Honest to Gawd, I really don’t make this stuff up.

Really, I don’t.

Been watching Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Katia. It looks, at this point, that The Swamp is going to be bypassed again, for which I’m grateful.

I’ve also been thinking on the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. I was at work at a hospital (IT Geek stuff) on the West Coast. While driving in to work, I listened to CDs (Rock ‘n Roll, if you’re interested. Huey Lewis and the News, The Guess Who are the ones I remember).

When I got there, and went in the employee’s entrance, one of the guys said “You heard about New York, right?”

“Huh?” I’m real articulate first thing in the morning.

“Airplanes? World Trade Center?”

“Huh?” Real swift, too.

“C’mon, Dude.” He turned me around and marched me to the main lobby. A television mounted on the wall was showing the collapse of the South Tower, in slo-mo.

That was MY introduction to the Wonderful World of Islamic Terrorism.

Wheee! I get a three-day weekend!

For the last two months, I’ve been contemplating retirement – and I’ve decided I don’t want to do that just yet. I like what I do for a living, I’ve got good people to work with, and I’m just not ready to retire.

Later this weekend we’re going to the Kingsland Catfish Festival, and also to Charley and Sharon’s place in Fernandina Beach for good food and conversation.

Maybe more later….

Of course, here in SouthEast Jawja, we kept a close eye on Irene. For us, thankfully, Irene was a non-event.

Our prayers go out to the good folks in the Carolinas, Virginia, and into the NorthEast.

Be safe folks, and stay well….

Did You Know All This??
These are all the programs that the current House has proposed cutting. Of course, getting rid of a government program is… somewhat difficult, shall we say?

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy. $445 million annual savings.

Save America’s Treasures Program. $25 million annual savings.

International Fund for Ireland . $17 million annual savings.

Legal Services Corporation. $420 million annual savings.

National Endowment for the Arts. $167.5 million annual savings.

National Endowment for the Humanities. $167.5 million annual savings.

Hope VI Program. $250 million annual savings.

Amtrak Subsidies. $1.565 billion annual savings.

Eliminate duplicative education programs. H.R. 2274 (in last Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon, eliminates 68 at a savings of $1.3 billion annually.

U.S. Trade Development Agency. $55 million annual savings.

Woodrow Wilson Center Subsidy. $20 million annual savings.

Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding. $47 million annual savings.

John C. Stennis Center Subsidy. $430,000 annual savings.

Community Development Fund. $4.5 billion annual savings.

Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid. $24 million annual savings.

Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half. $7.5 billion annual savings.

Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20%. $600 million annual savings.

Essential Air Service. $150 million annual savings.

Technology Innovation Program. $70 million annual savings.

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program. $125 million annual savings.

Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization. $530 million annual savings.

Beach Replenishment. $95 million annual savings.

New Starts Transit. $2 billion annual savings.

Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners in Massachusetts .$9 million annual savings. (What the IS this anyway…?)

Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants. $2.5 billion annual savings.

Title X Family Planning. $318 million annual savings.

Appalachian Regional Commission. $76 million annual savings.

Economic Development Administration. $293 million annual savings.

Programs under the National and Community Services Act. $1.15 billion annual savings.

Applied Research at Department of Energy. $1.27 billion annual savings.

FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership. $200 million annual savings.

Energy Star Program. $52 million annual savings.

Economic Assistance to Egypt. $250 million annually.

U.S. Agency for International Development. $1.39 billion annual savings.

General Assistance to District of Columbia. $210 million annual savings.

Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. $150 million annual savings.

Presidential Campaign Fund. $775 million savings over ten years.

No funding for federal office space acquisition. $864 million annual savings.

End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services. Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act. More than $1 billion annually.

IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for services it offers (such as processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead of allowing payments to remain as part of its budget. $1.8 billion savings over ten years.

Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees. $1 billion total savings. (WHAT THE HELL…)

Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees. $1.2 billion savings over ten years.

Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of. $15 billion total savings.

Eliminate Mohair Subsidies. $1 million annual savings. (MOHAIR? Awww…c’mon!)

Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. $12.5 million annual savings.

Eliminate Market Access Program. $200 million annual savings.

USDA Sugar Program. $14 million annual savings.

Subsidy to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).$93 million annual savings.

Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program. $56.2 million annual savings.

Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs. $900 million savings.

Ready to Learn TV Program. $27 million savings.

Eliminate death gratuity for Members of Congress.

HUD Ph.D. Program.

Deficit Reduction Check-Off Act TOTAL SAVINGS: $2.5 Trillion over Ten Years

My question, what the Devil is all this doing in the budget in the first place…?
Is there anything listed you cannot do without…?

Operation Overlord.  Originally scheduled for 5 June, delayed until the 6th due to weather conditions.

The Boys (Including my Dad) saw this as their first sight of La Belle France.

For all too many, this was the last thing they saw.

Now, there aren’t too many of  The Boys left.  When you see one, just say “Thanks”.  They don’t even expect that, but they certainly deserve it.

Dad’s not around any more, but I’m sure he’d appreciate it, even if it’s not out loud, just a little voice in your head.

Every year I try to do a Memorial Day post that reflects upon the ultimate sacrifice paid by members of our Armed Forces.  This year, it’s poetry by C W Johnson, and a link to a website being run by a truly remarkable young man named Richard Gilliland (See his story HERE). Both are far more eloquent than I – one in poetry, one in deed.

Memorial Day (C W Johnson)

We walked among the crosses
Where our fallen soldiers lay.
And listened to the bugle
As TAPS began to play.
The Chaplin led a prayer
We stood with heads bowed low.
And I thought of fallen comrades
I had known so long ago.
They came from every city
Across this fertile land.
That we might live in freedom.
They lie here ‘neath the sand.
I felt a little guilty
My sacrifice was small.
I only lost a little time
But these men lost their all.
Now the services are over
For this Memorial Day.
To the names upon these crosses
I just want to say,
Thanks for what you’ve given
No one could ask for more.
May you rest with God in heaven
From now through evermore.

Link: Preserve and Honor

Let’s face it, I’m an exceedling lazy blogger.

Just hangin’ out, lurking, not commenting, just reading everyone else’s hard work.

Shame on you, OWW!

Lessee here. ..

Osama bin Laden is now Osama bin Dead.  Good.  Well done boys.  It took more than ten years to get the SOB – NSG (Not So Good)

Herman Cain is actively running for President.  Good.  Good man, good ideas.

Obama sez “1967 Borders”.  Give the Golan back to Syria?  Give E. Jerusalem back to the Arabs?  NSG.  I stand with Israel.

Obama has no current challengers for the Dem nomination.  NSG.

Been married for 23 years and 1 day to a wonderful woman who puts up with me.  Waaaaay good!

Superbowl is done. Baseball isn’t here yet. Basketball is… lame.

So, what shall I do for entertainment?

Try THIS if I can find a willing kicker, that’s what!

Maybe Janikowski is up for the challenge? After all, he IS a Raider!

“>

Update:  I stole it from Jim.  It is worthy of Misdemeanor In Public status.  I won’t even mention the two alligators that have been pulled from the pond in back of  The Swamp (SouthEast).

Courtesy of Townhall.com, here are 15 quotes from conservative commenters on alleged Global Warming. Please note, the actual quotes and the actual data are NOT verified by me. If they sound unreasonable, do your research!

See the article HERE.

Sample: Professor (Phil) Jones, considered to be the high priest of the manmade global warming movement, has been in the spotlight since he was forced to step down as CRU’s director after the leaking of e-mails that skeptics claim show scientists were manipulating data. In a recent interview with the BBC, he admitted that he did not believe that “the debate on climate change is over” and that he didn’t “believe the vast majority of climate scientists think this.”

Long denied by the warmers, Professor Jones admitted that the Medieval Warm Period (800 A.D. to 1300 A.D.) might well had been as warm as the Current Warm Period (1975-present), or warmer, and that if it was, “then obviously the late-20th century warmth would not be unprecedented.” That suggests global warming may not be a manmade phenomenon. In any case, Professor Jones said that for the past 15 years, there has been no “statistically significant” global warming.