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Here's a link with before and after pics of the Tsunami. Wow! http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/

"Officer why did you shoot the suspect 6 times? Because I couldn't reload fast enough!"

WARNING - Do not try this at home...he was a trained professional??????

Sorry. it was a .wmv file 1.3meg that the system won't let me upload...

If you don't have sound don't bother opening.

Who said..."How shall we turn the ghettos into a vast school? How shall we make every street corner a forum, not a lounging place for trivial gossip and petty gambling, where life is wasted and human experience withers in trivial sensations? How shall we make every house worker and every laborer a demonstrator, a voter, a canvasser and a student?" MLK Jr in 1967. He directed his comments to parents letting htem know that the only way to improve their lives (and the lives of their children) was through knowledge. I believe this is the same thing that Bill Cosby is saying (and causing quite a stir in the Black community about). How can the cycle be broken? Historically, an African American would "make-it", stay in the community and be a role model. This has more-or-less changed in the last generation. Now when someone "make's-it" they move out of the neighborhood to a better neighborhood to keep their family safe. This leads to a BIG lack of role-models for the next generation to pattern their lives after. Again I ask the question how do we break the cycle?

Come on...death sentence...in California? Chances of them saying death are slim to none. Even if they say death, doubt the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would uphold. They have pretty liberal leanings.

I thought I'd saw everything... http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-13/11024516537281.xml&storylist=louisiana This link is about a little girl caught selling Jello shots at school. It seems that her mother works in a bar and sells the shots. The mother gave some to the little girl and told her to sell them at school to raise some money for Christmas. That's getting into the spirit...I guess. Only in New Orleans!

Gordon England, Secretary of the Navy, speaks about the "'ism's" of our time. 30s-45 - Fascism - Axis nations defeated Late 40s-90 - Comunism - Eastern Block countries. Our military was large and strong. In the 90s with no threat we started down sizing "peace dividend". 2001 till ? - Terrorism. Do we need to re-invest in a large military? Do we still need the presence in the areas we have them (Germany/England/Japan)? Do we need to shift our thinking with the new threat?

I'm having hemorrhoid surgery next week... Who cares you might ask? No one. It's no ones business but mine, yet when Condi Rice has to have female surgery it makes national news (see CNN article below). We the public need to say enough is enough to the media. WASHINGTON (CNN) -- National security adviser Condoleezza Rice, who was nominated by President Bush Tuesday to be the next secretary of state, will have a minor surgical procedure Friday at a Washington hospital, NSC spokesman Sean McCormack said. Rice will undergo embolization of uterine fibroids, which will not require anesthesia, he said. She is expected to go home on Saturday and return to work on Monday, he said. Uterine fibroids are among the most common tumors in women, CNN's Sanjay Gupta said. They are not cancerous and typically are not dangerous. About three-quarters of women have the tumors and don't know it, he said adding that larger fibroids can cause symptoms including pelvic pressure or pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, prolonged menstruation, incontinence, leg and back pain and in some cases infertility. Gupta said embolization is the most common treatment for fibroids. It involves injecting a small particle into the artery that feeds the tumor to block its blood supply, which eventually kills the tumor. Rice, 50, will not travel to Chile with President Bush for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this weekend, NSC spokesman Jim Wilkinson said. Instead, Rice's top deputy, Stephen Hadley, will make the trip. Bush has named Hadley to fill her post when she moves to the State Department.

The following (first two) pictures are of a guy who works for the US Forest Service in Alaska and his trophy bear. He was out deer hunting last week when a large grizzly bear charged him from about 50 yards away. The guy unloaded his 7mm Mag Semi-automatic rifle into the bear and it dropped a few feet from him. The big bear was still alive so he reloaded and shot it several times in the head. The bear was just over one thousand six hundred rounds. It stood 12' 6" high at the shoulder, 14' to the top of his head. It's the largest grizzly bear ever recorded in the world. Of course, the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Commission did him keep it as a trophy, but the bear will be stuffed and mounted, and placed on display at the Anchorage airport (to remind tourist's of the risks involved when in the wild). Based on the contents of the bears stomach, the Fish and Wildlife Commission established the bear had killed at least two humans in the past 72 hours. His last meal was the unlucky nature buff in the third picture. The US Forest Service, backtracking from where the bear had originated, found the hiker's 38-caliber pistol emptied. Not far from the pistol was the remains of the hiker. The other body has not been found. Although the hiker fired six shots and managed to hit the grizzly with four shots (they ultimately found four 38 caliber slugs along with twelve 7mm slugs inside the bear's dead body) it only wounded the bear and probably angered it. The bear killed the hiker an estimated two days prior to the bear's own death by the gun of the Forest Service worker. Think about this - If you are an average size man; You would be level with the bear's belly button when he stood upright, the bear would look you in the eye when it walked on all fours! To give additional perspective, consider that this particular bear, standing on its hind legs, could walk up to an average single story house and look over the roof,or walk up to a two story house and look in the bedroom windows.

Are the stations refusing to play because of political reasons OR because of the DIRECT feedback they get from the fans?

I beleive it was Voltaire who said, "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it." As someone who has served in the Armed Forces for 25 years, I totally agree with that quote. I believe that people can disagree without being disagreeable. I see alot of personal attacks among people who disagree with what someone else's opinions are. To me personal attacks show ignorance ("if I can't discredit the opinion I'll discredit the person") This freedom of speech is the core of all freedoms that we as Americans have. With this said, I also have issues with entertainers who spout their politics, then get upset when their fans rebel against them (eg Dixie Chicks). THEY have every right to give their opinions, AND we have EVERY right not to support them by buying their CDs and going to their concerts. But what happens when they speak their is a backlash among their fans? They say WE are stiffling their freedom of speech. Hogwash! Keep the dialogue up, this will make us a stronger country. "I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat."

Getting back to the original post... This guy says. "he believes he completed his eight-year obligation to the Army long ago." He is a supposedly a member of the Individual Ready Reseve. "The IRR is a manpower pool princially consisting of individuals who have had training and have previously served in the active forces or in the Selected Reserves. The IRR consists of obiligors who must fulfill their Military Service Obligation (8 year) under 10 U.S.C. 651, AND those who have fulfilled their MSO AND who voluntarily remain in the IRR." This is quoting a DOD directive on the IRR. Apparaently there is more to the story than what we're getting (although it does make a great sound bite for the media). IF this guy WAS NOT under contract the Army has NO POWER (read legal right) to involuntarily mobilize him. The system is fair (although slow at time). I believe the correct action was taken on him, by giving him a delay until this can be sorted. speaking in general terms, people reenlist in the IRR all the time never knowing really what they are doing. Only an issue when they get the phone call. My two cents. "Im not a part of any organized party...I'm a democrat"

PTSD claim through workmans comp? Here's a story for you (to make you feel better)! When I was on a Navy ship in the late '80s we had just finished night flight ops. The safety nets were still down and it was a dark cloudy night. We had a sailor who was told to take the trash out and dump it over the side (sorry Greenpeacers). He left the bright inside of the ship to the dark outside. He walked straight out (or so he thought) to throw the trash. Well he actually went to the side and fell into the saftey net. Apparently he thought he was on the fantail (farthest end of the ship), because he got up and tried walking back to the inside of the ship. Guess what, he then fell into the net on the other side. The whole time this is happening the aft lookout is on the phone to the bridge going "guys you can't believe what I'm seeing". You think the aft lookout would go to help his shipmate out? No way he just sat and laughed. Meanwhile the sailor in the net, gets back on the flightdeck and crawls back to the door (I guess his eyes finally adjusted to the dark). When word got around the ship on what happened, he received NO sympathy, as a matter of fact he was counselled for leaving the grabage bag in the net and causing a possible FOD hazard... BTW - He never left the inside of the ship after sunset when underway the rest of the time he was on the ship...

And I hope George Soros, Michael Moore, and the rest of the liberal whackjobs out there NEVER realize just how much they contributed to getting GWB elected. Sweet. Remember, Moore was one of Nader's biggest supporters in 2000! What happended then? This time he was Kerry's biggest supporter, what happened? Is it just me or is there a pattern?

I believe the biggest reason he lost is Americans view people not so much on what someone says, but what they DO. There was no consistency in what Kerry did. He didn't stand out on any BIG legislation in the Senate, etc. The hogwash about him being the MOST liberal voting record in the Senate is just that...hogwash. The timeframe these stats were taken from were during the throes of the Democratic primaries when he was spending most of his time campaigning and only voting on issues that appealed to the "far-left" of the party (which has/had to be done to get the nod). Overall his record is pretty vanilla. Don't get me wrong, I personally don't care for Mr Kerry and I voted for President Bush (both times), but this bashing has to stop. We need to come together as a Nation and move forward. "The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best." Will Rogers

Now that the race is over, I would like to to get opinions on our political party system. Just read an interesting story in "Uncle John's Supremely Satisfying Bathroom Reader". It addresses the party system. Kinda interesting: "For all the diversity of opinion among the Founding Fathers in the 1770s, there was one thing that virtually everyone agreed upon" political parties were a bad idea." "In his farewell address as president, George Washington referred to political parties as 'the worst enemy' of democracic governments, 'potent engines by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will...subvert he power of the people.'" "Alexander Hamilton equated political parties with 'ambition, avarice, and personal animosity.' And Thomas Jefferson could hardly agree more: 'If I could go to heaven with a party,' he wrote, 'I would not go there at all.'" With this said, and besides the point of where I read it... After this last period, are political parties a good thing or bad this?

Here's my 2 cents. The only way for the Democrats to win is having someone who can compete in the South...with that said, I think Hillary could. Take a look at here voting record in the Senate. Very "middle of the road" on most issues. She has a seat on the SASC, where she has a very strong voice as "pro" military. She has a few issues she is very passionate about, but she like her husband, are plotters. she has her eyes on the "prize", and I think she'll get there. Giulianni has too much baggage. The press he received about his divorce (having girlfriend live in while still married) might turn alot of the conservatives off. Might be a player as VP. Someone to think about for the GOP is Bill Frist. Senate majority leader from Tennessee. MD by trade. Very photogenic and well spoken. From the South.

This has got to be true...Dan Rather mentioned it on 60 Minutes last week

Had an issue with one of my daughter's boyfriends and Rule 1. He pulled up, honked and waited in his car. I got my briefcase and coffee and went out and hopped in his car. The look he gave me was to kill for. I asked when we were going. He asked what I was talking about. I told him I thought we were going to work...because the ONLY person who pulls up to my driveway and honks is my carpool, so I ASSUMED we were going to work.... 'Shame I never saw this kid again...oh well

Life is fragile and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. We must live every day loving one another and be sure we are ready to face the Lord our maker if this day were our last. Know who you are in Christ and live it our for all to see. If you do not know HIM read the book of JOhn in the Bible. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life. If you do choose to believe in HIm you will have eternal life and you will spend it with HIM. Blessings to you.

Speaking as someone who has a couple of tattoos (from my younger drunker days)...I would like to repeat a quote from a SITCOM in the '80s (Happy Days I believe) "Why put something on your body that you wouldn't want to hang on your walls?"

I'm glad I don't get motion sick. Maybe he should ride in the front seat next time...

U married a butt?