Apology Accepted

It seems Sen. Kerry has come out of hiding and has apologized for his "joke" at the expense of some of America's best, brightest and certainly bravest young people. Since he was willing to do something rare for a politician and do the right thing by apologizing, I sent the following message to him, accepting his apology:

Dear Sen. Kerry,
I accept your apology. In the future, I request that if you have a problem with the Bush administration's policies, that you make joke at their expense, not at the expense of hard working young American men and women.

Over the years, I have had to educate several people about how tough it is to be a soldier, not only physically, but also mentally. The United States Armed Forces of today are not the same Armed Forces of 30 years ago. The old "go to war or go to jail" idea does not exist anymore.

Thank you for your time.

Respectfully,
SFC Brian A Linton


I really do not care if his apology is sincere or not. He made it public, that is all that counts. Let the Republicans and Democrats play their partisan games.

Senator Douchebag

I'm sure by now you have heard about Sen. Kerry's comment about students who don't do well in school getting "stuck in Iraq".

Here is the message I sent to him:

Dear Sen Kerry,Regarding your comments earlier this week about "being stuck in Iraq". I find your comments to be extremely offensive. I have served in the US Army and Army Reserve for over 18 years, with honor. I spent last year in Kuwait, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I also have a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology from Penn State and have completed 6 credit towards a Master's degree in Engineering Science. Does this mean I am not intelligent because I am in the military?

I ask you to please write to Sen. Kerry and let him know how REAL Americans, who are not married to billionaires, feel about our young men and women who have volunteered to do a job that may place them in dangerous situations.

Here is a link to sign a petition asking Sen. Kerry to apologize for his comments.

By the way, I am not a Republican, I just subscribe to their newsletter to keep myself informed.

For real change in government, on November 7th:
VOTE LIBERTARIAN!!!

Withdrawal

I feel like shit this week. The doc lowered my dosage of my anti-depressant medication. I feel fluish, alternate between feeling like I am going to puke my guts out and starving, I have hot flashes, etc. Sounds like fun, don't it? I can't help but wonder, why do people take stuff like crack or meth? Hopefully this passes quickly.

Haircut

Had a ani-rifc morning today. Dropped Jasmine off at the groomers and took Mr. K to the vets for his weekly fluids. They got along very well in the car, no swatting or yipeing at all. Jasmine looks pretty (for now).



















She won't look like that for long, Jasmine likes being dirty. She has spent a large part of the afternoon scratching at her clean (yucky for her) fur.

Tragedy In Amish Country

WARNING: Remember the 1st amendment Before Reading Any Further!









I am sure you have heard about the shooting at the Amish school by now. This pisses me off on many levels. First, why did this guy shoot these very, very innocent Amish girls? (Footnote: I am very protective of the Amish. Anyone who can continue to live like they do the the Internet age deserves respect) Second, I imagine all the anti-gun nuts are going to be out in full force in light of the multiple shootings the past weeks. Please repeat the following phrase, "GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE, PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE". Lastly, what really pisses me off is that this guy supposedly did it because he was seeking revenge for something that happened 20 years ago. 20 YEARS AGO!!! He hasn't had any problems or said anything that should have concerned someone in 20 years?!?!? That last one really touches a nerve with me due to my divorce. After I announced to my friends and family that my marriage was over, the typical response was, "Oh, we thought something was wrong". In my mind I said, "Thanks for nothing, fuckers!". What came out of my mouth was, "I wish you would have said something sooner". That is my point to all this angry rambling. If you know someone who doesn't seem quite right or a know of couple in a relationship where "things don't seem to be quite right" for the love of God, say something!!! Maybe by showing a little compassion we can prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.

P.S. In other, good, news, Mr. K is doing better than we could have imagined. He gained a pound since last week!

Don't Panic

One of these days I'll start taking my own advice. I recently told a very, very close friend to remain calm and Don't Panic about their school, etc... Well what was I doing earlier this week? Seems I didn't have as much to worry about as I thought. I got the first assignment back from my power electronics class with a grade of 10/10. Woo Hoo!!! Guess I'm smarter than I give myself credit for. Well, maybe not, I just ended that sentence with a preposition. DOH!

Tired

Have I bitten off more than I can chew?

It's only Tuesday and I really need it to be Friday. I'm only two weeks into the semester and I'm starting to burn out already. Working full time, working on my school work, packing my stuff and getting a house ready to sell... guess that's why I'm tired.

Oh well, it should all be worth it in the end.

In Memoriam

As part of of the 2,996 9/11 tribute, I will be honoring Joseph O. Pick of Hoboken, NJ.


Joseph was one of thousands of people who were just going to work in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 to just do their job like they did everyday. He was the vice president of Fiduciary Trust International. Joseph was also a devoted father, a story in the New York Times related a tale of how, one Christmas he secretly showed up Christmas Eve, dressed as Santa Claus, to surprise his daughter, Jeannette.

Joseph was 40 years old when he was killed in the attack on the Trade Center. He is survived my his wife, Marie and his daughter, Jeannette.

This tribute was important to me because, as a soldier a lot of people consider me a hero for what I do. I do appreciate the sentiment and am somewhat humbled by the support I have received over the past years, but sometimes we forget the on that horrible day, there were more heroes than just the soldiers, firemen and police.

September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

Mmmm Toasty

Well, I seem to be slowly recovering from my self-barbecuing. At least the discomfort has subsided enough that I can sleep at night. Maybe in the future when someone recommends I wear sun screen, I should listen.

I got the results back from the vet. Jasmine's lump was non-cancerous, it was a type of cyst. Yay! Now the hard part is keeping her from licking the stitches. I have to make sure the incision stays clean and check it for signs of infection. It looks totally grody, so I guess I am just looking for blood or pus or something that looks even worse.

Relief (For Now)

Joy! Jasmine made it through surgery with flying colors. The vet said her pre-op blood work results were "execptional" for a dog her age. The lump has been sent to the lab for testing to see if it is a tumor or just a cyst.

She is resting comfortably, sleeping on the couch. The hard thing now is going to be making sure she does rest. I hope I have as much energy as she does when I am 13 (91 in human years).

I'm off to an old-fashioned Lancaster County Luau this evening.

Lump

Jasmine is going to the vet's for surgery tomorrow. She has a lump on her breast. Unfortunately, the only way to tell if it is a tumor or not is to cut it out and send it to the lab (the place with test equipment, not the dog). The vet did an EKG to make sure she could be anesthetized, which she passed with flying colors. I'm sure everything will be OK, but am still a little worried.

Wish her well.

Hiya Chester...

Well, I've finally stared drilling again, er, doing my reserve duty for you civilians. It's actually good to be (kinda) back in the Army. So far I like my new unit. There are a few glitches, since most of the battalion is either deployed or gainfully employed elsewhere. I have a lot of schooling ahead of me... I have to go to drill sergeant school, finish my basic non-commissioned officer course, etc.

First thing yesterday morning, I was nominated to be the acting first sergeant. DOH! I was all like, "well I don't know anyone here or how things are run, but I'll do the best I can". Well, I didn't loose anyone, mission complete.

Typical reserve unit, the soldiers are always trying to come up with things to do to ward off the boredom monster. Hopefully I can be creative enough to keep the idle hands busy.

Like the old commercials said, "it's not just a job, it's an adventure".

Naked Porch Blogging

This is my first naked porch blog. Yes, you read that right, I'm naked on the porch, blogging. OK, what could be so important that I would be blogging naked on the porch??? Well, it seems Lance Bass from NSync is gay. Talk about your wastes of time for the AP. Lance Bass is gay. NO SHIT!!! The AP has nothing else to report about? What about the war in Iraq? The Israel-Lebanon conflict? Afganistan? Anything else? Lance Bass, gay, I can hardly believe that!

Anyhoo, back to my nakedness and drinking.

Peace, out!!!

My Nomadic Life

I am in the process of moving out of my house (yuck). My stuff is currently in three different places. I took a load to the storage locker tonight, amazing how much shit I can fit in my car... four outdoor chairs with cushions, a microwave cart, two sleeping bags, a sleeping bag mat and a few miscellaneous lawn chairs.

Oh, yeah, I just got contacts for the first time. Not sure if I like them or not. My eyes don't like being touched, but they are starting to cooperate more.

When I make life changes, I go all out!

The Cutest Little Dog, Ever

This is Jasmine, the cutest little dog ever. She is a 12 year old American Cocker Spaniel (she will be 13 on July 4th). Well, to be politically correct, she is a German-American Cocker Spaniel since she was born in Ansbach, Germany.

In addition to playing tug with a rope and chasing tennis balls, her other hobbies include dining on cat poo and "rearranging" the trash can. She also enjoys going for walks and exploring construction sites.

I'm not dead yet

Well, my class is finally over. Haven't received word of a grade, hope I passed. Yes, I have been slacking on the blog thing. I do have some idea for blogs, just need to take a few minutes and write them.

Brain Frappe

Well, I had a great weekend, as usual. Drank a lot of beer and other assorted intoxicants Saturday night and played tour guide in Gettysburg on Sunday. I had my class tonight, can't wait 'til it is over. Just one more week, the summer class thing has its ups and downs. Up is that it is only 6 weeks, the down is that it is 15 weeks worth of information to digest. I feel as if someone has opened my skull, scooped out my brains, plopped them in a blender, hit frappe for a minute and poured them back into my skull. Mmmm... brain frappe.

I was hoping to post more pictures, but blogger seems to be running a little slow tonight, maybe some other time.

I'm looking forward to a NYC trip this coming weekend! Should be a great time, I will be travlling with my most favorite travel buddy.

TTFN

OK, here is a new post

Swish, swish, swish... (sound of broom sweeping).

Well, I haven't gone totally mental, yet. My class does seem to be getting easier as time goes on. Maybe the summer class deal isn't so bad after all.

This will be a short post, I am very tired. Seems I have someone who likes to keep me "up" late. Who can say no to a pretty face?

The Great Rubber Band Debacle, Part Deux

Happy day! The Alliance Pale Gold Crepe, Size 62 rubber bands have finally arrived. All is well in the world. At height of the crisis, the following were involved in ensuring the proper rubber bands were used: (1) product engineer, (1) engineering manager, (1) engineering secretary, (1) customer service supervisor, (1) customer service rep., (1) value added manufacturing supervisor, (1) field sales rep., (1) mechanical engineer and I believe a partridge in a pear tree may have been involved.

Well, I had my first graduate class last night. Seems the class started last Thursday, not last night like the rest of the classes. That puts me about the equivalent of one week behind, luckily the professor is giving me a chance to catch up. I think this will be my first and last summer course I take. Cramming 15 weeks worth of knowledge into 6 weeks is about as painful as it sounds.

In other news, I just read that Lew Anderson has passed away at the age of 84. RIP Clarabell.

Oh Joy, Pictures!!!

OK, I think I figured out how to post pictures. I'm not retarded after all.

These photos were taken last Sunday as I wandered aimlessly through Harrisburg, PA. I will post more later.

Front of Dauphin County Courthouse















Abandoned Railroad tracks















Looking North on Front Street















Grave of John Harris