MySpace

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin Hunter & Scout; who knew?

MySpace.com | rss | sign in
Saturday, August 22, 2009 

Current mood:  inquisitive
Category: Blogging
en.rian.ru


World 

U.S. Marine Corps delegation in Georgia to discuss military ties


20:11
21/08/2009
TBILISI, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - A delegation of the United States Marine Corps arrived in Georgia on Friday to discuss military cooperation between the countries, Georgia's Defense Ministry said.
The delegation, led by General James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, met with Georgian Defense Minister Vasil Sikharulidze, former defense chief Davit Kezerashvili, who oversees military ties with the U.S., and other officials.
"The main focus of discussions was on present and future cooperation. The sides also discussed the security environment surrounding Georgia, and priorities for the ministry, and reform issues," the ministry said in a statement.
U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft and Defense Attache in Tbilisi Matthew Brand also took part in the meeting.
The U.S. delegation will later meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili, Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, and National Security Council chief Eka Tkeshelashvili.
A team of U.S. marine instructors earlier arrived in Georgia to train a battalion for service as part of coalition forces in Afghanistan. A team of 60-70 marines will be in the country for six months to help train a 750-strong battalion.
Military support provided by the U.S. to Georgia, and the Caucasus country's drive to join NATO, are a major point of contention in both countries' relations with Russia.
Moscow has accused Washington of promoting Tbilisi's aggression against the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia last August. Russia repelled the attack, fighting a five-day war with Georgia.
The United States helped train Georgian troops for a mission in Iraq before last August's armed conflict.


02:14 AM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Monday, August 17, 2009 

Current mood:  pugnacious
Category: Blogging
it's easier for people to run away from a problem; than to stand up and confront it.

Words are just what they are but actions speak loudly.

And if you're going to write them; I will return a response legally.
11:43 PM 
1 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Saturday, August 15, 2009 

Current mood:living like the old days!
Category: Pets and Animals
Today, I was distributing the doggie treats; of coarse; Cohen learned how to speak.  Cohen is always the first to get a treat from me and when I said, "speak"; he did; and Scout did also.

so when it was Scout's turn; I asked him to speak; I have to say speak and bark but he was all for it.  Repeated it 2 more times; so he enjoyed 2 cookies.

Now, since the neighbor next door has a fit about FIVE dogs BARKING; I have another behavior problem.  Rush will just go outside and bark at the sky, cricket noises, no one walking down the road, barks continuously with the puppies, or looks at me and barks. But he knows that the neighbor can't tolerate it.  I think that a little of brother David is coming out in him.

Cohen, Marx, Rush, Scout & Hunter have all had to deal with the neighbor & neighbor's guests yelling, making barking noises or whatever spills from their mouths. Come to think about it, don't see the same friends for very long.

This morning around 5:30 am when I let the dogs out to do their morning ritual; I heard dogs barking from every direction.  What comes to my mind is that they are happy to see the sun rise.  Those dogs barking is faint and my dogs are only 50 ft from the neighbor's  bedroom window.  She doesn't have A/C so her windows are always open and I bet that it's very hot in her house.

What gets me is that when we first moved in, she left her dogs for days staying where ever and did they receive fresh water and food everyday?  No.  They barked all the time since they didn't have anyone to pay attention to them. 

My neighbor has the nicest dogs and anyone can walk up to them; all you have to do is start talking to them and they respond with kind, waggly tails.

But the thing that gets me is that she couldn't or wouldn't control her dogs behavior not to charge our fence and run on our property.  See the fence is 6 ft - 7 ft inside the property line which she is disputing; but she was the Realtor that sold us the property. 
go figure.  she's not a Realtor anymore.  So, when is the court date?  she won't file anything; she's all talk and no action.  But she did vent on her status and mood that the neighbors dogs were barking and barking and barking which was irritating to her.  then her moods was............does anyone have a gun?   Yeah!

The other thing is that she won't say anything to me unless she has a "friend" beside her.  whatever! 

What's great is that we live out in the country and my neighbor to the south said; "dogs just bark".  yes, they do!  Besides, we live in an "unzoned" township!  the only one in Wood County!  Yahoo!

I own coonhounds and what do they do.............hunt & bark!  that's what they do!

I am done ranting and raving now. 
Currently reading:
Behavior Problems in Dogs
By William E. Campbell
08:58 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Saturday, August 15, 2009 

Current mood:  sad
Category: Blogging
Sarah Grace Ayers ~7/18/2009 to 8/12/2009~

Sarah only gave her mommy 2 hours to get to the hospital. When she was born she had such forceful lungs letting everyone know that she was here! 

Sarah fought strong and hard from the very beginning to beat the heart defect.  She endeared so much in the 25 days that she was here.  Sarah was so brave even til her last breath.

Sarah taught me that the little, petty things in life are meaningless and that life is just too dang short.  One should embrace every moment and live life to its fullest.

I wasn't able to meet Sarah but from day one; I have held her strong in my heart.  Wendy said that Sarah took a piece of her to heaven and that is so true.
 
I wish that I could take this pain away from Matt & Jamie; but I can't .  I pray for them to have strength to heal strong.

Wendy & Scott were able to be with them for 22 out of the 25 days, so that they could have someone to lean on; in which; they each supported one another in different ways. I have heard many times how thankful that Matt & Jamie were for Wendy & Scott's presence.  Besides, I call them "the 4 musketeers"!

Wendy's Uncle Tim & Aunt Tara lost Daniel at a 3 months  & 3 weeks old and I believe that he was the one to give Wendy the opportunity to meet her father's family.  I hold Daniel dearly in my heart.

Brother Noah will be 3 this month and Wendy has enjoyed watching him transform from a 2 year old to this wild 3 year old giving everyone a way to go......still!

I will always remember Sarah!  she's a pretty ballerina dressed in pink dancing among the stars smiling down at all of us!


Currently listening:
My Precious Little One
By Rick Springfield
Release date: 2009-03-10
08:20 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Saturday, August 15, 2009 

Current mood:  sad
Category: Life

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary


foolishness


    Function: noun
    Date: 15th century

1 : foolish behavior
2 : a foolish act or idea



mayhem


    Function: noun
    Etymology: Middle English mayme, mahaime, from Anglo-French mahaim mutilation, mayhem, from maheimer, mahaigner to maim, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German meiden gelding, Old Norse meitha to injure
    Date: 15th century

1 a : willful and permanent deprivation of a bodily member resulting in the impairment of a person's fighting ability b : willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfigurement of any part of the body
2 : needless or willful damage or violence



Currently listening:
The Final Countdown
By Europe
Release date: 1990-10-25
08:14 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Friday, July 17, 2009 

Current mood:  accomplished
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes
can't wait to de-clutter all the miss matched stuff & have organization through out the house!  no more hanging onto things that do not matter.  keepsakes should be displayed with honor!  designing a family wall for dad, mom, butch & david's things that are dearest to us!  The rest of the riff raff is going out with the donation drive!


How To Organize

Go through the room, picking up all articles that don't belong in that particular room. When the basket is full, visit the rooms where the accumulated items belong, and drop them off in the appropriate room. It may help if you place an empty box at the door of the room so that you can use it as a depository until you are ready to organize the room and put the clutter away.
After you have cleaned up the clutter consisting of items that are simply misplaced and don't belong in that room, what you have left should be ordinary trash, old papers, etc., that can be thrown away.
Then go to the next room. Repeat the process until you have all of the clutter picked up and the floor is clean. At that point, you may retrieve the articles in the "depository" outside the door and put them in they belong.

Whistle While You Work - Cleaning As You Go

As you pick up and remove clutter, remember to clean and dust as you go. If you're in the living room, polish the furniture before you replace items on ends tables or shelves. Finish up with a good vacuuming or, if you have hard surfaced floors, a light damp mopping.
Your dining room probably doesn't get as much junky clutter as the living room or family room. But the table is often a repository for mail and miscellaneous papers, or even craft projects. Throw away the junk and return other clutter to its rightful place. If you use a table cloth, put a nice clean one on your table and top it with an arrangement of fresh or artificial flowers. Nothing makes a dining room look classier than a nice table cloth, candles in candlesticks, and a floral arrangement. Don't forget to check the chairs and make sure there's nothing dropped on them; then push them into place around the table and - you're done. That is, after you've cleaned the floor!
The reality is that you might not get every room in your house completed in one day. Don't despair! Just resolve to tackle them one at a time until they are all brought back to a level of organization you are comfortable with. The important thing is, don't walk out of a room and call it "finished" unless it is!

09:14 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 

Current mood:  impressed
Category: Life

How to Teach About the Diaries of Anne Frank

ds_joanrus6680 Contributor
By Joan Russell
eHow Contributing Writer
(2 Ratings)
Born on July 12, 1929, Anne Frank was a Jewish teenager who lived during the Holocaust and was forced into hiding. She writes about her daily life in detail in a diary that is later published in a book. Reading the book gives teenagers a chance to learn about the desolate life of those targeted by Nazis and how discrimination against any group hurts everyone. It depicts the horror and courage of the children during that time


    Step 1
    Start by reading the book "The Diary of Anne Frank" with the students. Read parts of the book aloud with the class over several days. Let the students read sections of the book aloud. Afterward, discuss what you have read. Give them a few weeks to read the entire book.
    Step 2
    Use the website of the Anne Frank Center USA listed under Additional Resources. Click on the "Who is Anne Frank?" link. Click on "Diary Entries". The students will write a short two-page diary. The diary entry should include the day, month and year. The student will be writing diary entries about their reactions to reading specific parts of the book about Anne Frank or one of the excerpts from the website diary selection. They should have 10 diary entries that describes how they felt and what they thought about what they read in the Anne Frank diaries.
    Step 3
    Require the diary entries to include the date and two paragraphs discussing the diary entry of Anne Frank they are writing about. The entry could include what they would have done, how they would feel about the situation, emotions that they felt or ideas on the best way to handle what they read about. Tell them to write one entry per day; the assignment should take 10 days. Collect the papers with the ten diary entries and correct any errors and give feedback if appropriate. Pass back the papers and read some of their diary entries aloud in class and discuss them.
    Step 4
    Design a collage of pictures that depicts a part of Anne Frank's life. The students can choose to design a collage on her childhood, the family, the hiding place or publication of the diary. They should find pictures that tell the story from magazines and websites other than the Anne Frank site.
    Step 5
    Tell students to write a list of pictures they would like to put in there collage before they begin looking for photos in magazine and on the Internet. Everyone should bring in some old magazines and newspaper for the collages to share. Let students be as creative as they want. Tell them to write a short one paragraph description of what the collage represents. Share the finished work with the class.


08:33 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 

Current mood:  anxious
Category: News and Politics

Marines push militants out of Taliban region

Associated Press

By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer Jason Straziuso, Associated Press Writer – 9 mins ago
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan – U.S. Marines trapped Taliban fighters in a residential compound and persuaded the insurgents to allow women and children to leave. The troops then moved in — only to discover that the militants had slipped out, dressed in women's burqa robes.
The fighters, who may owe their lives to the new U.S. commander's emphasis on limiting civilian casualties, were among hundreds of militants who have fled the offensive the Marines launched last week in southern Helmand province. Marine officers say keeping the Taliban from returning so the Afghan government can establish a stable presence will be a bigger challenge.
"We have dislocated them while still protecting the people," said Col. Eric Mellinger, the operations officer for the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. "Now the key is to prevent militants from coming back in, and the way to do that is to earn their (Afghan villagers') trust so that they don't allow them to come back in."
The offensive, which began Thursday when about 4,000 Marines and sailors stormed into the Helmand River valley, seeks to cut off a major Taliban supply route. The militants bring in weapons and fighters from Pakistan and ship out opium — one of their main sources of income.
Before the operation, their biggest of the Afghan war, Marine commanders believed up to 1,000 insurgents were operating in the fertile valley. But most of them fled without a major battle, instead launching scattered but ineffective attacks.
As a result, only one Marine has died so far in the mission, although several have been wounded. Others have collapsed from heat exhaustion after hiking for days with 50-100 pounds of food, water, weapons and ammunition in temperatures approaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Militants seemed keen to avoid an all-out fight with the better armed Marines.
On Monday, images from a Predator drone showed a dozen fighters and at least 15 to 20 civilians inside a mud-brick compound in the village of Khan Neshin, about 60 miles north of the Pakistani border.
Because of the civilians, the U.S. troops held their fire, and instead used a military translator and village elder to persuade the militants to free women and children.
Two groups — children and what appeared to be women in burqas — left the compound. When the Marines entered, they found no one. The fighters had clearly donned burqas and slipped away among the civilians, according to Marines who took part in the mission.
The Americans didn't have female Marines with them to search the robed figures and make sure no men were among them in disguise. And the new U.S. and NATO commander, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has said he would rather see militants escape than for civilians to be harmed in battle; a declassified version of his new guidelines for troops were released Monday.
The ease with which the Marines moved into the Helmand Valley does not necessarily mean the area will remain quiet.
Throughout the seven-year war, the Taliban have traditionally melted away in the face of overwhelming force only to re-emerge, using traditional guerrilla tactics such as roadside bombs, ambushes and suicide attacks.
For years, Helmand has proved to be one of the toughest regions to tame. Some 8,000 to 9,000 British troops have been in Helmand since 2006, but the force has been too small to control the militant-infested province about 325 miles southwest of Kabul. The U.S. deployment in southern Helmand will help British troops concentrate their efforts in the central and northern areas of the province.
Helmand is Afghanistan's biggest province and was once known as its breadbasket. Today it produces more than half the country's opium. Tribal rivalries for control of the lucrative trade have contributed to instability which the Taliban exploited.
That will make it difficult for the Afghan government to establish a long-term presence that will guarantee stability, experts believe.
"I think the biggest challenge will be holding the area over the long run. In my view, successful holding will require careful dialogue with a range of key tribes in Helmand," said Seth Jones, an analyst for the RAND Corp.
"The central government has never been able to establish order in rural Helmand, let alone other areas of Afghanistan," he said.
Jones suggested the Marines seek alliances with the two main tribes in the area who have demonstrated "a willingness to fight the Taliban."
"It does not appear that the Marines have adopted this approach — at least yet," Jones said.
Mellinger said the U.S. presence will also disrupt the opium industry, because militants will no longer be able to intimidate farmers into growing poppy. He said Afghans understand that growing poppies is "intrinsically wrong."
Now that the Marines are in place, Mellinger said other U.S. agencies can come in and help farmers grow wheat and other traditional crops.
This year's poppy harvest is already in, but the Marines should help stem the flow of opium and heroin from Helmand.
The Marine mission is the largest U.S. operation since President Barack Obama ordered 21,000 additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan this year. The total U.S. presence here will rise to a record 68,000 troops later this summer — more than twice the 32,000 in the country last year.
The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade should be in Helmand for another six or eight months — allowing villagers to vote in the Aug. 20 presidential election — and another Marine unit will come in afterward, Mellinger said.
After that, the U.S. hopes Afghan forces can provide security. Right now, only about 500 Afghan security forces are participating in the operation alongside the 4,000 Marines.


08:20 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 

Current mood:  confused
Category: News and Politics
Opinion

Why China might turn on North Korea

As Beijing strives to become a responsible great power, the costs of staying allied with North Korea may come to surpass the costs of abandoning it.

By Leif-Eric Easley

from the July 7, 2009 edition

The Christian Science Monitor


Los Angeles - North Korea's provocations are testing more than weapons and diplomacy. Recent actions by the United Nations, South Korea, Japan, and United States, while well developed and coordinated, are insufficient. An effective international response hinges on how national identity changes in China reshape Beijing's strategic interests toward Pyongyang.
Owing to North Korea's historical relations with and economic dependence on China, analysts argue that Chinese leaders hold the key to solving the "North Korea problem." But the Obama administration understands, as did the Bush administration, that maximizing pressure on Beijing would be counterproductive.
China has long seen its national interests served by the status quo on the Korean Peninsula. According to a cold-war perspective about strategic balance and a post-cold-war emphasis on internal development, Beijing prioritized maintaining a buffer state and preventing North Korea's problems from spilling over China's border. While Beijing retains these priorities, the chances of it getting tough with Pyongyang are low.
However, the China of today is not the China that came to Pyongyang's aid during the Korean War – its national identity has evolved over decades of rapid development and international integration. The ideas of communist solidarity and laying low to focus on modernization are becoming obsolete.
Instead, China covets its traditional role at the center of Asia, entailing not only power, but also respect and responsibility. Such ambition is possible thanks to the success of an economic model that has brought China closer to the US, Japan, and South Korea.
China's growing identity gap with North Korea may be changing the way China views its own interests. Chinese now ask whether Beijing underestimates the costs of a nuclear-armed North Korea and being the largest backer of the Kim regime. There are also questions about whether China overestimates the usefulness of a buffer against US and South Korean forces, the challenge of North Korean refugees, and the probability of international military conflict on the peninsula.
Given the responsible great power China wants to become, the costs of staying allied with North Korea may come to surpass the costs of abandoning it.
The priority for Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo should be to stay on the same page, especially through North Korea's leadership transition. Pyongyang's belligerence provides an opportunity to fundamentally attract Beijing to the allies' position. Nuclear proliferation, illegal arms tests and trade, and holding foreign journalists for ransom are becoming anathemas to Chinese identity.
Zero-sum thinking about political and economic influence on the strategic Korean Peninsula won't suddenly disappear. However, the long-term interests that China shares with Japan, South Korea, and the US will become increasingly apparent.
Pyongyang's provocations are testing how China's changing national identity shapes its strategic interests and ultimately foreign policy. The extent to which Beijing cooperates with Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul hangs in the balance.
• Leif-Eric Easley is a PhD candidate at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California Korean Studies Institute.
08:04 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 

Current mood:  adventurous
Category: News and Politics

Lance and Astana earn a $92 fine for showing up late

By Chris Chase


Lance Armstrong and his Astana team were fined for arriving late for the pre-stage registration this morning in Marseille, France. Rules state that riders must show up 20 minutes prior to the start or face a fine of 100 Swiss Francs ($92). Sneering contempt from the Tour de France competitions director is an added bonus.
"Today, and as usual, the Astana team arrived late at the pre-stage registration, in contempt of the crowd, who has once again not seen Lance Armstrong," [Tour competitions director Jean-Francois] Pescheux told Reuters before the start of the third stage from Marseille to La Grande Motte.
"They don't care about the fine. We are going to ask the UCI to be tougher."
Of course they don't care about the fine. Ninety-two dollars? Lance drops more on that at breakfast. Has that amount changed since the first Tour in 1903? The last time I heard of a $92 fine I was watching The People's Court ... in 1987.  
And what's with the attitude, M. Pescheux? Let's not be perpetuating stereotypes about the French. It's bad enough that Lance is reinforcing notions that Americans show up late to everything. 
One of the excuses floated for that late arrival for Astana was that there was bad traffic in Marseille. The irony of showing up late to a bike race because your car was stuck in traffic is something even Pescheux should find amusing.
Update: Armstrong apologized for his tardiness on his Twitter account this afternoon, blaming it on a visit from actor Ben Stiller.
12:35 PM 
0 Comments
(Add Comment) |
Translate
C. Wilt



Last Updated: 11/21/2009

Send Message
Instant Message
Email to a Friend
Subscribe

Gender: Female
Sign: Leo

City: WAYNE
State: Ohio
Country: US

Blog Archive
[Older      Newer]
 /  / 
>