This is how you know Armies are run by men

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A good time to be reminded what it takes to enjoy our freedoms. . . .
WHEN A SOLDIER COMES HOME

When a soldier comes home, he finds it hard….

..to listen to his son whine about being bored.

….to keep a straight face when people complain about potholes.

…to be understanding when a co-worker complains about a bad night’s sleep.

to be tolerant of people who complain about the hassle of getting ready for work.

..to be silent when people pray to God for a new car.

…to control his panic when his wife tells him he needs to drive slower

..to be compassionate when a businessman expresses a fear of flying.

….to keep from laughing when anxious parents say they’re afraid to send their kids off to summer camp.

….to control his frustration when a colleague gripes about his coffee being cold.

….to remain calm when his daughter complains about having to walk the dog.

…..to be civil to people who complain about their jobs.

….to just walk away when someone says they only get two weeks of vacation a year.

….to be forgiving when someone says how hard it is to have a new baby in the house.

The only thing harder than being a Soldier..

Is loving one.

I was asked to pass this on and have gladly gone through the painstaking process of saving these images to my computer and uploading to my blog.

Will you please repost this or send the link to a friend???

Sarah Palin on Sarah Palin –
Unfiltered by a Hostile Media

As chief executive of America’s largest state, Sarah Palin had built a record as a reformer who pushed through changes other politicians only talked about — while beating the political “good ol’ boys club” at their own game. As John McCain’s running mate, Palin ruffled a few more Establishment feathers — while building a huge, grassroots conservative following that would survive her vice presidential candidacy.

All that’s made her a lot of enemies — among Democrats and Republicans — willing to say almost anything about Sarah Palin in order to put a halt to her political career.

Now, Sarah Palin tells her own story, in her own words — unfiltered by a hostile media.

In Going Rogue, Sarah Palin paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska; meeting her lifelong love; her decision to enter politics; the importance of faith and family; and the unique joys and trials of life as a high-profile working mother. Palin also opens up for the first time about the 2008 presidential race, providing a rare, mom’s-eye view of high-stakes national politics — from patriots dedicated to “Country First,” to slick politicos bent on winning at the cost of conservative principle (and losing as a result). Some of the many revelations in Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue:

• How her priorities in life were set early: faith (she would read Scripture each night before bed), hunting, current events and sports (she even dreamed of being a broadcaster alongside Howard Cosell)
• Her decision to enter politics: how, and why, it happened
• How, as Alaska governor, Palin built a record as a reformer who cast aside politics-as-usual and pushed through changes other politicians only talked about: energy independence, ethics reform, and the biggest private sector infrastructure project in U.S. history
• How Palin rewrote the official campaign statement about her daughter Bristol’s pregnancy — only to watch in horror as a TV news anchor read the original statement, which seemed to glamorize Bristol’s unplanned pregnancy
• How McCain campaign aides limited her access to the media — leading to unfounded allegations that she was avoiding reporters — and also denied Palin the chance to speak on election night
• How the idea to meet with Katie Couric came from a McCain aide (and Couric pal) who told Palin that Couric liked and admired her, and the interview would help boost Couric’s sagging ratings and self-esteem
• Sarah Palin’s vision of a way forward for America — and her unfailing hope in the greatest nation on earth

Now, for a limited time, we at HUMAN EVENTS are making Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue available to you absolutely FREE — just for trying us at zero risk.

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After all, HUMAN EVENTS is the news source President Reagan himself called his “favorite newspaper”… and which still holds high the Reaganesque principles of free enterprise, limited government, traditional moral values, and the staunch, unwavering defense of American freedom.

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Says Ann: “Not only do I write a weekly column for HUMAN EVENTS, I devour it from cover to cover. Why? Because it’s the one newspaper I can count on to bring me the absolute, unvarnished, hard-hitting truth. And so should you.”

Ever since our first issue more than 60 years ago, we’ve made it our business to report the “inconvenient” facts that mainstream reporters go to extraordinary lengths to keep hidden.

For instance, all of these stories appeared in HUMAN EVENTS, but were virtually ignored by the mainstream liberal media…

• Liberal Lies About National Health Care — “ National health care will increase competition “… “National health care will not cover abortions or illegal immigrants”… “There will be no rationing under national health care”… “National health care will reduce costs”… what do statements like these have in common? They’re all bold-faced lies — as HUMAN EVENTS’ legal correspondent Ann Coulter proved in a myth-busting series of commentaries.
• Foxes In the Henhouse — Question: What do you call a teacher who encouraged a 15-year-old boy to continue to have sex with a man he met in a bus station bathroom… who bragged about his own teenage alcohol and drug abuse… and who forcefully advocates “Queering Elementary Education” (the title of a book he contributed to) ? Answer: Obama’s “Safe Schools Czar”! And he’s just one of many corrupt — and corrupting — Obama appointees. HUMAN EVENTS smokes them out one by one, week after week.
• Sharia in the White House — If Muslim terrorists succeed in their stated goal of imposing Islamic “sharia” law throughout the West — including in the U.S. — they’ll have President Obama partly to thank. His advisor on Muslim affairs, Dalia Mogahed, defended sharia — which encourages wife-beating and allows for marriage to pre-pubescent girls, among other things — on a TV show hosted by a member of a known terrorist group dedicated to destroying all non-Islamic governments.
• There the Media Go Again — Racists. Neo-Nazis. Nutcases. And that’s just the printable things the mainstream media said about conservative participants in this summer’s Tea Parties and town hall protests. From CNN and MSNBC to the Big Three networks to Time and Newsweek, HUMAN EVENTS chronicled the media’s biased “coverage” as it spewed forth — then assembled the most outrageous violations of journalistic ethics in a full-page spread.
• Vote for Obama, Win a Stimulus! — Obama’s $787 billion “stimulus” package was supposed to be doled out equally to localities across America, without regard to politics — right? Guess again. As HUMAN EVENTS revealed, each of the “blue” counties that supported Obama during the 2008 election received about $69 in stimulus spending per person — while the “red” counties that voted for John McCain got $34 per person. Liberals don’t call that vote-buying — but we do.
• Muzzling the Watchdogs — First, the White House fired inspector general Gerald Walpin for blowing the whistle on the misuse of AmeriCorps funds by Sacramento mayor (and Obama crony) Kevin Johnson. Then, they silenced the author of an EPA report that was skeptical of White House claims about global warming. Then they “retired” inspector general Fred Weiderhold after he met with Amtrak officials about allegations of financial skullduggery. The liberal media are letting them get away with it, of course — but HUMAN EVENTS is reporting it all, week after week.
• Take a Chill Pill, Al — As Al Gore and his disciples get their knickers in a twist over so-called “global warming,” Mother Nature refuses to cooperate. This year, Earth’s temperatures continued a chilling trend that began 11 years ago — and HUMAN EVENTS provided all the “inconvenient” facts and figures showing that there has been no significant warming since 1995… no warming at all since 1998… and a pronounced cooling in the past few years. So, no need for economy-killing “cap-and-trade” bills or elaborate new energy regulations — just let the cold times roll!
• Liberal Astroturf — Health Care for America Now (HCAN) calls itself a nationwide coalition of “grassroots” Americans who support healthcare reform. But if you look at HCAN’s funding, it comes from the same few leftist billionaires, union bosses, and “community organizers” pushing socialized medicine. And like many other phony “grassroots” organizations subsidized by Big Nanny special interests, HCAN is headquartered right on K St., in the middle of Beltway lobby land. HUMAN EVENTS smokes them all out, reveals their hidden agenda, and exposes the big money and special interests behind them.
• Go to Prison, Join the Jihad — Two of the four Muslims who were arrested recently for plotting to blow up synagogues in the Bronx and shoot down an airplane converted to Islam while in prison (both had been Baptists). And they’re just the tip of the iceberg: As HUMAN EVENTS has been reporting for years, Islamic jihad groups have long targeted prisons as key centers for recruitment — and Obama’s proposal to bring Guantanamo inmates to U.S. prisons will only play right into the jihad’s plans.
• The Far Left’s Propaganda Machine — Never heard of Fenton Communications? It’s time you did. It’s the powerhouse propaganda machine that helped Moveon.org smear a four-star general, promotes endless environmental scares, does PR for Venezuela’s socialist strongman Hugo Chavez, and brags it can place its left-wing themes in the nation’s leading newspapers. HUMAN EVENTS revealed Fenton’s connections to the press, liberal lawmakers, pressure groups and trial lawyers.

But you get much more than great reporting and liberal myth-busting in HUMAN EVENTS. Each week, we give you wall-to-wall coverage of the entire political and cultural scene, with over 16 regularly-appearing features.For instance, “Capital Briefs” brings you behind the scenes with Washington’s deal-makers and power-brokers…

…”Page 3″ confronts liberal lawmakers with the kind of tough questions the Big Media won’t ask — and then puts their outrageous answers on record…

…and “Jihad Watch” by the courageous Robert Spencer keeps tabs on jihadists and their “moderate” Muslim defenders both at home and abroad.

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World's worst dog, clearly disappointed in her mom for her poor goal completion

Well, these goals just aren’t going too well.  Not well at all, actually.  A quick summary of my progress, or lack thereof:

1 – Do something nice for our neighbors. Nope.  Oh, unless you count the incredible self-control I exercised in not staring at our creepy neighbor for more than a few seconds as he angrily paced his yard today.  (Normally I stare through the windows for a few minutes at least, trying to figure out what in the hell he’s doing out there.  What are you doing, neighbor?  Why not mow your lawn now, when it’s light out?  You’re outside, you’re not doing anything except angrily pacing…why wait until dark to mow?  So weird.)

2 – Exercise. Nope.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  I did climb up to the attic about 100 times yesterday to bring down boxes of holiday decorations.

3 – Make a pie crust from scratch.  I’ve already admitted to failing on this one.  However, I did make the chocolate-bourbon-pecan filling and it was divine.

4 – Donate some time and take my daughter along for the ride. Not yet.  However, I will complete this goal at least once in December.  I promise.

5 – Donate to soldiers. As above.

6 – Perform random acts of kindness. Sadly, not yet.  At least, I don’t think so.  In my defense, I have been shut in the house with the flu since Wednesday afternoon.

7 – Eat breakfast.  I’ve started doing this.  Breakfast bars, mainly.

8 – Make all kinds of trifle. I’m not worried about this one.  There will be trifles-a-plenty in December.

9 – Watch my favorite Christmas movies. Yep.  I did have Holiday Inn on in the background today as I made dinner.  It was, as expected, as good as ever.

10 – Give my husband some kind of meaningful gift. I still have a few weeks to work on this one, but I’m stumped.   Must keep mulling this over.  I welcome suggestions (read: I am really stumped).

I’m not giving up.  I will complete these goals this December.

So, my hope is that you’ll read this update and say to yourself, “hey, there’s an honest lady who’s trying to do the right thing but has no problem admitting when she falls short.  I like her.”  Please don’t go for the other option and say to yourself, “hey, there’s one lazy lady with some serious trust issues when it comes to her neighbors”.  Now, the latter part of that last option may be true.  As for the former part, I swear I’m not lazy.  I’m just a regular lady with the flu (who is great at rationalizing).

via

This whole dream was bright and colourful, like a kid’s cartoon show. I was an animal of some kind (I don’t think I’d been turned into one, it was more like this was my natural state) and I lived with all the other animals in a forest/jungle. The start of the dream is quite hazy but I remember a feeling of peace and happiness. This harmony was shattered though because the dragons and the wolves were going to have a war.

The dragons had always been outcasts who kept to themselves. I don’t know how they had fallen out with the wolves but the rest of us were not involved at all. These dragons weren’t huge like the dragons in cartoons, they were more like big lizards who stood on their back feet. They were probably about the size of a person, maybe smaller.

Everyone was apprehensive about the war because we were afraid we’d get dragged into it or our homes would be destroyed. For this reason, on the day of the first battle, we were all hiding underground. We were hiding under some wooden floorboards and we could look through the slits. We saw the armies of the dragons and the wolves approaching each other (the wolves also stood on their hind legs). At this point it all kicked off and we ran further away from the battle.

At some stage during the battle, an army of humans arrived. I don’t think they had any idea that there was already a war going on between the animals. I’m pretty sure they were just trying to invade whatever country we lived in. This caused everyone, wolves and dragons included, to run as far away as they could and as fast as they could from the humans. The smallest animals were the most scared as they knew the humans would trample on them without even noticing.

I think I was an animal that could swim because I was suddenly swimming in an underground lake with a frog I knew. We surfaced to find ourselves right under a wooden bridge the humans were running across. We had to keep ourselves perfectly still and not disturb the water in case they saw us. We could hear them shouting to each other and I saw them load their guns before running across the bridge.

That’s the last bit I remember but I know the dream was much longer and much more detailed than that.

Dreamer xxx

Obama still has to fulfill his campaign promise of withdrawing of Iraq. I encourage him to keep unfulfilling that promise. The Iraq war has been the topic of debate the last nine years- the democrats hate it- the republicans don’t like it, but want to keep fighting. I have the republican’s back. Sure, some democrats may argue, Iraq costs too much money; the soldier’s lives are at risk; it contributes to post traumatic stress disorder, but the benefits of the war largely outweigh the consequences. Most Democrats are against the war and most of them never served in the military- coincidence? If you were getting surgery, who would you take advice from- a surgeon, or a plumber?

If we pull out of Iraq, there will be a minor market crash. The Dow will either hit 10,000 or go bellow. If we withdraw, we concede victory to Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. This “victory” will prove to be a tremendous boost to recruitment of terrorists. I think the nation as a whole would rather spend more money than lose more lives in events such as 9/11.

Some people still cannot get over the positives of withdrawing. If we withdraw, there will be fewer opportunities to acquire post traumatic stress disorder. We, as a country, would save billions of dollars and we would save the lives of countless soldiers.

For a pro-fighting advocate such as myself, these topics are hard to confront, but still need to be in order to continue success in Iraq. First of the government and our armed forces need to “officially” acknowledge that PTSD actually exists and that soldiers should get help for it. Time magazine wrote an article about the rising cost of the war- especially the gas. I admit, there is nothing I can think of to reduce this spending, but we must be as efficient as possible. And to those who argue that we put the soldier’s life at risk, I agree, but in order to help the whole country we must find a better way to protect our troops.

Why not start off with a competition like NASA just ran? Get a bunch of private companies and offer them prize money to develop safety methods. Of course there would need to be other security measures in place-those will need to be addressed.

“We must recognize and protest the travesties of military justice that have tried, convicted, jailed and denied clemency to all too many brave Americans, the same brave Americans who have fought our wars only to be unfairly charged with “murder” in the war zone.”

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CLIMATE :

 As discussed above, generation of heat is a function  of  gravity, which in turn depends on mass. As long as the mass of the earth is constant, the quantity of geothermal energy produced is also constant. Initially, heat is transferred to the  seas and, thence, to the atmospheric H2O, and  ultimately to the outer  space, when the latent heat is   released on formation of water droplets which form clouds. Simultaneously, heat is being radiated continuosly from the surface of the earth ,both land and sea, as the outer space is considerably cooler  than the earth.

The heat generated by the earth is converted into kinetic energy in a big way, when ocean currents are working round the clock. The volume of water involved in this process  is thousands of times  more than that of  all the rivers of the world.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes  etc. also eat up considerable quantity of geothermal energy. Diffusion of water in the seas takes place continuously because of hot bottom and cool Polar regions. Part of the energy is also used up by cyclones, tornados etc. (the circumstances in which these are caused by hot steam emanating from the seas will be discussed in BUT-Volume III).

If the total quantity of geothermal energy is T, the energy converted into kinetic form is K and heat lost by radiation R,

T – K – R = the net increase or decrease in the warmth of the globe

From the table given below, it is clear that during the last 200 years there has not been any appreciable change in the warmth of the globe.

For a proper study of this subject, a distinction has to be made between the temperature of the earth and the temperature of the atmosphere. The latitude-mean temperature graph fairly represents the temperature of the earth, as the sea surface is not much affected by weather conditions. On the other hand, land stations will be subjected to violent fluctuations in the weather like extreme summers and winters, especially if the stations are much above the sea level.

The land mass contains lakes, surface soil water, water chambers, sub-terrainian water channels etc. which retain considerable quantity of water. Because of the peculiar structure of the H20 molecule, heat is retained in water for a longer period than other materials. This is the reason why summer extends much beyond the date 21^st June in the northern hemisphere. In the absence of water on the earth the peak temperature will end on that day and we may experience pleasant weather by August. Similarly, but for snow and the water layers lying just below the surface of the earth, the winter will start waning right from 21^st December.

In spite of these differences, data in respect of land stations, too, prove my contention that the globe is not warming!

When we look back

“It is an inquiry of some interest, whether the general temperature of the globe is stable, or is gradually undergoing change through diminution or addition. We have no means of deciding this point, because our thermometrical determinations are confined to a comparatively modern date. The instrument was not brought to perfection until the year 1724, by Fahrenheit, and therefore beyond that period we are dependent upon the recorded experience and sensations of observers, and upon the details of agricultural failure or success, for our knowledge of temperature in former times. We are not warranted to infer from these casual notices any changes of physical climate generally within the era of authentic history, though in particular localities, there is strong reason to suppose that an alteration has taken place; but this has been the very reverse of an impressions that once prevailed respecting it. The existence of a colony on the east coast of Greenland cut off from communication with the external world, and destroyed by the gradual accumulation of the ice upon its shores –the fact of immense forests anciently clothing the highest parts of Britain, and other northern countries, where a tree now can scarcely be made to grow –of the period of the vintage formerly commencing several weeks earlier in France than at present-of vineyards having been planted in the south of England during the time that the Romans held possession of the island, where hops can only be raised with difficulty- and of the sides of the Scottish hills bearing evident traces of the plough, which have long been surrendered to the heaths as incapable of cultivation;-these circumstances have been appealed to, as evidence of a milder and more genial climate having once characterized the northern regions of Europe. Sir John Leslie has remarked upon these details, “that a patch of wood will not thrive in cold situations, merely for want of the shelter which is afforded by extensive plantations. In Sweden and Norway, which are mostly covered with natural forests, it has become an object of police to prevent their indiscriminate destruction. The timber in those sylvan countries is cut at stated periods of its growth, and in detached portions; the vacant spaces being left as nurseries, embosomed amidst an expanse of tall trees.  Some places in Sweden, where the forests have been accidentally destroyed by fire, present the image of sterility, and of wide desolation. It is probable, the vines grown in ancient times were coarser and hardier plants than those which are now cultivated. A similar observation extends to all the productions of gardening. A succession of diligent culture softens the character of the vegetable tribes, and renders them more delicate, while it heightens the flavor of their fruits. The Roman soldiers stationed in Britain would naturally prefer wine, their accustomed beverage, however harsh and poor, to the cervisia, or unpalatable ale brewed by the rude arts of the natives. The marks of tillage left on our northern hills evince only the wretched state of agriculture at a remote period. For want of a proper system of rotation, and the due application of manure, the starving tenantry were then tempted to tear up with the plough every virgin spot they could find, and after extracting from it  a pitiful crop or two of oats, to abandon it to a lasting sterility”. With reference to the colony supposed to have been planted on the east coast of Greenland, now an uninhabitable region of glaciers, there is reason to believe that its name, Oestre Bydg, the eastern settlement, simply refers to its position in relation to another settlement, both of which were on the western coast, now occupied by the Danish factories. From the name of Snowland, afterwards supplanted by that of Iceland, given by the roving pirates of the Baltic to that island upon its discovery in the ninth century, it may certainly be concluded that the climate of the north was then analogous to what it is at present.

A different opinion, that the climate of the midland part of the temperate zone, especially in Europe, is less rigorous now than it was sixteen or seventeen centuries ago, appears to be supported by sufficient evidence. After making allowances for inaccuracy and exaggeration in the statements of the classical writers, they will still be found descriptive of a cold in various districts, as a feature of the ordinary temperature, which is not realized at present. The epistles written by Ovid from Pontus, whither he was banished by order of Augustus, describe the rigour of the climate there, in terms which suit the winder of Hudson’s Bay. He mentions, among other instances of the extreme cold, The Euxine Sea being frozen over, so as to bear men and cattle upon it. Tertullian, one of the Christian fathers in the second century, writing in the style of the fierce zealot and florid rhetorician, against the herectic Marcion, thus refers to the same region:- “That tract, which is called the Pontus Euxinus, the hospitable sea, has been refused all favours, and is mocked by its very name. The day is never open, the sun never shines willingly, there is but one atmosphere- fog; the whole year is wintry; every wind that blows comes from the north; liquors are only such before the fire; the rivers are blocked up with ice, the mountains are heaped higher with snow; all things are benumbed, all things are stiff with cold, nothing but cruelty has there the warmth of life; that kind of cruelty, I mean, which has supplied the stage with fables concerning the sacrifices of the Tauri, and the loves of Colchis, and the tortures of Caucasus. But there is nothing so barbarous and miserable in Pontus, as that it has given birth to Maricion; he is more savage than a Scythian, more unstable than the wild inhabitants of a wagon, more inhuman than the Massageta, more audacious than the Amazon, darker than the mist, colder than the winter, more brittle than the ice, more treacherous than the Danube, more precipitous than Caucasus”. Virgil refers to the winter on the banks of the Ister of the Greeks, the modern Danube, in the third Georgic, in a manner which at present is inapplicable to any part of its course:-

“ The sun from far peeps with a sickly face,Too weak, the clouds and mighty fogs to chase,

When up the skies he shoots his rosy head,

Or in the ruddy ocean seeks his bed.

Swift rivers are with sudden ice constrain’d

And studded wheels are on its back sustain’d;

A hostry now for wagons, which before

Tall ships of burden on its bosom bore,

The brazen cauldrons with the frost are flaw’d.

The garment, stiff with ice, at hearths is thaw’d.

With axes first they cleave the wine; and thence

By weight, the solid portions they dispense.

From locks uncomb’d, and from the frozen beard,

Long icicles depend, and crackling sounds are heard.

Meantime perpetual sleet, and driving snow,

Obscure the skies, and hang on heards below.

The starving cattle perish in their stalls;

Huge oxen stand enclos’d in wintry walls

Of snow congeal’d; Whole heards are buried there

Of mighty stags, and scarce their horns appear.

The dexterous huntsman wounds not these afar

With shafts or darts, or makes a distant war

With dogs, or pitches toils to stop their flight,

But close engages in unequal fight;

And, while they strive in vain to make their way

Through hills of snow, and pitifully bray,

Assaults with dint of sword, or pointed spears,

And homeward on his back the joyful burden bears.

The men to subterranean caves retire,

Secure from cold, and crowd the cheerful fire:

With trunks of elms and oaks the hearth they load,

Nor tempt th’ inclemency of heaven abroad.”

The allusions to the climate of Itay in the Georgics, referring to the Augustan age, are in several respects irreconcilable with its present character. The writer speaks of the freezing of the rivers in the southern part of the peninsula as an ordinary occurrence, and gives frequent directions for the protection of sheep and goats from snow and frost, as if addressing a shepherd of the plains of Holstein or the highlands of Scotland. It is a well-attested fact, that the savage inhabitants of Gaul and Germany usually selected the winter-season for their warlike incursions into the Roman provinces, on account of the facility afforded by the ice for the transport of their armies, horses and baggage, across the grate rivers, which have never been frozen in modern times as to admit of such an occurrence. In the time of Ceasar, also, the rein-deer, now confined to the colder regions north of the Baltic, was found, along with the elk and the wild bull, in the Hercynian forest, which then over-shadowed a grate part of Germany and Poland. A volume published at Vienna in 1788, contains some remarkable passages concerning the state of the weather for more than a thousand years back, gathered from the old chronicles, which detail the state of the harvest, the quality of the vintage, or the endurance of frost and snow in the winter. From this work, Sir John Leslie, in an article furnished to one of the public journals, quoted the following record of excessive winters and summers, to which some additions have been made.”

NOTES:

1. All quotations are from the phenomenon known as Rev. Thomas Milner, M.A’s Physical Geography, re-published in Delhi in 1975. I could not find any other details about his life.

      In the next instalment – TEMPERATURE  DATA

Prosecuting American ‘War Crimes’ The International Criminal Court claims jurisdiction over U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

It was clear who the targets of these particular inquiries are but the chief prosecutor shied away from spelling it out.

Asked repeatedly whether the examination of bombings and torture allegations refers to NATO and U.S. soldiers, Mr. Ocampo finally stated that “we are investigating whoever commits war crimes, including the group you mentioned.”

The fact that he avoided a straightforward “I am looking into possible war crimes committed by American soldiers” showed that Mr. Ocampo is aware of the enormity of crossing this legal and political bridge. Appointed in 2003 for a nine-year period, the 57-year-old Argentinian has—so far—established a record of cautious jurisprudence.

Disgusting, despicable piece of crap terrorists are getting our brave soldiers locked up! This should OUTRAGE every American citizen! Lieutenant Michael Behenna defended himself after attacked by terrorist Mansur who was being held in custody. Lieutenant Behenna gets a 25 year sentence. Read about his story here at Defend Michael. And Please help if you can!

Now! Three Navy SEAL commandos, all enlisted, face assault charges.

Terrorist Ahmed Hashim Abed “told investigators he was punched by his captors — and he had the bloody lip to prove it.” I say BS! Read about it here! Fox News

The recent events at Fort Hood, Texas — multiple killings on an army base at the hands of a soldier — have people asking many questions. How could this happen in a protected space, such as an army base? How could it happen at the hands of a soldier? And how could it happen at the hands of a soldier whose job it was to help others with their own psychological distress?

The experiences of war are traumatic for the soldiers and those living in war torn areas. The cumulative effects of combat stress can lead to such disorders as PTSD. But is there a similar cumulative effect of listening, repeatedly, to soldier’s most traumatic experiences? Researchers have found that listening to traumatic stories from clients can cause psychological distress for the clinician. This phenomenon has been termed “vicarious traumatization” and, over time, it can lead to “compassion fatigue” in the therapist.

One study has shown that personal characteristics of the therapist, such as the extent to which they “practice what they preach” in terms of working through their own stress, is directly related to burnout and compassion fatigue. But as a recent NY Times article points out, in addition to the stress of listening to soldiers’ harrowing tales of war, the military psychologists are also dealing with the prospect of their own deployment. Although there is a built in “checks and balances” system to monitor those providing care, the authors point out that for an officer at his rank, Maj. Hasan would have been expected to seek help on his own if he felt he needed it. However, this philosophy does not align with previous findings which show that therapists often feel expected to shoulder the burden of traumatic stories and that there is a sense of pride in maintaining client confidentiality and personal composure.

These findings, coupled with another study that shows the social function of “collective remembering” — in which the “social sharing” of emotions related to a traumatic event have long-term benefits in terms of post-traumatic growth and social integration — make salient the differences between sharing trauma at a collective vs. individual level. Collective sharing and processing of emotions can help a society and its citizens work through traumatic events. Therapists clearly have a role in sharing the experiences and facilitating positive coping processes, but their own experiences and stresses cannot be neglected in the process.

Does the war end when the shooting stops? The psychological toll of war. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, July 2006

Factors affecting burnout and compassion fatigue in psychotherapists treating torture survivors: Is the therapist’s attitude to working through trauma relevant? Journal of Traumatic Stress, March 2007

Compassion fatigue: When listening Hurts. APA Monitor, September 1995

Painful stories take a toll on military therapists. NY Times, 11/7/09

Social sharing of emotion, post-traumatic growth, and emotional climate: Follow-up of Spanish citizen’s response to the collective trauma of the March 11th terrorist attacks in Madrid

God morgen lesere!
Har dere sovet godt i natt?

I går kveld var meg og Solveig med Katrine på soldiers. Det var helt FANTASTISK! Det var første gang Solveig & meg var der, og vi har allerede funnet ut at vi vil dit hver fredag nå. Vi digger plassen! Det var en helt spesiell utstråling fra alle som var der, og det var bare koselig. Å være kristen er en herlig ting, visste dere det? Jeg har ikke forstått det skikkelig før i går kveld, og jeg er så glad jeg har det! Og dere som tror at kristne bare sitter å ber og er englebarn, dere tar så utrolig feil. Det er minst like mye liv i kristne folk, som det er i ikke-kristne. Dere skulle bare sett hvordan det er av og til, det tar helt av! Og hvis du er kristen, men du ikke tør å si det til noen. Tenk da, hva er det å være flau over?! Du tror jo på det, så det er bare å kjøre på !

Shallabaiiiz lesere!

- Kristine KB

“Sandese aate hain
Humein tadpaate hain
To chitthi aati hai
To poochh jaati hai
Ke ghar kab aaoge
Ke ghar kab aaoge
Likho kab aaoge
Ki tum bin ye ghar soona soona hai”

A famous track from the movie border a film which featured the lives of soldiers during the indo-pak war of 1971.The brave soldiers always gets a letter(phone calls nowadays) from their homes asking when will he return.They stepped out with a promise to their loved ones,
“I will be back” were their last words,
Their motive was clear- selflessness and safety,
To all those who feared terror.
They fought the night, the next morning, and so on,
They were the true sons of the soil to which they belong,
Their eyes in vengeance, they moved ahead,
Fighting the terror which we all dread.
Little did they know, this was their life’s mission,
To save us and give us the strength that they earned,
And leave us all with a sigh of relief.

YES,I’m here to write on about the terror attacks that happened just one year before in Mumbai on 26/11.i came across a no: of articles about the heroes who fought and laid down their lives for our country,and so one such article(of Maj.Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s parents) did forced me to write on.

one year ago,Mumbai,India’s financial and entertainment capital came to a standstill when a well-coordinated terrorist attack that lasted for about 60 hrs.the city was targeted by 10 young men reportedly arrived by boats from Pakistan and attacked the railway station,the luxury hotels,a bar,and a Jewish home.About 200 people died and over 300 injured.only one among the attackers survived named Ajmal Kasab who is undergoing cases even on the eve of the first anniversary of the attack.it was our army,NSG,ATS,MARCOS,Mumbai police who were involved in the terror attack rescue operations.My deep heart condolences to all the brave souls who were killed and to the national and international families of the innocent people who got killed in this cowardly act of terror.

Its been only a few decades since the word terrorism and terrorists was introduced to the people of India.Each time the terror occurs the one who is first and foremost affected is the common man.But the high and mighty have been targeted this time and not innocent middle class Indians who are just a formed vote bank.
The most funny thing about our country is that they have a poor memory,to be more precise they are like ghajni’s who forget everything in a span of time.Let it be the same issue of 26/11,on this day last year the Indian team was on a tour against England (odi series).India already won the series left out to play two more.on the days of terror none of the media focused on this,neither the people gave interest.now during the remembrance of the attack after 1 year,again India is on a tour against Srilanka(test series),where India won the second test series(100th test win) is discussed more than the remembrance.people are just worried only about the time(everyone says how fast one year went by?)taking into account of this incident.when i went through a few channels and blogs,everybody is talking about enough is enough,everybody is blaming the politicians etc .
Are they the real culprits?

I would say no!we are , how many times have we discussed this and again when election comes , what do we do we vote for Congress , BJP etc… we don’t vote any individuals.if we are blaming politicians then why non of us coming and taking their place, i also completely agree with you all that they are worst and cold blooded about all this, bloody who have no energy even to speak a word and some cant even walk on their own leg properly, whose ages are above 60s are running our country whose 40% population is considered as young… when we will awake…i like a nice ad by Tata tea campaign about the voting….(Jaagore India).

We just latch on the first opportunity where we can get things done the fastest way…
We always look for a deal …
We need to sort out our house first then only we can start pointing fingers at others.even the educated community just mutters,we earn our incomes by taking so much stress in day to day lives and then a large amount goes to the govt in the form of tax,which the govt uses it for his or her security and every now and then they feel insecure as there are thefts,robberies and now even blasts.Why don’t we wake up and just try to do something ourselves.We always depend on security agencies and blaming them for their irresponsible acts etc…but how they will also do such task … we are 1 billion in the country,how they can manage to keep their eyes keen…how they watch the move of terrorists … there are people here and there everywhere … i mean how ??? It’s just we; normal citizens have to be awake.
How often are you going to be able to dodge bombs,bullets,endure the horror,the fear of these attacks,held captive by those vote worshipers?
the passive times is past.even the time for ahimsa and silent protests have past.its time to bounce back.Gandhigiri also features civil disobedience of taking over the leaders.
stop saying,’terrible’,shocking’,’someone do something’.
do it.why can’t u?
take matters in your own hands,bring down the corrupted and the bandits.let them understand that they can’t take the people for granted anymore.let them understand that it’s they who are serving us and not the way round.act,demand justice,speak out against bad governments,bring them to court,demand better pay for our police,armies,better equipments.last but not the least remember patriotism is not just a feeling that arises when u watch a cricket match between India and Pakistan,watch films like chak de india,rang de basanthi etc but its a passion which should always burn inside ones heart.
REMEMBER there are thousands of families like that of Maj.Sandeep Unnikrishnan,Vijay Salsarkar,Hemant Karkare,Ashok Kamte and Shashank Shinde who laid down their souls for our security still having the tears pouring down daily.

The Mirror, Vol. 13, No. 640

“The rector of the Chamkar Doung Royal University of Agriculture, Mr. Chan Nareth, is accused by lecturers working under his administration of being involved in corruption to take between US$300,000 and US$400,000 university resources each year.

“A local website wrote, following the claims of many lecturers, staff, and civil servants of the university, that Mr. Chan Nareth took the money, income of the university, for himself alone, while lecturers, staff, and civil servants receive only small salaries that cannot even support their daily living expenses.

“The lecturers describe on the website their accusation against the university rector Chan Nareth, claiming he commits corruption for his own interest, and at present he has luxury cars and several residencies.

“The Royal University of Agriculture is located in the Meanchey district of Phnom Penh; it is also called the Chamkar Doung School or the Chamkar Doung University of Agriculture.

“The lecturer Chhum Phetlun wrote on the website that since 1999, this university started to charge tuition fees from its students, for the studies that began in 2000, so it brings in US$300,000 to US$400,000 each year. This large amount of resources was not shared with lecturers, staff, and civil servants of the university to assist their family livelihood, but Rector Chan Nareth took it alone. Because they can no longer bear the greed of their director, they decided to disclose this case through the media in order to inform the leaders so that they take action to seek justice for lecturers, staff, and civil servants of the university.

“Earlier on, 72 lecturers, staff, and civil servants had thumbprinted a demand addressed to Mr. Chan Nareth to add US$6 per hour to the hourly remuneration decided by the state [for the lecturer's remuneration], and to add additional payments for civil servants, who earn US$80 per month, and for other staff who earn US$50 per month, starting from 2010.

“The lecturer Chhum Phetlun added that previously, being afraid of the power and influence of Rector Chan Nareth, all lecturers, staff and civil servants did not dare to protest, or to report anything to higher level leaders. But now, because of the rector’s greed to take US$300,000 to US$400,000 per year for himself alone, they cannot stand it any longer, and are not afraid any longer, and they decided to report it to the media to help to bring this message to the leaders, especially to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Mr. Chan Sarun, to learn about the difficulties of lecturers, staff, and civil servants of the Royal University of Agriculture of Chamkar Doung.

“Adding up the amounts of US$300,000 to US$400,000 each year from 2000 to 2009, it comes to as much as US$2,700,000 to US$3,600,000.

“Yesterday [26 November 2009] Khmer Machas Srok could not reach Rector Chan Nareth, who is being accused, for a comment.

“Analysts said that in this case, Mr. Chan Nareth probably did not dare to take the money alone, there must be some other higher leaders with whom he shared it, so that he can be happy above the pile of difficulties of many lecturers, civil servants, staff, and workers.

“Therefore, they wait to see what measures the higher level leaders of the relevant institutions, especially the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Chan Sarun, and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Keat Chhon, will take on Mr. Chan Nareth, if this scandal is true.” Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.3, #540, 27.11.2009

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Friday, 27 November 2009

Deum Ampil, Vol.3, #347, 27.11.2009

• Two Boys, Seven and Eight Years Old, Are Accused of Raping a 5 Year-Old Girl [Banteay Meanchey]
• Two Girls [13 and 14 years old] Died in a Pond when They Took Clothes there to Wash [Kandal]

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.8, #2109, 27.11.2009

• Soldiers Patrolled the Border and Stepped on a Mine Left from Wartime, Resulting in One Death and One Injured in Thma Da Commune [Pursat]

Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.3, #540, 27.11.2009

• Lecturers of the Chamkar Doung Royal University of Agriculture Wait to See How Chan Sarun Takes Action against Chan Nareth

Koh Santepheap, Vol.42, #6816, 27.11.2009

• Asia Pacific Regional Conference about the Prevention of Violence against Woman and Children Was Held [in Siem Reap; and a 16-Day Campaign to combat violence against women and children was launched]
• Terrible Trick: [Three] Men Cheated a Woman to a Guesthouse; Some Raped Her and Some Took Pictures of Her [Nude] Body to Extort Money from Her [they were all arrested - Phnom Penh]

Phnom Penh Post [Khmer Edition], Vol.1, #55, 27.11.2009

• Duch Hearings Will Finish Today and the Judgment Will Be Announced in 2010
• A/H1N1 Has Killed Five People [and the number of infected people has increased to 472 in Cambodia]

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.17, #5058, 27.11.2009

• A Thai Official from the Ministry of Defense and the Mother of the Thai Alleged Spy Will Meet Him Today
• Robbers Shot to Rob a New Series Motorbike [then they escaped; the victim died at a hospital - Phnom Penh]
• Siamese [Thai] Police Found 6,000 Explosives and 8 Guns Prepared to Welcome [Thai Prime Minister] Abhisit Vijjajiva [during his visit to Chiang Mai]
• Vietnam Approved the Plan to Create a Nuclear Power Electricity Generation Plant

Have a look at the last editorial – you can access it directly from the main page of the Mirror.
And please recommend us also to your colleagues and friends.

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Happy Holidays ~ From My Heart to Yours!

This Holiday Season, remember our soldiers and their families, who have given so much to ensure our Holidays remain happy and free.

Above all, let’s remember the Greatest Gift, Whose birthday we commemorate ~ our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let’s keep Christ in Christmas this year, without apology!

Merry Christmas to each of you, with love       ~   Karen

because i’m a spoiled brat, and have had a not-so-wonderful couple of weeks, i’m feeling decidedly unfestive today. but when i step outside of myself for two minutes, i can muster up the willingness to admit that i’m thankful for a few people this year: mainly peg, mike, and wessy. i’m also thankful for otis and leo, who aren’t people, but make me happy even when i hate everything.

and so, here is my latest obsession: videos of dogs welcoming their soldier-parents home from iraq and afghanistan. this is why dogs kick so much fucking ass (pardon my language):

(all vids courtesy of http://www.mentalfloss.com)

Happy Thanksgiving WordPress world!

I have so much to be thankful for this year. I have a wonderful people who love me and will support me through thick and thin. I have a house, a car, and I do not lack for a thing that really matters in this life.

I have spent my Thanksgiving vacation with my family. While there have been ups and downs and stops and starts, we have had a good time. As a matter of fact, here in a few minutes I will be having some pumpkin pie.

Right now the economy is still in the crapper and soon Obama will be announcing about sending more troops to Afghanistan. This may be the last holiday a few families will have their whole family together. For me, knowing that, makes my holiday all the more precious.

Today I watched for hours on various stations members of our troops saying hello to their families. In the back of my mind I knew that those men and women are only a small portion of the men and women who are serving. As I have said before, I can never thank them enough. What I can do is pray and remember them, and I do. Daily. If not for them, our country would be a very different place. How do you say thank you to someone who allows you to continue to have the freedom of being an American? How do you say thank you to someone for giving you the gift of security. A gift that I feel is a lot of times largely forgotten.

In the aftermath of 9/11 everyone had a healthy appreciation of this attitude. This year on Veteran’s day I saw fewer than a dozen flags on homes. That is pathetic. We need to show that we are thankful and we do that by remembering. They carry a gun in danger so everyone can carry groceries in safety. They risk their lives so that we can do as we please with ours.

To all the men and women, from the bottom of the hearts of my family and I, thank you. It’s not enough, those words will never fully express my feeling, but those are the only words our language has. Please know that we are praying for you and hoping that you are staying safe, keeping strong, and will come home safe and soon.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Soldiers of the Second Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers are granted the Freedom of the Borough as they march through Hounslow after returning from Afghanistan. London.

© Justin Tallis/reportdigital.co.uk

Peter Davis

THIS is how you knock down a door…

And if this is what we are up against, I shouldn’t worry…

“We have recorded 100 cases of rape against women committed Sept. 28 and the two days that followed,” said Thierno Maadjou Sow, president of the Guinean Organisation of Human Rights, which is working with the U.N. investigators.

“Most were schoolchildren, students, businesswomen, teachers, even journalists.”

The organisation had found evidence that 20 victims were taken from a medical clinic to secret locations where they were drugged and raped repeatedly.

At least 100 women raped during Guinea protest crackdown

* UN experts investigating human rights abuses

By Saliou Samb

CONAKRY, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Guinean soldiers raped at least 100 women during a crackdown on protesters in September, a human rights group said on Thursday.

The findings were released as United Nations experts began to investigate the repression, in which about 160 people were killed. The crackdown has drawn widespread condemnation and brought sanctions against the ruling military junta.

“We have recorded 100 cases of rape against women committed Sept. 28 and the two days that followed,” said Thierno Maadjou Sow, president of the Guinean Organisation of Human Rights, which is working with the U.N. investigators.

“Most were schoolchildren, students, businesswomen, teachers, even journalists.”

The organisation had found evidence that 20 victims were taken from a medical clinic to secret locations where they were drugged and raped repeatedly.

Three U.N. experts arrived in the West African nation, the world’s top supplier of aluminum ore bauxite, on Wednesday to investigate the crackdown in which security forces used guns, steel pipes and knives on unarmed demonstrators gathered in a Conakry stadium.

Witnesses have said some soldiers violated women using gunbarrels and bayonets.

The demonstrators were protesting against the junta, whose leader Captain Musa Dadis Camara stepped back from a promise to opt out of elections intended to restore civilian rule.

The former soldier came to power in a coup in December following the death of strongman President Lansana Conte, briefly enjoying popularity among Guineans hopeful for a less ruthless regime.

International efforts to stave off new violence in the country have been complicated by reports Camara has hired foreign mercenaries to train a force to secure his place in power.

Sow said the U.N. investigation could be hampered by fear among witnesses of retribution if they cooperate.

“Many of the raped women have already been interviewed but today some of them are so fearful that we wonder how they will react,” Sow said.

Camara and his junta allies have faced condemnation from African neighbours, Washington and Brussels, and were hit by travel bans, freezes on foreign bank accounts and an arms embargo.

((Reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Angus MacSwan, richard.valdmanis@thomsonreuters.com; Dakar newsroom +221 33 864 5076)) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: af.reuters.com/)”