femme's desk - A Weblog by femmeflashpoint

Moved :)

2012-08-21T15:31:00.001-07:00

Hi gang,

Posting a reminder that femme's desk has been moved to the Sibling Synergy site, at flashnee.com.

Can't say I'm a bit sorry to be leaving blogger behind either.

femme

Not likely to fail ....

2012-08-16T09:28:00.003-07:00

A new post on femme's desk is available.

Blogger is still jacked up, so I'm still posting on the site.

Hope you enjoy the read!

femme

http://www.flashnee.com/femmes-desk.html

2012-08-14T22:07:00.002-07:00

My sister (Alicia Jaye) and I have combined our work and have opened a new website to keep all of it in one place.

I'll be maintaining femme's desk and Pack Rides, but new posts will be on the website.

Blogger has changed up some things in their new interface and it's having some impressive glitches that are preventing me from using it effectively.

However, once they've worked the bugs out, I'll be able to combine the posts here with those on the new site.

The web address for the new version of femme's desk is
http://www.flashnee.com/femmes-desk.html

I have a brand new post there, anxiously waiting to be read by you. :)

Thanks so much for your patience and I hope you'll enjoy our new site!

femme

There is a difference ....

2012-07-19T04:12:00.002-07:00

There is something important I should have remembered from my studies during grade school through college. The sad thing is, I DID go to grade school, high school, AND college, and leave it to a young man who was home-schooled to be the one to re-educate me on a verbal faux pas.

Score another point for Seth Hall, Chairman of Precinct 4124, Republican Party.

Seth Hall (R), when he's not working for
We The People, you can often find him at
his other occupation, working as a Grip-Electric
in film industry.

Thankfully, Seth is always very gracious in his correction. He never says I'm wrong, but rather steps in gently to share information. I'm happy he did, because my error was an important one to correct.

In one of our many conversations, I referred to the United States as a democracy. We are in fact (at least, as outlined by the United States Constitution) a Republic. And, the difference between the two is drastic.

The difference between a Republic and a Democracy is critical. In a Democracy, the majority has unlimited power over a minority, and it provides no legal safeguards for individual rights.

In a Republic, the majority is constrained by a written constitution, in which an individual's (and/or a minority's) rights are protected. The purpose of a Republic is to The purpose of a Republic form of government is to control the majority and to protect the God-given, inalienable rights and liberty of the individual.

Not long ago, I was personally informed that the U.S. Constitution was merely a pretty piece of poetry and that it has never been effective. It's true that it's only effective in protecting my rights as an individual, and YOURS, if it's adhered to. But, I do have to argue that it's much more than a pretty piece of poetry. The adherence bit has been ignored since it was written, at least in my estimation.

Racism, sexism and slavery, should never have been tolerated amongst a people that considered themselves to be civilized. Thomas Jefferson was brilliant, and went above and beyond in his attempt to ensure the protection of individual freedoms ... of the white, male citizenry. Thankfully, when the preamble described the citizens of the United States, it referred to those citizens as "We the people" when ordaining and establishing the U.S. Constitution.

Maybe he overlooked that the description of "We the people" encompassed all citizens. I find that hard to believe, but stranger things have happened. Regardless of the reason he penned it the way he did, it legally applies to me, to you, and to every other U.S. citizen, regardless of race, sex, or religion.

It is also the written establishment of a government classified as a Republic, not a Democracy.

A further breakdown of Republic and Democracy, is in the two major political platforms that represent them. The basic platform differences between Democrat and Republican parties is:

Republicans believe in small government, individual responsibility for social issues, and that people should keep the money they earn; Democrats believe that man may fundamentally be perfected. As a result, this requires larger government and higher taxes (someone else's money) to pay for it all.

No wonder I'm a Republican, and no wonder I have a strong distrust and general dislike for RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). Mitt Romney would qualify as one of those.

Mr. Romney may be registered as a candidate with the Republican Party, however, his track record shows that he signed into law a good many things that are a violation of individual rights. It's everyone's choice to support, or not support him. However, as a Christian individual, I find myself to be prohibited from voting for Romney due to his gross breach of the Republican platform.

So far, with only the power of being a governor, he assisted in getting gun control laws put into effect in Massachusetts. He went from publically dissing the NRA (National Rifleman's Association) before he decided to run for U.S. President to playing nice with them shortly before tossing his hat in the candidates' ring.

In 1994, during his race against Senator Ted Kennedy, Romney stated, "I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country." In 2002, during his campaign for governor he said, "I will preserve and protect a woman's right to choose and am devoted and dedicated to honoring my word in that regard."

Currently, he insists he's pro-life, but did he really flip-flop? Or is this a mirror act of his making nice with the NRA?

Another thing I've been mulling over, after researching Mr. Romney's stance on issues important to me, regarding this walking/talking contradiction is, he's a Mormon. I don't care if he's a Mormon. I'm only perplexed at how he can be both a creationist and an evolutionist. I read his explanation on how he claims to be both, but true to form, the entirety of his explanation was what? A contradiction. In fact, after I read it, I decided that someone had finally made Rick Perry look good. That bit impressed me because I honestly thought it was impossible to achieve.

There's also his promise, listed on mittromney.com, that says, if elected as president, his first day in office he'll be giving an executive order to get Obamacare waivers issued to every state. Why does he trash Obama regarding universal health care, when he's been such a huge fan of socialized medicine? He loved it so much, he made sure it was implemented it (RomneyCare) way back in 2006, for the residents of Masschusetts. In fact, it was such a success that I can only say ... I'm really, really thankful that I don't have to live in Massachusetts.

In my consideration of Mr. Romney, I couldn't help but develop a mental association of him with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He can be listed on the ballot as a Republican, but I'm convinced the guy is as much of a Republican as I am an athiest.

femmeflashpoint

Seth's breakdown of Kit's query ...

2012-07-12T23:51:00.000-07:00

Some of you, maybe several of you, may find the content of this blog offensive. But, hey, it's my blog, and I only put in it what's on my mind to write, and it's absolutely impossible to please everyone with every blog, every time.

I get most of my blog, short story, and article ideas from colleagues and friends. Now and then I even get them from people I meet on the street, or in a shop, or all sorts of other places I come across them. I'm not shy, and I'm prone to strike up a conversation with anyone that snags my interest. But, for the most part, the content ideas tend to come from lunch discussions, or during discussions and idea-bouncing with the Muscle Next Door.

I'm a Christian writer who's been blessed with a large group of caring friends, who come from all types of ethnicity and religious beliefs, and even the total lack of the latter. I've caught some fire from Christians who believe I'm in the wrong for befriending folks who are not of the Christian faith, which only results in making me angry. I get a bit bent when folks cop a a self-righteous attitude, and sincerely believe they're better than someone else because of their status in the Christian realm.

So there you have it. I'm not Buddhist, but I have friends who are. I'm not a Catholic, or a Methodist, or a Druid, or even an athiest or agnostic, but I have friends from all of those beliefs. And, though I'm straight, I have many friends who are gay.

Torres on the left, Bobby D. and D.J. in the middle, Kit on the right.

It happened to be a friend from one of those genres, Kit, who'd met with Torres and I for lunch a couple of weeks ago, that contributed to article and blog content ideas. She said I should considering writing up something on gay rights.

My first response was exactly this, "Gay rights? Why would I do an article on that? You've got the same rights as I do, so pick something else." I really did answer her like that, and she truly knew I meant no offense. But, she didn't agree and proceeded to give me a brief and valid "schooling" on why she felt she, in specific instances, doesn't have the same rights that Torres and I do.

Torres and I are both hetero, and both single. Kit explained that if Torres and I were married to opposite-sex partners, even in marriages regarded as common law (which is recognized as a legal marriage in the state of Texas), that Torres and I would be given legal rights that Kit and her partner would not be given, in certain situations.

A description she gave of an example situation was, if Kit were to be suddenly incapacitated, her legal next of kin would automatically be her parent(s), rather than her partner. If this happened to me, or Torres, and we had spouses, our husband(s) would be automatically recognized as our legal next of kin. Past that, she said, if she were incapacitated and hospitalized, her parents could decide to not let her partner in to visit her, or to assist in any financial or medical decisions. If Torres and I had spouses, they would automatically have the right to make those decisions for us.

Afterwards, I admitted to seeing her point, and I understood why she feels same-sex partners are descriminated against in these sorts of situations.

Seth Hall on the right.

I mulled it over, and before deciding how to present it, I met with Seth on the back patio to get his opinion on how I should go about writing this sort of thing up, and if it should be written in a blog, or presented as an article. Seth is one of my main go-to-guys for this sort of ideological brainstorming. He's the eldest of the Muscle Next Door (excluding McGuyver, who is his dad), and he and I have spent many an hour discussing law, government, politicians and whether or not it's a good idea to wear sports socks with dress slacks.

I laid out the points Kit had brought up, and I sincerely had no idea what side of the fence Seth might take regarding Kit's complaint about unfairness in the legalities of these sorts of partnerships. However, there is one thing I can always count on, and that is that when it comes to citizens rights, Seth will always stand for what is fair and just, and will follow the U.S. Constitution to the letter, as a guideline. That's a very good habit he's maintained, especially if you're a voter and you live in his precinct, because he's our local precinct chairman of the Republican Party. He's also not "old guard" Republican, but an actual Republican, who is constantly mindful of constitutional adherance. Therefore, for those of us in our precinct who happen to love liberty, we have an excellent representative to help ensure that we maintain it.

This time, it was Seth waving his hand at me, flipping away at the notion of gay rights or straight rights and said that ultimately, the problem had nothing to do with anyone's sexual orientation. He broke it down beyond that, to the very base of the problem that causes this flurry of discussion, and even arguments amongst a good many citizens a great deal of the time.

What it boils down to is this, a government has no right to be meddling in, sanctioning, taxing, or applying fees to the personal union of two consenting adults, period. To make it a bit more blonde-friendly, he put it this way. It's absolutely ridiculous for there to be a fee paid to any government establishment to be legally married. It's equally as absurd to have to pay any government establishment a fee to be legally recognized as a minister. Suddenly, the light-bulb came on in my blonde-brain, and I said, "Ohhhhhh! You're right!"

It was one of those, "Good grief! I've been an idiot!" moments.

Sad thing is, I'd never even questioned this before, and I should have questioned it when I first gained the knowlege of it. But, we as a society, have been so programmed to accept such things, that most of us don't bother to question laws that are an infringement on our human liberties. Not just American liberties, but liberties that ALL people are entitled to.

If I ever marry again, I won't be heading to a courthouse, in any state, to pay for a marriage license. I also won't require, or request, that the officiant be a licensed minister. I will consider to have a partnership contract drawn up prior to the marriage, to ensure that whomever I married would be recognized as my legal next of kin, but otherwise .... what possible right does a government entity have to charge me a fee to get married, or charge a minister a fee to perform a ceremony?

None.

Now I can't help but wonder how much money has been made since the fees for marriage licenses and ministerial licenses have been implemented. And, where has all of that money gone to? Think about it. That's a wholeeeee lot of change the governments been raking in for years, that they've never had a right to be taking in the first place.

This excerpt I've borrowed from macquirelatory.com is a priceless outline of the word "license" in relationship to a government.

"According to Black's Law Dictionary, the word license is defined as - the permission by competent authority to do an act which without such permission, would be illegal." Now in other words, this means the government makes something that was lawful to do, illegal, so they can then tell you that if you pay the government money (which is a bribe), then they will turn their backs and give you a permit that allows you to break the law that they just said was illegal to do! So the question that people need to ask themselves, is why would it be illegal to marry without the State's permission?"

"Miscegenation laws, were laws that banned interracial marriage and sometimes interracial sex between whites and blacks. In the United States, interracial marriage, cohabitation and sex have since 1863 been termed as "miscegenation. In North America, laws against interracial marriage and interracial sex existed and were enforced in the Thirteen Colonies from the late seventeenth century onwards, and subsequently in several US states and US territories until 1967. In the United States, miscegenation laws were state laws passed by individual states to prohibit miscegenation, nowadays more commonly referred to as interracial marriage and interracial sex. Typically defining miscegenation as a felony, yes, felony, and these laws prohibited the solemnization of weddings between persons of different races and prohibited the officiating of such ceremonies."

"When a couple applies for a license from the State to marry, they are actually asking for permission to engage in the “unlawful” activity of marriage (License - a revocable permission to commit some act that would otherwise be unlawful - Black’s Law 7th ed). Why, because the State can regulate that which it licenses, by entering into a State-sanctioned franchise (marriage) as a married couple, a couple forfeits their rights to a private, sovereign marriage and any ownership control of their children or property; as a result of the marriage license. Child Protective Services receives its full power and authority to seize children via the marriage license under the ancient legal doctrine of parens patriae. When a State-licensed married couple has a child, the Birth Certificate is the document the State uses to claim ownership of the child under its marriage contract. State ownership remains as long as that child lives, even after the age of 21. If you have a birth certificate, the State owns you too. Couples married under a state-sanctioned marriage license also give up 1/3 of their property to the state. Should one person die, the government, through the inheritance tax, will demand the surviving party to “buy them out” - usually a 28- 35% tax."

I have to say, I find the entirety of the history of marriage licenses, and their current role in society to be disgusting and an affront to my beliefs as a Christian, and a liberty-loving individual, who thinks color is a grand thing, and believes God does too. He came up with it before I was even born to appreciate it. The description, miscegenation, will be rankling me for days. If it hadn't been for some color mixing, I'd not be here, and I'm very happy with my ancestry.

The whole nasty business is neither a straight, gay, racial or cultural issue. It's an issue with the government implementing a divide, conquer and control tactic while they plant their creepy, fat, greedy, thieving fingers in citizens wallets ... again.

My thanks to Kit for bringing it up, and my thanks to Seth for clearing it up, as well as sparking me to dig a little deeper into the whys and hows of the origination of this mess.

That's it for this one.

God bless you, thank you for reading, and please don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Baghdad Chronicles via Jeremy Norton

2012-06-28T02:26:00.004-07:00

Today's post is in tribute to a very special fellow. You know the type. They carry heavy loads on their back. They have to be en guarde with nearly every step they take, due to the extreme possibility of a wrong move costing them limb(s), life, or both.

They're the type who have the courage to sign on the line, agreeing to suffer hardship, and give all they've got, up to and including their lives, to protect you and me.

Knowing there is a high-probability they'll be sent far away, into strange lands with foreign tongues, and spend their days and nights at mortal risk, somehow they find the courage to sign on the line, giving themselves over to the control of our oh-so-incredible, United States government officials.

That being said, here's a tip.

The vast majority of them aren't doing it for the welfare of our illustrious, and pathetic government.

They're doing it for their children, for their parents, for brothers, for sisters, nieces, nephews, neighbors and communities.

The following are excerpts of a journal, written by an active duty soldier during deployment. He has graciously given me permission to publish them here.

PFC Norton, Jeremy
1^st Platoon, Bandit Troop,
1^stSquadron,
10^th Cavalry Regiment,
4^th Infantry Division
United States Army

May 11, 2006 – Nov. 1, 2006

First Entry

The engine on the M114 HMMWV was humming as I dozed off in the drivers seat. It was another hot, summer day in southern Baghdad.

We'd been sitting at the patrol base since before sunrise, waiting to pick up our sniper team from their OP, a klick away. It was past noon. The highlight of my day had been starting and stopping the HMMWV to keep the battery from dying.

I’d also been trying, unsuccessfully, to get some sleep in, all day. And, just as I was finally drifting off to a land filled with good food and Dr. Pepper, I was awakened by a short whistle, followed by a BOOM!!

A mortar round had landed in the middle of the patrol base. I jumped out of the Humvee and ran to the cement bunker behind it. Just as I got there, another mortar fell on the engine block of the Humvee next to mine. It didn’t explode, but put a nice sized hole through the motor.

The two soldiers who had been sitting in the Humvee weren’t injured, and were able to jump out and run to the bunker. A final mortar exploded 50 feet away. We all waited for a long while to see if more were coming.

Second Entry

I was riding in the back of a Humvee with PVT Conn. Ortiz was driving. Allen was gunning, and SGT Lewis was our TC. We were on our way out, heading toward the bridge of death, to set up a temporary patrol base.

Suddenly, I heard an explosion in the distance and a giant cloud of smoke appeared off to my right. We were soon notified that a 2^nd Platoon truck had hit an IED. We headed as fast as possible to their location.

On our way I heard that one of the dismounts on the truck is PVT Nadasi. Nadasi stood right next to me on the blue line during basic.

As we turned onto the same road in which 2^nd Platoon had encountered the IED, I heard a snapping sound above the Humvee. I realized what was happening and yelled, “They’re shooting at us!!”

Allen was way ahead of me. He started unloading with the 240B. He went through his 200 round ammo can quickly. I jumped out and laid down suppressive fire while he reloaded.

Somewhere in the chaos, the truck I was riding in died. We ended up towing it to 2^nd Platoon’s position. When we got there, I saw the destroyed Humvee, and couldn’t believe that everyone got out alive. The turret and gunner were thrown 50 feet away. PVT Nadasi came away with second and third degree burns on his face, and fractured vertebrae. He would have been dead if it hadn’t been for PFC Bridges, who yanked him out of the burning vehicle, through a slot smaller than Nadasi was.

Third Entry

We’d been out at a temporary patrol base for three days, when finally we were able to pass it off to 2^nd Platoon. I knew it was only for a couple of days, but I was looking forward to some much needed rest. We lined up our trucks and rolled out, past the bridge of death. I was riding in the same vehicle I’d ridden in before, and we were pulling rear security for our convoy.

We'd made it about 150 meters away when we heard an explosion and saw a cloud of dust, four or five vehicles in front of us. Our lead Humvee reported receiving small arms’ fire. Soon we heard M2 .50 cal machine gun shots ripping through the air.

There were no Iraqis in sight, but everyone unloaded their weapons. 50 cals, 240s, M16s, m4s, shotguns, 9 mils, M14s and m203 grenade launchers all opened up on anything that could be hiding a trigger-man.

Thankfully, everyone was okay after the IED blast.

Fourth Entry

After two days of rest, my platoon headed back out to our temporary base. We all expected something to happen on our way there, so we cleared our route carefully. We found one IED and called EOD to come and blow it up. A few hours later we pulled into the patrol base.

The next morning we woke up early and began clearing to- and-through, Route Ambush. I volunteered to be one of the four dismounts, walking and searching for wire, or anything that didn’t look right.

We made it all the way to our destination without incident. We switched out dismounts and I headed to my truck to catch some AC and luke-warm water. I was riding in the lead truck as we made our way back, still clearing every step of the way. We made it all the way back to the front of the patrol base.

Everyone thought we were in the clear, when an explosion rocked the vehicle behind me. I jumped out of the truck and saw the destroyed Humvee flipped completely over.

We medi-vaced all four soldiers in the Humvee. Three were sent back to the States. The other, PVT Palmer, is a buddy of mine from basic. When the IED blew up, he crawled out, weapon in hand, and began laying down suppressive fire with the rest of us, while the others were pulled from the wreckage.

I remembered seeing SPC Plimmer lying there, unconscious, with blood all over his face. I thought he was dead. Then, I heard PVT Martin screaming in pain. SPC Ganzer, the gunner, whose knee was twice the size of his head, was asking if Plimmer was alright.

That was the first time I really, definitely, wanted to kill someone.

We placed all four of them on litters and carried them to the medivac site. Later that day, we took down the patrol base and headed home to FOB Falcon.

Fifth Entry

Sweat was burning my eyes by midday, during the hottest month in Iraq. I was walking on a dirt road, one hundred meters in front of our vehicle, scanning for command wire, det-cord, or anything else that looked wrong. Thirty meters ahead of me was SSG Bayles, and our Platoon SGT, SFC Casey. Staggered to my left, on the opposite side of the road, was PVT Conn, and behind us was SGT Lindshied. There was thick vegetation and deep canals on both sides of the road, along with a few mud huts and run-down houses.

I’d been walking in the 130F degree heat for close to two hours when we finally closed in on the newly erected patrol base. It was to be our home for the next week.
White Platoon (2^{nd Platoon}) had rolled in ahead of us and set it up. They had reportedly cleared the road we travelled on, but it was decided it should be re-cleared, just to be on the safe side.
As we reached the point where we felt we were pretty much safe, Conn stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the road. "WIRE!" he yelled, then pointed, and stepped away.

On the other side of the road, I did the same thing. But, as I stepped, BOOM!!

The IED exploded 10 feet away. The ground shifted under my feet, and knocked me to my knees. The air filled with dust as the dirt and pebbles began falling.

When my hearing came back, I realized our gun trucks had opened fire. I heard the cracks of 7.62 AK rounds flying over my head. I raised my weapon and fired six rounds over the canal to my left, and then started yelling and searching for PVT Conn, who had been standing right next to the IED.

I called his name four or five times before I stumbled upon his weapon, lying at the side of the road.

Finally I heard him yell, “I’m down here!”

As the dust cleared, I made out the made out the figure of Conn, lying down in the canal. He’d been peppered in the face by debris, and thrown into the ditch. Thankfully, other than some temporary hearing loss, he was okay.

Sixth Entry

I’d dismounted, and was walking in 120 F degree weather. I had 50 pounds of gear in my hands, and another 40 pounds on my back, along with a mine detector and water. We’d gone about 2K already, and had hit one of our three objectives.

The heat and weight had begun to take a toll. My legs were feeling heavy, the sweat was pouring and burning my eyes. I was second to the last in the formation with our terp (interpreter), a Somali named Santos, who was walking in front of me. We were crossing an open field, on our way to recon a potential, future patrol base.

A sniper’s bullet zipped through the middle of our formation. I saw the dirt kick up in front of me, and everyone hit the ground. We laid down suppressive fire and moved out in threes, to the nearest cover and concealment. A minute before I could barely keep walking, but suddenly I was sprinting. I took comfort in the fact that our SAW gunner was unloading while we moved.

Less than 10 minutes later, Green Dragon, our friendly-neighborhood Apache pilots were on the scene. There were two of them, and they scanned the area for our shooter and attempted to discourage anyone else from taking pot shots at us.

We moved on to our objective to find that the supposedly vacant house we were reconnoitering was actually occupied. A poor dirt farmer, along with his wife and son, were living there. They allowed us to rest in their courtyard.

One of the rounds from our suppressive fire had hit one of his sheep. Santos helped the farmer slaughter the sheep, and later, we were then served Chai tea while we rested. Afterwards we moved on with no further incidents.

Seventh Entry

September 11^th

While other soldiers at FOB Falcon were enjoying a nice 9/11 luncheon at the dining facility, my platoon was on a recon/civil affairs mission. A civil affairs captain and his crew were with us. They’d brought a trailer full of food, and other goodies, for the people of the JAB (Arab Jabor). Before we began our civil affairs mission, we had three kilometers of dismounted patrol ahead of us.

Our first objective was to recon a previous patrol base, and the area around it. As we crossed a canal, Lt. Rice (my platoon leader) spotted a wire in the road. It was blue and white command-wire. We traced it back 30 meters. It was buried the whole way. We called up EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal), set our outer cordon, and began the wait.

About 30 minutes later I heard six or seven pops in the distance, followed by BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Three mortars landed near us. I suppose the others were duds. A short time later we received small arms' fire. It was sporadic. The shooter probably took off right away. We lit up the area anyway.

Another 30 minutes had passed when the EOD arrived. It took them four attempts to blow the IED because of how deeply it had been buried. When they were leaving, we started our walk back to the trucks. On arrival, I pulled out an MRE and some cold water from our ice chest. We sat with the trucks for a couple of hours while we waited for temp to cool off a little.

A second set of dismounts began passing food out for our civil affairs mission. I was sitting in the driver’s seat, waiting for them to return when I heard the distinct burst of 7.62 fire breaking out. Then I heard a mixture of 5.56 and sporadic 7.62 shots.

We rushed the gun trucks to the scene and opened up with everything. Finally, something came over the radio, and I heard we had two casualties. The civil affairs captain and our interpreter, Amanda, had both been hit. The medivac was called, and they were rushed to 10^th CASH, in the Green Zone.

I had no idea how badly they were injured. I found out later that the Captain was hit in the arm, and our Terp in the calf. Both were okay, and the captain was actually returned to duty a couple of days later. We made it back to the FOB with no other incidents.

Eighth Entry

We were on our way to our 5^th patrol base, moving at a slow crawl behind Iron Claw (Route Clearance Team), and a rotten feeling had been churning in my gut. The location was the same as the previous patrol base, and we’d travelled to it twice in the last week and a half.

Iron Claw turned onto Route Ambush and discovered a power line had fallen on the road, rendering it impassable. We were forced to back track and go a different route. We drove through fields whenever possible, to avoid IEDs in the roads.

As we closed in on the patrol base, we heard an explosion in front of us. A Fires Platoon truck had been hit, sending four soldiers to the cash and rendered that route impassable too. It was about that time that we (at least those in my truck) realized the insurgents were prepared for us. We made our way down the only possible route left, dismounted and began clearing it.

We discovered a pressure plate directly in front of the gate to the Patrol Base, and a possible secondary at a choke-point 20 meters away. I brought up the mine detector. It confirmed the possible secondary was another IED.

As the dismounts got back to the truck, we took small arms' fire. An Iraqi Army soldier, with us, took a round through his wrist. We laid down suppressive fire and moved the vehicles back to a less vulnerable position.

We watched over the IEDs, waiting overnight for the EOD. The next morning we made it into the Patrol Base. We took mortar fire twice the first day. The next day we were informed the Commanding General was coming to see us.

When the General arrived, he chewed out our Troop Commander and Squadron Commander. He told them that our missions' talk and purpose are "bullsh**.”

An Iraqi Army soldier had taken a bullet. Four U.S. soldiers had received sever burns and broken bones. One of those soldiers, SPC Spivey, would be sent home, but later die from his wounds a few months after the unit redeployed.

All that damage was incurred for what the General termed as "bullsh**."

We returned to FOB Falcon the next morning.

Ninth Entry

An eerie feeling came over me as we sat waiting for the Blackhawk to lift off. It was an almost surreal environment, as if we were just waiting for a director to call “ACTION!”, so that we could all begin playing our parts.

But, this was no movie. There were no actors. There was no audience, and the closest thing to a director we had was the LT sitting beside me, monitoring the radio.

He yelled critical information into my ear.

“There are definitely people in the house at our objective! Tell them!” He motioned toward the back of the chopper, to the rest of the soldiers with us.

I turned around, as far as my gear would allow, and repeated the information the LT had given me.

PV2 Palmer was sitting behind me, facing the opposite direction. “What?” I repeat the information for him. “What?” he yelled again.

“PEOPLE! IN HOUSE! AT OBJECTIVE!” I yelled again, breaking it down for him.

Finally, I got an affirmative response that he’d heard me over the roar of the chopper. “Okay!”

The bird lifted off, and we were on our way. The doors were left open to make for a quick exit at the landing zone. I stared out at the lights of southern Baghdad, anticipating small arms' fire, RPGs, or stinger missiles to hit us, but they never came.

The lights below had become few and far between when I heard the Blackhawk crew chief yell, “ONE MINUTE!”

I repeated it to Palmer, and prepared myself for the landing. I flipped my night-vision goggles down over my eyes, then grabbed a bag with my left hand, and clutched my rifle with my right.

“THIRTY SECONDS!”

As the chopper was landing, I was chanting in my head. “Three steps and drop. Three steps and drop. Three steps and drop.”

“GO! GO! GO!”

I was the first one out, but my three steps and drop hand turned into one step, then a stumble, followed by a face-plant.

The LT does the same thing, and landed on top of me. I suddenly remembered that I’d not seen a single flat field in all of Iraq, at least not in our areas of operation. They’d all been cultivated, and resembled a fluctuating sound wave.

The choppers lifted off, leaving us there in the darkness. I located SSG Carter, and PFC Watkins. Together we made our way to our blocking position, on the south side of the target house. The guy who lived there had been dubbed the “Sergeant Major” of the insurgents in the area. We had nicknamed him, “Chuck.”

BOOM!

“GO! GO! GO!”

A flash and bang went off, as our Iraqi Army counterparts entered the house. Ten minutes later a green flare went up signaling all was clear for searching. The raid went smoothly, but unfortunately, “Chuck” wasn’t home. Our search party talked to his family before moving away from the target house. There was a suspected weapons cache in the area we had to investigate. We made the search, but turned up nothing. When it was completed, we returned to the FOB.

Jeremy Norton's first and second deployments were with the 4th Infantry Division, and the last was with the 1st Cavalry Division. His job title was Cavalry Scout.

He was deployed three times from 2006 through 2011.

His current position is the Acting Platoon Sergeant for 1st Platoon, Shadow Troop, 171st Cavalry.

Thank you for your service, Mr. Norton. May God continue to bless and keep you.

Welcome home!

femmeflashpoint

Cannabis Contention

2012-06-22T03:02:00.000-07:00

During early voting, I heard a man speaking to a candidate who was campaigning for state representative. The conversation began immediately after the candidate passed the voter some literature regarding his campaign platform. The voter took the literature and asked, "Are you the guy that's wanting to make drugs legal?"

The candidate asked a few questions of the voter, before giving him a well thought out response.

The voter didn't seem satisfied with the answer though, which included the candidate's desire to set up a panel of professionals, recreational drug users, as well as drug addicts, to gather their thoughts on the issue, and proceed from there in regards to legalizing certain drugs. When the candidate finished, the voter said, "Have you ever met a drug addict?"

The candidate confirmed that he had met a drug addict. Wow! Imagine that! In fact, he'd met more than one. Double-Wow! I honestly thought, "C'mon, really? Who HASN'T met an addict of one sort or another?"

The voter continued to expound on the evils of drugs, how they should never be legalized, and how laws should continue to be in place to prohibit their use so lives could be saved.

I appreciated his concern regarding irresponsible drug use, however, what didn't make sense was that he sincerely believes criminalizing drug use would be just the thing to keep people from using them. The issue I have with that ideology is ... it's ludicrous.

Drug laws have been in place for as long as I can remember. Yet, with all that law prohibiting it, people still grow, make, sell, buy and use drugs.

People who want to use drugs are going to use them, be they legal or illegal. But, as long as their illegal, the cartels will continue to be financed, and people will continue to die from crossing them. If marijuana were legal, the cartels would be filing for unemployment.

Lots of people have died from drug use, and lots of people have risked their lives to buy the drugs that killed them. The law didn't keep the drugs out of their hands, and it didn't keep them breathing. But, for all the time they were alive and buying their drugs, it definitely kept monies flowing in all the wrong directions.

Lives are going to be destroyed and lost due to drug use, regardless of how many laws there are in place to prohibit it. If people want to use drugs, they're going to. Decriminalizing drugs would at least call a halt to black-market practices, and diminish the power of those who make their living producing, buying, shipping and selling them. It would also keep innocent folks from dying in the crossfire while the drug wars are raging.

The drug business is often gruesome, and keeping the current drug laws in place will ensure that it continues to be gruesome.

To think that ditching the drug laws is to throw the doors wide open for widespread drug abuse makes no sense either. If I hear an announcement on the morning news that marijuana has suddenly been legalized, I'm not going to shout, "Woohoo!" and run out to stock up on the stuff. In fact, most folks I know wouldn't begin buying drugs simply because they were suddenly legal either. One thing I have learned is, the more a thing becomes a taboo, the more people are enticed to investigate and experience it.

This isn't to insinuate that I advocate drug use. I don't. But I am insinuating that my rights should stop where someone elses start. Yours should too.

If cannabis was legal, billions of dollars wouldn't be flowing back and forth between the drug lords, buyers, our own government and law enforcement officials. By the way, here does all of that siezed money go to when it's been confinscated? I'm curious because, for the wealth that's been taken in during busts, oddly, my taxes haven't decreased. Have yours?

If you think I'm wrong, you're welcome to explain to me why. But, fair warning, my opinion won't be swayed until someone can show me that drug laws have worked.

So far, I'm only seeing that they've caused a great deal more harm than good.

I understand many of the photos were likely offensive. They offended me too. But, they definitely help put things in perspective.

That's it for this one.

God bless you, thank you for the read, and please don't forget to thank a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Shenanigans

2012-06-17T03:16:00.001-07:00

With the state elections, primary elections and the Texas Republican Convention behind us, there seems to be a bit of breath-catching going on.

It won't last long with National Convention coming up soon, but the short reprieve has been appreciated by several folks who've been working very hard on the campaign trail.

I was thrilled to hear Jennifer Hall won the election for Tarrant County Chair, and equally happy to hear Jonathan Stickland has been elected as Texas State Representative in District 92.

Jen Hall addressing guests at the Lincoln Day dinner 2012.

Jonathan Stickland with two of his main ladies at the
Fort Worth Stockyards.

It's nice to see hard work pay off, and see folks who are committed to being constitutionally-adherant representatives of "We The People" make it into positions to where they have opportunities to make the changes needed to restore liberty. You know? The sort of liberty promised to U.S. citizens in the U.S. Constitution?  I haven't experienced it yet, but it's exciting reading about it. It'd be phenominal if it was actually brought back into existence.  I'm right fond of the idea of liberty, and very thankful to those who are working so hard to get it restored to U.S. citizens.

Election day was a gut-buster for both candidates and campaigners. There was also some sorry-sneaky-business going on in attempts to throw wrenches in the works.  I'll be happy to give you a wider explanation on that a bit later. There's no way to make it pretty, but Texas voters in my area should be made aware of it in event they see those folks on ballots any time in the future. Falsifying Tarrant County Republican Club - PAC endorsement cards is downright naughty. And, for the record, Jen Hall and Jonathan Strickland were endorsed by the TCRC - PAC. :)

For now, I'd like to extend my thanks to the employees of the Subway on N. Beach in Fort Worth. When Lukas and I showed up during the lunch-rush on election day, asking for 26 foot-long subs, and an equal amount of chips, this bunch made it happen and didn't complain.  Two of them put our order together while the third managed the other orders coming through in the line behind us. They even boxed everything up so we could get it to the car easier and deliver them to folks working the polls throughout Fort Worth.

In the midst of the election and convention flurry, my compadres and I at my "other" job have been enduring the stress of transition that comes with a company buy-out. Those of us who were hired by the previous owners, came onto our jobs as emergency response agents. The new owners have restructured our positions to include, and require sales ... as in actually selling and having to make a quota.

I've never liked sales, and have never enjoyed the company of, or even trusted, many sales people. I can think of about five that I actually consider to have enough integrity for me to consider them to be decent people.

I'm not alone in my attitude towards sales and sales people, and with the stress that has been piled on our shoulders in regards to this new requirement, the transition has not been an easy, or an enjoyable one.

In their attempt to maintain as positive of an environment as is possible where sales is the name of the game, S.Elf and April-May-June have outdone themselves in providing smiles via effervescent attire.

April-May-June

If only you could hear
her impression of a Yankee-Bridezilla. :)
She really should get her own show ...

April-May-June, the Birthday Diva, and Queen S.Elf, who sewed the entirety of the medievil gown she's wearing.

I've been informed that this is how the West was won ....

Being in good company while at work tends to keep my locked jaw and teeth-grinding to a minimum.

Just a heads up, there are new photos and commentary in the Pack Rides blog that's worth having a look at, especially if you have a bike and live in the Indiana-Kentucky-Illinois tri-state area. Just click the link. It'll get you there ... to the blog, not the tri-state.

To all you good DADS out there, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
That's it for this one. Thank you for the read! God bless you, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Magic Touch

2012-06-07T13:34:00.001-07:00

Most of us are familiar with the phrase, "It's lonely at the top."

Since I haven't made it to the top in the literature field, I can't tell you if that's true or not. I CAN tell you that if being at the top meant isolation from my friends, colleagues and family, I'd not be inclined to go there.

It's the people in my life that give me leads and ideas, and people are what generate the excitement to share what I've discovered.

Therefore, if femmeflashpoint ever reaches the tip of the pinnacle (whatever and wherever that might be) in literary endeavors, I plan to drag all my peeps along with me. I would have no fun at all if I were up there all by myself.

If there is a rule I'm unaware of that demands I go it alone, once I arrived I could only stay long enough to say, "Wow! What a view!" I'd make sure to take as many shots as my camera would hold, and then I'd be on my way back down to tell everyone about it, and show them what I'd seen.

I'm resigned to believe that whoever claimed it was lonely at the top suffered from severe paranoia and maybe had a nasty personality too.

Torres & Kristen Loree
Two bits of awesomeness!

And so, to my many friends and family who make my life rich, including those of who whom I've never met in person (yes, it's actually possible to grow a great friendship via the internet), I have to extend a huge THANK YOU!!

I sincerely appreciate you for encouraging me, for checking on me when I'm quiet (I admit, quiet doesn't happen often with me), for putting up with the tribal-temper, and the excitement that turns me into a chatterbox when I've come across something I deem marvelous! Thanks for reading my work and not smacking me down when it wasn't up to par.

Keeping us in smiles on the job. It's an impressive feat,
considering we were hired as Response Agents,
to help people, and now we've been reduced to sales reps performing
product-peddlers.
S. Elf (right) is forever engaged in "Blues Defiance" and
she usually wins! You go, girls!
Thanks Leah and S.Elf for brightening things up!

To those who leave comments, I could just HUG you for taking the time to drop me a line on the blog, or whatever articles I've written. And the same goes to those who've sent me emails with encouraging content.

From the end of February through the beginning of May, I was ill frequently, and not able to put a decent paragraph together. My thanks to the Lethal Leprechaun for waiting until I was able to get back to work before he started whipcracking at my procrastination. No worries. It was all for the good. I was feeling a bit lost with how to pick up where I'd left off, and was in need of a few jump-starts. It worked, and I'm grateful that he and his feline-cohort, the Ninja-Cat, took the time to threaten me. :)

Those in my area that are always in contact with me, and making sure I keep in touch personally, and take time to come up for air between work and the job, you're the bomb! It helps more than I can say to keep me focused on the reality of life beyond the job and the keyboard.

Now, I have some information to share with you that you will hopefully take into consideration, because it's important and has the potential to make your life much, MUCH better!

I know loads of folks who make a choice on what to spend $40 to $60 on, in doing something for their personal good. A large percentage of those folks have physical maladies, that can be corrected, or at least relieved by a big margin if they put their monies in the right direction. Yet, instead of investing their finances into their health, they invest it in manicures, pedicures, a new purse, an expensive dinner, hair color, or whatever else catches their eye and results in a "I must have it!" reaction. (Book purchases, of course, are not included in the list ... )

Jeannie Schmidt
Massage and Accupressure Therapist

There are individuals, in most areas, whose services are available that can do sooooo much more for you than a new purse can do. Those individuals are massage and accupressure specialists who have the know-how and talent to not only bring relief from various pains and skeleto-muscular restrictions, to enhancing your energy levels, decreasing your stress, and even helping you with better mental processing and focus.

Some are certified, and some aren't. Certifications aren't something I grant significance to. I'm always more inclined to pay attention to talent, intuition and remarks from other clients, rather than an educational background. To add to that, many forms of massage technique used by massage specialists, were discovered in rock carvings that are centuries old. I'm doubting those who carved them were packing a piece of paper declaring a collegiate- issued degree.

The local specialist I want to introduce you, does happen to be certified, and has logged six years in the massage therapy industry. She studied at the American Institute of Allied Health, and is an expert in Swedish, deep-tissue, Lomilomi, Thai, pre-natal and pediatric massage and accupressure techniques. She also specializes in carpal tunnel pain relief and prevention. However, it's her talent that impresses me, not her scholastic credentials.

Her name is Jeannie Schmidt and she practices in the DFW Metroplex. Beyond the innate talent she utilizes in her work, she's got a bright disposition and is very knowledgeable about the results her work will bring. She insists on taking the time to get acquainted with her clients, and thoroughly assess their needs before she administers therapy. Once she gets started, she lets their body signals tell her how to proceed.

Jeannie is available until 1500 (that's 3 p.m. for civilian readers) at XpresSpa in DFW International Airport, for clients who have time for a treatment before boarding a flight. After 1600 (that's right, 4 p.m. - glad you're keeping up with the lingo), she's available for in-home and office treatments.

She brings everything she needs for private clients requesting massage, accupressure, soaks and exfoliations, and she does it for only $40 to $60. It's pretty much effortless on the client's part. They only have to make the appointment. She does all the work to make it happen and it's at an more than reasonable price.

I'd have no issue with doing my own manicures if it meant choosing between a manicure and a shiatsu treatment. There's simply no contest. Jeannie wins, and so do her clients in long term beneficial effects.

I'm promoting her for two reasons. I know she's really good at what she does, and her intent is to be able to make a good living by truly helping people. I've talked with a few of her clients, and I've heard nothing but rave reviews on her work.

If you're in the DFW metroplex, either on a layover, or living in the area, do yourself a favor and get in touch with her. It's a great investment to make, not only in a local and independent entrepaneur, but an incredibly beneficial investment in yourself.

Jeannie can be reached via email at bambooplant-21@hotmail.com. You can reach her at XpresSpa via the following: Terminal D; South Retail Hall Near Gate D20; Tel: (972) 973-4466; E-mail: info@xpresspa.com; Hours: 7AM - 9PM ...

I'd include her personal phone number as well (which she offered) but I didn't want her to get deluged with phone calls while she's working, or the undesireable calls from folks who have less than honorable intentions in contacting her. She's a Christian, is engaged to a great guy, and is a stickler for maintaining professionalism with her clients.

If you have a massage and/or accupressure specialist in your area, that offers services you can afford, and whose work you trust, and you still haven't hired them for a treatment, I have one word for you. Loser!

To give you an update, new photos have been added to the Veterans Honors page. I have many more to add, as well as a journal sent from a soldier that has been kind enough to allow me to include his writing in the page.

That's it for this one!

My thanks for the read, God bless, and don't forget to thank a veteran at your next opportunity!!

femmeflashpoint

Half-Staff 2012

2012-06-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

There are loads of fun places to be on a holiday, where the smiles are a mile long, and the laughter is as infectious as the mosquito bites are itchy.

A great part of the populace climb out of bed on Memorial Day, prepared to spend the entirety of it in the company of good friends, with good food, and as much frolicking and festivity as they can cram into it.

Old Glory still leaves me in awe, whether flying at the top,
half-staff or half-mast.
I hope one day it will be able to fly again, in representation
of the free Republic it was meant for.

However, for many, before the festivities begin, they gather every year to spend some time in contemplation and expressed gratitude as they remember to pay honor to the military veterans who have marched their last march, taken their last order, and made their last stand.

Here in the United States many of us are blessed to have privileges we exercise every day because of the sacrifices made on our behalf by our military. Young and old, men and women, many of those are no longer with us to enjoy the day with family and friends.

Some consider it a responsibility to remember their lives, and their sacrifice, and regard it as time well spent, to remind ourselves to be vigilant in protecting our freedoms, to be thankful for what we have, and to remember that it has cost many their last breath to provide it for us.

For those who gathered this year at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Fort Worth, Texas to honor those who gave so much for the rest of us, I wish to extend my thanks and appreciation to you for being there, and to those who attended every other Memorial Day observance wherever you may have been.

These gentlemen sat in the heat, without shade, for the entire ceremony before giving the gun salute at the end.
Bravo, guys ... you were stunning. :)

It's one of those gatherings that never ceases to choke me with sadness and yet fill my heart with gratitude and pride for our veterans. With Old Glory snapping in the wind, at half-staff, and the fast jets rocketing over heads, piloted by the 301st Fighter Wing Team of the NAS Joint Reserve Base, I was again amazed at the wonder and privilege it is to be a part of such a great people.

Lt. Col. Lane Beene, USAFR (center - in the jumpsuit)
flanked by attending members of the U.S. Marine Corps
League - Longhorn Detatchment.

Lt. Col. Beene visiting with guest before the
ceremony.

Lt. Col. Lane Beene, USAFR, 457th Fighter Squadron of the Joint Reserve Base Naval Air Station in Fort Worth, shared with us the news of the tragedies involved in heroism that many veterans have succumbed to. And yet, though tragic, to remind us that they gave their lives selflessly, to save the lives of others. The Lt. Col. has been deployed to serve in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Italy, Chile, Germany and Spain, and to date, has accumulated over 4,000 flight hours during his service time.

Glenda Rader of Laurel Land, and a member of the
Marine Corps League - Longhorn Detatchment

In about a month, Old Glory will be sharing air-space with cascades of color brought on by fireworks as we celebrate Independence Day.

Amidst the bangs and booms of the larger displays, sparkler-wielding kids, the food on the grill and the ice chests full of favorite beverages ... I hope you won't forget to whisper a prayer for those who have done so much, and those who are still doing so much, to maintain what freedoms we have left.

Mr. Bill Brown - U.S. Veteran - WWII,
And his daughter Wendy Wood.
Mr. Brown is 92 years old.

There's a poster I've seen circulating frequently on facebook that reads, "Support your U.S. military. You may be needing them if the time comes to overthrow our corrupt government."

If it were possible to pin a gold star on that poster, I'd be one of the first to stick one on it.

I have a great deal of appreciation to the veterans organizations and other participants, who come year after year to Laurel Land Memorial Park to honor those who've served us. I can't remember a single Memorial Day weekend in Texas that hasn't been hot. Even though they know they'll be dripping with sweat, and may not find a spot in the shade, people come anyway. This past holiday, nearly 500 people came for the observance ceremony.

The Cannoneers

They discovered there was a reason they looked
familiar to one another. :)

On behalf of myself, and everyone else there who benefited from it, I'd like to extend a special thanks to the Marine Corps League - Longhorn Detatchment for sharing your ice water. Never let it be said that our leathernecks aren't generous. (Grin!)

Seriously, the Longhorn Detatchment is made up of a great bunch of folks, and they really do set up a tent and pass out icewater for free to anyone who wants it.

I've included what photos I could fit in the post, but if you would like to view more, they're viewable in the blog's gallery.

God bless you, thanks for the read, and don't forget to thank a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

In The Line Up

2012-05-29T04:15:00.000-07:00

Early voting in Tarrant County, Texas is at an end, and this morning the polls are open for those of us who intend to vote during the "regularly scheduled" hours.

We have some interesting folks running for office this season, a few of whom I'd like to tell you about.

Jennifer Hall is running for re-election as Tarrant County Republican Chairman/woman/person (however you wanna say it, and feel politically correct, if it's important to you - I'm open for suggestions), and she's already made an impressive mark her first time through.

She's not one of those folks who are Republican in name only, aka a RINO, she's actually constitutionally adherant. (That's become my new favorite term lately. If they don't qualify for that, I won't vote for them. She does, so I will.)

Jennifer Hall

Jennifer has been the only candidate not just willing, but committed, to working full time as the County Chair, and has maintained incredibly gruelling hours during her time in the position thus far. In only five months she brought the County party from being in debt, to being $45,000 banked and debt free. She also restored the Lincoln Day fundraiser from planned cancellation to a sold-out event and won the fight to preserve the traditional Republican delegate election process in Tarrant County. Also, she was the only County Chair who fought for the Precinct Conventions to be maintained rather than being skipped, and going straight to the Senate District conventions.

She's not only demonstrated fiscal responsibility, she's worked hard to unify Tarrant County Republicans to work together toward their common goals, and is still striving to restore values amongst the administration of the party. For more information on Jennifer Hall, go to Jennifer Hall Tarrant County GOP Chair

Jonathan Stickland

Jonathan Stickland is another one in the line up. He's running for Texas State Representative and he's set the bar high. Jonathan desires to maintain a pro business environment, and get rid of frivolous lawsuits, as well as reduce regulation, effectively getting big government out of the way and making room for employers to actually employ.

Jonathan believes there should be no new taxes implemented due to revenue not being a problem, but wasteful government spending being the problem. That should make him really popular with voters, and very un-popular with a whole lot of folks currently holding elected office.

He advocates family values and, as a Christian, is markedly pro-life.

Jonathan wants to stop the drain of illegal immigration on our state budget and increase the quality and efficiency of education by getting monies back into the classrooms and out of the hands of bureaucrats.

Campaigning during early election: Cedron Garrett,
Taylor Shaw, Mia Hutchens and
Jonathan Stickland.

He's not a socialist, and is not in support of socialized medicine. He also plans to protect the constitutional right to keep and bear arms. For more information on Jonathan and his views on conservative leadership, limited government, family values and personal responsibility, please go to his website at JonathanStickland.com.

Craig Bickley is running for Tarrant County Commissioner and has plans to return local government to the taxpayers. He's been active in politics since high school and from there has served as a precinct chair, GOP state convention delegate, and on the SD12 Platform Resolutions Committee. He's also served as the VP of Communication with the Tarrant County Republican Club and on the Northwest Independent School District Long Term Planning Committee.

Craig Bickley

Craig is also wanting to require fiscal responsibility with tax payer's dollars and government transparency. It's the citizens government, and the citizens monies that are being spent. Craig believes the citizens have a right to know where their money is being spent and the reasons behind the decisions to spend it.

The Commissioners Court oversees a budget that is HUGE!! It's nearly half a billion dollars, and it's largely funded through property taxes. For more information on Craig, go to craigbickley.com.

Giovanni Capriglioni and family

Giovanni Capriglioni is running for State Representative. He wants to strengthen the Texas economy with a "Pro Job/Pro Growth Strategy." He's the only candidate in this race who has signed the Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayer's Pledge, and is committed to not raising taxes.

Giovanni's website reports that in Texas alone, over 80,000 unborn children are put to death. (I term it that way because a fetus has it's own unique DNA.) I find that number to be staggering. Giovanni has been a champion in the right to life for these children, and wants to ensure that ALL taxpayer money is stopped from being funnelled to Planned Parenthood and other orginizations with similar practices.

He's an advocate of the U.S. Constitutional right to bear arms by a free citizenry. He's pro increasing government transparency, is a member of the NRA and active in the fight for the right of U.S. citizenry to bear arms. For more information on Giovanni, go to http://votegiovanni.com/issues/.

Matt Krause and family

Matt Krause is running for the Texas House of Representatives in District 93. He's opposed to implementing a state income tax, wants education monies actually put towards educators and students, and is an advocate of the right to bear arms. Per Matt, "A well armed citizenry is a good check and balance against and over-zealous government. The 2nd Amendment is a catalyst of a society of freedom and liberty."

Matt wants Texans to stop relying on the federal government for funding and assert their own state sovereignty as well as keep Washington D.C. out of citizens personal lives and other areas, such as healthcare and the EPA. For more information on Matt, go to http://texansformattkrause.com/issues/.

J. Kevin Carey

J. Kevin Carey is running for 153rd District Court Judge. Mr. Carey states he believes, "the constitution clearly defines the role of judges as deciding disputs, not making laws." He wants to ensure that laws passed by Texas Legislature are constitutionally adherant, to stop the waste of taxpayers' monies being spent on frivilous lawsuits and ensure that the courtroom is a place where all who come there are treated fairly by bringing common sense back into the courtrooms, where peoples' lives are directly effected by the outcome of the courts' actions.

These are the ones that I'm in support of, and believe their interest lies with "we, the people."

I hope you'll make an effort to get out and vote today.

God bless you! Thank you for the read, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Stockyards for the 48th

2012-05-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

"Oh what a night ... !"

For about a decade (or a little more), Riscky's in the Fort Worth Stockyards Train Station has been the gathering point for my birthday party.

Yesterday evening, the Texas crew came piling in, smiling through the sweat, and waiting patiently in line until they could clear a spot on the patio large enough to accomodate everyone. This year I turned 48, and the older I get the more appreciative I am of their efforts to keep in good spirits about the numbers in my birthday climbing higher and higher.

I received more smiles and hugs than I could count, and was thrilled to get to spend the evening with some of the most wonderful folks in Texas! Several of them go out of their way each year to ensure my birthday is a memorable event, and help to keep the homesick-blues for Kentucky-ana to a dull thud. Thanks gang! I totally appreciate you!

My tech-mates from U.T. Southwestern Transplant Services Center started the tradition way back in 2001 and over the years it caught on to become the annual birthday bash that we get together for, on every Memorial Day weekend. Folks showed up from U.T. Transplant, Laurel Land Funeral Home of Fort Worth, Agero Company in Irving, and for the first time, two of the Muscle Next Door, along with Elizabeth were able to join in.

Sadly, and much to my dismay, I somehow dropped the ball on taking photos. I got so wrapped up in all the hugs, smiles and chatting that I forgot to ask one of my camera-packing compadres to get pictures.

But, before it was over S.Elf managed to get a couple of shots for me. Thank you, S.Elf, for coming to the rescue.

And, my thanks to Bobby D. (Bobby Debenport - Funeral Director at Laurel Land) who is exceptional in eagerly greeting new friends. He shakes hands and introduces himself and makes a big effort to ensure they feel comfortable while they're getting acquainted with new faces.

Torres is the main coordinator for this event. This year, she finally crossed the line and made arrangements for that one thing that she knows makes me grind my teeth. The restaurant staff showed up and climbed on benches to sing loudly and present a Riscky's birthday cake.

I'd managed to escape that sort of thing up 'til last night, and Torres was totally cheesin' when the grim look of, "Oh noooooo ..... " came over my face.

(Sigh ... )

Torres is one of my best friends, and I love her dearly, but now .... I'm obligated to get even.

Tony and Conquistador

We had an unplanned surprise at last night's gathering, that was just the coolest sight! Tony, and his beautiful horse, Conquistador, put on an impromptu performance, taking several turns up Exchange Street, and they were awesome to watch! Tony was also kind enough to come back and do it one more time so I could get a video of them.

My apologies to Tony's friend who also allowed me to get photos of him and his horse as well. Unfortunately, I blurred the shots too much to be able to incloude them in today's post. But, hopefully, I'll be able to get substitute pics of them to add later on.

They received applause and enthusiastic cheers from our group, and Tony said he'd be happy to bring Conquistador back next year to dance for the party again.

Tonight Torres and I plan to be at The Grotto, to see a debut perfomance by local songwriter, vocalist and classic guitarist, Sam Gross.

Several of my friends and colleagues have already attended various performances by Sam, and I've heard very positive reviews on him. Tonight will be my first time to catch one of his gigs, so I'm going with high expectations!

Sam's a very cool guy, who's easy to get acquainted with. He's also a U.S. Veteran, so you know how high that rates with me. :) I'm looking forward to tonight's event.

That's it for this one! I'm headed to Laurel Land Memorial Park to cover their annual Memorial Day observance.

God bless! Thanks for the read and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

The scorpion was the cherry on the cake ...

2012-05-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, a few of the Agero gang (formerly ATX) headed to Oklahoma for a cabin-in-the-woods get-away.

I went for two reasons; my friends asked me to come along, and they promised there were off-road bike trails.

Tailing Kimy-Jo up I-35 to find some
Oklahoma dirt to ride on.

It's true. Lake Murray does have off-road trails. As for riding them .... you can read about the trail-adventure-fiasco on the Trail Challenges - Pack Rides blog. It was rough, and that's an understatement.

The "crashing" disappointments encountered during cycling aside, the company was really good. I felt my neck and shoulders relaxing not long after I unloaded and stowed my gear, and it felt really good to be far enough away from traffic to not hear it.

I had hoped to post a blog one evening from the cabin, but I couldn't get a data signal on my mobile, so I was unable to set up a hotspot to access from. I actually felt good enough to write while I was there. That doesn't mean I want to spend another night in one of their cabins. No wi-fi access and a scorpion in the bathroom heading towards my bare feet, first thing in the morning while I was still muzzy-headed with sleep was a permanant turn-off to doing it again. I can't remember moving backwards so fast, while trying to pull up my pajamas, wash my hands and open the door, all at the same time.

These three were MUCH more fun to spend time with than
the scorpion! My thanks to S.Elf for wading through
the tall grass to take their pic.

I'd include a pic of the little creepy-creature that was heading for my toes, but .... well, I was at my maximum multi-task limit just trying to get away from the thing. S.Elf and Kimy-Jo were more awake and far more brave in dealing with it. They had it cornered, squashed and flushed in under two minutes.

If I head back for a cycle trip, I'd either go for the day and come home later to a scorpion-free house, or find a hotel room, and stay in a room no lower than the second floor, even if I have to haul my bike up a couple flights of stairs.

It wasn't "all" bad. The scenery was great. This is at the
bottom of the first trail Kim and I rode.

Kimy-Jo and S.Elf packed enough clothing and paraphanalia to be away from home for about a month. Allison, Amy and I threw a minimum of almost everything we needed for a two-night stay, and thankfully Kimy-Jo and S.Elf were able to pick up the slack and loan us what we'd forgotten.

I was sure it would take them an entire day to get everything repacked and loaded when we left, but no kidding, they had every bit of it packed up in under an hour. I was impressed ... really!

My bears, Hugs and Cinnamon, helping S.Elf
remain incognito.

Also, no kidding aside, people should PAY S.Elf to go with them on camping trips (even if you're camping in a cabin - so to speak) because having her along is like travelling with a personal Five Star Chef. She remembered everyone's food preferences and diet restrictions, and managed to fix food that everyone could eat, and she made enough to feed our group of five, and at least 10 more. It was magnificient!

The first evening there, Amy, the resident Girl Scout Leader, built a fire in the pit outside. I'd been out earlier, and heard something coming through the woods towards the cabin, and hauled it as quick as I could run, back inside to the screened-in porch.

Kimy-Jo on the first leg of the first trail.

Later, when Amy got the fire going, I went inside for supplies, and when I came back out the door, she'd left the fire for the safety of the porch too. She said, "What's light colored, feline and bigger than house-cat?"

My only guess was a young bob-cat or cougar. She said she looked up, and there it was, looking back at her, and it wasn't nearly as frightened of her as she was of it. She did the same thing I'd done earlier, ran inside to the porch. When she looked back through the screen to see it better, it was leaving for more inviting digs.

One of Amy's photo contributions. :)

So, no. We didn't get a pic of the cat either.

I woke up with the migraine-nemesis the next morning, so Kimy-Jo went trail-snooping alone. She found some decent riding trails that we'd missed the day before (figures), and found some big cat prints in the dirt. She got some pics, but I haven't gotten copies of them yet. If they turn out to be viewable, I'll post them in the next blog.

Allison piloting the speed boat.

The lake and the forest at Lake Murray were beautiful, but the water was still a little too cool to be romping in it. Amy and Allison decided to take a boat out instead of renting wave-runners. They offer those, as well as pontoon party boats, and the prices were reasonable.

They also have floating cabins that come equipped with their own little swimming areas. I'm not interested. I'm thinking I'd be trading scorpions for snakes in the bathroom, and neither one seems appealing.

They have a HUGE lodge, with rooms, suites and wi-fi, so that might be an option if I ever go back there for an overnight trip again.

Amy - displaying her dead-racoon ensemble.

To give you a heads up, soon I'll be moving my weblog to my own website.

I'll keep the blogs posted here intact because I can't move the comments with them.

Amy and Allison found these little guys heading for the lake.

The content from the other pages here will come with me to the new site when I have it set up. I'll let you know when I complete the transition.

The move will be good. I'll be free of contention with Google Ad Sense, and I'll have more content options. The Veterans Honors page will get it's new additions, and a face-lift as well, and ... all around it's a good idea and I'm regretting that I didn't decide to do it sooner.

Another thing, if you're a Tarrant County, Texas voter, and prefer a candidate who maintains constitutional adherance, I urge you to vote for Jennifer Hall for Republican County Chairman. She's not a member of the Republican "Old Guard and Good Ol' Boys Club" who like to prattle on about the fight to maintain personal liberties for Americans, yet have track records which are the total opposite of what they boast about in their campaigns.

Jennifer Hall - Republican County Chair
Tarrant County, Texas

Do a little digging on her and you'll see what I mean. And, for the record, the rumors that her husband, Jonathan (aka McGuyver) is a multi-millionaire, as well as the one that Jen's running for office to gain power, is not only a hoot, but totally untrue.

My family has lived next door to the Halls for nearly 20 years. They are some of the most honest folks I've ever met. They're well versed with the U.S. Constitution, and are giving up massive hours of their own time, without payment, to ensure it remains alive and well.

I hope you'll check her out, and cast your vote in her favor, because she's the only candidate running with her communities' desires in mind.

That's it for this one!

God bless, thanks for the read, and don't forget to thank a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Ringling Bros. - providing smiles for the crowds and cries from the animals.

2012-05-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

For me, writing isn't like riding a bike. When I don't stay consistent with it, I get rusty. And, rusty would be a good description of how it's feeling today, attempting to put a blog post together after being 'off the page' for a few weeks now.

The reason for the absence is a migraine-storm, that hasn't let up long enough to get much of anything done on the literary front.

Since I haven't been reading as much as the norm, I've been dependent on getting most of my information regarding current events from my friends. Some of it's been good and some of it's been disturbing.

One of the articles S.Elf informed me of last week was regarding Ringling Bros. circus and the incredible animal abuse being practiced by their animal handlers.

Before you plan a visit, when the Ringling Bros. circus is in town, I'd advise watching this video. There's also an affiliated website you might want to have a look at, with further information of the behind-the-scenes atrocities committed against these animals before they're paraded in front of adoring audiences packed with kids, who have no idea what these poor things go through before they make it to the entertainment ring. The website is http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com.

I'll warn you now, if you've any heart at all, this will make you cry, and it will make you think twice before going to the circus. After seeing this, until I'm convinced that this sort of thing isn't happening behind the scenes of all circus groups, the last one I attended will be the last one I attend.

Since this blog started on a dark note, I'd like to lighten things up a little before closing it.

Dos Molina's is a restaurant in the Fort Worth Stockyards that's been around for a long time. My friend Torres has been going there for years, and she's the one who introduced me to it. The restaurant recently went through a face lift, and they've got the place looking great! Stained glass windows, and a new festive interior came together beautifully, and they're still not finished.

The Double-L funeral service crew met there on Monday for our monthly get-together, and we weren't disappointed. The company was wonderful, and the food was excellent, and it isn't exorbitantly priced. We left with smiles on our faces and without our wallets feeling pinched.

L to R: Kit, Bobby D., Torres and D.J.

Kit had just returned from a cruise and was filling us in on what it was like to swim with dolphins. No sun-screen, no sun glasses, and no jewelry. Just you, the water and the dolphin, and it's totally worth it. I've added it to my bucket list.

This was the first time Molina's has hosted the Double L. gang, and thankfully, they didn't ask us to leave and not come back after a great deal of high-volume laughter. (I'm always relieved by that.)

They get two thumbs up for tolerating us, without pressing their fingers to their lips and warning us with a "Shhhh!!"

Thankfully, the other patrons didn't complain either.

April-May-June, striking a pose. :)

My friends at Agero haven't let me down either, in bringing on the smiles. One of my friends and colleagues there is April (known to us as April-May-June, because we can't NOT call her that) is forever trying her hand at new projects. Sometimes it's hooking (as in yarn on a loom), other times it's a new manicure style, and then there are the hand-made with personal flair clothing items she designs.

Her most recent project was a purple tu-tu, which she was kind enough to model for us on the night shift. She's positive minded, good hearted and as funny as they come. She not only modeled it for us, she took the time to turn a few poses down our makeshift runway as well.

Camera flashes were going off throughout our whole section, and we laughed at her antics until the tears rolled. She was a good sport about it and decided the tu-tu was a hit.

Sheriff Mack

Other good news is, Sheriff Mack (Richard Mack) is running for Congress. Applause! Applause!!

I'm impressed with this guy. He' a constitution stickler, and has spent a great deal of his time educating other sheriff's in their constitutional roles, and the importance they play in the protection of the communities they serve.

He reminds me of Davey Crockett, who pretty much told Washington to take a hike when he said, "I bark for no man." Sheriff Mack is an ongoing reminder that elected officials are public servants, and meant to do exactly what they're elected and paid to do; protect and serve the taxpayers who foot their bill, not be lords and masters over them. That was supposed to have ended with the Revolutionary War, but some folks have forgotten that it's representatives we're paying for, not leaders.

That's it for today. Barring headaches, I'll be back soon.

I have a trip coming up next week with some friends from Agero to check out some mountain bike trails and a castle at Turner Falls Park in Oklahoma.

I may have to ride wearing an ice pack strapped to my head with a bandanna, but I'm determined to at least get to ride my Schwinn in the dirt, and see a castle up close that I've only seen from a distance before. It looks very cool and I'm anxious to check it out.

Thanks for the read! Hope you have a great week!

God bless, and don't forget to thank a veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

S.Elf's Easter Ears & The Magic Cup

2012-04-08T18:42:00.001-07:00

Easter greetings, gang!

Amongst the varied religions of the peoples of the world, this day is observed for different reasons.

For me, it's a commemoration of the morning an empty tomb was found, and noting the absence of the most famously selfless and perfect individual whoever lived.

Jesus.

Such a simple and common name, for the most extraordinar person who ever graced this planet.

Author, Rev. Max Lucado once advised, that for all the people of whom parents can teach their kids to look up to, and model themselves after in areas of bravado, forgiveness, and a life well-lived, there is only One who did it perfectly.

In reference to another of my favorite author's, who penned Kipling's Thousandth Man, Rudyard Kipling wrote, "One man in a thousand, will stick closer than a brother, but the Thousandth Man will stand by your side, to the gallows foot and after."

For those of us who have a relationship with this Man, that's exactly how it is. For those who go through adversity without Him, I can't fathom how they do it. He is the greatest friend and comfort I have ever encountered, and I'm very thankful for Christ and His grace that has reached me in some incredibly dark and low spots in my life. Even when I pushed Him away, He remained faithful to me, always with His hand out, calling my name.

I've done some incredibly stupid and selfish things in my life, but, because of Him, I'm recovering, and each day is another opportunity to do better, and be closer to Him, following in His footsteps along a path I should have never abandoned so long ago.

This holiday, like all the others, brings back memories of time with family and friends that I couldn't be with this year. Some have passed from this life, and others are far away. But, the memories still bring a smile to my heart.

S.Elf, with a little ear-propping assistance from
Amy Dawson, colleague and friend.

Last night, S.Elf, true to form and fashion, put a MASSIVE smile on my face as soon as I walked into the response center. She never lets me down during a holiday observance. And, her clever craftiness for Easter Eve wasn't an exception.

When I saw her get-up, I laughed out loud. I LOVED it!!

Of course, I spent a good amount of time moaning that I wasn't getting an Easter Basket from my sister this year. Nee's made baskets for me, in absence of our mother, great-grandmother, and great-aunt, every time I've been in the area with her during Easter holiday.

S.Elf - Easter 2012

Nee's baskets are spectacular, but honestly, it's not the great mix of stuff she puts in them, it's the fact that she bothers to do it. They're always "signature" gifts, selected according to stuff she knows I'd like, but never think to get myself. She's good with that sort of thing. An example would be those great little dipped-in-something-wonderful coffee spoons or stirrers that I go bananas over.

As much as I missed my kith and kin, S.Elf's special Easter attire cheered me up hugely!

If you're going to be stuck working nights during holidays, it's a whole lot better to do it in the company of good friends, who go out of their way, to keep things in an upbeat emotional tune.

The response center is huge. But, regardless of where any of us were sitting, we could easily see S.Elf's cap and ears.

I meantioned a magic cup in the title of today's post. I mentioned it, because I have one.

It was a gift sent from my sister a few months ago, and it came with written instructions to activate it.

The outside of the letter has my name, below that is written, "Be blessed", and below that, a green wax seal.

The inside reads like this:

femme's magic cup and prayer cloth.

A Cup of Inspiration

1. A day washed in the sun.

2. A night spent under the stars, "Heavenly Host."

3. Washed in open water.

4. Wrapped in a prayer cloth.

5. Touched by a servant of God.

6. Held in the hands of a good friend.

7. A day of rest, with a white feather to rest in the saucer.

Now, before you jump to the conclusion that my sister is a practitioner of magic, hold up. That isn't the case. What she was practicing was appealing to my love of adventure, and my issues with missing her company.

She's been one of my most faithful fans in my writing endeavors, since high school. And, she's also been the source of a great deal of inspiration with literature projects I work on. I'm often telling her I wish we could be closer, so that we could work together, because things flow so much faster and easier when she's with me, and filling out the lacking parts of my imagination.

The magic I was referring to is the magic of love, from sister to sister, friend to friend. This cup has a twin. And, the twin belongs to Alicia, who went through the same steps with hers that I've done with mine, with exception to the white feather. We both love feathers, but I'm without a white one, and refuse to pluck one from Jade (my love bird). So, the white feather should be arriving in the mail soon.

Her purpose was for both of us to have identical cups, that have gone through this commemoration process, that we could both be drinking from while we're working. It was her way of bringing us together, while we're apart. I keep the prayer cloth it came wrapped in, on a magnetic wall-board near my desk. In fact, I have two of them. One was sent to me several years ago by a minister whom I've never met, but by all accounts of friends and family who know him, he's a wonderful man with a very special ministry.

It's worked. I can't sip my coffee from the magic cup without feeling like Alicia's closer, which helps me keep my thoughts clearer and my priorities straight with whatever project I'm working on. Amy Dawson likes to tease me about sleeping with teddy bears, which didn't deter me from my habit of maintaining their spots in my bed. Hugs has travelled with me on nearly every trip I've ever made, inside and outside of the U.S. And, Cinnamon stays home and guards my pillows while I'm away.

The cup is a link to my sister, and keeps me from missing her, at least a little, while I'm working. And, of course, I still have my Dragon Laffs mug nearby to use when I'm browsing or reading other people's work.

See? It's all good, and didn't involve any chanting, burning of black candles or drinking of chicken blood. (Grin!)

Hope you've had a wonderful Easter holiday.

God bless you, thank you for the read, and please don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Breakfast Pop, Frog Prince, Dallas Thompson, Old Poolman and Wayne Brown - just to get you started ...

2012-04-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

I've calmed down, and climbed down from that high-horse I was riding a few days ago.

I can't seem to maintain a furious frenzy for long. A smile always manages to break through, causing the storm to dissipate.

That's a good thing. I'd hate to be one of those bitter, angry people who live out their lives wearing a perpetual frown and scowel, never finding anything to be happy about.

That's just not how I want to spend the majority of my time, but as I told Lethal, my fed-up-with-the-Fed, reprehensible RINOs (Republicans In Name Only), and their partners in crime, and the free-loader-is-the-way-to-go Liberals, I'd simply had it.

There is a gentleman who lives in our neighborhood. He served 13 years in the U.S. Military. He's disabled, and receives less than $900 a month to pay his bills with, and less than $18 a month for food stamps.

And yet, we have hundreds of people living in the same city, who've done nothing more than sneak into our state illegally, have never contributed to the welfare of this country, and yet they receive HUNDREDS of dollars in food stamps every month, as well as breaks on housing, education and medical fees.  Not only do they get this assistance, compliments of the We The People Paying Taxes, they invite their friends and family to come on over and get their "free government benefits" too!

The U.S. Government has no money! WE THE PEOPLE have the money, which Uncle Sam is quite liberal in taking from us, and dispensing it at our expense, to those who haven't contributed a thing to maintain even an adequate economy, let alone a flourishing one.

On the bright side, while there's still time to hope, pray and at least TRY to turn things around, we have an opportunity to bring about change, starting at the bottom.

I urge you to pay attention, be involved, let your voice be heard. Get to know who's representing you, starting with your local precinct chair-people. What's their agenda? Do they have the people's best interest at heart?

They have these great little pocket-sized copies of the United States Constitution. Get one. Read it. Know you're rights, and be willing to fight for them, while we still have something to fight for.

There are also loads of free resources to help you keep your ear to the ground, so to speak, and hear what's rumbling down the tracks right your way. Several of those resources are writers, who are not involved with the mainstream media, or on the bandwagon simply to be entertainers with great ratings.

Here's a list of a few to get you started: Breakfastpop, The Frog Prince, Dallas Thompson, Old Poolman, and Wayne Brown. Simply click on their names, have a read, and you'll see what I mean. They'll break it down for you nice and easy and in small enough amounts to digest without taking an antacid.  At least five of the six are U.S. Military Veterans.  That alone should warrant a read. All of them are patriots, all of them are adept at their craft in wordsmithing, and all of them care about maintaining freedom for citizens of the U.S.A.

That's at least a few to get you started. I'll add more names to the list soon. I simply didn't want to be overwhelming.

It used to be that little by little our freedoms as Americans were being taken from us.  Now they're falling away in large chunks, and day by day, we are becoming slaves to a corrupt governing body that affects nearly every single aspect of our day to day lives.

Even if you can only do a little, a little is much, MUCH better than nothing at all. If you're doing nothing, then you're part of the problem.

Just something to think about.

If you think you don't have time to get involved and be informed, it comes down to this .... How important is your freedom to you?

God bless, thanks for the read, and please don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Feeling the flashpoint ...

2012-04-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

I've often acknowledged that I'm a creature of habit, at least most of the time. I've even written on this before, but I HAVE to do it again. After last night and this morning, it's warranted compulsory behavior.

I'm in habit of stopping by 7-11 on my way to work, where I buy a couple of extra-large, zero-cal Monster Blues, and/or coffee, put gas in the Tracker and squee-gee the windows when the tree sap's been falling.

I'm also always in a hurry because I've spent too much time at my desk at home before I head into my workout, which makes me late into the shower, and dressing, and mane-blowing and combing, and so on and so forth.

It almost never fails that when I arrive at 7-11, they're either in the middle of a drawer count, or they've got customers lined up in front of me, waiting to be checked out. Why so many people are out after 2200 on a weeknight, shopping at 7-11 is beyond me. I used to think, "Don't these people have jobs to go to in the morning?"

via google images

Apparently, that was a sensible question, because it seems like a whole lot of the folks shopping at night in 7-11 DON'T have jobs, and don't NEED jobs, because those of us who WORK are paying their shopping bills!

Last night, again, I was stuck behind two women, while the shop-keep filled THREE BAGS for them, with cupcakes, chips, candy, sodas and juice drinks. Super-sized juice drinks, mind you! Not the small sized ones. And, guess what they paid their $30-plus bill with .... a Lone Star debit card.

A Lone Star debit card is what folks here use for food stamps. It's white, with a white-star-wrapped-in-blue, logo on it, with the majestic slogan, "Lone Star", laced in cute graphics across the top of the card's account number. You know, the identification number that allows the card-holder's account to receive monies from our (as in those of us who work and pay taxes) accounts, the middle-men/women citizens' funds handlers being the U.S. government employees.

When I finally got to purchase my own stuff (after whatever portion of my taxes paid for theirs as well), I saw them drive away in a vehicle at least ten years younger than mine.

I was so angry, if someone had touched me with a match-tip, I'd have ignited it with epidermal heat overload. I was fuming mad.

via statesman.com

This morning, to add wood to the femme-fire, I had to stop by the most dispicable place to shop near my neighborhood. Wal-Mart. Not only did I have to spend my money in there, I had to bag my own groceries because at that time of the morning, the 24-hour-fast-and-friendly-service-Super-Center refuses to have actual PEOPLE operating their checkout stations.

Between the non-English-speaking Lone Star card-wielders and the looser-lanes at the Wally-World-
Super-Center, home of the Mexican imported food extravaganza, which provided the cherry on the cake to my content on Hubpages being pirated earlier this week by Indian-operated plagiarists, BigEzine.com ... I finally made it home, packing a very bad attitude.

But, God is good.

He hosed me down with some Heavenly Rain in the form of a notice that Lady Joyce McCool is doing very well after her surgery. I'm relieved and totally thankful for that.

The other bit was in the reading of one of the freshest and funniest bits of artistry in literature I've ever come across, written by poetry-master, ahorseback on Hubpages. If you don't like poetry, read it anyway. It's a short, epic adventure, and not a poem.

I've cooled off enough to prevent hitting flashpoint and suffering death, or serious injury, due to spontaneous combustion.

I couldn't help but smile and say a prayer of thanks that Lady J. is doing so well. And, when I read the article, The Night Riders of the Hubpages, I nearly threw myself into a tachycardia and arrhythmia episode while I tried to keep my laughter outbursts to a minimum.

As I said, God's good, and He knows best how to bring my mood out of a quagmire of a temper-tempest and back into the Light where I can breath without spewing flames.

Good thing. Going up in a puff of smoke is not the method I hope to make my exit in.

Thank you for reading my rant. I feel much better after telling you how I REALLY feel about it ...

God bless, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

As the sign says, we'll NEED them to overthrow this corrupt, sleazy-swindling-sidewinding government we've let grow up around our ears and into our wallets!

femmeflashpoint

Pirated!

2012-04-04T08:58:00.001-07:00

Before I comment on what's been pirated, first I would like to mention that Lady Joyce McCool is having surgery today, shortly after noon, Eastern Standard Time.

I'm praying, as are many others, that when the procedure is complete, she'll be cancer free, and will have no complications with her recovery. Joyce was diagnosed with breast cancer a short time ago, but her faith is strong, and her attitude is positive. If you pray, remembering her in your prayers today will be appreciated by many.

Joyce McCool

Joyce and her husband, Bishop Spencer K. McCool lost their son, Cory, to cancer only a few years ago. So, this isn't the first time the McCool family has faced this beast, and suffered the fall-out that cancer causes. The McCools are one family that reflects many families facing a challenge none of them chose or wanted. The Bishop has promised to keep his family, friends and readers informed of when surgery is over, and the outcome via his facebook page.

DFW got hammered yesterday with storms. However, my neighborhood got missed. The tornado alert air horns were going off all over the place, but we ended up with only dark skies and rain. No high winds. No hail. Just dark skies and some rain.

Other areas near here didn't fare so well. Truck trailers were flattened, or tossed into the air like Tonka toys.

The last count I heard, via radio broadcast a few moments ago, was that 600 homes were demolished in the terriffic winds from multiple twisters in our area.

My mobile stayed in a constant ring with calls and messages from concerned friends and family. For those checking on us here, thank you so much for caring and praying. I appreciate it more than I can say.

BigEzine.com is publishing plagiarized literature!
Photo via halloween-wallpapers.blogspot.com

Regarding today's post title, "Pirated!", that's exactly what happened to me, and several colleagues who are writers on Hubpages. Many of us had content stolen and posted as someone elses work, on a website called BigEzine.com. It didn't seem to matter to the "expert writers" on BigEzine that the work they pirated had a copyright, prohibiting it from being reproduced, and even if it didn't plagiarism is a low and foul thing to occur in the writers' world, and has left many of us angry over the incidents.

Not all, but definitely many, writers work hard at what they do. Most of us don't simply churn out content every few moments. We actually work at it to make it look good and be accurate and interesting for our readers. We strive to maintain a standard of excellence in our work, and it is infuritating when someone takes it from us, and claims the credit for writing it.

The content stolen from me was a recent review of Christian novelist, Frank Peretti's new release, Illusion. It wasn't just a review, it was a very personal one due to the history of my introduction to Mr. Peretti's work.

Christian Novelist, Frank Peretti

The "expert writer" who swiped my work and claimed it as his own, didn't even bother to remove my name from it as the author. He (or she) simply copied and pasted the entire article onto his page on BigEzine. Quite bold of him, and totally without class and integrity.

Several of us who had content stolen and re-published on BigEzine.com are taking action and filing complaints to get the problem resolved and our work taken off their site. But, it's a problem we never should have had to contend with in the first place.

Content pirates fall into the same class as cattle rustlers, and should be dealt with accordingly.

That's it for this one! Thanks for the read!

Until next time, God bless you, be safe, and don't forget to thank a Veteran at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Hookers, Haircuts and My Bedroom

2012-04-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

So far, the April Upgrade to Blogger dashboard hasn't happened. Woohoo!!!

That means I can still write and arrange in a blonde-friendly fashion. I'm relieved and thankful for the reprieve.

I've mentioned in previous blogs that a few of my friends from work are in process of establishing a new company. They've been getting business for a while now, working independently. Once they've stepped it up, and have made the new company official, I'm not sure how they'll manage to keep up with the work, but as the saying goes, "It's all good!" No sooner than they finish an order, it seems to have three more to take it's place. And, as they've worked, they've been kind enough to teach some of their interested co-workers their techniques.

Amy Dawson: Hooker-In-Training,
untangling a double-threaded
nightmare for Kimy-Jo.

At the office, on the night shift, some of us read when we're not on a call. I would be one of those. However, others have taken up hooking, and those who engage in it, have been aptly nicknamed, by Dr. Darla, The Hookers. She can get away with that sort of thing, because she's one of them.

Dr. B.J. Rakow, PhD
Author and authority
of some useful, and
often incredibly
funny, content!

What the hookers do is hook! Don't be alarmed. They hook with yarn, knitting needles and looms, and they're making some beautiful pieces out of their efforts. S.Elf and Kimy-Jo started it.  Now the entire crew seems to have their own corner on the market. Am I being too corny? (Grin!) Please pardon.  I really couldn't help myself. It's early and I've not yet finished my second cup of coffee. I had a sudden sleep-delerium-induced urge to follow in the footsteps of Dr. B.J. Rakow with her comical quips and puns. Obviously, I'm no competition to her unique flair and skill in these areas. By the way, if you haven't taken the time to read her work, you should. It's short, to the point, and it will make you laugh and smile so much your face will ache. Dr. B.J. is brilliant.

Past The Hookers and Dr. B.J., there is last night's near-incident with the senior-brother of the Muscle Next Door. The Muscle Next Door consists of Seth, Jared, Lukas and Andrew Hall, in that order, from eldest to youngest.

The boys are fairly well versed with my schedule, whether I'm on or off work. Yesterday, I was off. And, I'm in habit of falling asleep early in the morning, and sleeping through the entire day. My bedroom has two doors that open onto to the back patio. One's a heavy wooden door, the other is a storm door. Before our border collie, Jack, who died in February of this year, I seldom shut the wooden door because Jacko got frustrated being penned in. His dog-door is installed in the storm door, and he'd always been permitted to go in and out to the back yard whenever he wanted.  Sorry if that's been confusing, and hope I've managed to help you to keep all my bedroom doors straight.

Since Jack died, I've been closing the wooden door at night. The boys know this has become a new routine since we don't have Jack on guard duty in my bedroom in the evenings now.

Yesterday, I had trouble sleeping, and didn't manage to pull it off until late in the afternoon, after several excursions in and out of my bed. Since I fell asleep during the daytime, I wasn't worried about intruders, and I'd closed the door only partially, to block a little bit of the light streaming into my room.

If my phone rings when I'm sleeping, and I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it. If I do, I don't trust what I hear, or what I might say, so it's best to wait and return the call later.

I got a new phone last week, and Seth's ID photo failed to transfer when I programmed it.  His dad, McGuyver (aka Jonathan, the guy who can do anything) called once from Seth's mobile to make arrangements for haircuts for Luke and Andrew. I didn't recognize the number, so shut down the call. Seth called twice more, thinking I was awake because it was already later than when I usually wake up.

My bedroom, slash office-space.
Yes, I use an exercise-ball rather than an office chair.
The ball works better to alleviate lower back pain when I've
been at my keyboard for a long while. I took this photo
from the doorway that that opens to the back patio.

My bedroom doubles as my home-office. It's small, and still in the process of reconstruction, which includes a hole in the wall being closed up (where McGuyver and I removed an old Coleman furance, and I currently have a U.S. Marines towel hung to cover it), and a completion of the paint job I started last summer.

Because it was evening, and I'm usually awake by then and working at my desk after having slept all day, Seth decided to come through the barn-gate in the privacy fence that divides our yards, to knock on my door. When he found the door ajar, and the lights out, he got worried, and pressed it farther open a tiny bit. He said later, "I'm so sorry! (Although, there was no need to apologize.) It was dark, it was quiet, the door was open a little bit. I saw a foot and it wasn't moving." He was relieved, but serious, and I cracked up, although I did feel bad for alarming him.

He decided rather than rush in and attack whoever was in the house that shouldn't be, and had possibly harmed Ma and I, that he would go back to his house and try to call one more time before he brought in the troops to either rescue us, or catch the perp, or both.

If I'm awake, the neighbors know it. The window treatments
are made from reeds. If the lights are on, it shows easily
from outside.

Thankfully, the last time he called, I woke up, shut down the phone, but got up and ambled to the kitchen for coffee. When I got back to my room, I picked up my phone, checked the messages, and returned the call to the neighbor's landline. Seth answered on the first ring. He was elated that all was well, and that he could tell the troops to stand down. Which meant, he wouldn't have to round up his dad and brothers to storm the house, coming to our rescue, or subdue bandits. (Thankfully, if they HAD stormed the house and found me in bed, due to having an occasional sleep-walking issue, I sleep dressed appropriately enough that if I wake up anywhere but in my bed, I won't be embarrassed, or embarrass anyone else.)

Seth Hall of the Muscle Next Door
Seth works in film industry.
Here he is on a film-shoot, filling in
as an extra, made up as a
casualty.

I found the whole incident to be quite comical. I've posted a rather gruesome photo of Seth here, but if you'd like to see what he looks like when he's not in theatrical makeup you can click the caption to see a more normal photo of him, showing what he usually looks like at work, in an article written about him on Hubpages, last year.
Never a dull moment in our neighborhood. And, I sincerely wish EVERYONE who lives in town, had folks living next door as wonderful as the ones we have.

It's one of those few things that make city-living bearable for a transplanted country-girl like me. :)

And, a final note to let those of you who've sent photos to be added to the Veterans Honors page, thank you! I'm still in process of posting a few of them, so no worries! They'll be added soon!

We have weather coming in, and the Emergency Alert System has been sounding the alarm for the surrounding counties every few minutes. So, I'll wrap this up, get the boys haircuts underway, batten down the hatches and pray. I hate storms.

Thank you for the read! Til' next time, God bless, have a great day and please don't forget to thank a Vet at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

It wasn't what I said, it's what He did ...

2012-03-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is the last day for using my much-loved blogger dashboard. Tomorrow it changes to something "new and improved" ... which is a crock. I hate the new one. It's confusing and not a bit blonde-friendly.

So, I thought I'd make good use of my last day with the one they're tossing into the scrap-heap after midnight tonight. (Sob!)

In regards to change. I don't mind change, as long as it's a change for the better.

Last summer, I left full time funeral service and reduced my status to per-diem with the Double L, and accepted a position with a support agency for a ... I'll just say an expensive, high-end auto manufacturing company. (That should keep me out of hot water with the powers that think-they-be.) I liked the new position in many ways, but the best thing about it has been making friends with my colleagues there.

I was just beginning to feel like I was maneuvering safely through the new routine and turf, when the company that hired me sold out to another company.

Suddenly, many things changed, and many of us weren't thrilled with the changes. One of the biggest changes, that I've not liked in the least, has been that we are suddenly being pushed to "sell."

In a nutshell, I hate sales, and would never have left the Double L for a sales position. Not only do I hate sales, I can count the sales people I actually respect on two hands. For the record, I know a whole lot of sales people.

That's blunt, but honest.

I have good reason to have little respect for sales people in general. It's because, en masse majority, they have little to no respect for the people they're trying to sell to.

I don't mind the pitch. It's the rebuttals I have issues with, and ergo the reason I say the majority of sales people have little to no respect for potential clients. The problem is, if I said no, WHY are they giving me a rebuttal? I can only assume they either have a pitiful command of the English language to not understand one of the most two simple words used in it, which are "Yes" and "No."

Therefore, if they don't speak English, why are they calling me? And, if they DO speak English, then they're disrespecting me by giving me a rebuttal. If they give the rebuttal, they've just made it clear, they have disregarded what I've said, as well as my wishes. I don't mind to purchase a product I want, but no one likes to "be sold."

And so, I was faced with a new dilemma. I was being pressed to increase my sales. Pressed hard, and enough to cause me to fret about it.

Since I'm not a sales person, I'm an "offer" person, and fully respect a potential client's right to say "No", and understand what they said the first time, because I AM fluent in English (thanks to God and the US Military) .... it was a BIG dilemma. I was left with two options for a solution. Quit, or pray.

I chose to pray, and I did. Not loud. Not big, flowery and fancy, but definitely in earnest.

Thankfully, God DOES speak English, and He actually LISTENS, as well as cares about what His people tell Him.

I'm very thankful Jesus isn't a sales rep. He simply makes an offer. We have a choice, without a rubuttal, to accept what He has to give, or go a separate way, and buy into something else.

I left a "warning" meeting, went to my desk, said my prayer, and within two hours, I had a sale.

I work an overnight shift. Not a whole lot of folks are contacting me on that shift, and of those who do, it's a tiny minority that are calling about purchasing an additional service. Not many folks are shopping in the middle of the night. So, I have very few opportunities to offer a sale.

I imagine the powers that think-they-be will likely take credit for the change in my stats. But, anyone with even a LITTLE bit of high-school or collegiate psyche and sales classes knows Zig Zigler's rah-rah when they hear it. And, Mr. Zigler's little ploys, to snag and draw people in with keywords, are what I was told to employ.

I think I used one of them. And, I think the word was "innovative". But, using the verbage is not what made the customer buy.

As soon as my supervisor (who's been very fair to me, by the way, and by no means is my discomfort and angst caused by her, but higher up the ladder), wanted to know what I said to make it happen.

I told her two reasons. One, the customer was an Admiral, U.S. Navy. I told him it was a privilege to have the opportunity to speak with him. I thanked him for his service, and I was completely sincere about both. Then, I explained what he had access too if he wished to make use of it. He accepted. Simple as that.

The other was, I'd prayed about it. And, in short .... I didn't make a sale. God simply pointed someone in my direction, who wanted what I offered at a fair price. I didn't have to "sell" anything. I laid it on the table and he bought it.

God's sent four more like that in the last three weeks. Same scenario. They wanted the service, and I didn't have to sell it. I only had to explain what it is, how it works, and what it costs.

If I'm asked again, which I likely will be, about what I did to make it happen, I'll tell them the only method I have in regards to sales is prayer.

I prayed. God delivered.

I went from zero sales in nearly five months, to five in less than three weeks.

Do I want a permanent career in sales? Not hardly. I want to keep on writing and make enough to bring in a good income with it.

Guess what else has happened in the last month ....

Not a 10 percent increase in revenue from my literature endeavors. Not even a fifty percent increase. Try a couple of hundred percent in increase. (Big smile!)

Know what else? I've haven't even worked as hard at it during the last two months as I have the last twelve.

I'm taking both at face value. It seems God has me where He wants me, for now. Things are smooth in one area while I transition to the other.

Works for me. :)

Bishop Spencer K. McCool and Lady Joyce McCool

On a final note, the Lady Joyce McCool, wife of Bishop Spencer K. McCool, will be having a medical procedure next week. A serious one. I'm sure she and her loved ones will appreciate any prayer time you could spend with them in mind.

God bless you. Thank you for the read. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and if you cross paths with a Veteran, please don't forget to thank them for their service. :)

femmeflashpoint

Reroute

2012-03-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

The brunch plans Torres and I made for yesterday took a turn upon arrival in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Seems that due to some street repairs, Dos Molinas was closed for two days.

Torres suggested another nearby restaurant instead, The Cattlemen's Steakhouse of Fort Worth. I'm easy, as long as they don't try to serve me beef or pork, so we went there instead.

Glad we did, I had a blast! I received a personal tour from the manager, Amy Marschall, who like me, is a transplant in Texas, and enjoys the stockyards because it's the next best thing to being in the country when we're stuck in the city.

Amy's from Pennsylvania, and seems to have as much of a fondness of the Fort Worth Stockyards as I do. She was easy to talk with, very accomodating and friendly. I liked her instantly. It's great to go out and get acquainted with fun folks who are approachable with a positive attitude.

The Cattlemen's Steakhouse of Fort Worth, Texas

The Cattlemen's is a very cool place to dine. The menu is large, the service was excellent, the food was wonderful and the interior is amazing! So, if you're in town, please give it a go!

When I got home, Luke Skywalker - Trinity River Pack mate, and part of the Muscle Next Door, joined me in cutting the back-yard jungle down to size. If he'd not shown up to lend a hand, I'd still be scooping wet grass out of the back of a clogged up lawnmower, and making sweeps with the weed-eater. By the time we finished, I was beyond filthy and covered in wet-green-grass-goop from head to toe. I was also bruised and bleeding in several places from mower-missiles.

Plans for today included a cycle trip this morning with Lukas and Torres. But, to my dismay, I woke up with a crashing migraine and had to cancel.

Torres and Luke Skywalker
Trinity River Trail in Fort Worth, Texas

Thankfully, both were understanding, and didn't get terribly annoyed with me over it. I'm happy to have friends who are understanding like that.

It was a big disappointment. We finally have superb weather to ride in, and the trails are dried out for the first time in weeks. All that, and I was off work too, which meant we could have stretched it out to put in either a lot of time in the woods, or a lot of miles along the Trinity River Trail.

It's been so many weeks since we've gotten to ride, I'm thinking I'll be really saddle-sore after our next outing. The first few rides of the season are always the worst for rear-wear. Next ride will be like starting all over again.

Pushing aside the negatives of the day, the positive part is that I was able to get a review published on The Cattlemen's for Hubpages, and get some editing done as well. I also got some great tips for interviews and articles from Amy Marschall at the restaurant yesterday that I'm looking forward to following up on.

And, I've got a few new faces to add to the Veterans Honors page here on femme's desk. That part I'm THRILLED about!

God bless, thanks for the read and keeping up with me, and don't forget to thank a Vet at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

A Near Miss ....

2012-03-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last night's DFW International Airport-meet was a disappointment.

A writer, a realllly GOOD writer, on Hubpages, that I've recently gotten acquainted with, had a layover, and we'd planned a short meet & greet.

Love Field Airport - Dallas, Texas

However, G.J. didn't find me, I didn't find him, and he was without a mobile. DFW is massive, and for folks who haven't come through it before, it can be confusing. I've been in it to pick up and drop off decedents and donor tissue, as well as flying in and out of the place many more times than I ever wanted to. (I hate flying, by the way, in event I've never mentioned that before.) With all the trips I've made in and out of there, I still get frustrated with navigating through it.

My favorite airport in this area will likely always be Love Field. THAT'S an airport that's set up for easy navigation, and actually has a lobby with a coffee shop that's hospitable for visitors to spend time with friends or family that have lay-overs, or while waiting for them to catch a flight. Southwest Airlines is also my favorite group to fly with. They almost manage to cause me to enjoy flying. Not quite, but they're very close in pulling it off. The attendants are great company, and the flight crew is courteous, comical and appreciative. I can't say any of those things about American Airlines, or Delta, and I've flown with both of those many times as well. Southwest has ugly aircraft, but on the inside, you have elbow room, leg-stretch room, and plenty of friendly faces to make the flight more bearable.

Southwest Airlines Aircraft
Love Field - Dallas, Texas

G.J., don't be discouraged. We'll hook up sooner or later, and maybe we'll get lucky enough that it won't have to be at DFW. As a long-time acquaintance used to reiterate frequently, "Hope springs eternal." I say a long-time acquaintance because with some folks, you might think you know them, and then you find out you never really knew them at all. Regardless of the friendship ending, I still remember the phrase frequently, and use it often.

G.J. Falcone
_Writer_

If you've got a bit of reading time to spend, G.J. Falcone's work is an excellent way to spend it. And, if you're in support of U.S. Veterans, G.J. Falcone not only qualifies as being a U.S. Veteran, some of his articles highlight those folks who should never be forgotten for the sacrifices they've made.

Added to that, G.J. is a Christian, and it shows in his work, all in good ways. So, I encourage you to get acquainted with him, have a read, leave him a comment, and let him know he's doing a great job. :)

This afternoon I have a brunch-meet with Torres. We're heading a bit further west in the Fort Worth Stockyards today, to Molinas. I'll be doing a review on it later, for Hubpages, and I hope you'll give it a read.

I wish we were heading to the bike trails, however, if I let the jungle in the back yard get any thicker, I'll have to mow it with a tractor and brush hog. I only have a Briggs & Stratton, which has been an excellent mower, but it's already thick enough to put a strain on it. The bush whacking will take up enough hours to knock me out of any cycling this afternoon.

Jared Hall - Trinity River Pack
adjusting for a downhill at Gateway Park

That's ok. The Muscle Next Door agreed to show up for snake-patrol and weed-eating, which will be a big help and will leave me free tomorrow to maybe THEN get in some blading or cycling.

As I wrote up top, "Hope springs eternal ... "

Have a great day! God bless! Thanks for the read, and don't forget to find a Vet today and say, "Thank you!"

femmeflashpoint

Good Counsel

2012-03-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

femmeflashpoint

My weekend has come to a close, and it's been an eventful one. Some of it very good, and a bit of not so great. However, not so great is much better than absolutely awful, and I prefer to focus on the positive and work from there.
The good parts were that I got to spend some time with some wonderful friends that I get to see nearly as often as I'd like to.

Kristen L., Torres and I met up yesterday afternoon at one of our haunts on Southside, and somehow, we managed to keep the laughter to a reasonable volume. Usually, we're quite loud.

The mood wasn't subdued, but we had so much to catch up on, it was like being in a newsroom with bits of information flying across the table to one another. I was loving it!

It felt good to hear familiar laughter, and see familiar smiles. And, it felt good to be all caught up with a lot of the stuff going on in their lives.

The good Bishop Spencer K. McCool Sr. reiterated earlier something wonderful about real friends. It can be days, months, weeks or even years between one seeing the other, but with good friends, you simply pick up where you left off, keep going, and enjoy what time you've got together. Point is, if you've got friends like that you're blessed, and if you don't you have my sympathy. Mine are a part of what makes life rich, and I'm very thankful for the privilege of having them.

Kristen L.

I tend to feel sorry for Torres when Kristen and I dive into a discussion on politics. Torres is not one to enjoy political discussion. For that matter, Kristen and I don't like politics much either. But, we all like freedom, and we frequently discuss how much we'd like to keep it.

And, while Kristen and I engage in a passionate and rapid-fire exchange on steps being made to keep the power with the people, Torres ends up being stuck in the middle of the cacophony, keeping the boat steady.

I gotta hand it to her, she makes a great team-anchor, and she manages it flawlessly. So far she hasn't asked us to get up and sit somewhere else far, far away from her.

Kristen and I don't agree on everything, however, the gap is bridged by mutual respect for one anothers' differences in beliefs and opinions.

One of the points we DO agree on, and strongly, is that control of the country should always be in the hands of "We The People", not the bureaucrats and politicians.

Torres and D.J.

I'm of the opinion we managed to keep the volume down at yesterday's dinner because we were lacking D.J. Davis in the mix.

The best description I have of our friend D.J. is that of a firecracker. She's teeny-tiny, but toss her into a wagon load of dormant fireworks, and stand back because the whole things gonna blow up into a rocketing display of color and sparkles.

She's wonderful company and I love it when she's got time to meet up with the rest of us for an outing.

When the outing finished and we parted ways, I made it home in time to spend the remainder of the evening in a "square table" discussion on the patio, until late into the night, with Jared, Seth and Lukas, of the Muscle Next Door. With cooler temps, during our impromptu conferences, the guys tend to drink cocoa and I drink coffee, while we sit and discuss the latest in books, software, hardware, politics, Christianity, people of interest, etc., etc., until our teeth are chattering and our eyelids are heavy. I think we called it quits and put our ideas to bed around midnight. Our back-yard brainstorming always leave me tired, but it also keeps me young-minded, and I leave them with fresh ideas for consideration as well as literature content.

In regards to the good Bishop McCool, many of us are die-hard in our devotion to reading those little posts he puts up daily on facebook, barring when he simply isn't able to get to it, and that's not often. He's been pretty steadfast about making them happen since I've been an avid follower of what he writes, which started about a year ago, this month. Many, many things have changed in my heart since reading those posts, all in good ways, and the improvement continues.

It takes time to do them. Time he could be spending doing other things. And, he doesn't just yank a scripture and throw it on the page. He's thought about it. He's prayed about it. He's considered the impact it might have. And, I think he'd still take the time to do it if it, even if it was only helping one person.

He doesn't do it for popularity. He doesn't make any money from it. He doesn't do it because he has nothing else, or better to be doing.

Bishop Spencer K. and Lady Joyce McCool

He does it because he cares, for me, for you, and for anyone else who might be reading his work.  He doesn't mind when it's copied and pasted onto other peoples' pages. I've even seen his dailys show up on other folks pages who didn't attribute the post to being his, yet I've never heard him fuss about it.

He, and his Lady Joyce, have their own battles to fight, their own struggles to cope with, and yet they continue to share what they have freely, with the rest of us.  What they share is the Good News, the Gospel of Christ, hope, encouragement, confirmation, and in a unique and personal way.

In the reading and the reaping, it's easy to forget that they might need ministered to as well. That truth can easily become an oversight by their readers because the Bishop and Joyce are incredibly strong, positive and resolute people. But truth is, they DO need prayer, every day, just like the rest of us.

I'm saying this for two reasons. One is to ensure it's known that I'm thankful for their friendship, for their ministry, for the type of lives they lead, and the help and guidance I've often derived from it.  The other is as a reminder to keep them in our prayers as well, so they can continue to do those marvellous things they do that stir the soul in so many of us, and help us to keep moving in the right direction.

God bless you, thank you for reading, and please don't forget to thank a Vet the next time you have the opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

Climbing and Frank Peretti - two things to be excited about!

2012-03-19T22:16:00.003-07:00

My reader numbers have been climbing. Not just a little. They've climbed a lot! And, I have no idea why. I only know .... woohooo!!!! I'm THRILLED about it!

I also noticed an increase on the Hub as well, and I'm just as puzzled about it happening there too.

At best guess, it's a God thing. That really is the best guess I have. I don't have any other ideas to account for it.

To my knowledge, I haven't suddenly morphed into a super-writer-extraordinaire. I'm still simply laying it out the way I feel "how" to, and hoping for the best. But, whatever it is, something has changed, and in a good way.

Frank Peretti, Novelist

I finished and published a review earlier this evening, on my very favorite Christian fact and fiction author, Mr. Frank Peretti. Peretti writes from one zone to the other, in reference to the age of his readers, and he always writes fearlessly and out of the box.

I've read nearly every bit of work Mr. Peretti has ever had published, and I've never been disappointed with any of it. Not once. Each book is written by a master word smith, who's been affectionatly nicknamed, "the sanctified Stephen King."

I'm a Stephen King fan too, but my admiration for Peretti's work rates right up there with my love for the U.S. Marines. (It just doesn't get much higher than that.) His work doesn't take a back seat to anyone's, other than perhaps the biblical scribes, lol.

Every generation has those extraordinary contributors. Peretti is one of ours.

If you can manage a bit of time to stop by the Hub and read my review, I'll be most appreciative. I love to shout it out when there's excalibur work about, and Heaven forbid you miss out on Mr. Peretti.

Available at
frankperetti.com

While I was finishing up his latest novel, Illusion, during my down-time on the night shift, S.Elf brought my attention to something regarding St. Patrick's Day, that I never remember learning. She said the reason behind a clover leaf representing the holiday was because St. Patrick, during his ministry, used a clover to represent the Holy Trinity. One leaf with three distinct parts. I also noticed they seem to make three hearts that join at the center of the leaf. I wish I could be so brilliant. Smart guy, that St. Pat.

S.Elf - St. Patrick's Day 2012

And, true to form, S.Elf was in her holiday-trappings element making us smile with her deco and holiday-wear. S.Elf is of Irish descent, so she was really doing it up big in her honoring of St. Pat.

Green is my favorite color, and I was amazed when I got to work, saw S.Elf dressed accordingly, and realized I'd worn NOTHING green.

Therefore, I did what I do ... I whined about it. S.Elf was totally prepared. She started digging in her bag, produced a smaller bag, and pulled out a necklace for me, and said, "There ya go. Now you've got green." I ended up with an "Ooooooo - SPARKLY!!" clover leaf necklace that nearly matches my eyes. You know it. I was beaming!

My St. Pat's necklace, compliments of S.Elf!

Monster Zero and a green-leafed necklace with sprinkles on top does a happy femme make!

I'm so impressed with peeps that seem to think of everything. S.Elf's one of those sorts of people. She's got this special gift in looking after folks, and somehow she anticipates what they might be needing before they realize they need it, or want it. I think, when I grow up, I wanna be a whole lot like her. (Grin!) Joking aside, she's got some wonderful qualities that all of us would do good to adopt if we don't have them ourselves.

I love to walk in and see her parked at a station near mine. And, I have an equal amount of separation anxiety when she leaves in the morning before my shift finishes out.

Dr. Darla and S.Elf
I get a really big smile every time I see this pic. :)

With all the photo-taking I do of the girls, I've been proud of myself for maintaining S.Elf's anonymity.

We have to get a little creative, but we manage to pull it off.

Of course, if I keep putting her pic up in my blogs and she may end up with a brand new stalker.

However, I have so much fun getting shots of them, that I can't seem to help myself. So, they'll just keep on getting included until they make me stop.

Lethal Leprechaun,
this one's for you. :)

I'm getting much better with my camera ops, however, I'm still no match for my sister. And, that's ok. I'm not in competition with her, just having some fun and adding a little color to my writing.

Time is flying by. My birthday will be here soon, and I STILL don't have even ONE of my book projects completed. However, I've at least made progress and they're not stuck on a shelf getting dusty and covered with mold.

Writing articles and blogs is a fast process for me. Writing fiction is a whole 'nother story. As I said to Alastar Packer, I actually have to work at it, because I have to think through a great deal of it, rather than the words simply flying from my head to my hands and onto the keyboard.

When I finish a chapter, I'm so exhuberant I feel like I should throw a party, even though I have loads more chapters to go. Word by word, graph by graph and chapter by chapter will eventually get me there. That and a whole lot of folks who love me enough to pray for God to help me with the effort.

It pays to have friends who care enough to pray for you consistently. :)

Up a tree ....

The last photo I've included is simply to show you what it probably looks like through the eyes of a Texas squirrell in my backyard, heading up a Texas Oak.

I must say, I'm glad I'm not a squirrell. I'd be the only squirrell in the yard wearing a parchute.

This tree is really tall. In fact, there's over five feet of it that you're not seeing because I was standing when I took the picture. I get a bit dizzy just looking at it.

Hope your weeks off to a great start. And, hope you'll take a little time to check out my article, and then dive into some of Mr. Peretti's work, if you haven't already. And, if you have, but haven't snagged his latest addition, Illusion is a phenominal read that I highly recommend. Also, in the comments section at the bottom of the article please take a moment to have a look at author Sunnie Day's comment. I laughed out loud when I read it. And, I'll bet after reading it yourself, you'll never get another shot without thinking of Sunnie Day!

His books are available for purchase through links in his website and are available in both printed version as well as e-reader. When it comes to e-readers, I'm going to recommend a Nook over the Kindle. In event you haven't used one, Nook lets you turn the pages.

Of course, my best recommendation would be to get the printed version. I'm alwayssss going to recommend you get the printed version, lol.

Now then, there's rain, thunder and lightening going off outside. And, as much as storms make me anxious, I've gotta call it a night. Things have calmed down enough outside that I believe it's safe to snooze for a while, and I'm whipped.

So, God bless you, thank you for reading, and don't forget to thank a Vet at your next opportunity!

femmeflashpoint

The Honors Page & The Bishop is Back!

2012-03-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

The good news is, my Android was recovered. The bad news is, there are more pits and scratches on the screen than there were before.

I'm not complaining. I'm just happy that this time it only fell on the ground, and not in a toilet.

The other good news is, the Honors page for veterans on my weblog is coming along nicely. I've sent out loads of email requests, and have been receiving photos from here and there of veterans to post on the page. It's one of the best projects I've ever gotten to work on, and I'm thrilled that it's getting a good response.

If you've got a photo of a military veteran special to you, you're welcome to send it to me and I'll be happy to add them to the page. You can reach me at keepitzipped@hotmail.com. I prefer the photos to be of those in uniform, however, it's not an absolute. You can send what you wish, and it will get posted.

I've also been building a new photo-blog site for Alicia (Nee), which is looking really good as well. At least, it does to me, but I've shown it to a few others who like it too. (See? I actually DO get other peoples' opinions on things when I need to, lol.) Nee's site has taken up several weeks worth of time at the keyboard, but it's been worth it. She really does have some stunning photography, and I'm truthfully not saying that because she's my sister. I'm saying it because her work is beautiful, moving and unique. When grown men have gotten teary-eyed and emotional while perusing her portfolio, she's doing something right. Once her blogsite with the online gallery is up and running, her work will be available for the first time for online purchase via associated websites.

Working on her project, as well as a couple of my own, and one other editing project I'm in the middle of, has kept me away from the Hub, other than one article I wrote last week. And, until I get situated with a hotspot for my laptop, I can't keep up with the other writers' works on the Hub very well either. Guessing I'll have to resolve that ASAP, but I haven't had the time to attend to it yet. It used to be easier when I could access it during the night shift, when things were slow, and BMW owners were mostly asleep and not riding around needing help. However, they've done an update with our programs, even from my own laptop, and now I'm unable to access the Hub, or my blog during my down time on the shift.

I've also decided to move forward with literary reviews, whether I can post purchase links for Barnes & Noble or not. Hopefully, the decline remains temporary, and my monthly read numbers will come up high enough for me to allow me to be an affiliate for them. In the meantime, I'll simply post the authors' websites, and readers can navigate from there to purchase their work.

I'm not a sales-person, however, I can't NOT promote good stuff when I come across it. I usually feel privileged that I found it in the first place, and I'm inclined to share and spread the word.

Another good bit of news is, the Bishop is back! Bishop Spencer K. McCool Sr., had some of us concerned with his recent absence from facebook following a death in his family. His absence was much longer than expected and he was missed by many. I even had people who read his posts via my page, (I always share what he writes), emailing me, worried, asking where he was, if he was coming back, and if there was anything they could do to help.

You see, Bishop? You making an impact. :)

All of us who read his posts are relieved and happy to have him back at his keyboard with the sunrise, doing one of those things he does so well, and that so many readers appreciate that he takes the time to do.

That's all for this one. I've got to get back to Mr. Peretti's latest, and get a workout in before my shift starts tonight. I hope to finish it up in time to have a review posted on the Hub for it tomorrow.

God bless, take care, and don't forget to thank a vet while you're out and about!

femmeflashpoint