Tom Guleff : Joe Citizens

My First Company Commander

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:07:00 +0000

Here’s a small clip of Ben Hodges, a US Army general in Afghanistan. He was my company commander of C Company 1/327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) many moons ago when I was an infantry platoon leader. He is one of America’s best. This guy can “flat out” lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvryowYKzkY#watch-main-area

There's a Reason You Can't See Superman

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:22:00 +0000

I often get e-mails from a veterans group of my old regiment 1/327th INF, 101st Airborne (Air Assault). Here's one I have to share. There's a reason you can see superman.

Forrest Guth, one of the original "Band of Brothers", will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, 30 Oct. His funeral will begin at the Old Ft. Myer Chapel at 3 PM. Please be there by 2:30.

Age 88, of Hockessin, DE, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 9, 2009, at Cokesbury Village.He was born in 1921 in Lehigh County, PA to the late John H. R. and Mayme L. Guth. Upon graduation from high school, Forrest went to work a Bethlehem Steel making armor plate for the Navy. In July 1942, he and two of his buddies decided to enlist in the U.S. Army and volunteer for the paratroops. In doing so, Forrest became one of 140 men who formed the original 'Easy Company' of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne.

He served his country as part of the renowned "Band of Brothers" throughout World War II. Upon his return from the War, Forrest received a college education at Millersville State Teachers College; then began his teaching career in Norfolk, VA, teaching industrial arts at Granby High School. It was then that he met and married the love of his life, Harriet Ann Amis. The two spent a year in New York City, where Forrest received a Masters Degree in Education.

The couple then moved to Wilmington, DE where Forrest taught high school for more than thirty years, including the last 20 years at Brandywine High School. Forrest was a master cabinet maker; he continued his specialty woodworking business throughout his life. Forrest was an active Westminster Presbyterian Church member for 58 years. He served as a member of the Board of Trustees, led numerous work groups to the Appalachia area of Tennessee, was responsible for the church's audio equipment and volunteered to take care of all miscellaneous repairs and custom woodwork. After moving with his wife from Wilmington to Hockessin in 1997, Forrest continued to volunteer his time and energy serving on numerous committees at Cokesbury Village in addition to his church responsibilities. He also continued and expanded his hobbies, including woodworking, bird carving and automotive restoration. Forrest enjoyed summers in the Poconos with his family and friends, as well as boating, traveling and sharing with people of all ages his experiences and memories of the war. He regularly volunteered by visiting hospitals, schools and military bases in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Forrest is a Hero - both to his family and his country.

He and his wife were married for 60 years, and had 2 children - Nancy Serfass, from Todos Santos, Baha California Sur, Mexico and her husband Tom Carroll, and John Guth who resides in Annapolis, MD with his wife Cynthia. Forrest also had two granddaughters, Ltd. Stacy Guth, a naval flight officer currently stationed in Monterey, CA and Jamie Guth, an art director for an advertising firm, living in Satellite Beach, Fl. He is also survived by a sister, Helen Guth Snyder, of Arvada, CO.

Memorial services were held on Saturday, August 15, at 11 am, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1502 West 13th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806. The burial service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA at 3 PM on Friday, October 30, 2009.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution in Forrest's name may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church.Arrangements byCHANDLER FUNERALHOMES & CREMATORYhttp://www.chandlerfuneralhome.com/(302) 478-7100

There are only 39 of these veterans left.E Co 506th Band of BrothersRest in peace, Goody ;( Easy Company member Forrest "Goodie" Guth passed away the weekend of August 8, 2009. A native of Hockessin, DE, Forrest was one of the original Toccoa men. He fought in Normandy, Holland, Bastogne, and Hagenau. After the war he taught junior high and high school industrial arts, then retired and worked as a cabinent maker. His wife, Harriet, passed away last year. They had been married since 1949. He will be missed.

Joe Brown's Cry For Help (aka The Steve Ross Nomination)

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:13:00 +0000

File Photo from CA (J&M)

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/politics/102009_Council_Contention_in_Executive_Session

You Can't Do This On A Video Game : Tiger Woods' 8 iron on No. 16 on Sunday at Bridgestone ('09)

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Wow !

Mr Mayor, Don't Leave Us !!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Please Mr Mayor, How will we manage without you? Please stay. What will happen to our crime rate, our schools, and our local government?

The New Breed of GOP Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Tell me how tough it is to hold your ground in a no win situation (whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent).

I didn't know Lang Wiseman had it in him. This is a bright spot for the GOP in a very difficult political environment as Shelby County.

I think we found the next governor of Tennessee for 2010.

The new breed of GOP leadership.

http://langwiseman.blogspot.com/2009/07/update.html

Paul Stanley, It's Time To Hit The Showers

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 04:14:00 +0000

Paul, I know this won't be easy, but it's time to resign before the coach comes out to the mound and pulls you from the game. You had a couple of strong innings, but the the game is too close to allow you to continue.

Hand the ball to Coach Ramsey and hit the showers.

South Memphis Ghetto

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:28:00 +0000

One person's view of Memphis.

How to Play the Memphis Media

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:06:00 +0000

Mediaverse®: Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton Resigns

Remember this.

PLAYED. :)

The Young Prince Mongo of the Planet Zambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:27:00 +0000

The Young Prince Mongo.

NEW MAYOR

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Bat Signal Over City Hall (Memphis)

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:06:00 +0000

We're sending up the bat signal. The Joker has turned City Hall into CrazyLand. But, no one is laughing anymore.

Fearless and Smart

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Saw this on a friend’s FACEBOOK post. This is the graduation picture of the US Army Ranger School at Ft Benning, GA. This class, 2-87, ran through several training phases (Mountain, Desert, Swamp, etc). Basically, it is a small unit leadership school for soldiers who are gluttons for punishment. After graduating from the school, the soldier wears a cloth black tab outlined in yellow gold and with the word RANGER on it (see above).

There’s a guy standing next to me named Frank Kennedy (Frank is 3rd row, 7th from the right; I am standing left of him). I didn’t know Frank very well at USMA. But, I got to spend a good bit of time around him during that winter. The guy was “top shelf”. I think of him, whenever I go back to that time. He was fearless and smart. He had an inner strength that few possess and an optimistic outlook that was endless. He was a guy that I really admired, a natural leader. He is the person that I remember the most in the photo.

Several years later, Frank passed away in a diving/scuba incident in the Middle East, leaving before I said thanks. Here's to you, my friend.

Lowery ! You're the new platoon leader.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:32:00 +0000

Here is some advice from the US Army Ranger Handbook to Memphis city council chairman Myron Lowery. Mr Lowery, let's see what you got.

1-3. ASSUMPTION OF COMMAND

Any platoon/squad member may have to take command of his element in an emergency, all members must be prepared to do so. During an assumption of command, situation permitting, the following tasks are accomplished applying Mission, Enemy, Terrain, etc., tasks are not necessarily accomplished in the following order:

(1) Informs the unit’s subordinate leaders of the command and notifies higher headquarters.
(2) Checks security.
(3) Checks crew served weapons.
(4) Pinpoints location.
(5) Coordinates and checks equipment.
(6) Checks personnel status.
(7) Issues FRAGO (if required).
(8) Reorganizes as needed maintaining unit integrity when possible
(9) Maintains noise and light discipline.
(10) If done in a patrol base, continues patrol base activities, especially security.
(11) Makes reconnaissance (at a minimum, a map recon).
(12) Finalizes plan.
(13) Executes the mission.

The Political "Yard Sign" for the Next Generation

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Political Yard Signs are a staple in Memphis and Shelby County politics. Now you can put out a electronic political "Yard Sign" on your FACEBOOK profile page. Steve Tapp created the application. I guess this makes Jim Strickland the "green" candidate.

http://apps.new.facebook.com/bumpersticker/stickers/show/62014672

Click on the above link. Click Add Sticker to Your FACEBOOK Profile.

URGENT ACTION for Draft Jim Strickland for Memphis Mayor

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:00:00 +0000

URGENT ACTION for Draft Jim Strickland for Memphis Mayor

The Future is Now !

The current mayor of Memphis has just resigned and leaves in his wake a city wrought with corruption, cronyism, and incompetency. We can no longer wait for those for have held office for so long to finally do something. A new generation is being called upon to right the ship that has gone terribly off course. We are asking you to call and contact your neighbors about the Draft Jim Strickland for Memphis Mayor movement.

(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=95357075845&ref=mf).

Do a Pushup !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:21:00 +0000

1, 2, 3 ......

COMMENTING : The Memphis Flyer vs The Commercial Appeal

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000

There's been a lot of discussion lately on how to handle reader comments in the "internety" world.

Here's an exchange between Mike Hollihan (Main Street Journal) and the CA Reporter Gary Robinson. CA reporters are not known to add their two cents in the comment section, so this is a rare electronic interaction for people to observe. On the other hand, the Memphis Flyer staff often mud wrestles with its readers in the comment sections. I read both publications. And, I have to say that I have a lot of respect for the guy/girl covered in mud.

Posted by mikehollihan on May 22, 2009 at 1:57 a.m.

All well and good, but it sounds more like this is all about getting people to click on the CA site than about having conversations between CA reporters and editors and their reading public. Beyond the folks tasked with keeping tabs on commenters, how many of the reporters and editors actually *read* the comments about their columns and stories? I'm going to guess very few do. Wendi Thomas, for one, has flat stated she doesn't ever read comments.

Conversations are two-way things. Y'all need to participate, too. Comment threads on the CA site almost never involve CA employees talking with their readers. That needs to change. The perceived attitude of disdain and dismissal on the part of some folks there also needs to change. Dismiss enough readers and you go out of business.

There seems to be great resistance to the idea of actually dialoguing with your readers. Putting up columns saying, "We hear you" and then never talking to us more directly is wrong-headed, at the least. From my own perspective, the CA gives off a "cleric lecturing the beknighted masses" vibe, as though it's still the heyday of "Newspapers are the arbiters of the public discussion." In the Internet age, that kind of approach gets ridiculed and eventually ignored. I swear, sometimes I think the CA's folks at the top really, really don't get it.

Posted by grobinson on May 22, 2009 at 8:11 a.m.
Reply to this post Suggest removal
in response to mikehollihan

Mike, you make good points. We're still reasonably new to the comments game (our two-year anniversary is still a few weeks away) and we're still learning. There have been a few times when reporters have gotten involved in the post-story conversation, but it has happened infrequently.

Frankly, one of the drawbacks to it is the shrinking manpower in the newsroom. Everybody is being asked to do more in the same amount of time. If we go to department heads and ask them to instruct reporters to read (and respond to) comments on their stories, the response will likely be they need those reporters to be working on more stories instead. And that's a reasonable response, too. But it is a discussion that has taken place and it will again.
gary

Pete Aviotti, Listen to yourself in this piece.

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Pete Aviotti, Listen to yourself in this piece. You sound just like any political hack in this city or country. Maybe that's the real problem.

Subsequently, each following year, if there was leftover money, I gave the mayor the balance by personal check made out to "Willie W. Herenton" and labeled "discretionary fund."

Read Pete's viewpoint at http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/may/14/sometimes-reporting-feels-like-hounding/

Take The Offer !!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:30:00 +0000

According to the CA, School district offers city new options to settle funding dispute

I would take the offer!!! A court decision in the council's favor is a gamble. Pro-rate the judgment over a period of time and get out of the funding of MCS forever.

The county should then conduct an open and thorough audit of MCS, and start the process to turn around a broken system. In roughly two years, MCS will have a budget close to $1 billion and a student enrollment of 99,000. If you want to turn around the region, he’s the place to start.

E*TRADE Baby Outtakes

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Take This Dollar Bill, I Have Plenty

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Add Your Caption (photo from CA) -

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/apr/29/many-12-employees-indicted-charges-county-clerks-o/

The charges against Garrett include an allegation that she received money from councilwoman Barbara Swearengen Ware on April 29, 2008. Asked during an afternoon press conference if Ware could be indicted, District Atty. Gen. Gibbons said, "The investigation is ongoing.''

MCS at Public Issues Forum

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Mr Hamer (top photo) made a few interesting comments:

Public education in Memphis is marginal.

A large number of current students in MCS have been retained (held back in a grade) at least once
In the last 4 year enrollment has fallen from 118,000 to 104,000 students

The 3 major issues facing MCS
1 Funding
2 Curriculum overhaul
3 Infrastructure (IT included)

A PUBLIC ISSUES FORUM

The Public Issues Forum is a voluntary association that sponsors programs to stimulate civil discussion and debate on current issues.

3:00 PM Sunday, April 26, 2009
Main (Hooks) Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.

Memphis City Schools - Reaching a Childs Potential

Guest Speaker: Irving Hamer, Jr., Memphis City Schools Deputy Superintendent of Academic Operations, Technology and innovation.

Topic: Memphis City Schools --- Reaching a Child's Potential

MODERATOR: Otis L. Sanford, Opinion Editor, Memphis Commercial Appeal

Here's the FACEBOOK link to the group: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/272499/13717098?m=9808e230

The Perfect Husband!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Nice.

John Madden Speech 2006 Hall of Fame

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Guleff) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:17:00 +0000

John Madden - " I believe the busts talk to each other" at night.

As you watch the two parts of the speech, you can tell this guy is special. "Every day was recess".