So I looked. Ahhh no. Not a kite. It’s a B-2 bomber. A funny shaped flying wing thingie.
Even though it’s a stealth bomber … when it’s flying really low … it’s just makes as much noise as any other jet does.
There is an airshow at a local airport. Something new and something old.
Which explains why I thought I saw a Jap Zero flying by while driving home last Friday.
And by golly I did.
Charges dropped.
One by one Marines that Murtha slandered are being vindicated… so Murtha .. where is your apology? Or is it true that Murtha is the first part of a phrase that ends with the “F” word?
Investigating officer recommends dropping murder case against Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum
By Michelle Malkin • August 23, 2007 09:48 PM Following up on another Haditha Marine slandered by Rep. John Murtha:
An investigating officer recommended Thursday dismissing all charges against a Marine accused of murdering two girls in an assault that killed 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha.
Here is a comment under the Moore is a dipstick post …
Matt Says:
August 22nd, 2007 at 4:32 pm e
Spread the word on your blog! Buy a copy! Support our troops!
A U.S. soldier recommended for the medal of honor has written a book at the war in Iraq. It is a first-hand account of the 2004 Battle of Fallujah. The American soldiers eventually won the block-by-block battle, but the cost was great. David Bellavia conveys the intense experiences of combat, and presents well-drawn portraits of his fellow soldiers, as he captures their heroism and sacrifice.
I hear this book is even better than Blackhawk Down!
You can order it now:
“House To House” David Bellavia
Let me make a major point here, if I may. The book Blackhawk down portrays American Soldiers in a life or death fight against amazing odds. After that fight that they won … Bill Clinton withdrew our forces from Somilia. He ran. He surrendered.
That was a major lesson for Ben Ladin. The lessons is “Americans Cut and Run”. It lead to the USS Cole, and our Embassies being bombed. It led to the attack on the twin towers on 911.
The Battle of Fallujah is a stark counterpoint to Somalia. We did not run. President Bush demonstrated leadership and we prevailed. In Iraq the surge is bleeding and beating the terrorists.
The difference between the two is dramatic. Cut and run and pay big later. Suck it up .. display some guts and make a difference.
John Murtha would surrender. Dennis Moore would. Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid. And we would pay later as would our children.
Cowardice like Bill Clinton displayed does not stop wars. Victory does.
This country did not become great by surrender. Redeploy = Surrender.
As many of you know if you make a comment here for the first time … it goes to a file and waits for me to approve it.
We get our share of nutcases and morons trying to leave comments here, so I approve them or not. After you are approved you can make comments anytime and they go right up.
Well, anyway there is a post on here in May of ‘07 Gonna Buy Grandpa a Beer.
Under comments I found this:
Suzy Coutsonikas A. Says:
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:54 pm e“Imagine my surprise finding this website that included my father, Jeremiah Coutsonikas. Just surfing the web today and there it was. Just want to say “Thanks, Cuz.” Miss you and hope to hear from you soon. “
What a joy! Hi Suzy. Suzy is my cousin. She is more like a sister. She lives in the foreign country of California 
and she is some kinda high powered web browser to have found this site.
Can’t tell you how glad I am to have you here Suzy.
Email to follow.
Pa and Ma
And now we have this … Hello Danni!!
Danni H. (S.) Says:
August 22nd, 2007 at 9:35 pm e
“Of course I come by way of Aunt Suzy…very nice post! Bless you for remembering the most wonderful person I ever knew - and her husband 
. “
We love them too Danni.
Once again we write to Denny Moore …. Pelosi’s Lap Dog and tell him of the error of his Defeatist Ways. We wonder if we will get a repeat of one of the letters we have already received or .. another one on Cigarette taxes. We shall see:
Congressman Dennis Moore
1727 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Moore,
You will note that even Hillary is proclaiming that the surge in Iraq is working.She will continue to distance herself from the “Legislate Defeat” Democrats like you and Pelosi.
Harry Reid and Dem senators … Pelosi you and other Dem Representatives will wear your “Cut and Run” albatross around your neck through the next election cycle as things continue to improve.
There is only one option in Iraq and that is Victory.
You surround yourself with Barking Moonbats and they are all you hear.
You are no Blue Dog Democrat you are a Secular Progressive Surrendercrat.
Good luck and keep it up.
Sincerely,We were fortunate to get almost everyone together for an end of summer celebration. Everyone was there except Ram. He was attending a baby shower … snicker snicker.
So we start with a photo of the house.
And looking down the stairway from the house to the lake. Waive to mike on the lounge chair.
The next group of photos were taken on the dock.
Eva likes strawberries .. and strawberry hats. Hi Pam.
We don’t know how many perch there are in this lake but we aim to catch them all.
Noah and Peter are in the race to catch most fish.
Cool water .. cool clear water.
Motorized water ballet…. sorta.
Jetskis courtesy of Mike. Mike is also known as Mopar Mike round these parts.
A nicely furnished house. Living room, with fireplace, dining room, tv room and bathroom. There were several balconies. One was glassed in the others were open air. Add people and it looks kinda like the below.
Pete is still adjusting after his extended tour in what Julie calls the “Big Honkin Sandbox”. Pam is delighted to have him back.
Miss Eva is one of the happiest “Floor Rockets” I have ever had the pleasure to meet.
Eva brought toys to share with everyone. And everyone was happy to play.
S1 is truely the den mother for a bunch of folks. As it would happen one of the wives is expecting. Well there is a real shortage of wives to toss a Baby Shower for her. But never fear S1 is here. The wife of Doc and the mother of 4 boys is never at a loss for what to do. So she got to work organizing.
Not enough ladies .. no problem get the guys over to participate. The final result may be one of the very few baby showers attended by more soldiers than ladies. But not just any guys … guys bearing gifts to make sure the soon to be mother has “stuff” for the new little one.
Ram brought a Winnie the Pooh blanket, and a mat with toys attached. Yes yes they are all family. The games played were a touch unique too … a beer chugging contest using a baby bottle. A blind folded baby food eating contest, a few other out of the ordinary games. The grand finale was a cup cake fight among the women present… they guys watched and giggled..
The expectant mother, and father … and the new baby are very lucky indeed. S1 is a creative genius, and there are a lot of soldiers who look forward to the new birth with expectation.
Well the first wave is loading up now and getting set to shove off. Time for the family to close out the summer with a lakeshore party. Two vehicles will be on their way any minute. One after that coming from a city in the East to the rally point. This evening one more tries to get there before dark.
The only one missing will be Ram. So needless to say we will take a bunch of photos to post so he can take a peek at the gathering.
I wonder how well Eva will do on a jet ski?
Oh yea Pete will be joining us in a day or so, he has a school to finish up this weekend.
Got to talk to Ram a few days ago. As a parent you can look back to one or maybe two things in each child’s past that you can identify as a point where they grew up. A point where they changed.
Years back Ram, Chris and I launched the Cookie Crumb Express (when she still ruled the highways) and travelled to a camp site that was the kick off point for a river trip. This river was a “Child Safe River”. Chris and Ram had never done a float trip before so we thought it would be good. It was April. It was chilly and the day was overcast with now and then drizzle falling. The trip down the river was suppost to last an hour. It took closer to 5 hours.
We were transported to the start point along with all the canoes. Chris and Ram and I shared one canoe. I could not have been more than 15 minutes before we rounded a bend and saw the first mishap. I canoe had flipped and one man was pinned between it and a tree. The canoe was upstream of the man, and it was on it’s side bottom facing the oncoming current. The man was nearly perfectly centered on the canoe and his back was against a downed tree. His son was trying to help. The current was swift and it was obviously a bad situation. The water was cold.
Ram, Chris and I moved past the site, and turned to the shore. When you are someone’s father you think about them first. It was obvious that help was needed to free the pinned man. We got out of the current, I got out and climbed up on the bank. I told the boys … stay here .. I didn’t want them to get hurt somehow, and I ran down to where several guys were assembled .. we waded the river to a sandbar and began to work to get the canoe off the guy with a rope.
Ram and Chris processed their “stay here” instructions quickly then looked at each other and said. Dad is gonna need help. Bamo they jumped out and ran up to help.
It was a deal where you are proud of your sons for disobeying and jumping in to help. We got the canoe off the poor guy, and got him and his son some of our dry clothes.
Before the trip was over we had passed out our spare clothes, and some of what we were wearing. It was cold, and wet.
I was proud that they exercised judgement, and did what they felt they needed to do. They refused to sit. They jumped in. They were no longer kids.
As most of you know I am an Instructor. I am not a teacher. The difference between an Instructor and a teacher is quite simply … an Instructor works with students to make them competent in a field he has worked in. The requirement in the state that I work in is that to be certified an instructor you must have worked at 5 years in the field that you teach.
If a student graduates from a High School and gets a job, then fails in the task of writing or talking no one calls up his or her English Teacher and complains.
If one of my students gets a job in Graphic Arts and fails to perform .. you can bet I get a call. I have yet to get a complaint, I have gotten several follow up compliments and requests for more students. I am not bragging personally. This is due to the way I was taught in the Marines.
You do not “teach” a man to be a machine gunner with a book. You instruct and guide him in classes and practical application. It’s called “Techniques of Military Instruction”. Tell them what you are gonna tell then … tell them.. then tell them what you told them. Then you test them to see if they can perform. If they can’t you perform remedial instruction. Each man or woman is an asset. Each man or woman can learn. Only instructors fail.
That said, now is the beginning of a new year. Once again I have overflow classes. Once again I must scramble to scrounge equipment to support them. I will.
God help me succeed with these students. Help me to reach them and care about them and help them learn. Hold me responsible for them and their welfare, and guide me.
Let the school year begin.
