You have to understand Georgia football to understand the love people have for UGA, the English Bulldog who has been Georgia’s mascot for as long as I can remember (and much longer than that). UGA VII was the most recent in a series of English Bulldogs to hold the coveted name. He was owned by Sonny and Cecelia Seiler of Savannah, Georgia and was in his second season cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs. His absence at Georgia’s final home game, played against Kentucky, was marked by fans wearing black and a wreath adorning the doghouse at the stadium.

UGA VII was just 4-years-old, weighted 56-pounds and was seemingly in excellent health. He had a check-up in the week before his death and got a clean bill of health from the vet. His death on Thursday, November 19, 2009, was sudden and completely unexpected, leaving Georgia fans in mourning. It is being reported that he died of a sudden heart attack.

The University of Georgia mascot UGA was buried ‘Between the Hedges’ this morning in a small private ceremony. He is buried alongside his father as well as all six of his predecessors in the southwest corner of the end zone in Sanford Stadium, otherwise known as ‘Between the Hedges’.

Here are some photos of UGA VI. RIP.

Supposing that all books from high profile politicians were given such scrutiny, the AP’s overzealous fact checking party wouldn’t seem so, well, overzealous. The Associated Press was the first media agency to get their grubby little hands on a copy of Palin’s book and immediately began to claim she was making things up.

Of all places the Huffington Post has an interesting piece actually defending Palin and calling out the AP’s assigning of a small army of fact checkers to essentially rip the book apart. Palin herself via her Facebook page said it was extraordinary that the AP could spend so much time and effort in “fact checking” her book while at the same time allowing Eric Holder’s decision to bring terrorists here for trial as well as healthcare go without nearly as much scrutiny. From Palin’s Facebook post:

Amazingly, but not surprisingly, the AP somehow nabbed a copy of the book before it was released. They’re now erroneously reporting on the book’s contents and are repeating many of the same things they spewed during the campaign and afterwards. We’ve heard 11 writers are engaged in this opposition research, er, “fact checking” research!

Fox News reports that an AP spokesman said that they had the luxury of assigning 11 reporters to work on major news stories like the Palin book. He didn’t answer the obvious question though; had Sarah Palin’s book received “special” attention in comparison to other political books?

Is it abnormal for the AP to assign a small army, fact checking army to go through Palin’s book? Well, not where the liberal media is concerned. Sarah Palin still draws a lot of attention, for better or for worse. I would say it would have been abnormal if the AP didn’t assign 11 reporters to fact check her book.

Photos: Photos: www.wenn.com

Triskaidekaphobia the the fear of the number 13! Many people are morbidly afraid of Friday the 13th and some of the number 13 in and of itself, also known as paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia. Seriously. I’m betting there are support groups for these phobias.

It all started back in the Middle Ages when the powerful Knights Templar were running afoul of King Philip IV of France and the Catholic Pope. It was on Friday the 13th, 1307 when Pope and French King had the bloody assassinations of the Templar Knights executed. The surviving Knights went underground after that, forming the Freemasons. At least that’s the legend. Since then, Friday the 13th has been eyed with suspicion and dread.

The fear of Friday the 13th has bled over to a fear for the number 13 in general. You will notice there are a lot of buildings that don’t have a 13th floor. Check out all the unlucky and dark events that are associated with the number 13, Apollo 13 for example. Even Judas Iscariot was Jesus’ 13th apostle! Is it any wonder then that the number became associated with the dark side of life?

Psychologists suggest that people who are prone to superstition and are particularly dependent and suggestible are especially inclined to have some anxiety and apprehension on Friday the 13th and/or a fear of 13.

Oddly, Friday has fallen on the 13th three times so far this year. That’s an unusually high number of Friday the 13th’s in one year. I have to be honest, I’m starting to get a little nervous just writing about this!!

Benjamin Sherman, Fallen Soldier

Benjamin Sherman jumped into a river in Afghanistan in an attempt to save a fellow soldier. The two were swept away in the current and missing for a week. Sherman’s body was recovered on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. On Veterans Day, his family and friends remembered him in his hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Benjamin Sherman was an American hero, one of our volunteer army that stands in harms way in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. His mother tearfully pleaded with the President to make a decision to either bring all of our Soldiers home or ‘finish it’, finish the war there. Her words resonate with those of us who will have, do have or have had sons and daughters deployed in the Global War on Terrorism.

The 21-year-old Paratrooper was married and a father-to-be. His wife, Patricia Sherman, is expecting their first child in just a few months. They are expecting a daughter to be named Skylah May-Marie Sherman. He served with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He died attempting to save a friend who was struggling in a river in Afghanistan. His family stated that was his nature.

Denise Sherman expressed the frustration of many of us with Barack Obama’s indecision about the war in Afghanistan while our Soldiers continue there in harm’s way.

“I am requesting because we are One Nation under God that you ask for our nation to come together and pray. To pray for all who are missing to persevere, be found safe and returned home, for those have gone before us and have made their sacrifice to our country, for those who serve our great nation to be guided and protected,” his mother wrote.

Denise Sherman urged the president to make a decision about the Afghan war.

“I think it is time that a decision is made that this country comes together and supports our troops or whatever (Obama) decides. God will guide him. But it is time. It is time,” she said.

I couldn’t agree more. Don’t continue to leave our young men and women there without a mission and without any guidance. Make a decision. They have sacrificed enough. It’s time to either bring them home or to finish it.

You can see Denise Sherman plea with Obama to make an Afghanistan decision here.

It’s not uncommon for the initial stories to come out of a traumatic event to be jumbled and misrepresented. It’s called the ‘fog of war’. Different people see and remember different things. Reporters are in a hurry to get stories out, to take a different angle and to scoop their competitors. Therefore, the stories are not always accurate in the beginning. Most of us know that and realize that it’s understandable.

All of that said, some of us wondered about Kim Munley’s partner that was mentioned in articles about her heroic acts the day that Ft. Hood soldiers were attacked, wounded and killed by a terrorist. Now we are getting more of the story of Killeen, Texas Police Sgt. Mark Todd who shot the Fort Hood suspect and brought his violent rampage to an end.

As stated in an earlier post, Munley and Todd happened to be walking past the Soldier Readiness Center when they heard shots. They both responded and encountered the gunman on the outside of the building. When the two started taking fire, they broke in different directions. Apparently, Munley encountered Hasan first and was shot three times as earlier reported. When Todd encountered Hasan at the front of the building, the gunman was still on his feet and had reloaded his gun. Todd shot him several times and brought him down. He then checked Hasan for other weapons. Todd wasn’t hit in the gunfight. He then began life-saving measures on the wounded.

Todd’s mother, 66-year-old Mary Todd, said she didn’t want to take any credit away from Kimberly Munley, but wanted people to know that her son was also a hero in the worst terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. And he certainly should be recognized as such.

In his 25-year career as a military policeman and then civilian police officer, this is the first time he has had to fire his weapon in the line of duty.

Mark Todd, 42-years-old, gave the most detailed account of the incident which you can hear in the video below. Investigators warn that initial reports are often inaccurate and unclear and remind us that the attack is still under investigation. There will undoubtedly be more details to emerge as the investigation continues. Meanwhile, we are pleased to get a clearer picture of what ended Hasan’s rampage and find out about the man who brought him down. We especially are interested in the story of another hero in this horrible story.

Photos: www.wenn.com

Where is an Applebees near you? Find out!

The essential information is as follows:

1. All Applebees restaurants are participating in the Veterans Day free meal program including Canada. That’s 1900 restaurants in North America! See below for how to find an Applebees restaurant in your area.

2. The hours you can get a free meal are all day long!

3. You must be active duty military or a veteran.

4. You can’t eat just anything you want for free. There are six specific meal choices offered which include a chicken dish, steak, hamburger, vegetarian or pasta.

5. To prove you are really eligible you are allowed to do one of many things. You can wear your uniform, show a military ID, bring an earnings statement or any membership card from a veterans organization. Don’t forget! The honor system does not apply at Applebees restaurants when you want something for nothing.

More information can be found here and here and here.

Applebees did the same thing last year and ended up giving away over $10,000 in free meals to veterans. Because of all the advertising this year, and the fact we are in a recession, expect the numbers to swell.

To find an Applebees restaurant location near you, just use their handy locator which automatically detects locations for your area. I’m lucky to have 17 Applebees for free food near where I live!

Kimberly Munley

Officer Kimberly Munley was doing her job, directing traffic on the Ft. Hood Army base in Killeen, Texas. She and her partner just happened to be walking by the deployment processing center when shots rang out. She was the first responder on the scene where Army Major Nadal Hasan had trapped a large number of Soldiers in a waiting area and begun shooting them. She is credited with taking down Hasan and saving untold lives, even after she was wounded herself.

If there is a silver lining to be found in tragedies and/or murderous attacks such as the one perpetrated on our Soldiers at Ft. Hood, it is that we see the other side of human nature. That’s the innate courage and self-sacrifice that some people exhibit in direct contrast to the cowardly acts of those who perpetrate the violence. That was true when we were attacked on 9/11/2001, it was true when Nadal Hasan yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ and began his bloody terrorist attack on unarmed Soldiers.

Kim Munley happened to be the first to arrive on the scene and happened to be one of those people who has the courage to act. She is credited with taking down Hasan with four shots. Witnesses say that she was shot through both legs but kept firing, bringing the rampage and the lose of life at the Soldier Readiness Center to an end just moments after the attack started.

As a biography, Munley is 34-years-old and a civilian Department of Defense police officer at the base. She is the mother of two daughters ages 12-years-old and 3-years-old. She is from Carolina Beach, North Carolina and the daughter of Dennis Barbour who was once the mayor there. She was a police officer for five years in North Carolina, and American Soldier, a DOD civilian officer and an American Heroine.

Munley was wounded in her arm and both legs with three gunshot wounds inflicted by ‘cop killer’ ammunition. She lost a great deal of blood and lost consciousness. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and has had surgery to repair an artery and is still in the hospital listed in ’stable’ condition. She has expressed her regret that she couldn’t’ have responded quicker and saved more lives. She also claims that she’s no hero, but heroes always say that because doing what they do is their nature.

Kimberly Munley is the example of the good that’s in human nature that comes out when the worst is happening around us. She’s the Ft. Hood massacre hero.

Photo: Hope2forget30 / Twitter
she is pictured with country singer Dierks Bentley.

The main stream media and the family of the alleged perpetrator, Major Malik Nidal Hasan, are painting this as a disgruntled Army officer who was conflicted about the war on terrorism and terrified of being deployed to the Middle East and had been picked on by his fellow Soldiers because he’s a muslim. However, the people who have worked with him say that he was radicalized, preached the Koran, stated he was muslim first and American second, was unable to get along with his peers or relate to the Soldiers he was supposed to be helping at Walter Reed Hospital.

He had given away his belongs the morning of his massacre and screamed ‘Allah Akbar’ before he began shooting. These aren’t the acts of someone who just ‘lost it’ or felt disaffected by his peers. These are the acts of a terrorist. They are war crimes against the United States. He attacked the largest military base in the United States and the President hasn’t found the time to go there and has only mentioned it peripherally while he has focused on things he apparently views as more important than 13 killed and 32 wounded Soldiers.

The media’s and family’s claims don’t ring true. He could have resigned. He didn’t just snap. He deliberately and intentionally took out as many American Soldiers as he possibly could. Thankfully, he will be tried by military tribunal. Since he’s an officer, he MIGHT be given the dignity of a firing squad rather than hanging, although I personally don’t think that he deserves that consideration. He is an enemy combatant and should be treated as a traitor.

Here is some raw video footage taken immediately after the Ft. Hood shooting rampage.

Somali pirates are continuing to wreck havoc on the seas along the coasts of Somalia. British couple Paul Chandler, 59-years-old, and his wife Rachel Chandler, 55-years-old, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, United Kingdom, were taken hostage on October 23, 2009. They were taken from their yacht, the Lynn Rival, as they were sailing from the Seychelles towards Tanzania. The pirates demanded about $7 million and the release of seven Somali pirates who were captured while attempting to take a French ship last week. The pirates claim that the $7 million (£4.2 million) is to cover the cost of damage caused by NATO troops.

In an interesting turn of events, both rival pirates and local militia groups have taken up arms against the pirates holding the British couple. Local elders have stated that they are trying to prevent the pirates from delivering the couple to extremist islamic groups.

“We did not want the pirates to use our territory to hold hostages or hand them over to another group. We took up arms with the help of (the moderate Islamic group) Ahlu Sunna Waljama and opposed” the other group, said Hussein Mohamed Kahiye, a clan elder in the central Somali village of Bahdo.

Kahiye said the Somali elders had refused the pirates permission to bring the British couple ashore. However, there are reports that Islamic extremist are moving into the area in an attempt to take control of the couple.

Meanwhile, the British government has refused to pay the $7 million ransom for the couple and the pirates have lowered the ransom to about $150,000. British officials have stated that the pirates are aware that the Chandlers are not a wealthy couple and are lowering their demands accordingly.

There is a report that the couple is being held at sea aboard a hijacked Spanish ship and has been traveling throughout coastal areas in minibuses and all-terrain vehicles. There are conflicting stories that the couple have been taken inland to the town of Bahdo, noweast of Haradheere. Bahdo is known to be a haven for pirates.

Paul and Rachel Chandler have been allowed to talk with media and family members periodically. They talked with Rachel’s brother, Stephen Collett, and told him that they were physically fine and that the pirates were ‘hospitable people’ and had assured them they were not in danger.

It is being reported that Paul and Rachel Chandler have not been injured as Somalis fight over the British couple.

Psychic Jayne Wallace performed what I suppose was the first ever Twitter séance; in honor of Halloween no doubt. Wallace “contacted” Michael Jackson with a bonus communication with musician Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and actor River Phoenix who died of a drug overdose.

To sum up what was said at the Michael Jackson Twitter séance, Michael doesn’t blame anyone for his death; he takes full responsibility for not listening to warnings about his medication fixation. River Phoenix says that the bar where he overdosed on drugs serves “great cocktails”, and Kurt Cobain told the psychic that Dave Grohl his former drummer is a “good drummer” and warned about the pitfalls of letting your children play “fake” instruments on video games as opposed to real guitars.

During the Michael Jackson Twitter séance or tweance, Jackson was contacted interrupting a rendition of “Heal the World.

Apparently Michael wasn’t too disappointed with being dead, he was mainly frustrated with letting his fans down by not being able to complete his tour that was scheduled when he died.

Hopefully we will not have to endure another Michael Jackson Twitter séance until next Halloween, but somehow I doubt it. You can go here to read the entire tweance on Twitter. Tweance on Twitter, try saying that five times really fast.

Vocals contributed by James De Vito (US Marine Corps) and Rock Williams, guitars by Sean Hurwitz, marching snares by Bernie Pershey and ‘The Wobble Beat’ by Justin Sullivan. This song is now available through iTunes. All profits go to the Armed Forces Relief Trust. You can find out more about the song and how to get it at The Warrior Song website at www.thewarriorsong.com/.

The song is coming out just in time for the Project Valour-IT project that is currently underway. Check out the progress and pick a team from the Soldier’s Angels website.

Meanwhile, enjoy the music video of The Warrior Song. Lyrics are included below the video.

HOOAH!!!!

As I sit in the sunny South, I can’t help but feel for those who live near the Continental Divide and are looking at well below freezing temperatures, a foot of snow and high winds. Denver is experiencing it’s first major snowstorm of the season and is under a winter storm advisory. By Thursday evening the foothills could see as much as 24 inches of snow and Denver 10 to 18 inches of snow. Burr.

The 9NEWS Weather Team expects a grand total of 10 to 18 inches of snow by Thursday evening for Denver and the Interstate 25 corridor from Monument Hill north to Cheyenne. The highest snow amounts will near the base of the foothills and over the Palmer Divide in Douglas and Elbert Counties.

The foothills could see up to 24 inches of total snow accumulation by late Thursday while mountain areas east of Vail Pass will see up to 3 feet over the highest peaks and passes. Most mountain communities such as Silverthorne, Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen will be in the 10 to 20 inch range.

Colorado Department of Transportation reports that crews are plowing the roads. With overnight refreezing, they are expected to be hazardous. The blizzard is affecting air travel into and out of the Denver airport. Work crews are attempting to keep the runways cleared, but it’s growing increasingly difficult to keep up with the expected two feet of snow and drifting in the high winds.

This October snowstorm is expected to affect Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle as well as Colorado.

Snow accumulation totals can be found here.

Colorado school closings can be found here.

You can check flight status out of Denver here.

As of this time, The Denver Nuggets season opener is still on at the Pepsi Center in spite of the snow.

The area’s first H1N1 flu vaccine clinic has been postponed.

Check out the video below of the huge Denver snow-storm as it blasts the mountain area.

Denver Snow-Storm Forecast - Video

We thought the whole frenzy over the muhammad cartoons had died down, but apparently we were wrong. Two men have been arrested and charged with plotting revenge for those cartoons. The two men are from Barack Obama’s adopted hometown of Chicago.

David Coleman Headley, 49-years-old, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48-years-old, were charged in separate complaints that were filed on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, in the U.S. District Court in Chicago. The arrests came after the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force raided an islamic butcher shop owned by Rana in Kinsman, Illinois. The FBI and the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) had been working together investigation the terrorist plot.

The two are charged with plotting to bomb the Jyllands-Posten newspaper building in Copenhagen, Denmark and with plotting to kill the cartoonist and former cultural editor in retaliation for the publication of the 2005 muhammad cartoons. They called their mission the ‘Mickey Mouse Project’.

As per reports, after his October 3 arrest, Headley has told investigators that he has been meeting with a Lakshar-e-Taiba, a terrorist group based in Pakistan and Harakat ul-Jihad Islami, a terrorist group with tied to al-Qaeda. There is evidence that Headley had been in close correspondence with Pakistani terrorists while planning the Copenhagen attacks.

Headley is a U.S. citizen and was formerly known as Daood Saleem Gilani, until he changed his name in 2006. He is charged with conspiracy to commit terrorist acts involving murder and maiming outside the United States. If convicted he could face life in prison.

Rana is a Canadian citizen who was originally from Pakistan. He owns several businesses, including the above mentioned butcher shop and an immigration business. Rana is charged, along with Headley, of plotting to provide material support to a foreign terrorism conspiracy. If convicted, Rana could be sentenced to 15-years in prison.

And who says these guys can’t hold a grudge. The cartoons were presented on Blue Star Chronicles at the time, but were deleted by the web-based image host. Islamist claim it is disrespectful to have any image of muhammad and claim that even worse, these images portrayed muhammad as the leader of a violent cult. They claim they are not violent at all. Islam is the religion of peace and they’ll kill you if you say otherwise.

You can see a video about the two men charged in the muhammad cartoon revenge plot below.

There have been concerns about growing tensions between the United States and Japan. Japan has been one of our biggest allies in support of the Global War on Terrorism and has been a consistent and dependable partner with the United States in global affairs. As with some of our other traditional allies, things seem to be changing. Many of our allies are looking at us with distrust and concern as to the direction the Obama Administration is taking our country. It is only reasonable that they are beginning to look at ways to take care of their own interest should the United States no long uphold her promises of support and defense as she has in the past.

Japan voted in a new government in August 2009, unseating the long-standing conservative government that has lead that country for years. The new government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has broached the subject of moving American Marines off the island of Okinawa. This would mean changing an 2006 agreement between the two countries. The suggestion has been to move 47,000 U.S. troops to less populace areas of Okinawa, 8,000 Marines would be moved to the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

If Futenma remains on Okinawa it is likely to relocated to less populated areas of the island. Two possible locations are Camp Schwab and Kadena Air Base.

Many believe this move on the part of the new Japanese government is indicative of a growing riff between the Obama Administration and our long-standing ally.

However, in recent weeks, high-level military personnel have visited Japan to discuss the issues concerning the military bases in Japanese territory. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Tokyo earlier last week. During his visit he said that moving the base off Okinawa as ‘untenable’. Admiral Mike Mullen met with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on Friday and urged him to resolve the issue quickly. After the meeting Okada said that the U.S. base should stay on Okinawa.

I can’t help but think about the American blood that was spilt during World War II to gain control of Okinawa. If the United States was the empire building country that our enemies and the left in this country say that we are, Okinawa would be a U.S. territory. Instead, after the war, the land won so dearly with the blood of our Marines was given back to the Japanese.

I spent some time on Okinawa years ago. At the time the Okinawans were not happy that the U.S. had given the island back to the Japanese. They viewed that as something of a betrayal to them at the time. They also liked the American military bases there. They brought in a lot of income for the island and gave them a sense of protection from what they perceived at the time to be a brutal Japan. That’s been a good many years ago and I’m sure relations have calmed down a lot since then. As memories fade as to the brutality of the Japanese during the war years, then the people see less of a need for the safety of American Soldiers. And that is the way it should be. Japan isn’t the same country it was back then and neither is Okinawa.

Still, it seems odd that we have to ask them for permission to stay and for permission to use their tankers in the Indian Ocean for refueling on the way to Afghanistan.

I’m glad we aren’t an empire building country. I’m glad that those who were once our sworn enemies are now our best allies. I’m glad that they feel they don’t need our military there anymore or that they have to help us refuel in the Indian Ocean. It is further proof that the criticisms of the left are just plain out wrong. We are a great country, populated by a good and decent people.

For now, the Japanese government has stated that U.S. troops should stay on Okinawa. I guess will see what tomorrow brings.

Obama will be visiting Japan on November 12 - 13, 2009.

Liew Siaw Hsia, 31-years-old, wasn’t expecting her baby quite yet, but the baby had other ideas when he decided to arrive while she was flying AirAsia airlines from the northern island of Penang to Kuching on Borneo Island . Liew went into labor during the flight on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. The pilot attempted to make a closer airport, but the baby obviously had other ideas and was delivered mid-flight with the help of a doctor who was on board and flight attendants. The baby was taken to a hospital as soon as the plane landed.

AirAsia released a statement about the event, ‘The baby was safely delivered when flight AK 6506 was approaching Kuala Lumpur for landing at 2,000 feet.’ Also, the director of the airline stated that they would celebrate the occasion by presenting both the mother and child with lifetime free flights on AirAsia airlines.

Congratulations to mother and child! One usually doesn’t WANT excitement on a flight. But this kind of excitement is not so bad. Also, congratulations for the lifetime of free flights for the baby born on a plane! You can see a video below.

The Koranic verse pinkish lettering appears in Arabic and reads, ‘Be thankful or grateful to Allah’.

Thousands have made the pilgrimage to Kizlyar in Russia’s Dagestan to view the islamic miracle. The region has been racked with violence from islamist in recent months. Local leaders have struggled to contain the violence perpetrated by islamic radicals against local authorities. There have been suicide bombings and armed attacks on police and politicians in Dagestan, Ingushetia and Chechnya. Locals view the fact that Yakubov’s father, Ali Shamil, 27-years-old, is a police officer as proof that there has been divine intervention since law enforcement officers have been a favorite target of the terrorists.

In the midst of the armed struggle for control of the Caucasus region of Russia is Ali Yakubov. His home has become a shrine as over 2,000 people who arrive daily to get a glimpse of the rare islamic miracle. Local authorities won’t verify the claim that Koranic verses appear on the baby’s leg. However, they do say that the belief is one of desperation. This baby has given them something to hold on to while they are living in the grip of terrorism.

His mother Ali Madina, 26-years-old, says the verses began to appear shortly after birth.

“Allah is great and he sent me my miracle child to keep our people safe,” she told Reuters.

That’s a lot of pressure to put on one little 9-month-old baby.

Musicians are joining forces with leftist activists, objecting to the use of music, including their own, as a method of breaking the hard-core terrorists who are refusing to cooperate with the U.S. Naval run military prison officials. Bands involved in protesting the use of their music include R.E.M. Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor and Pearl Jam. They have joined the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo. The campaign launched on Tuesday. They have filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the release of classified documents pertaining to the use of loud music as part of interrogations.

I wonder why no one complained when Janet Reno used loud music as a method of irritation against the Branch Davidians (Americans) during the Waco Siege in 1993. Oh, that’s right, that was during the Clinton administration. No one complained about the rights of Americans or anyone else during those years.

The group of musicians and liberal activists perceive themselves as in support of Barack Obama’s pledge to close down Guantanamo Bay prisoner of war camp. He made the pledge throughout his campaign. However, throughout the first 10 months of his presidency, he hasn’t managed to make any progress in closing it down. It seems that Americans don’t want these enemy combatants on American soil. He can’t find anywhere in the United States that will host them. As with most things, Obama once again finds himself impotent and/or unwilling to act on the multitude of promises he made.

Thirty-five musical artists have had their music used to help break Guantanamo detainees. Some of those include the theme song from Sesame Street, the theme from Barney, Neil Diamond, Britney Spears, Tupac Shakur, Pink, Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Marilyn Manson, Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Don McLeanand and The Bee Gees.

I do find it interesting that the music used at Guantanamo angers musicians. Apparently, they view their own music as ‘torture’. Hey, at least they aren’t cutting off people’s heads with dull kitchen knives.

Emilie de Ravin

I think it’s fairly safe to say that the Lost character of Claire is a favorite of many fans of the show. We last saw her in Jacob’s cabin, sitting with the apparition in the form of Jack’s and her father. This was after she had mysteriously disappeared into the jungle after having been injured in an explosion at New Otherton. As a primary character in the show, her fate has been left dangling to the frustration of many Lost fans. We didn’t even know if she is alive or dead. Apparently, we will find out what has happened to Claire in the 2010 Lost season.

Now we know that Claire will be back for the final season. Word is that she’ll be playing a ‘Rousseau-esque‘ version of her previous character. What does that mean? Does it mean we will see Claire years later in time? Has she been alone in the jungle all this time? How does she turn into someone at all resembling Rousseau?

We’ve previously been told that Juliette will return for the last season, even though by all appearances she was killed in the nuclear blast that occurred at the end of last season. But as you know, anything is possible on The Island.

We are also told that Mira Furlan, who plays Rousseau, will not be returning because of other commitments. That’s probably just as well. She was a minor character and there’s really not much else for her to do on the show. Plus, if Claire is going to be ‘Rousseau-esque’, then maybe she can do whatever The French Lady had left to do. We are also told that Michael Dawson, played by Harold Perrineau, will not be returning. But then, we saw Michael die in the blast on the freighter and his story line had pretty much run it’s course. Although, he has stated he’d love to return.

So who else might return? It wouldn’t surprise me to see Charlie in one form or the other. I doubt Mr. Echo is seen on Lost again as the actor who plays him chose to leave the show so he could return to Europe. Boone and Shannon? Probably.

I’m anxious to see the last season of Lost, but I’ll miss it when it ends. The questions the show poses keep us entertained. We want them answered, but will miss them when they are answered. Meanwhile, we get hints periodically. Just enough to keep us interested and remembering that the last season will air early in 2010. Now we know that Claire Littleton returns for the Lost final season. I expect in another couple of weeks we’ll get another hint, to keep us hanging in there.

Enjoy the pictures and video of Emilie de Ravin below.

Emilie de Ravin - Photos

Photos: Dimitri Halkidis/ www.wenn.com

USS Independence

The USS Independence is the second class of General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to complete trials. The U.S. Navy announced earlier today that the USS Independence has completed trials in the Gulf of Mexico, off the shore of Alabama and will be deployed to California sooner than expected. The LCS are designed to operate close to shore (littoral zones). They are smaller, more agile vessels that can operate with stealth at high speeds and address anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals. They are another example of the US military addressing the demands of 21st century warfare.

The Independence was built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama under the auspices of the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia. The 418 foot ship completed rigorous testing in the Gulf of Mexico on October 18, 2009. The trials included more than 50 demonstrations. It was able to sustain speeds up to 44 knots during a four-hour full-power run. It can top speeds in excess of 45 knots (over 50 miles per hour).

The ship exceeded expectations and further testing has been deferred to expedite it’s deployment.

“Independence exceeded our expectations in terms of maneuverability, stability, handling and speed,” said Jeff Geiger, president of the GD-owned Bath Iron Works, in the company’s announcement.

These ships are really innovative. The diesel powered aluminum ships are designed with modules that can be switched out in as little as 24-hours, in order to accommodate helicopters, anti-submarine technological and a host of other defense necessities. It is light and fast. They use steerable waterjets so that they are highly maneuverable. They also draw little water, allowing them to operate in shallow water.

The father of the U.S. Navy would be proud. Captain John Paul Jones said in 1778:

`I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.‘

You can see more USS Independence pictures here.

Have you noticed when you go to the grocery store that you are getting less for more? I have. Every time I go, the bill at the cash register is higher. Taxes, taxes, taxes. Everything seems to be taxed and all the taxes are getting higher. Apparently, I’m not the only one noticing this. Paul Shanklin has done a parody of Obama’s desires to have his hands in our pockets at every turn, every move we make, every breath you take, every thought we have, etc., etc., etc.

To make yourself feel better, you might want to listen to this on the way to the grocery store, or any other kind of store you are going to. It might help a tad to get in a little laugh before you pay those taxes.

So, without further ado and for your listening pleasure …. here’s the video.