ConcernedCitizen

Month of May!

2011-05-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's already the month of May and Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner. Have you made any plans yet? Yard work? Mini-vacation? Cookout? Being lazy? Whatever you decide to do, remember the reason for the holiday. Or maybe we shouldn't even call it a holday......maybe a Day of Remembrance.

If you'd like more information, go to the following URL: http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

"Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service."

Will you remember those, "who have died in our nation's service." or will you go shopping and remain completely clueless?

Don't be clueless. Be informed.

Enjoy the rest of your May and have a great Memorial Day!

Semper Fi!

Social Networking

2011-04-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Social networking. Which tool do you use? Facebook? MySpace? LinkedIn? From my limited experience with social networks, I have opted for LinkedIn. It's safe and very easy to use. As for Facebook and MySpace, well, since I do not use them and have decided that they would/could do me harm I have decided not to use them.....for now. One bad thing about Facebook is that it is so popular, many websites now ask for your Facebook information to sign on to their website. What do you do if you do not have a Facebook account? Isn't this policy a little discriminatory or is Facebook taking over the world little by little? I think linking a Facebook account with a website should not be allowed. But then again, I digress. I like LinkedIn. I have an account with a Marine Corps website named, "TogetherWeServed" and that's it. I do not have the time nor the inclination to spend endless hours of my time changing my mood status or informing people everytime I have gone to the store for something I should have picked up while on my way home from work. Enough said. Social networking anyone? :-) Have a great week!

OPD - "Other People's Drama"

2011-01-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

Are you really interested in OPD . . . . "Other People's Drama"? Don't you have enough going on in your own life that you just, "have to" follow the exploits of someone else? This topic hit home HARD last year while watching television. I am not sure which program it was, but the term, "Other People's Drama" came up and it hit me like a hard brick. Why do I watch so much television about other people? Is my life so boring that I have to be entertained by the misery or happiness of others? Granted, not all television is bad or good, it is just that I have better things to do with my time than to waste it watching mindless shows like, "The Biggest Loser" and "American Idol". Why not just watch the first episode and the finale? In fact, why watch it at all! My time is too important. Life is too short. OPD is for others.....not for me.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

Wow! Another year is gone. 2010 flew by soooo fast! But so it goes.

Now for a really important question.

Did you learn anything about yourself in 2010?
Mentally?
Physically?
Spiritually?
Financially?

If the answer is, "No", you wasted the entire year.

Life is about learning. Learning who and what you are.
If you suffered through some tough times, you might be mentally and spiritually stronger.
If you had to become more frugally responsible, you might have become more financially responsible.
See what I mean?

So I ask the question once again, "Did you learn anything about yourself in 2010?"

I, personally, don't really care whether you did or not. I know I learned a lot.

Well, it's 2011. Will you learn anything about yourself this year?

Good luck and once again, "Happy New Year!"

Where Did Summer Go?

2010-10-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Great question!

Temperatures in recent days have been on the cool side. With cooler weather, come thoughts of winter and what do we need to do to start preparing.

I started cleaning out my garage. I actually filled a huge construction trash bag with items from my garage that I no longer use and are of no use to anyone else. I have a long ways to go though!

The yard.....well, it may get cut and edged one more time before the first frost hits. Summer was brutal on the lawn and past greeness never materialized this year. Maybe next year? We'll see.

Thanksgiving and Christmas ornaments have started to make an appearance. I'll have to sort through these and keep the items I'll want to use this holiday season and maybe next. For the rest of the stuff, it's time to either pitch it or attempt to have a yard sale. Pitching it is easier. :-)

No big plans for the holidays. No out of town guests.......yet. We'll have to wait and see what October brings and we near the sometimes dreaded holiday season.

More to follow!

Place to Eat

2010-08-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Looking for a great place to eat? Try the County Fare in Stafford, Va! I had dinner there the other day and it puts a lot of other places to shame. Checkout their website: http://www.countyfarestafford.com/

Let me know what you think!

Semper Fi!

America Needs More Marine Corps Values

2010-08-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

By Mark Shields
Monday, July 26, 2010

A half a century ago, I spent the longest 13 weeks of my life at an out-of-the-way place called Parris Island, S.C., then and now the home of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

We were strangers who arrived there in the middle of the night and were immediately relieved of all our civilian clothing and possessions -- including our hair. Standing there confused, apprehensive and bald, I
remember asking myself over and over: What the hell am I doing here?

Then silently appeared in our midst a man in a starched uniform and polished boots brimming with self-confidence and a sense of command. This was the Marine drill instructor, the DI, who did not conceal his
disgust with what he saw in us. I can still hear him that we were the sorriest collection of misfits and rejects he or anyone else had ever seen.

What followed was 90 days of splendid misery. Civilian habits, speech and attitude were marched and drilled and driven out of us. The DI was relentlessly democratic. He treated everyone on our platoon, 189, with
equal contempt while double-timing us 12 hours a day from mess duty to the rifle range and back. He used his personal term of endearment to remind us, "Maggot, remember, you volunteered to be here."

Somehow after more than three months of no Cokes, no beer, no TV and not even a day off, the DI, by then our Ultimate Authority Figure, reluctantly conceded that just possibly, maybe someday, we might
actually be Marines. The combination of joy, relief and pride was unmatched.

I was not a great Marine. I never saw combat. I got a lot more from the Marines than the Marines got from me. But I believe fervently that this nation today needs the values of the Marine Corps as much as the nation
needs the Marine Corps.

Of course, honor, courage and commitment are always in short supply. But the Marines teach personal responsibility and accountability by example, that any chain is only as strong as the weakest individual
link. As a unit, we are stronger working together than the individual members can separately be.

Marines take care of their own -- and they take care of their fellow Marines before themselves. The well-being of the country and of the Corps is more important than our individual well-being.

This may best be stated in the hard-and-fast Marine rule: "Officers eat last." The Marine officer does not eat until after his subordinates for whom he is responsible -- the corporals and privates -- have been fed.
Marines live by the rule that loyalty goes both up and down the chain of command. Would not our country be a more just and human place if the brass of Wall Street and Washington and executive suites believed that
"officers eat last"?

The Marine ethic emphasizes responsibility to duty and responsibility to others before self. This is the very opposite of the unbridled individualism that elevates profit and personal comfort to high virtues. The selfish and self-centered CEO or senator who disregards and discards his loyal "troops" would be shunned in the Corps.

Civilian Americans must understand that the greatest civil rights victories have been won by the Marines and the U.S. military, the most successfully integrated sector of our national life. Why? No racial reference and no racial discrimination. The first time I ever slept in the same quarters with African-Americans or Latinos -- or took orders from them -- was as a private in the Marines Corps.

Yes, America really does need more Marine values and influence.

COPYRIGHT 2010 MARK SHIELDS

--------NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 USC 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and
educational purposes only. Provided by G2-Forward.

It's HOT!

2010-07-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

July 2010 will go on record as being one of the hottest months in the Washington, DC area. How do I know? I have felt it and will continue to feel it for the next few days. Whew!

People seem to complain about the heat when it gets this hot. There seems to be no other topic of discussion.

While at work the other day, just walking down the hall, I passed a co-worker and the only thing we said to each other was that it was hot outside. While an interesting shortlived topic, it does get boring after awhile.

It's just that the heat and the temperature outside and ways of cooling off are on top of the list. Topics such as, "What are you doing this weekend?" is answered by, "Depends on how hot it is." Or how about, "Stay cool this weekend" followed by, "Yeah I'll be sitting under a sprinkler" is a funny retort. (Picture that in your mind!)

As for me, I like the heat; especially while sitting on the beach with a cool tropical drink, listening to Caribbean music and basking in the sunlight.

Yep, that's the ticket. Oh wait. I don't have a ticket. I guess I'll have to use my coupon and experience the "heat" on my deck.

Another Bahama Mama, please?

The Fourth of July 2010

2010-07-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

From the U.S. Census Bureau Newsroom (http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb10-ff12.html)

On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

2.5 million - In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970

309.6 million - The nation's estimated population on this July Fourth.
Source: Population clock http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html

Flags - $3.0 million - In 2009, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount ($2.5 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$920,277 - Dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2009. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $333,882 worth.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$301.5 million - Annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation's manufacturers, according to the latest published economic census data.
Source: 2007 Economic Census

Fireworks - $209 million, The value of fireworks imported from China in 2009, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($217 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $42.9 million in 2009, with the United Arab Emirates purchasing more than any other country ($14.5 million).
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$331.4 million - The value of U.S. manufacturers' shipments of fireworks and pyrotechnics (including flares, igniters, etc.) in 2007.
Source: 2007 Economic Census

Patriotic-Sounding Place Names - 31, Number of places nationwide with "liberty" in their name. The most populous one as of July 1, 2008, is Liberty, Mo. (30,568). Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

•Thirty places have "eagle" in their name -- after the majestic bird that serves as our national symbol. (Places include cities, towns, villages and census-designated places.) The most populous such place is Eagle Pass, Texas, with 26,668 residents.

•Eleven places have "independence" in their name. The most populous of these is Independence, Mo., with 110,440 residents.

•Five places adopted the name "freedom." Freedom, Calif., with 6,000 residents, has the largest population among these. (This population total is as of the 2000 Census; no population estimate is available for Freedom because it is a census designated place.)

•There is one place named "patriot" -- Patriot, Ind., with a population of 189.

•And what could be more fitting than spending the Fourth of July in a place called "America"? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, population 27,064.

Sources: Population estimates and American FactFinder

Early Presidential Last Names - 138, Ranking of the frequency of the surname of our first president, George Washington, among all last names tabulated in the 2000 Census. Other early presidential names that appear on the list, along with their ranking, were Adams (39), Jefferson (594), Madison (1,209) and Monroe (567).
Source: Census 2000 Genealogy

The British are Coming! - $93.2 billion, Dollar value of trade last year between the United States and the United Kingdom, making the British, our adversary in 1776, our sixth-leading trading partner today.
Sources: Foreign Trade Statistics

Fourth of July Cookouts - More than 1 in 4, The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 18.9 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2010. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation's total. North Carolina (9.1 million) and Minnesota (7.2 million) were the runners-up.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

6.5 billion pounds - Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2008. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation's total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (4.6 billion pounds) or Kansas (3.9 billion pounds).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

6 - Number of states in which the value of broiler chicken production was $1 billion or greater between December 2007 and November 2008. There is a good chance that one of these states -- Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas -- is the source of your barbecued chicken.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

About 1 in 3 - The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 34 percent of the nation's dry, edible beans in 2009. Another popular Fourth of July side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia, Washington and New York together accounted for 66 percent of the fresh market sweet corn produced nationally in 2009.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service and

Please Pass the Potato Salad - Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. Half of the nation's spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2009.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

More than three-fourths - Amount of the nation's head lettuce production in 2009 that came from California. This lettuce may end up in your salad or on your burger.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

7 in 10 - The chances that the fresh tomatoes in your salad came from Florida or California, which combined accounted for 70 percent of U.S. fresh market tomato production last year. The ketchup on your burger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounted for 95 percent of processed tomato production in 2009.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service and

Florida - The state that led the nation in watermelon production last year (818 million pounds). Other leading producers of this popular fruit included California, Georgia and Texas, each with more than 500 million pounds.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

76 million - Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year. It's probably safe to assume a lot of these events took place on Independence Day.
Source: Mediamark Research & Intelligence, as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010
, Table 1203

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February)
Super Bowl
Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)
Women's History Month (March)
Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/
St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
Older Americans Month (May)
Cinco de Mayo (May 5)
Mother's Day
Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
Father's Day
The Fourth of July (July 4)
Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)
Back to School (August)
Labor Day
Grandparents Day
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Halloween (Oct. 31)
American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Thanksgiving Day
The Holiday Season (December)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: .

Dinner Alone?

2010-06-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

My wife and I love to go out and have dinner. It is especially great when we've both had a hard day at work and need a break. We enjoy each other's company and especially the conversation.

Unfortunately, sometimes when we are having dinner we see others just eating dinner. Period. No talking. No conversing. Just eating and no talking. How sad.

What is even sadder is when you're invited to eat dinner and the other person spends a lot of time on the telephone talking business. This was the case this evening. A father and a daugher were sitting close by. Almost as soon as they were seated, the father was on the phone having a business conversation with a fellow co-worker while his daughter sat there, being quite and polite. This continued for at least a good 20 minutes. I wanted so much to get up and tell this father that he is missing out on so much while talking on the phone.

In my opinion, he was rude. To me, it bordered on selfishness and child abuse. He was literally ignoring his daughter.

Too bad she couldn't just get up and walk out. I would have if he was my father.

Gulf Oil Spill

2010-06-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

As I write this, thousands of gallons of crude oil continue to polute and destroy the gulf coast of Louisiana. I am sickened every time I see a news report and I am angered that such an event was allowed to happen.

So what happens now? What does BP do to compensate those that have lost their livelihood? What does BP do to do that have lost their jobs, their lives, their heritage?

The Federal government's response was sufficient. BP's response has been and continues to be on of disdain.

When will the leak finally be fixed? I have no idea.
When will the mess be cleaned up? Again, I have no idea.
What we need now is a nationwide response, just like we had after Hurricane Katrina hit this region.

Until then, the gulf coast will continue to be polutted, the beaches will continue to be soiled, sea life will continue to die as will small creatures and the once beautiful marshes and habitats.

Thanks BP for ruining our world!

What Would YOU Have Done?

2010-06-03T17:27:00.001-07:00

GETZ: Seeing a fallen soldier home

Gratitude should be foremost in American hearts and minds

By Colleen M. Getz

5:40 p.m., Friday, May 28, 2010

His name was Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson - although I did not know it when his life brushed mine on March 25 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Lance Cpl. Wilson was not there in the terminal that afternoon; at age 24 and newly married, he had been killed in Afghanistan on March 22 by a roadside bomb. A coincidence of overbooked flights led our lives to intersect for perhaps an hour, one I will never forget.

I did not meet his family that day at the airport, either, although we were there together that evening at the gate, among the crowd hoping to board the oversold flight. I did not know that I had a boarding pass and they did not. I did not know they were trying to get home to hold his funeral, having journeyed to Dover, Del., to meet his casket upon its arrival from Afghanistan.

I also did not know that they already had been stuck for most of the day in another airport because of other oversold flights. But I did not need to know this to realize what they were going through as the event unfolded and to understand the larger cause for it. No matter how we as a nation have relearned the lesson forgotten during Vietnam - that our military men and women and their families deserve all the support we can give them - despite our nation's fighting two wars in this decade, it is all too easy for most of us to live our lives without having the very great human cost of those wars ever intrude.

But it did intrude heartbreakingly that day at the airport gate. It began simply enough, with the usual call for volunteers: Anyone willing to take a later flight would receive a $500 flight voucher. Then came the announcement none of us was prepared to hear. There was, the airline representative said, a family on their way home from meeting their son's body as it returned from Afghanistan, and they needed seats on the flight. And there they were, standing beside her, looking at us, waiting to see what we would decide. It wasn't a hard decision for me; my plans were easily adjusted. I volunteered, as did two women whom I later learned sacrificed important personal plans.

But we three were not enough: Six were needed. So we stood there watching the family - dignified and mute, weighed with grief and fatigue - as the airline representative repeatedly called for assistance for this dead soldier's family. No one else stepped forward. The calls for volunteers may have lasted only 20 or 30 minutes, but it seemed hours. It was almost unbearable to watch, yet to look away was to see the more than 100 other witnesses to this tragedy who were not moved to help. Then it did become unbearable when, in a voice laced with desperation and tears, the airline representative pleaded, "This young man gave his life for our country, can't any of you give your seats so his family can get home?" Those words hung in the air. Finally, enough volunteers stepped forward.

I had trouble sleeping that night; I could not get out of my mind the image of the family or the voice pleading for them. When I met my fellow volunteers the next morning at the airport, I found I was not alone. One had gone home and cried, and another had awakened at 3 a.m.; all of us were angry and ashamed that our fellow passengers had not rushed to aid this soldier's family and consequently had forced them to be on public display in their grief. We worried that this indifference to their son's sacrifice added to their sorrow.

It turned out my destination was his hometown, so I was able to learn his name and more. I learned he had been a talented graffiti artist and had married his sweetheart, Hannah, the day before he deployed to Afghanistan. They planned a big wedding with family and friends for after he returned home. I learned how proud he was to become a Marine in January 2009. I learned that he and his fellow Marines liked to give the candy they received from home to Afghan children. In sum, I learned that he was the kind of honorable, patriotic young person we want defending our country and how great our loss is that he had to give his life in doing so.

I posted a message to his family on the online condolence book. I told them I was sorry for what they went through in trying to see their son's body home, but because of it, many more people were going to have heard of Justin and his dedication to his country: I was going to tell everyone I knew about what I had witnessed and tell them his name. And I have.

I thought that was enough, until I received a thank-you note from Lance Cpl. Wilson's father-in-law.It was a completely humbling experience; he wrote that he was glad I had been able to learn about Justin, and he wanted me to know that Justin "served knowing the risks, but felt it was his obligation and privilege to serve his country." At that moment, I realized that in this day of an all-volunteer military and a distant war that touches so few of our lives directly, more people should hear the story of Lance Cpl. Wilson and his family.

I've thought a lot about what happened that day in the airport, and I choose to believe my fellow passengers were not unfeeling in the face of a soldier's death and a family's tragedy. They were just caught off guard - they were totally unprepared to confront the fierce consequences of the war in Afghanistan on their way to Palm Beach on a sunny afternoon. And I believe it was for this reason that people did not rush to the podium to volunteer their seats. It was not that they did not want to, and it was not that they did not think it was the right thing to do. Rather, it was because they were busy trying to assimilate this unexpected confrontation with the irrevocable cost of war and to figure out how to fit doing the right thing into their plans - to fit it into their lives not previously touched by this war. In the end, enough of us figured out how to do the right thing, and it turned out as well as such a painful situation could.

But still I wonder: Barring some momentous personal event that necessitated a seat on that flight, how could any of us even have hesitated? How could we have stopped to weigh any inconvenience to our plans against the sacrifice Lance Cpl. Wilson and his family had made for our country? In such circumstances, it is not a question of recognizing the right thing to do; we should know it is the only thing to do.

From what I have learned of him, in his short life, Lance Cpl. Wilson created a legacy of courage and patriotism that will not be forgotten by those who knew him. I hope there's a greater legacy as well. I hope through this account of his family's struggle to see him home, if ever again the war intrudes unbidden on my life or yours, we will know what we must do, and in their honor, and for all those who serve and sacrifice, we will do it.

Colleen M. Getz works in the NATO policy office of the Department of Defense.

© Copyright 2010 The Washington Times, LLC.

Are We Really Safe?

2010-05-04T05:54:00.000-07:00

With another terrorist attack foiled, we have to ask ourselves, "Are we really safe?" Granted the supposed car bomb did not explode in Times Square, what if it had? People would have been injured, killed, maimed and millions of dollars in property damage and business lost would have resulted. Thankgoodness to the vigilant effort by the street vendor for keeping his eyes open.

What about the rest of us? Do we notice things that look different, out of place or just plain strange? How about that box on the side of the road? Is that trash can lid placed on top incorrectly? Are there loose wires hanging from your car? We ALL need to take notice of surroundings.

More importantly, what about public structures? Schools, churches, malls, libraries, etc.? Are they as safe as they could be?

Local, state and federal governments have spent billions of dollars shoring up security throughout the U.S. But we as citizens need to keep our eyes open, like the street vendor, to notice the little things.

It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to safety.

Be vigilant!

Great Quotes, But Will People Listen?

2010-05-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

"If you're a regular Glenn Beck listener, then check out the Huffington Post sometimes. If you read The New York Times editorial page the morning, then glance every now and then at The Wall Street Journal."

"It may make your blood boil. Your mind may not be changed. But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship."

President Barack Obama
May 1, 2010
University of Michigan Commencement Speech

Networking

2010-04-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

How do you network? Do you keep an address book? Do you network through Facebook or MySpace? Do you use LinkedIn and other similar sites? Which ever way you network, the main thing is to keep in contact with those in your network. Dropping a note to them once a month is good. Twice a month is abmirable. Three times a month? Not bad at all! Yes, it can be difficult to keep track of who you have contacted during the mongh. Make a list. Drop a note to two or three people per day. It doesn't have to be long or a complete synopsis of what you have been doing for the past 30+ days. Keep in succinct. Some people will respond. Some will not. Not to worry. They haven't forgoten about you. They are probably just as busy.

That's it for now! Until next time, Ciao!

19 April 1995; Lest We Forget

2010-04-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma City bombing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Oklahoma City bombing occurred on April 19, 1995 when American militia movement sympathizer Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck filled with explosives parked in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.[1] McVeigh's co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, had assisted in the bomb preparation. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks, claiming 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6.[2] More than 680 people were injured.[3][4] The blast destroyed or damaged 324 buildings within a sixteen-block radius,[5] destroyed or burned 86 cars, and shattered glass in 258 nearby buildings.[6] The bomb was estimated to have caused at least $652 million worth of damage.[7]

Motivated by his hatred of the federal government and angered by what he perceived as its mishandling of the Waco Siege (1993) and the Ruby Ridge incident (1992), McVeigh timed his attack to coincide with the second anniversary of the deaths at Waco.[8][9]

References Notes

1. Thomas, Jo (April 30, 1996). "For First Time, Woman Says McVeigh Told of Bomb Plan" (http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/30/us/for-first-time-woman-says-mcveigh-told-of-bomb-plan.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) . The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/30/us/for...pagewanted=all. Retrieved June 5, 2009.

2. "Victims of the Oklahoma City bombing" (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-06-11-mcveigh-victims.htm) . USA Today. Associated Press. June 20, 2001. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001-06-11-mcveigh-victims.htm. Retrieved June 29, 2009.

3. Thomas, Jo (May 23, 1997). "McVeigh Defense Team Suggests Real Bomber Was Killed in Blast" (http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/23/us/mcveigh-defense-team-suggests-real-bomber-was-killed-in-blast.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all) . The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/23/us/mcv...pagewanted=all. Retrieved June 5, 2009.

4. Shariat, Sheryll; Sue Mallonee and Shelli Stephens-Stidham (December 1998). "Summary of Reportable Injuries in Oklahoma" (http://web.archive.org/web/20080110063748/http://www.health.state.ok.us/PROGRAM/injury/Summary/bomb/OKCbomb.htm) . Oklahoma State Department of Health. Archived from the original (http://www.health.state.ok.us/PROGRAM/injury/Summary/bomb/OKCbomb.htm) on January 10, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/2008011006374...mb/OKCbomb.htm. Retrieved June 5, 2009.

5. Mlakar Sr., Paul F.; W. Gene Corley, Mete A. Sozen, and Chrales H. Thornton. "Blast Loading and Response of Murrah Building" (http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:tfIgn2oDZacJ:www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/GetDoc.asp%3Fid%3D1306%26type%3Dd+"Blast+Loading+and+Response+of+Murrah+Building"&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&lr=lang_en&client=firefox-a) (PDF). Forensic Engineering. http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:tfI...ient=firefox-a. Retrieved June 26, 2009.

6. "Oklahoma City Police Department Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Bombing After Action Report" (http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/okcfr_App_C.pdf) (PDF). Terrorism Info. pp. 58. http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/okcfr_App_C.pdf. Retrieved April 6, 2010.

7. Hewitt, Christopher (2003). Understanding Terrorism in America: from the Klan to al Qaeda (http://books.google.com/books?id=EXn8o9duyVoC&pg=PA106) . Routledge. p. 106. http://books.google.com/books?id=EXn8o9duyVoC&pg=PA106.

8. Feldman, Paul (June 18, 1995). "Militia Groups Growing, Study Says Extremism: Despite negative publicity since Oklahoma bombing, membership has risen, Anti-Defamation League finds" (http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/21526848.html?dids=21526848:21526848&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+18%2C+1995&author=PAUL+FELDMAN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Militia+Groups+Growing%2C+Study+Says+Extremism%3A+Despite+negative+publicity+since+Oklahoma+bombing%2C+membership+has+risen%2C+Anti-Defamation+League+finds.&pqatl=google) (Fee required). Los Angeles Times. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/acce...p;pqatl=google. Retrieved April 7, 2010.

9. "McVeigh offers little remorse in letters" (http://www.cjonline.com/stories/061001/new_mcveigh.shtml) . Associated Press. The Topeka Capital-Journal. June 10, 2001. http://www.cjonline.com/stories/061001/new_mcveigh.shtml. Retrieved June 5, 2009.

Take Heed Extremists!

2010-04-17T10:43:00.001-07:00

It doesn't matter if you are a Right Wing Extremist or a Left Wing Extremist. You are just an, "extremist'! If you advocate violence, we don't want you in our country. Your extremist views make the rest of us Americans look bad. You are a disgrace to our Nation and NOT a Patriot. Get over yourself and work with those that want to make our Nation great.

Is Violence the Answer?

2010-04-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

Threats to the President. Threats to Congress. Threats to Democrats. Threats to Republicans. Have we lost our minds? Is this the way our long running experiment in democracy is suppose to go? I hope not! Yet we hear more and more about threats to our elected officials. When did it become fashionable to threaten a government official? When did it become fashionable to threaten the President? It hasn't! For those that think that yelling and threatening will get you the results you seek, I have to tell you now. You are in the minority. Voice your opinion...Yes! Demonstrate in political rallies...Yes! Hold up your placards...Yes! Become threatening and menacing....No.

What's Missing?

2010-04-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had an opportunity to serve along side two interesting Marines. Both are about 22 years of age. One is married and other is single. During the course of our duties, we spoke about a myriad of things to include finances, education, performance on the job, career choices, etc. I felt as if I was back in the Corps again, counseling young Marines about their lives. It felt good. But it made me wonder. Are ALL Marines receiving this type of one on one motivational checks? How many are left to the wayside because their NCO or SNCO is too busy to speak with them?

The Corps has come a longs ways since 1775. The Corps has come a longs ways since I retired! But the one thing that is constant are the Marines that continue to serve our Corps for God, Country AND Corps. Whether you are retired, active duty, or even if you spent one tour in the Corps, you are obligated to pass on your knowledge and experience to the young Devil Dogs and leathernecks that serve today. They deserve your very best, just like we deserved our leaders best while we were serving.

Don't ask yourself, "what's missing" next time you speak to a Marine. If ALL leaders do their job like they are supposed to do, then nothing should be missing from that young Marines' toolbox.

Semper Fi!

Springtime

2010-04-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

I love Spring. The flowers are blooming. The buds on trees are getting bigger eventually giving way to leaves and other types of flora. Winter coats, hats and gloves are being put away. Snow shovels and snowblowers are serviced and stored. The pollen is abundant. Uggghhh! Along with itchy eyes, there comes the runny nose, congested throat, sneezing and at times, the inability to squelch the ill effects of natures sandpaper. I call it that beacuse that is what pollen feels like when it gets in my eyes. Hopefully the impending rain will wash the majority of it away. Until then, I'll be taking my anti-allergen medicine and hope it makes me feel better FAST!

Ignorant People

2010-04-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

"I wish being stupid was painful." I feel the same way with ignornace.

I recently read a letter to the editior blaming the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief, of hating America because he, "banned the flying of the US flag over Haiti."

Sorry folks. He didn't ban anything.

Just in case you haven't heard, the US military does NOT go into any country with impunity. They go in because they are usually invited or have been authorized under a United Nations Resolution. Don't believe me? Look it up.

Another item that is negotiated with a sovereign state is a SOFA agreement. No, not a couch agreement you idiot! A "Status of Forces Agreement" which provides an agreement between the host nation and the US as to what the US military can and cannot do while they are on the host nation's soil. Pretty easy right?

So there you have it. The president, the Commander in Cheif, cannot alone make a decision whether or not to fly the US flag on another state's soil. It is something that is negotiated and agreed upon before military forces even arrive. In fact, there are already many SOFA agreements being executed as I write this. Okinawa, Japan is a very good example. Where do the flags fly there. ONLY on the US military bases. Ooops, almost forgot. Also at the US Consulates office.

That's it folks. Are you hurting still? Hopefully not.

Hatred, Disgust, Racism, Oh My!

2010-03-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

For those that espoused the titled three words, be warned. Our great Nation is made up of people from all over the world. The only true Americans are the Indians. Everyone else is a foreigner. Yet, while we try to make some semblance of life, we continue to be drawn apart by those things that brought us here. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Have we not achieved those goals? Is not America the experiment that has gone terribly correct? Look in the mirror. Search your souls.

Socialist State?

2010-03-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Not close. Look up the definition. Read more about it. Use your God given skills and become more educated on the subject before you spew the rhetoric you have heard on television. By not doing so, you will show and ultimately determine your ignorance. While eveyone has the "right" to free speech, do not be one to violate the right of others and not allow then to voice their opinions. What they have to say is just as important as your comments.

Violence

2010-03-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

To promote violence and insults in hopes of changing the "law of the land" is a tactic used by terrorists, jihadists, and those who claim they know better. Rise above the fray. "Words have power." Use the power of the pen & the vote instead of racial slurs and bricks thru windows. Will those acts of violence forward your cause? Can you feel the backlash? We are suppose to be a humane society. Educated and civil. Those that perpetrated criminal acts are no better than terrorist.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-13T12:18:00.001-08:00

Ooops.........I actually published this post before anything had been written! So here goes.

Hope all hands had a great holiday season! Mine were quiet and well spent with family and friends. I am looking forward to 2010 and all the opportunities that abound.

With that stated, many people usually make their annual New Years Resolutions. I personally did not make any. In fact, I heard on a local radio station that people should not make resolutions but instead, set goals for themselves and that is what I have done. (I think I wrote about this before.) But setting goals will not be the topic of this weeks blog.

This week I am going to start (hopefully) a weekly series about making yourself indispensable at work. Now is the time to be busting your behind to keep your job. The recession has come and gone. The economy is s-l-o-w-l-y turning around and there are still many jobs that could possibly be lost as employers look to see how they might be able to dowbsize a little bit more.

So here goes. The topic for this week is: Get involved with training and development.

Do you have a degree? Are you taking any courses? Are you keeping up with the latest technologies? If you answered NO to any of these questions, you need to do something about it NOW! The more you know, the better off you will be. Take whatever classes you can that are free and available locally or even through your company. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT ever turn down training opportunities if they are offered. Your supervisor will remember and there may go any future chances of attending again. Keep learning is the key here. Earn your degree. Push towards an advanced degree. Read, read, read. Keep up on current events. This will be your key to staying employed.

Now this may not be number one on your list, but it is on mine. The more you know not only about your job, but the job of others, the better off you will be in the event that layoffs will have to occur. Who knows the most? Who can we afford or NOT afford to send home?

Don't wait. Don't hesitate. Pick up that book and start reading. Stay informed.

That's it for this week. Next week another topic, a little touchy but with big bennies will be written about.

Until then........I'm outta here!