Its not uncommon for the liberal host of ‘Countdown with Keith Olbermann’ to make outrageous, idiotic and self-righteous statements about anyone or anything that doesn’t walk in lock-step with his views. Those views are, of course, the same views of anyone who is accepted by the far left of this country. The reason for that is if you don’t have the same views, you aren’t a part of their inner-circle. You see the irony of the left’s claim to having a corner on diversity? They have none.

Olbermann has attacked the Tea Party movement by asking question to his very small audience like, ‘Let me ask all of you who attend these things, how many black faces do you see at these events?’ and ‘Why are you surrounded by largest crowd you will ever again see in your life that consists of nothing but people who look exactly like you?’

In the video below, the Dallas Tea Party called Olbermann out on his comments and questions. They deliver a smack down and invite Olbermann to get out of his ‘bubble’ and come on out to a Tea Party gathering so he can see it for himself. Maybe if he shows up, then he’ll be able to do a report on his show in which he actually has a clue of what he’s talking about.

Mertz Glacier

A huge chunk of the Mertz Glacier Tongue broke off in the Antarctica region. The finger-like iceberg protruded from the glacier and is 985-square miles of ice. It is 48 miles long and 24 miles wide, according to Neal Young, Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist. It is said to be approximately the size of Oahu or Luxembourg. The break happened on February 12th and 13th.

The Times of London reported on Sunday that the split of this iceberg could disrupt global ocean patterns and weather systems for decades to come. It could block the production of cold, salty water gradually leading to colder winters in the North Atlantic over the next few decades. Scientist also say that it could have a negative impact on some of Antarctica’s wildlife, such as a large colony of emperor penguins who live near to where it broke off from the glacier. The break means they will have to travel farther to get food.

The protruding iceberg had already become dislodged from the glacier when it was hit by an older iceberg, known as the B9B, in 1987. That hit left the iceberg ‘hanging like a loose tooth’, according to Benoit Legresy of the Laboratory of Geophysics and Oceanographic Space Research in Toulouse, France. When it was hit again on February 12, 2010, it broke loose. Scientist say this has nothing to do with the global warming theories that have be prevalent in the last few years.

Legresy’s French team of scientists have collaborated with Young and his team of Australian scientists to monitor Mertz Glacier for about a decade.

It is hard to know whether Monday was a very bad day or a very good day for Lance Cpl. Andrew Koenig.

On the one hand, he was shot in the head. On the other, the bullet bounced off him.

In one of those rare battlefield miracles, an insurgent sniper hit Lance Cpl. Koenig dead on in the front of his helmet, and he walked away from it with a smile on his face.

“I don’t think I could be any luckier than this,” Lance Cpl. Koenig said two hours after the shooting.

You can read the rest of Lance Cpl. Koenig’s story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol Palin responded to the show for their mean-spirited and insensitive portrayal of Palin’s son Trig who has Downs Syndrome. Now, actress Andrea Fay Friedman is responding to Palin’s response.

Friedman sent an email to the New York Times in which she basically said that Palin needs to chill out.

“I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I thought the line “I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska” was very funny. I think the word is ’sarcasm,’ Andrea Fay Friedman, who has Down syndrome, said in an email to the New York Times.

The website Gawker alleges that the NYT didn’t print the whole story and added an addition line to the email Friedman sent. Whether or not this is true is left up to you. Gawker is known for satire.

“My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.”

The controversial ‘Family Guy’ episode drew the ire of groups who advocate for the rights of the mentally disabled as well as that of the Palins. In response, Friedman denies that her role on ‘Family Guy’ was meant to ridicule Trig Palin. Instead, she says she was making fun of Sarah Palin, not her son.

The skit was in poor taste if nothing else. The left loves bashing Palin and her family and then bashing Palin more when she responds or sets the record straight. Now Andrea Fay Friedman, the Family Guy actress is slamming Sarah Palin. I’m sure this will be more fodder for ridicule from the left.

Elton John is quoted in Parade magazine as declaring the Jesus Christ was gay. Needless to say, his statements have created quite a stir on the internet. John came out years go and has become an activist for gay rights over the years.

Here’s what he had to say about Christianity:

“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don’t know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East — you’re as good as dead.”

My reading of that is that Elton John is attempting to say something positive about Christianity and Jesus Christ. As he says himself, try being gay in the muslim world. You don’t live long in Iran if you are gay and can pretty much be assured you’ll be stoned to death or hung if you are gay in most of the muslim world.

The life of Christ was an example of love, tolerance, forgiveness and human kindness (among other things). He did implore his followers to be loving and forgiving. He told us that the way we treat the least among us is the way we treat him. I can fully agree with John on those points.

The only problem I have is why compassion, intelligence, empathy and love equate being gay. Can’t a person have those qualities and be heterosexual? Of course, the evolution of Christianity over the years has implied that Jesus basically asexual. Personally, I don’t think His sexuality is any of our business and doesn’t really have anything whatsoever to do with what He taught us.

Certainly, declaring that Jesus was gay is not based in fact and is a convenient justification for whatever lifestyle Elton John might want to lead. Many people project their own beliefs onto Jesus in order to justify themselves.

So Elton John gets a little buzz of publicity and extra news by making a dramatic declaration that ‘Jesus is gay’. Elton John is a brilliant song-writer and performer, but he’s not a theologian, so I put exactly zero credibility to his thoughts on that.

What he DID get right is that Jesus was about love. That’s the take-away message from the life of Christ. Love one another. If only we all would or could.

Photos: Daniel Deme, Michael Wright www.wenn.com

Prince Frederic von Anhalt

First, you might want to filter the announcement that Prince Frederic von Anhalt is going to run for Governor of California with a few facts about the man. He’s Zsa Zsa Gabor’s much younger 8th husband. Also, he’s not really a prince (per se). He was adopted by Princess Marie-Auguste of Alnhart when he was 37-years-old and gave him the title, Prince Frederic von Anhalt of Munich, the Duke of Saxony. However, European royal families do not recognize him as royalty, his title is not official and most feel he just bought the title. Therefore, he uses the name Frederick Prinz von Anhalt on legal documents.

He apparently loves publicity, as evidenced by his claim that he might have fathered Anna Nicole Smith’s baby when all the news was about the fight over custody of her baby. He was once found by police, naked behind the wheel of his car. He claimed he had been mugged by three women. He also sued the makers of Viagra, claiming the drug had left him unable to perform sexually unless he took it. He later dropped the case. He claims to be part of European royalty, even though there is no evidence that he is other than the previously referenced adoption.

Now that we have that out of the way, today’s announcement is that he will now be a California gubernatorial candidate. His attorney is said to have filed papers at the California Secretary of State Office in Sacramento today. If this proves to be true, he will be the only independent candidate running for governor in California. Currently, other candidates include Republicans Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner and Democratic candidate, Attorney General Jerry Brown.

His slogan is ‘Return the Good Life to California’ (not bad). His platform includes: lifting the import ban on an d taxing Cuban cigars, reduction of vehicle-registration fees, making ‘bad drivers’ pay more taxes to make up for lost revenue on the vehicle-registration fees. He proposes to reduce California’s $20 billion deficit through a ’sin tax’ on alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, marijuana and prostitution (which he proposes to legalize and tax). He proposes to repeal the ban on gay marriage saying, ‘Let them be as miserable as the rest of us’.

Von Anhalt’s real name is Hans Robert Lichtenberg and he is 65-years-old. He married Zsa Zsa Gabor in 1986. It was his seventh and her eight marriage.

He has set up a Prince Frederic von Anhalt for California Governor website.

So will he be ‘Governor Prince von Anhalt’ or ‘Prince Governor Frederic’ or ‘Prince of California’?

In the video below, you can watch him discus Prop 8 with some unfortunate girl who apparently works a drive-thru window somewhere and attempts to discuss politics with celebrities who drive through it.

Kim Kardashian

Last night Kim Kardashian was flying back to Los Angeles from New York when she found out she was seated next to an air marshal. Totally hot! What’s a buxom babe to do with THAT kind of information. Well, tweet it, of course. Take into account that she has over 3 million followers on her tweeter account.

I’m on the airplane…love wifi! I am sitting next to an Air Marshall! Jim the air marshal makes me feel safe!” she tweeted.

Yes, but no one is safe from Kim Kardashian’s twittering.

Some of her twitter followers were not at all impressed with her for revealing the the identity of the air marshal. After all, his ability to keep airline passengers safe is dependent on his ability to remain anonymous. When the not-so-thrilled-with-this-information-being-on-twitter comments started coming in, Kim told them to keep it all quiet.

‘RELAX I just told u guys the Air Marshall is sitting next to me, highly doubt anyone is twittering like me on this flight! shhh,’ she tweeted.

Shhh! That should do it. I’m sure that all of the 3 million people that read her every tweet are upstanding citizens who would never blow someone’s cover and create any problems for her or the air marshal. I take that back, she won’t have problems for sure. The air marshal. Well … that’s likely another story. She did do what she could to make it all better.

‘Air Marshall’s are supposed to keep their identity concealed. He did! I am just a private eye & assumed, so I asked him & he was honest!’ she wrote. ‘OK I hope I don’t get in trouble…logging off now! xo’

Okay. Great. That should do it. I’m sure Jim, the air marshal, is alright now and won’t lose his job or have his identity splashed all over every tabloid in the country. I’m better Perez Hilton is out looking for ‘Jim the air marshal’ even as I type this.

Oh, and aren’t we not supposed to use electronic devises during flight so that they don’t interfere with transmissions between control towers and airplanes? Then again, I guess that rule interferes with tweets.

Below are some photos of Kim Kardashian. They aren’t at the moment she outed the air marshal on the plane via twitter, but they are here for your enjoyment none the less.

Kim Kardashian – Photos

I guess the ‘progressives’ just can’t get enough of seeing how low they can go to make fun of Sarah Palin and her family. While the Obama children of ‘off limits’ for any news coverage, even pictures, the Palin children have been fodder for rumors, smears, insults and down-right meanness from the moment Sarah Palin stepped onto the national scene. It is disgusting at the very least.

On Sunday night’s episode of ‘Family Guy’, the character Chris dates a developmentally disabled girl who is demanding, petulant and an obvious slam at the Palins, ‘My dad’s an accountant, and my mom’s the former governor of Alaska.’

It is nothing new for these types of cartoon shows to mock pretty much everyone and everything. This is the type of ‘humor’ one expects from shows like ‘Family Guy’ and ‘South Park’. The ‘tolerant left’ is defending these types of slams, saying that they Palins are just too sensitive. While they do that, they give these shows a pass for their crude, mean-spirited ‘humor’. They use phrases like its ‘arguably insensitive’. Arguably? Yes, we expect that from those shows. However, its not ‘arguably wrong’. It IS wrong and insensitive. Some sites are even asking how this could possibly hurt her child, he’s just a toddler and is developmentally disabled, after all. THAT is insensitive.

I don’t have a problem with accepting that these shows get their viewers from being as inappropriate and shocking as they can possibly be and still be on the air. I would even defend their repeated slams at Palin if they just passed the outrage around a little. If they have the guts to slam the Obama girls, then I will defend their right to take stabs at the Palins. But we all know that’s not going to happen.

Have the courage to hold the left to the same standards you hold the right or anyone else.

United States ice hockey goalie Jonathan Quick has a ‘Support Our Troops’ slogan on his helmet. That sort of sentiment is not accepted under Olympic rules. The International Ice Hockey Federation has reported that Quick will be told to remove the slogan from his helmet.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules specifically forbid political propaganda or advertisements on the equipment of athletes participating in the games. Other athletes have been told to cover up slogans on their helmets. Ryan Miller is having to cover-up ‘Miller Time’ that he had on his helmet and Tim Thomas has covered up a slogan he had on his mask.

There are avenues to petition the IOC through the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to be allow to use slogans. One assumes the athlete would have to use an argument that the slogan doesn’t constitute a political statement or propaganda.

I can certainly understand why the Olympic Committee makes every effort to keep politics out of the games. I can also understand how they would need to use a broad brush to make every effort to keep anything out of the games that could be remotely interpreted as political. On the other hand, I think what has concerned me the most are the comments that people are making in regard to this issue.

If you read the comments at the article linked above, you will find an appalling lack of respect for and even vitriolic hatred for American Troops. What’s with that? The name-calling and intolerance for different points of view, coming from the ‘tolerant’ left is appalling. A common theme in many of the comments is that anyone that supports our troops are ignorant, brain-dead, spiritually-dead, gun-toting, uneducated … you get the point. One guy even equates ‘Support the Troops’ with ‘Impeach Obama‘. That’s a real stretch. What kind of mind comes up with that twisted logic?

So the Olympic News is that Support Our Troops is banned in Vancouver. However, it seems that the real news is the deep division in the United States over the ever-increasing political chasm between the left and the right in the country.

Here is a picture of the ‘Support Our Troops’ slogan on Jonathon Quick’s helmet.

Capt. Ferris W. Butler, former platoon leader with D Company, 214th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain, 2nd Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Drum, N.Y., talks to the Soldiers at Morale, Welfare and Recreation east Feb. 5 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Butler, a Port Tobacco, Mass., native, participated in Operation Proper Exit, which brings Veterans who were injured in Iraq back to the country to revisit the area and share their stories.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

When Janna Scott called 911 on February 4, 2010, it was her own husband, Chris Scott who answered her emergency call. The couple’s 6-month-old son Jacob was choking. He had stopped breathing and lost consciousness. The couple report that they recognized each others voices, but the dire circumstance didn’t leave them time to chat. They got straight to the business of saving their son’s life.

Janna Scott said she was ‘freaking out’ when she called 911. Jacob’s eyes were rolling back in his head when Chris Scott, 23-years-old, answered her emergency call. The couple live in Lacey, Washington and Scott, an Iraq War Veteran, is training to be emergency dispatcher. Emergency workers are not supposed to involve themselves professionally in cases that involve their families. However, in this incident, there wasn’t time to transfer the call to another dispatcher as the baby had already lost consciousness for about a minute to a minute and a half.

The Thurston County, Washington dispatcher calmly talked his wife through the procedure necessary to clear their infant son’s airway. Tammy Clark, Scott’s supervisor, remarked on how well Scott had handled the call. When she told him that he had saved that boy’s life, Scott responded by telling her, ‘That was my son.’

He later said that he had always dreaded a call like that. He admitted that he was concerned as to how he’d handle something like that, but said, ‘I guess I handled it pretty good.’

Chris Scott returned from his year-long deployment to Iraq in September 2009. The Marine tanker first returned to Germany and then came back to his hometown near Olympia, Washington with his wife and baby in December 2009. Janna Scott is a native of Hanover, Germany. The couple live in Lacey, Washington.

The method used by Chris Scott, the 911 dispatcher who saved his own son, was to instruct his wife to lay Jacob face down on her lap and pat his back. When she did that he coughed up a small piece of plastic that had apparently fallen to the floor from the window seal and Jacob had put into his mouth. Scott sent emergency responders to the home, but they did not have to transport the baby to the hospital.

This weapons demonstration is considered a milestone in the directed-energy project.

“The Airborne Laser Testbed team has made history with this experiment,” said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems, in a statement released Friday. Boeing is the prime contractor for the Defense Department project.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency was equally enthusiastic about the results. “The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense,” the agency said in a statement, “with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies.

At one time the Pentagon had planned to build seven of these one-of-a-kind Airborne Laser aircraft. However, with recent uncertainty as to the continuation of the program and recent financial woes, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has canceled any building any more than the one that was tested last week.

The airborne laser missile is aimed at deterring missile attacks and providing the United States military with the ability to engage ballistic weapons at the speed of light. It’s particularly relevant in light of the current threats from Iran.

Some are questioning whether or not it is prudent to have this information made public as it lets our enemies know that the airborne laser is capable of taking down a missile in-flight. However, the whenever the U.S. successfully tests defense systems, we hope it lets our enemies know that they will be used against them should they attempt an attack against the U.S. or our interests around the world.

You can see photos of the infrared images taken of the test here.

Debra Medina must be kicking herself from one end of Texas to the other for failing to articulate a firm, strong position on the 9-11 conspiracy issue. Here was her opportunity to be heard by the millions who listen to Glenn Beck’s radio show, and she ended up being laughed at by Beck, his staff and probably a good portion of his listening audience.

Beck asked Medina if she believed in the 9-11 conspiracy theories. The people who do believe in these conspiracies are called ‘truthers’ (for 9-11 Truthers). They are a fringe group that is generally thought to come from the far left politically. The theory they espouse has to do with the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 as being perpetrated by George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and the American government to give them an excuse to invade Iraq.

In response to Beck telling her that he had received emails from listeners telling him that she was a ‘truther’. Her response was to laugh and say she’d never heard that accusation. He then gave her the opportunity to set the record straight. Instead, she gave a weak response with all sorts of wiggle room for interpretation. In essence, she never denied that she was a ‘9-11 truther’ and scuttled her gubernatorial aspirations in one big, very public melt-down.

I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard. There are some very good arguments, and I think the American people have not seen all of the evidence there, so I have not taken a position on that.

What? What an odd, weak answer.

Beck followed up by asking her if she would disavow any of her staff if they believed the American government was responsible for the events of 9/11.

Well, you know, that’s a federal issue. We’re very focused on issues in Texas, on Texas state government. I’m certainly not into mind control or thought policing people. We’ve got a very diverse team in this state and that’s because Texans are standing shoulder to shoulder to support and defend the Constitution. I frankly don’t have time, you know, to go through and do psychological testing on people and know every thought or detail that they have.

Wow! Well, he didn’t ask if she was into mind-reading or thought-control. She seemed to be bending over backward to avoid offending anyone, including Truthers. Or, she really is a Truther. Either way, it is of concern that someone who had a legitimate shot at becoming the Governor of Texas wasn’t capable of giving a more articulate and clear answer to a direct question.

I think that’s probably the last we’ll hear of Debra Medina’s political career, unless she wants to join the far left who came up with the 9-11 conspiracy theories to begin with. Even then, no one really takes them seriously. I hope she’s kept her day job.

You can watch the video of the audio of the Debra Medina, Glenn Beck interview below.

Marvin Glenn & His Wife, Christina

Marvin Glenn was born in Oklahoma, joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939, and married his wife of over 60 years. Marvin enlisted in the Navy in 1944, becoming a member of the Greatest Generation. He chose to serve, despite being exempt due to a heart murmur. He went on to serve on the Escort Carrier USS Copahee. After his discharge Marvin became a brick layer, a job he continued to perform until he was 82 despite only having one eye. Along with being a brick layer, Marvin maintained a garden which he and his wife used to provide for themselves, and those in need. The life Marvin lived, in service to others, inspired his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and anyone who came to know him. Marvin was laid to rest in Henryetta, Oklahoma on January 16, 2010, at the age of 92, with full military honors.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

This is of great concern for several reasons. One, as mentioned above, he is the Commander in Chief of the military. Does he think ‘corpse-man’ is the name of someone who picks up corpses? What does he think?

In addition, this shows an utter disdain for our men and women in uniform. The Commander in Chief hasn’t bothered to get to know who they are, what they do or how to pronounce different military ranks. That’s appalling! How can he lead the strongest military in the world when he doesn’t have a clue about what they do and holds them in contempt!

Another concern is if he actually thinks about what he’s reading off his teleprompters. Is he daydreaming about arugula, limousines and trips around the world on the taxpayer dollar while he gives speeches? Is he thinking of the fake White House vegetable garden? Has he learned to have information come into his eyes and out of his mouth without interfering with his thought processes? If that is the case, then whose words are we hearing come out of his mouth? If that is the case, then he gives the title ‘empty suit’ a bad name.

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of American history and the American language (as opposed to our parent language English), knows how to pronounce ‘corpsman’. Didn’t he take American history in elementary school and learn about the Revolutionary War? The Civil War? World War I? World War II? the Korean War? Vietnam?

Oh wait, what am I thinking. He was in school in Indonesia during those years. When he returned to the States, he was enshrined in chi-chi schools and surrounded by ‘progressives’ and ‘intellectuals’ his whole life. Why would he have to obtain any working knowledge of such dirty little matters as the making of this GREAT NATION and the men and women who stand on the wall so we can sleep well at night??????

He did it TWICE in the same speech this morning. TWICE? Obama can’t pronounce ‘corpsman’ or doesn’t know what it means. This is a truly sad state of affairs. I wonder if it made a shiver go up Chris Matthews leg? Will Keith Olbermann report on it tonight? Can you imagine the fun they’d have had with that if Sarah Palin didn’t know how to pronounce Corpsman?

Kind of makes you wonder how Obama pronounces ‘Colonel’ doesn’t it?

The video is below, you really have to see and hear it to believe it.

Airmen from the Kentucky National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group help to offload wounded Haitian refugees and medics from Puerto Rico National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters at the air hub Jan. 25, 2010, in Barahona, Dominican Republic.

Photo Courtesy U.S Air Force Taken By Tech. Sgt. Dennis Flora

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday.

For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

The incident happened in Los Banos, California near Highway 152 on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Los Banos is in central California. The man and a hunting partner were duck hunting along with the 53-year-old man’s dog, a female black Labrador retriever.

When the men decided to call it a day, the man got out of his hunting blind, leaving his shotgun behind. He left his gun unattended and walked about 15-yards away. The dog stepped on the shotgun disengaging the safety and causing it to fire. The shot hit the hunter in the left side of the upper portion of his back with No. 2 shot.

The Merced County Sheriff’s Department reported to the Fresno Bee that the injured man was treated and released from the Los Banos Memorial Hospital.

I bet the California hunter who was shot by his dog will be much more careful about where he leaves his shotgun in the future!

The test flight took place in Russia’s Far East, took about 47 minutes to complete and is widely considered to have been a huge success. Sergei Bodgan piloted the T-50. He is considered to be one of Russia’s top text pilots.

The T-50 is manufactured by Sukio. The jet’s stats include that it is an ‘intelligent plane’ that can be flown under any circumstances. It is capable of hitting multiple targets simultaneously and is capable to attacking objects on the ground, in the air or in the sea. It can cruise at super-sonic speeds. It also has a very high degree of maneuverability and can land on very short landing strips.

This is Russia’s first new warplane since the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is a move on the part of the Kremlin to put Russia back in direct competition with the United States for control of the skies.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin praised the test flight, but even he admitted that the plane still needs some work. Still, he praised it as a huge step in the right direction. Sukhoi spokesperson Olga Kayukova said that the company is very happy with the performance of the plane and that it met all their expectations for its first flight.

Foreign journalists were not invited to watch as the new Russian fighter made it’s first flight. Instead, Russian news agencies showed impressive footage of the jet. Many experts outside of Russia are not as impressed with what some have called a ‘flying prototype’. Many have described it as a propaganda tool and to impress potential clients interested in buying Russian arms. Some potential buyers include China, India, Iran, Syria and Venezuela. The sale of Russian arms to enemies of the United States is of great concern to the U.S. and our allies.

You can see a photo of the new Russian fighter jet here. You can also see released footage of the flight in the video below.

The ceremony was spectacular and heartbreaking.

He had served his country for over 20 years as a Marine. He had served his community as a law enforcement officer. And in the last year, he had served his country again, training Iraqi soldiers. He was killed in Iraq by an IED. It took 11 days to bring him home.

He was buried in a cemetery next to a church a long way down a country road on the outskirts of a very small southern town.

This middle-of-no-where place is familiar to most of us Americans. You probably have a place very similar to it down the road and over the hill from where you are. Hundreds of people came to this middle-of-no-where place to pay respects to the man who was killed in service to his country.

Law enforcement officers escorted the horse drawn caisson from the church to the cemetery. Dozens of other law enforcement officers attended out of friendship and respect for the service he had given to his community. A group of military veteran bikers stood guard at the entrance of the cemetery.

And the Marines.

The Marines honored him with the dignity, ceremony and respect fitting this fallen Marine.

This man was respected and emulated by his sons, adored by his daughters, loved and admired by his parents and siblings, and held in high esteem by his community.

His wife cherished him. And he cherished her.

A life well lived, ended too soon.

She let me read his last email to her. In it he had written, ‘I know that God exists and that He loves me. He has to love me because otherwise I could have never deserved your love.’ He also wrote, ‘You have made my mission here easy for me. You are the only woman who could understand why I need to be here and accept me for who I am.’

I watched from the sidelines today as my friend buried her husband. She was surrounded by a large, loving family. Her two sons sat on either side of her. One son in his dress greens the other will be in military garb when he graduates at the end of this school year.

She held herself with dignity, class and quiet strength. She greeted everyone who approached her. She thanked them for coming.

I hugged her as I was leaving, and for a couple of seconds she hid her face in my shoulder and wept, her body relaxed and felt as weak and helpless as a kitten. For just a couple of seconds. Then she raised herself again and mechanically thanked me for coming, regaining her composure.

The first time I saw her after getting the news, I asked her how she was doing. She said, I’m still standing.’ As I walked away from the cemetery, I knew even after this gut-wrenching blow, she’d still be standing.

‘I’m grieving for myself.’ she had said, ‘He died doing what he loved’.

Flags fly on the houses around there. The people believe in God and country. They love their families, their friends and help their neighbors. They believe in integrity, honor, decency and carrying their own weight. They believe in traditional American values.

These people are the character and strength of America.

My friend, her family, her friends and her community have made a very personal sacrifice for love of their country. Americans have been making these sacrifices since the Revolutionary War. One family at a time. One person at a time. One community at a time.

Its the extraordinary common man who holds this country together. Its the guy who loves his country, his family, his community and his God. It the wife who waits for him, understands him and loves him.

You probably know these people. They are probably down the street from you, living in your community.

They are the threads that make up the fabric of American society and the cloth of the American Flag.