OF CLASS WARFARE could be used as a tool by those who would take away our freedoms. Sound familiar?

I FIND IT ASTONISHING HOW APPLICABLE THIS CARTOON IS TO OUR COUNTRY TODAY. The Federal government is attempting to gain control of our major institutions. It already CONTROLS THE BANKING AND AUTO INDUSTRIES. And it is attempting to GAIN CONTROL OF THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY. Among government officials, the press and Hollywood celebrities the word, CAPITALISM, IS CHARACTERIZED AS A CURSE WORD. They are pitting citizen against citizen with a CLASS WARFARE CAMPAIGN the likes of which I have not seen in my lifetime. They are TAKING HARD EARNED MONEY FROM SOME AND GIVING IT TO OTHERS who did not work for it. They are ATTACKING OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH and DISMISSING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

61 years ago, HARDING COLLEGE recognized these threats to our freedom. At that time, most citizens recognized and defeated them. View this video, below. You will be astounded to see how history is repeating itself. Last time, we recognized the threat and defeated it. Let's be sure we do the same this time. EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE!

[My thanks to Greg Thew for forwarding this video to me]

The Oath of Office & Political Action

When I reported for basic training at the Air Force Academy I took the UNIFORMED MILITARY OATH OF OFFICE. I took that oath, again, when I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. All servicemen and women take a similar oath, as do members of Congress. The words are nearly identical:

I, [name], do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

As a military man, with that oath in mind, I put my efforts into defending my country from the enemies that sought to do us harm or destroy us. I spent my career focusing those efforts on the Soviet threat, the War on Terror and other enemies of the time. Members of the military were not supposed to be political. Although I kept track of politics, I was primarily interested in how it related to our national security and defense. I guess my philosophy was that I would protect my country from outside threats, and the people (civilians) would keep their eyes on the domestic scene and the politicians. I have been retired from the military for some time, now. Though I still keep my eyes on critical issues related to our national security and defense, domestic issues and politics have increasingly captured my attention and concern.

Our founders were very wary of too much power in the hands of the Federal Government, and they carefully crafted our Constitution to minimize the Federal Government’s interference in the daily lives of its citizens. After all, this country was born out of overtaxing and excessive interference by Great Britain. In fact, the 10th Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” It appears, however, the Obama Administration has not honored this. With the financial crisis as justification, the Obama administration began to eliminate Free Enterprise. This country thrived and became the envy of the world through Free Enterprise. This principle harnessed and accelerated the entrepreneurial spirit of individuals by allowing them to reap the benefits and prosper as a result of their ideas and initiative WITH MINIMAL INTERFERENCE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Despite public outcry, the Obama Administration interfered in the marketplace when it “bailed out” the financial industry. It, then, went on to bail out the auto industry. In the process, the Obama Administration effectively nationalized both industries! We, now, have a government that controls, both, the financial and auto industries. And it hasn’t stopped. Now, despite public outcry, the Obama Administration is trying to nationalize the nation’s healthcare system! And let’s not forget the Administration’s plan to redistribute wealth from the wealthy to those who don’t even pay taxes. Ladies and Gentlemen, that is SOCIALISM! And along the way the Obama Administration is bankrupting this country by increasing our National Debt by trillions of dollars.

What concerns me most is the way the Obama Administration is going about accomplishing its agenda. IT HAS THROWN OUT OUR CONSTITUTION! In the process, the Obama Administration has ignored the will of the people and given itself powers not enumerated in the Constitution, violating the 10th Amendment. Additionally, the Obama Administration, along with the liberal left, is attacking our First Amendment Freedom of Speech by intimidating, vilifying and threatening anyone who disagrees with their agenda. They are encouraging citizens to report fellow citizens who make statements contrary to their agenda. These kinds of STRONG ARM tactics were the tools of the most repressive, ruthless, totalitarian dictators in history, like Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini! And, at the same time, the Obama Administration is trying to take away our Second Amendment right to bear arms. So, in six short months since the Obama administration has been in office, it has attacked three items of our Bill of Rights! You are probably asking, “What does this have to do with the Oath of Office?”

Today, as I was eating lunch, the words of the oath I took many years ago came back to me. “I…do solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC…” I have an obligation to defend my country from any enemies that would harm the Constitution! Of course, I’m not advocating violence or revolution. But I believe I have a solemn duty to involve myself in any way I can to stop those that would harm the Constitution. That includes the Obama Administration and anyone or any group that would do harm to the Constitution.

I know many of my blog readers are military and ex-military. I submit to you we need to involve ourselves in any way we can to honor the solemn oath we took to “support and defend the Constitution”. MAKE NO MISTAKE: WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! This enemy is “within”. But it is as surely an enemy as is Al Qaeda. It is a “domestic” enemy. Whether it is an op ed in a blog or a newspaper, writing an elected official or attending a meeting, we all have a solemn duty to involve ourselves. If you are not military, you have the same obligation. The Oath of Citizenship states the same words, “…I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”

So, if you are an American, I challenge you. Involve yourself. This is your call to action.

How to Avoid the Swine Flu

Since hearing of the H1N1 or Swine Flu outbreak this summer I have been concerned that what we have seen, so far, has been just a preview and that the pandemic will return with a vengeance when the normal flu season returns this year. I believe the key to avoid being infected and to limit the spread of this pandemic is to know and take all possible precautions. Knowing what those precautions are is the first step.

Deborah Castelli, a dear friend and a 40 year RN, BSN, who has vast education and experience dealing with flu pandemics, sent me the perfect e-mail that lists the precautions we can take to prevent being infected with and spreading the Swine Flu this season. I have posted it, below, in its entirety, for your review. I urge you to follow the procedures it outlines and forward it to others. The more people that take these precautions, the less this pandemic will spread. You may well save your own life or the life of someone someone you love.

Hello Everyone -

As you know, I have spent over 40 years in the nursing profession. In the LAST SWINE FLU epidemic (in the mid '70's), I headed up an Swine Flu Immunization Team and personally immunized over 3,000 people at Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois.

In the intervening years I have kept my "ear to the ground" listening, studying and trying to learn as much as I could about staying healthy in our ever increasingly crowded, polluted, unhealthy world. With a dangerous and potentially deadly flu season approaching I have decided to send everyone that I care about an email containing my best recommendations for staying healthy in an epidemic.

To begin:

A little background information.
FLU is a viral illness. While it is possible to have what experts call a bacterial overlay infection, this is not why you get the flu. You get the flu because a VIRUS has invaded your system and overpowered your immune system.

THIS MEANS THAT TAKING ANTIBIOTICS WILL NOT HELP YOU RECOVER FROM THE FLU and - pay attention here : Antibiotics may actually SLOW or PREVENT your recovery, especially in the early stages of your flu infection. This is because your body uses many "helpful" bacteria - many of which are involved in fighting foreign viruses and bacteria. Taking an antibiotic often (probably ALWAYS) kills as many helpful bacteria as bad bacteria.

On to prevention:

In a word: GET YOUR FLU SHOTS!
AND this year it is going to be at least 2 flu shots (one for the usual fall flu strains, and at least one - and possibly 2 - specifically for the Swine Flu).
No arguments. GET THE SHOTS. Even if you THINK that when you get the shot you always seem to get the flu - take the shot anyway. It is nearly impossible for you to get the flu FROM the shot - but even if you DO (please, not likely) it will be WAY WAY less severe than the potentially lethal flu that we could face this fall.

NEXT: WASH YOUR HANDS!! AND DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE, EYES, NOSE, LIPS EVER.

Viruses are hardy, tough to kill and survive for hours, days or even weeks on surfaces you may touch.
This includes but is not limited to:
sinks, toilets, doorknobs, steering wheels, pens, pencils, shopping carts, computers, bed linens, hands! ..... the list is endless and the lesson is clear:
Since you cannot go thru life with your hands in your pockets: YOU MUST KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN.

A little story here:
When Charlie - the friendly pilot who stands at the door of the United jet and shakes your hand - first got hired, he started - for the first time in his life - to get frequent colds and upper respiratory infections.
I told him: "Wash your hands 5 times a day - or every chance you get - and keep your hands off your face" - his colds and URI's stopped immediately.

WHEN YOU WASH YOUR HANDS USE SOAP AND WARM WATER AND SING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME" IN YOUR HEAD
- or out loud.... your choice! It takes at least that long to get the job done right.

There will be plenty of times when you cannot wash your hands. Hospitals and clinics have been using "instant hand sanitizers" for years. There are several that come in large pump bottles plus a small pocket sized refillable container. Buy it at WalMart, KMart, Target etc.
Ladies: for your purse: "Wet Ones" hand wipes come in purse sized packages.
These hand sanitizers & wipes are good in a pinch - but are not even CLOSE to as good as a good old hand wash. The instant hand sanitizers are most effective on bacteria and will remove some but not all viruses. With the wipes, you have a better chance to "wipe" them off.

Beyond Hand Washing:

Get ADEQUATE REST:
This may sound sort of stupid - but it is absolutely TRUE. Lack of sleep DAMAGES your immune system. If you are well rested your chance of not getting the flu or surviving it if you DO get the flu - are much, much improved.

Get MODERATE EXERCISE:
Same thing. Couch potatoes have weaker immune response when challenged by a virus.

EAT YOUR VEGGIES:
This is almost too big to cover here. But everything Mom used to tell you is good for you ACTUALLY IS! Especially during FLU season - reach for all the brightly colored veggies: tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, green peppers, red peppers, kale, spinach....

EAT FRESH FRUIT: same thing - bright colors contain the most antioxidant and protective immune building nutrients.

Okay, you say: I do ALL of THAT ALREADY!
Right, ME TOO

COVER YOUR MOUTH WHEN YOU COUGH
IF YOU ARE SICK - STAY HOME!

HERE IS WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO:

WEAR A MASK WHEN OUT IN PUBLIC. This sounds odd right now, but if people don't stay home when they are sick and are sitting on buses, trains and in other public places COUGHING - a mask does offer a bit of protection, Not perfect, but better than nothing.
Here are 2 sites with mask info:
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/28/f-flumasks.html
http://www.flupharmacy.com/nanomask.html

TAKE A PROBIOTIC:
Start NOW. Do not wait until September 20th and expect it to help protect you!
There are plenty of choices out there. Look for one containing L. casei immunitas. DanActiv Immunity is one that we use and like. These are 3 ounce probiotic dairy drinks. Any good grocery or health food store will have it, but I buy it at Sam's Club by the case and save a bunch of $$. Drink one daily.

If you don't like the drink, are traveling, or just want something more convenient: try Probiotic Pearls. These are tiny "pearl" shaped packets of active cultures packaged in convenient blister packs that you can tuck in your purse or briefcase. They are available in formulas designed to improve "irregularity", and other problems, but get one that contains cultures to improve your IMMUNE SYSTEM. The package will tell you which one it contains right on the label. While a grocery like Whole Foods is more likely to carry Probiotic Pearls, your local grocery is not. Look for these in your health food store.

Eat ACTIVE CULTURE YOGURT,
Read the label. Get one with Active Cultures. To get any benefit you have to eat yogurt daily. During flu season it becomes either our breakfast or desert after dinner. Our favorite is StoneyField Farms yogurt. (http://www.stonyfield.com/Wellness/Faqs.cfm)
It is a tiny bit more expensive but does not contain preservatives, is packaged in safe containers and is generally available. See http://www.stonyfield.com/Wellness/Faqs.cfm for all kinds of information! Because it has no preservative this one is the one I like to use to make my own yogurt, and it also makes great yogurt cheese by staining it.

SOOOooooo ....
You have done ALL of the above, and on your way home from work on the train, in the car, on the jet .... what ever: YOU GET THAT ACHEY-FEVERISH-SORE THROAT-COMING ON-FEELING that says : "OMG I am getting the FLU!!!

Don't panic! Reach into your __________(purse, briefcase, carry-on bag) and pull out your __________(bottle or blister pack) of
ECHINACEA. (pronounced: eck - in- ay' - see - a). This totally safe herbal has been used for CENTURIES all over the world. Charlie and I both carry a blister pack of Echinacea with us EVERYWHERE. Keep this ON YOUR PERSON Because: You need to take this at the VERY FIRST SIGN of the virus grabbing you.

That's right: you feel the achy or feverish sore throaty thing and IMMEDIATELY take your echinacea. Various studies have been done (the best were done in Germany over 10 years ago) and they found that as a daily "tonic" echinacea did not seem to much improve your chances of staying well during flu season.

BUT.....if you take 2 to 4 capsules at the VERY FIRST SIGN of your flu - most people feel the symptoms go away within just a few minutes (like 10 to 20 minutes). The effect seems to last for several hours - sometimes up to 24 hours and then the symptoms return. At that time - take another 2 - 4 capsules. Continue doing this - taking another dose when your symptoms return.... until you find that your symptoms DO NOT RETURN. Be ready tho: sometimes, within a week or so of the symptoms disappearing if I am tired or stressed in some way - I go thru the whole process all over again. It is almost as if the virus goes into hiding and reappears when my defenses are down. So if you DO have a "near miss" with the Flu - try to get extra rest and keep your echinacea handy!

Just in general: If you take the capsules IMMEDIATELY and do not wait until: the meeting is finished, I get home from work, the kids settle down for their nap, the laundry is folded...... Echinacea will stop your flu, cold, URI in it's tracks. This has worked VERY VERY well for Charlie and I .... and working in the ER I used to get the flu and colds CONSTANTLY!

And now, in closing this little missive:

The experts, and so far our experience has shown them to be right, are predicting that this fall the flu will attack and kill young people. A young healthy 20 year old man died today here in Florida. This is just exactly the pattern of the great Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 - 1920. That Pandemic was ALSO a H1N1 virus, attacked young healthy people, spread worldwide and killed between 80 & 100 MILLION PEOPLE.

I am sending this to you because I LOVE you and want you to stay safe. I know that some will say "Oh, it probably won't be as bad as all that" and do nothing.

This list is not complete, I have done the best that I can and I want you to know:

WHAT IF THEY ARE RIGHT
ARE THESE FEW RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY TOO MUCH TO DO TO SAVE YOUR LIFE?
WOULD YOU PLEASE DO IT JUST FOR ME??

Stay safe!
Deborah

F-22 Acquisition: Urgent Call to Action

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles. It is an essential element for defending our country and supporting our troops in future wars.

After being harassed and brow beaten by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Air Force leaders reluctantly agreed to cut their minimum request for F-22 production from 243 aircraft to 187. Both Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley, and Air Force Chief of Staff, General Norton A. Schwartz, have been silenced from speaking their minds on this issue by a gag agreement with Secretary Gates. This is just one of seven critical Air Force programs Secretary Gates has slashed in recent months (see my previous article, Secretary of Defense Emasculates the Air Force). And evidence suggests Secretary Gates fired former Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Wynne, and Air Force Chief of Staff, General Michael Moseley, for pressing Congress for funds to maintain the future viability of the Air Force (see my previous article, Firing the SECAF and CSAF: More Than Meets the Eye).

Recently, countless generals (current and retired) and members of Congress have gone on record to decry the F-22 acquisition reduction as dangerous for our future national defense and to overturn Secretary Gates' decision to halt F-22 production. President Obama has threatened to veto any bill that increases F-22 production above the 187 aircraft limit imposed by Secretary Gates.

Our leaders need to hear from us on this issue. Once the production line is closed it can NEVER be reopened. If we decide, later, we need more F-22s it will be too late! Our troops will pay the ultimate price on the battlefield if we fail to produce the required number of F-22s they will need to protect them. Click on the link, Buy More F-22s, to send a letter to your elected officials to demand they fund the full 243 F-22 aircraft production. This link will take you to the official US Congress website where you can write one letter to be sent to the President, your Congressman and your Senators. I have included a copy of the letter I sent for your review. Feel free to use it to help you compose yours.

I am a retired Air Force fighter pilot, having served my country for 26 years, including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. 187 F-22s will leave our country dangerously ill equipped to fight future wars. We need a MINIMUM of 243 F-22s as originally recommended by Air Force leaders before being leaned on by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The Secretary proved he does not understand the need to prepare for future wars when he previously publicly accused military leaders of "preparing for the next war" as if it were a crime.

243 is the MINIMUM number of aircraft the Air Force will need to ensure it can accomplish its mission. It takes into consideration attrition due to peacetime incidents as well as wartime attrition which will be significantly higher. Keep in mind, once the production line is closed it cannot be reopened. If we realize at a later time we need more F-22’s, it will be too late. The Russians and Chinese are building their versions of the F-22, and their numbers will dwarf our 243, let alone 187!

Further, halting F-22 production at 187 is an extremely inefficient way to save money. Since the enormous costs of aircraft development are fixed and already spent, decreasing the number of aircraft produced will simply increase the F-22 unit cost from $143 million per aircraft to $350 million per aircraft.

In a time when we are spending trillions of dollars on any program Congress suggests, it is unconscionable to be cutting our future war fighting capability to this degree. For example, the $800 million you are considering to control wild mustang population could be used to purchase SIX F-22s! Which program do you think is more important?

I implore you to return F-22 production authorization to the 243 we need to defend our country in future wars. If you don’t, our troops will pay the ultimate price. Then it will be too late.

Buy More F-22s

Open Letter to Our Nation's Leadership

Janet Contreras, a 53 year old private citizen, mother and grandmother, e-mailed a letter to Glenn Beck at Fox News. In her letter, Ms. Contreras quantified, better than I could ever have, all the current domestic issues that are causing me to lose sleep at night. Ms. Contreras is saying that the people (the silent majority) are fed up with the corruption in the Federal government. They are ignoring the will of the people and violating the Constitution to accomplish their own agenda. They are saddling our nation, our children and grandchildren with unsustainable, lethal debt. And they are killing Capitalism and Free Enterprise, the very principles our country was founded on.

In four short months, the Federal government has taken control of the banking industry and the auto industry, and they are maneuvering to take over the healthcare industry! They are transforming our country into a Fascist/Socialist state where the government controls everything (remember “Big Brother” and the book, 1984?). What’s insane is that our government is adopting the same form of government that failed miserably in Europe over the last century.

Our only hope to save our country is a grassroots movement by the people to take our country back. That’s what this letter is about. In my opinion, it is one of the most important letters of our time.

An Open Letter to Our Nation's Leadership
by Janet Contreras, 16 June 2009

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

1. Illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

2. The TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

3. Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

4. Cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

5. Universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

6. Growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

7. ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

8. Redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why ‑‑ what do you have against shareholders making a profit?

9. Charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

10. Corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band‑Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

11. Transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try ‑‑ please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

12. Unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when he will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Humor: You May Be Taliban If...

Here's a short, politically incorrect piece that may give you a chuckle.

YOU MAY BE TALIBAN IF...

1. You refine heroin for a living, but you have a moral objection to beer.

2. You own a $3,000 machine gun and $5,000 rocket launcher, but you can't afford shoes.

3. You have more wives than teeth.

4. You wipe your butt with your bare hand, but consider bacon "unclean."

5. You think vests come in two styles: bullet-proof and suicide.

6. You can't think of anyone you haven't declared Jihad against.

7. You consider television dangerous, but routinely carry explosives in your clothing.

8. You were amazed to discover that cell phones have uses other than setting off roadside bombs.

9. You have nothing against women and think every man should own at least one.

10. You've always had a crush on your neighbor's goat.

[My thanks to Rick Douglas for forwarding this]

On Movie Stars and What Matters

Ben Stein is an American actor, writer, game show host, documentary filmmaker, conservative political and economic commentator, and attorney. He gained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Later he entered the entertainment field and became an actor, comedian, and Emmy Award-winning game show host. He is famous for his monotonous yet humorous voice in acting. He has frequently written commentaries on economic, political, and social issues, along with financial advice to individual investors.

For many years Ben wrote a biweekly column called "Monday Night at Morton's" (Morton's is a steakhouse chain known for attracting movie stars and famous people from around the world). His final article, published on 20 December 2003, portrayed some heartfelt thoughts about fame and what's important in life. Take a few minutes and see if you agree with him. I sure do.

How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?
by Ben Stein

As I begin to write this, I "slug" it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is "e-online FINAL," and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started. I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end.

It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it. On a small scale, Morton's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie. But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened. I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important. They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to.

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in insane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a "star" we mean someone bright and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails.

They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer. A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world.

A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him.

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish wedding's on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters. This is my highest and best use as a human. I can put it another way. Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin...or Martin Mull or Fred Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them.

But I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister’s help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human.

[My thanks to George and Sharon Horetski for forwarding this article]

Maersk Alabama Piracy: The Whole Story

The seizing and subsequent rescue of the Maersk Alabama and its crew is one of the most incredible and compelling stories of our time. Until now, the information has been sketchy at best. The article, below, is an insightful account that tells the full story from start to finish, including background information. It was written by a former naval officer who gathered his information from conversations with military colleagues close to the operation. I cannot validate the authenticity of this information. I submit it to you for your review. There were many heroes in this story. We've already hailed Captain Phillips and the Navy SEALS as heroes. But the crew of the Alabama were, also, heroes. As you'll see in the article, they had a plan they executed with precision and bravery when their ship was boarded by the pirates.

I find it noteworthy that our Commander-in-Chief, President Barack Obama, felt it necessary to "play politics" throughout the incident. Among other things, this resulted in two opportunities to take out the pirates being disapproved. Once again, our military did a fantastic job under the most difficult conditions and despite political interference from the highest levels of our government.

MV ALABAMA PIRACY: THE WHOLE STORY

BACKGROUND

In Africa from Djibouti at the southern end of the Red Sea eastward through the Gulf of Aden to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa (also known as "The Horn of Africa") is about a 600 nm transit before you stand out into the Indian Ocean. That transit is comparable in distance to that from the mouth of the Mississippi at New Orleans to the tip of Florida at Key West-- except that 600 nm over there is infested with Somalia pirates.

Ships turning southward at the Horn of Africa transit the SLOC (Sea Lane of Commerce) along the east coast of Somalia because of the prevailing southerly currents there. It's about 1,500 nm on to Mombassa, which is just south of the equator in Kenya. Comparably, that's about the transit distance from Portland Maine down the east coast of the US to Miami Florida. In other words, the ocean area being patrolled by our naval forces off the coast of Somalia is comparable to that in the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River east to Miami then up the eastern seaboard to Maine. Second, let me globally orient you from our Naval Operating Base in Norfolk, VA, east across the Atlantic to North Africa, thence across the Med to Suez in Egypt, thence southward down the Red Sea to Djibouti at the Gulf of Aden, thence eastward to round Cape Guardafui at the easternmost tip of Africa, and thence southerly some 300 miles down the east cost of Somali out into the high seas of the Indian Ocean to the position of MV [Maersk Vessel] ALABAMA is a little more than 7,000 nm, and plus-nine time-zones ahead of EST.

Hold that thought, in that, a C-17 transport averaging a little better than 400 kts takes the best part of 18 hours to make that trip. In the evening darkness late THURSDAY NIGHT, a team of Navy SEALs from NSWC (Naval Surface Warfare Center) Norfolk parachuted from such a C-17 into the black waters (no refraction of light) of the Indian Ocean-- close-aboard to our 40,000 ton amphibious assault ship, USS BOXER (LHD 4), the flagship of our ESG (Expeditionary Strike Group) in the AOR (Area Of Responsibility, the Gulf of Aden). They not only parachuted in with all of their "equipment," they had their own inflatable boats, RHIB's (Rigid Hull, Inflatable Boats) with them for over-water transport. They went into BOXER's landing dock, debarked, and staged for the rescue-- Thursday night.

And, let me comment on time-late: In that the SEAL's quick response-- departing ready-alert in less than 4 hours from Norfolk-- supposedly surprised POTUS's [President of the United States] staff, whereas President Obama was miffed not to get his "cops" there before the Navy. He reportedly questioned his staff, "Will 'my' FBI people get there before the Navy does?" It took the FBI almost 12 hours to put together a team and get them packed-up-- for an "at sea" rescue. The FBI was trying to tell him that they are not practiced to do this-- Navy SEALs are. But, BHO [?] wanted the FBI there "to help," that is, carry out the Attorney General's (his) orders to negotiate the release of Captain Phillips peacefully-- because apparently he doesn't trust GW's [George W. Bush's] military to carry out his "political guidance." The flight of the FBI's passenger jet took a little less than 14 hours at 500-some knots to get to Djibouti. BOXER'S helos picked them up and transported them out to the ship. The Navy SEALs were already there, staged, and ready to act by the time POTUS's FBI arrived on board later that evening. Notably, the first request by the OSC (On Scene Commander) that early Friday morning to take them out and save Captain Phillips was denied, to wit: "No, wait until 'my' FBI people get there." Third, please consider a candid assessment of ability that finds that the FBI snipers had never practiced shooting from a rolling, pitching, yawing, surging, swaying, heaving platform-- and, target-- such as a ship and a lifeboat on the high seas. Navies have been doing since Admiral Nelson who had trained "Marines" to shoot muskets from the ship's rigging-- ironically, he was killed at sea in HMS VICTORY at the Battle of Trafalgar by a French Marine rifleman that shot him from the rigging of the French ship that they were grappling alongside.

Notably, when I was first training at USNA in 1955, the Navy was doing it with a SATU, Small Arms Training Unit... Navy SEALs...do that training now, and hone their skills professionally-- daily. Shooting small arms from a ship is more of an accomplished "Art Form" than it is a practiced skill. When you are "in the bubble" and "in tune" with the harmonic motion you find, through practice, that you are "able to put three .308 slugs INSIDE THE HEAD OF A QUARTER AT 100 METERS, in day or night-- or, behind a camouflaged net or a thin enclosure, such as a superstructure bulkhead. Yes, we have the monocular scopes that can "see" heat-- and, draw a bead on it. SEALs are absolutely expert at it-- with the movie clips to prove it.

Okay, now try to imagine patrolling among the boats fishing everyday out on the Grand Banks off our New England coast, and then responding to a distress call from down around the waters between Florida and the Bahamas. Three points for you to consider here: (1) Time-Distance-Speed relationships for ships on the high seas, for instance, at a 25-knot SOA (Speed Of Advance) it takes 24 hours to make good 600 nm-- BAINBRIDGE did. (2) Fishermen work on the high seas, and (3) The best place to hide as a "fisherman" pirate is among other fishermen.

THE REAL STORY

Early Wednesday morning, 4/8/2009, MV ALABAMA is at sea in the IO [Indian Ocean] about 300 miles off the (east) coast of Somalia en route to Mombassa Kenya. Pirates in small boat start harassing her, and threatening her with weapons. MV ALABAMA's captain sent out the distress call by radio, and ordered his Engineer to shut down the engines as well as the ship-service electrical generators-- in our lingo, "Go dark and cold." He informed his crew by radio what was happening, and ordered them to go to an out-of-the-way compartment and lock themselves in it-- from the inside. He would stay in the pilot house to "negotiate" with the pirates.

The pirates boarded, captured the Captain, and ordered him to start the engines. He said he would order his Engineer to do so, and he called down to Engine Control on the internal communication system, but got no answer. The lead pirate ordered two of his four men to go down and find him and get the engines started.

Inside a ship without any lights is like the definition of dark. The advantage goes to the people who work and live there. They jumped the two pirates in a dark passageway. Both pirates lost their weapons, but one managed to scramble and get away. The other they tied up, put tape over his mouth and a knife at his throat.

Other members of the crew opened the drain cocks on the pirates boat and cast it adrift. It foundered and sunk. The scrambling pirate made it back to the pilot house and told of his demise. The pirates took the Captain at gun point, and told him to launch one of his rescue boats (not a life boat, per se). As he was lowering the boat for them, the crew appeared with the other pirate to negotiate a trade. The crew let their hostage go too soon, and the pirates kept the captain. But, he purposefully had lowered the boat so it would jam.

With the rescue boat jammed, the pirates jumped over to a lifeboat and released it as the captain jumped in the water. They fired at him, made him stop, and grabbed him out of the water. Now, as night falls in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, we have the classic "Mexican" standoff, to wit: A life-boat that is just that, a life-boat adrift without any means of propulsion except oars and paddles; and, a huge (by comparison) Motor Vessel Container Ship adrift with a crew that is not going to leave their captain behind. The pirates are enclosed under its shelter-covering, holding the captain as their hostage. The crew is hunkered down in their ship waiting for the "posse" to arrive.

After receiving MV ALABAMA'S distress call, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was dispatched by the ESG commander to respond to ALABAMA's distress call. At best sustainable speed, she arrived on scene the day after-- that is, in the dark of that early Thursday morning. As BAINBRIDGE quietly and slowly, at darkened-ship without any lights to give her away, arrived on scene, please consider a recorded interview with the Chief Engineer of MV ALABAMA describing BAINBRIDGE's arrival. He said it was something else "... to see the Navy slide in there like a greyhound!" He then said as she slipped in closer he could see the "Stars and Stripes" flying from her masthead. He got choked up saying it was the "...proudest moment of my life."

Phew! Let that sink in.

Earlier in the day, one of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Patrol Aircraft, a fixed wing P3C, flew over to recon the scene. They dropped a buoy with a radio to the pirates so that the Navy's interpreter could talk with the pirates. When BAINBRIDGE arrived, the pirates thought the radio to be a beaconing device, and threw it overboard. They wanted a satellite telephone so that they could call home for help. Remember now, they are fishermen, not "Rocket Scientists," in that, they don't know that we can intercept the phone transmission also.

MV ALABAMA provided them with a satellite phone. They called home back to "somebody" in Eyl Somalia (so that we now know where you live) to come out and get them. The "somebody" in Eyl said they would be out right away with other hostages, like 54 of them from other countries, and that they would be coming out in two of their pirated ships. Right-- and, the tooth fairy will let you have sex with her. Yea, in paradise. The "somebody" in Eyl just chalked up four more expendables as overhead for "the cost of operation." Next page.

Anyway, ESG will continue to "watch" Eyl for any ships standing out.

The Navy SEAL team...briefed the OSC [On Scene Commander] (Commander Castellano, CO BAINBRIDGE) on how they could rescue the captain from the life boat with swimmers-- "Combat Swimmers," per se. That plan was denied by POTUS because it put the captain in danger-- and, involved killing the pirates.

The FBI negotiators arrived on scene, and talked the pirates into sending their wounded man over for treatment Saturday morning. Later that afternoon, the SEAL's sent over their RHIB with food and water to recon the life boat but the pirates shot at it. They could have taken them out then (from being fired upon) but were denied again being told that the captain was not in "imminent danger." The FBI negotiators calmed the situation by informing the pirates of threatening weather as they could see storm clouds closing from the horizon, and offered to tow the life boat. The pirates agreed, and BAINBRIDGE took them under tow in their wake at 30 meters-- exactly 30 meters, which is exactly the distance the SEALs practice their shooting skills.

With the lifeboat under tow, riding comfortably bow-down on BAINBRIDGE's wake-wave ("rooster tail"), had a 17-second period of harmonic motion, and at the end of every half-period (8.5 seconds) was steady on. The light-enhanced (infra-red heat) monocular scopes on the SEAL's .308 caliber Mark 11 Mod 0 H&K suppressor-fitted sniper rifles easily imaged their target very clearly. Pirates in a life boat at 30-meters could be compared to fish in a barrel. All that was necessary was to take out the plexiglass window so that it would not deflect the trajectory of the high velocity .308 round. So, a sniper (one of four) with a wad-cutter round (a flaxen sabot) would take out the window a split second before the kill-shot-- no change in sight-picture, just the window blowing out, clean.

Now, here's the part BHO's "whiz kids" knew as well as the Navy hierarchy, including CO BAINBRIDGE and CO SEAL TEAM. It's the law in Article 19 of Appendix L in the "Convention of the High Seas" that the Commanding Officer of a US Ship on the high seas is obligated to respond to distress signals from any flagged ship (US or otherwise), and protect the life and property thereof when deemed to be in IMMINENT DANGER. So, in the final analysis, it would be Captain Castellano's call as to "Imminent Danger," and that he alone was obligated (duty bound) to act accordingly.

Got the picture?

After medically attending to the wounded pirate, and feeding him, come first light (from the east) on Easter Sunday morning and the pirates saw they were being towed further out to sea (instead of westward toward land), the wounded pirate demanded to be returned to the lifeboat. There would BE NO more negotiations-- and, the four Navy SEAL snipers "in the bubble" went "Unlock." The pirate holding Captain Philips raised the gun to his head, and IMMINENT DANGER was so observed and noted in the Log as CO BAINBRIDGE gave the classic order: WEAPONS RELEASED! I can hear the echo in my earpiece now, "On my count (from 8.5 seconds), 3, 2, 1, !" POP, BANG! Out went the window, followed by three simultaneous shots. The scoreboard flashed: "GAME OVER, GAME OVER-- NAVY 3, PIRATES 0!"

I hope you found the above informative as best I know it-- and, please excuse me in that after more than 50 years the Navy is still in me. I submit that AMERICA is going to make a comeback, and more than likely it'll be on the back of our cherished youth serving with honor in Our military. So, let's

Look Up, Get Up-- and, Never Give Up!

God Bless Our Troops, and
GOD SAVE AMERICA!
Buddy Wellborn, USNA Class of 1959
Dickinson, Texas

High Flight: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Do you remember when television stations did not broadcast 24 hours a day? If you stayed up very late back then, you may remember that, at the end of the broadcast day, they signed off with patriotic videos. These videos were, generally, scenes across America or tributes to the military with the STAR SPANGLED BANNER, AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL or TAPS in the background.

While they all were uplifting, I found one version very special to me. It moved me as a child, and it became even more special to me as I pursued my dream to become a pilot and during my subsequent career as a pilot. That sign off was the HIGH FLIGHT video. That video showed a jet flying while HIGH FLIGHT, the poem by Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot, J0hn Gillespie Magee, Jr, was recited. Several editions of the video were aired over the years. The first edition featured a Lockheed F-104, Starfighter, which was a favorite fighter of mine as a boy growing up. Later versions were produced featuring other aircraft. My favorite edition, by far, was the one that featured the Nortrop T-38, Talon.

The T-38 has been the Air Force's supersonic trainer for well over 40 years, now. Until recently, every Air Force officer that earned his pilot wings flew the T-38. With its pure white paint scheme and sleek design, I believe the T-38 was the most beautiful airplane ever built... and still is to this day! I remember getting chills watching it knife through the clear blue skies at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where I attended Pilot Training as a young Lieutenant, hoping to earn my wings. Anyone who has been to my home has seen the T-38 painting by world renowned artist, Rick Broome, hanging prominently over the mantle of my fireplace.

When I watched the HIGH FLIGHT video with its breathtaking flying scenes, I, actually, relived the excitement and exhilaration I experienced each time I strapped myself into that jet. And combining those breathtaking flying scenes with the immortal words of John Gillespie Magee, Jr in his poem, HIGH FLIGHT, left me choked up.

Recently, I had the good fortune to find a copy of the T-38 HIGH FLIGHT video. You can experience the thrill and exhilaration of flight that I and a privileged few have. Turn up your computer volume, click on the link, below, and experience the wonder of flight. I suggest selecting "Full Screen".

High Flight Video

Note: You may need to download and install "Real Player" (free version) to view this video. Free Real Player Download

Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

On 11 April 2009, a woman named Susan Boyle appeared on the show, BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT. She was a frumpy 47 year old woman from a small village in Scotland who claimed she'd never been married and never been kissed. Her dream was to be a professional singer. As the three judges interviewed her, everyone snickered. She was sure to embarrass herself. When the first bar of music left her mouth, every jaw in the place hit the floor. Turn your computer volume WAY up, click on the link, below, and watch one of the most uplifting videos I have ever seen. You may even notice a tear in your eye. Never give up on your dreams! This video is a MUST SEE!

Susan Boyle: I Dreamed a Dream

Solid State Drive: Replacing the Hard Drive?

A new technology for computer drives, the Solid State Drive (SSD), may be replacing the Hard Drive in a computer near you. According to a fascinating article in SMART COMPUTING MAGAZINE, A Solid Future: SSDs Are Making Life Hard For Hard Drives, by Marty Sems, this new technology has significant benefits over the conventional Hard Drive, and is already available in some laptops. Some of its advantages include no moving parts, faster read capabilities and lower power usage. Drawbacks include higher cost and slower write speed. Below, Mr. Sems enumerates the SSD's advantages:

Because SSDs don’t have any moving parts, they’re silent, and they can survive more abuse than a hard drive without losing data or failing outright. Hard drives are especially vulnerable when they’re operating because their read/write heads are floating just a tiny fraction of an inch above their spinning disks. A good knock while a hard drive is running can cause the heads to slap the disks, scraping off parts of the magnetic data recording layers and destroying the data stored there. In comparison, SSDs are just as resistant to physical shocks when they’re turned on as when they’re powered down. That makes solid-state drives very attractive to notebook users, not to mention military and industrial users.

A side effect of an SSD’s solid-state nature is the fact that it takes less power to run one than it does to turn a hard drive’s motor and wave its read/write heads to and fro. This potentially translates into longer battery life for laptops, as well as markedly lower electricity bills for data centers and server farms. SSDs also emit less heat than most hard drives, saving laptops even more power on fan usage and data centers big bucks on air conditioning.

Another boon of the SSD boom is performance, at least in certain cases. You won’t notice a solid-state drive’s incredible random-access speed when you’re using an SSD-based laptop or desktop, although it can make things much faster for a large group of users all accessing a database or Web server at the same time. Still, a select few SSDs have read speeds twice as fast as the best hard drives. Flash’s weakness is its relatively slow write speeds, but even these can be competitive with laptop and sometimes desktop hard drives.

Hard drives have a limited range of temperatures in which they’re designed to work; this is another liability of their moving parts. What’s more, you’re not supposed to use a hard drive for an hour or more after bringing it into a warm room from the cold outdoors. The trouble is that the water vapor in the warm room’s air might condense on the frigid disks inside the drive. If the drive hasn’t dried out before it’s turned on, the droplets of water could spell disaster for the read/write heads. SSDs not only have a broader range of operating temperatures, but they also don’t care about sudden environmental changes, either.

There’s one more benefit to SSDs that might interest you: You don’t need to defragment them. A hard drive stores files in contiguous chunks when it can, but scatters pieces of files here and there when there isn’t a big stretch of free space to be found. This fragmentation slows down data throughput, as the drive must move its heads to locate every bit of a file while its disks spin around and around. In an SSD’s case, the drive reads scattered file fragments from unmoving memory chips at the same speed as it reads contiguously stored data.

According to Mr. Sems, the Hard Drive is not going away just yet. But we will, likely, be seeing more of the SSD as time goes on.

Check out the full article by clicking the link, below:

A Solid Future: SSDs Are Making Life Hard For Hard Drives

Secretary of Defense Emasculates the Air Force

Yesterday, Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, released his budget proposal for 2010. At a time when the Federal Government has approved a multi-trillion dollar budget (the largest budget in history) for every sector of the Federal Government, Secretary Gates found it necessary to slash the Air Force budget, killing or radically reducing nearly all its pending force modernization programs. THIS MOVE WILL EMASCULATE OUR FUTURE AIR FORCE!

In an article I posted in June 2008, Firing the SECAF and CSAF: More Than Meets the Eye, I explained that Secretary Gates accused then Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Wynne, and Air Force Chief of Staff, General Michael Moseley, of "planning for the next war" as if that were a crime. He, obviously, did not want them around to testify before the Congress, so he fired them using the recent nuclear incidents as an excuse. Well, now, SECRETARY GATES HAS MADE GOOD ON HIS PHILOSOPHY TO NOT PLAN FOR THE NEXT WAR. Below, is a list of the programs that Secretary Gates' budget will kill or radically reduce:

- F-22 production: Terminated
- Follow-on Bomber: Terminated
- C-17 production: Terminated
- Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter–X: Terminated
- Transformational Satellite (TSAT): Terminated
- Missile Defense: Radically Cut
-- No increase of ground-based interceptors
-- Airborne Laser (ABL): Terminated
-- Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV): Terminated
-- Missile Defense Agency budget: Reduced by $1.4B/year
- 250 aircraft: Retired
-- Equivalent of 3.5 wings: Retired
-- F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s will all leave the force with no replacements

Today, in a note to members, AFA President and CEO, Michael M. Dunn summed up the effect of Secretary Gates' Budget decisions:

• This budget guarantees that the oldest Air Force in the history of our nation will get even older.
• B-52s (built in the 1950s) will have to be kept on duty for a minimum of another 15-20 years …
• At a time when the nation is spending literally trillions of dollars, we seem to not have enough money to fund an adequate defense
• We are using tomorrow's dollars to solve today's problems.
• The acquisition decisions recommended will lock in the range of national security options for decades into the future.
• The decisions are not just programic nuance – but will impact core Air Force functions, to include Air Force ability to deter, to conduct an air campaign, and to rescue our downed Airmen.
• The launch of an intercontinental missile by North Korea this weekend (and a similar launch by Iran 5 weeks ago) argues for a robust missile defense, not a reduced one – to include the ABL. The technology of ABL has the potential to revolutionize warfare in the future.
• It is difficult to determine the strategy which this budget supports. This is especially important since a Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) is mandated by law … and will be conducted in the upcoming several months. It seems the budget (and hence the strategy) precedes the QDR.
• This budget increases risk … in my view … beyond so-called "moderate."

AFA believes there are major impacts and consequences … for the full-up joint team. These budget recommendations may cost us lives and will reduce our strategic options in a very dangerous world.

If you are concerned, as I am, for the future viability of our Air Force, the future safety of our airmen and the future security of our nation, WRITE YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TELL THEM NOT TO APPROVE THESE DEFENSE CUTS BY SECRETARY GATES. Click the following link to send a letter to Congress: http://www.congress.org/

For more information, read the following articles:
AFA President Note on Defense Budget
Secretary Gates' 2010 Defense Budget Announcement