In lieu of Humpday Hilarities

Y’all will have to forgive me. With all the craziness going on with the car and trying to get settled back at work, I had forgotten ALL about posting a funny bit Wednesday.

*Hangs head in shame*

So to make up for that, I have a link to a funny news story someone sent me this morning. Ever get annoyed because someone has an obnoxious ring tone on their cell? Ever heard one that plays something very inappropriate for the place or setting? Well, one Aussie recently found out the hard way that he really SHOULD use the silent mode more often:

Orgasmic phone disrupts court session

The decorum of an Aussie courtroom was shattered down-under when a bloke’s phone started uttering loud noises of female pleasure. [Read on...]

Oh for the love of Pete … VOTE PLEASE?!

I seriously need to get my collective butt in gear, and soon! Guess who’s got another design up for vote in Lunarpages’ WordPress theme design contest?

Yup … serves me right for not reading my emails.

So if you’re so inclined and very kind, could you maybe spare a vote? (Please?)

An update on things…

We are doing well. Saw the doctor and it appears that my aches and pains are not permanent. I’ve been feeling a lot better over the past couple of days, and Jessie’s bump on the head has all but disappeared.

My car is still incapacitated. Still sitting in my driveway. Still won’t lock properly. *sigh* Been dealing with several snags with the car insurance and rental companies, but things are finally starting to roll along.

Getting hit just before a holiday weekend sucks ass, don’tchaknow….

Should have a rental by tomorrow a.m. and hopefully someone will ride out to inspect the damages over the next couple of days. According to one of the adjusters, they’ve determined that it’s their liability and will be paying 100% on everything — which I knew all along, but they still have to be thorough and check out every little thing before starting the whole “we’ll pay for everything” process. (understandable, but aggravating … but what can ya do?)

I think I’ve replayed that accident at least a hundred times over and over in my mind. I know without a doubt that there was absolutely nothing in my control in this whole situation, but I can’t help obsessing over it. Luckily, we were in a large enough vehicle that we escaped with minimal shock and no permanent bodily harm.

That said, I can’t help thinking what would have happened if we were in Jim’s car … I seriously doubt his little Tiburon would’ve put up as much of a fight …

I know, I know … don’t dwell on it. (but that’s what I do!) This whole ordeal has been a real big PITA and a migraine-giver, but I can’t complain too much can I?

Funny thing: while sitting at the doctor’s office, received a call from the insurance company. It wasn’t a “good call” and shot my blood pressure up so high that they held me over and insisted on taking it again an hour later to ensure that it was just stress and not a real emergency. The fact that high blood pressure runs on my mother’s side of the family works against me there, and my doc “just wanted to be sure” that it hadn’t recently developed into a “real” problem considering I was sitting there already nursing a headache.

Yeah, better safe than sorry … and should’ve left the cell in the car. :lol:

I’m slowly catching up on emails and other business. I’ll most likely be back at work tomorrow. A big ‘Thanks!!’ goes out to everyone who’s called, emailed, etc. We appreciate your concern and support.

Memorial Day

I hadn’t intended to post today, but there was too much great content in my feeds this morning to ignore. As I do every other morning, I started first with the cartoons. I have always loved Chris Muir’s Day by Day strip. Today’s was both sweet (if you’ve been following the storyline) and appropriate:

Next, a short ‘n sweet message from my favorite outspoken goth. Cookie’s place had a nice shot and a short background blurb about watchfires and introduced us to a hero that everyone needs to know about.

Rachel Lucas introduced us to her grandfather, a WWII hero. 7.62mm Justice has a great post detailing several heroes and has some great stories to share. BlackFive’s post today is short ‘n sweet, but suggests something I’ve been encouraging others to do: If you see someone in uniform, or know they serve, thank them. If you see someone you know has served, thank them.

The Soldiers’ Angels blogs had several very excellent pieces today, but I wanted to highlight a couple of them: “Are we worthy of these warriors?” by Vickie Mauldin, Grand Forks Herald and “10 Things to Remember about Memorial Day” by David Holzel. They also shared some news about an upcoming event partnering with Michelle Malkin, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Move America Forward, Gathering of Eagles, and many others as well as a request to give some support to soldiers who are patients in Germany.

Last but certainly not least, Merri Musings reminds us of a great quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower: “History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.”

I’m sure there’s tons more out there, but these are the ones that I thought needed some exposure (link love!). Feel free to add your own via the comments form below!

A Memorial Reminder

Shared by Shelly in the Soldiers’ Angels forums, this piece is a poignant reminder to remember the real meaning behind this holiday:

Please Remember

By SSgt David H.

Saturday May 5, 2007. Day 87 of about 400 on my third trip to the sandbox. It is 0500, I am 5 hours into another 12 hour shift. A full moon is in the air, covered slightly by some passing clouds. It is about 75 degrees with a steady breeze. The moon is bright enough to see off into the distance and the breeze has the sand kicked up a bit so it looks like fog is in the air. I am sitting on the bench outside my maintenance van enjoying the wonderful morning. As I am sitting there I get an uncomfortable feeling.

There is something amiss, it is quiet. Too quiet for being in the middle of two runways at a major logistical base, right smack in the middle of major military operations. Where is the sound of rotors slicing through the air as helicopters take off for their nightly missions? Where is the cargo planes bringing in supplies for the base and surrounding area? The only thing I can hear is the hum of the generators that run all the equipment at our site.

I get up and walk around the protective barriers surrounding my maintenance van so I can get a clear view of the airfield. Once I turn the corner my eyes catch something that is out of place. 500 meters from me I see headlights lighting up the backside of an airplane. As my eyes focus I can make out the outline of a C-130 sitting on the taxiway with all its exterior lights and engines off. I look to the back of the plane to see what is going on. My body tenses up and my heart jumps as I realize what I am looking at. It is what we call a fallen angel ceremony.

At the back the C-130 the tail ramp is lowered all the way down to the ground. On both sides of the ramp is 5 Marines standing at the position of attention facing inboard towards each other. Just past the Marines a van sits. Its back doors open and 8 more Marines standing there in two lines of four facing the airplane. In between the Marines is a big sliver box covered by an American Flag. It is the body of a Marine who died and is now on his way back to his family over 7000 miles away.

I watch as the Marines slowly march the casket to the back of the plane, up the ramp, and into the cargo area. I find myself standing at the position of attention holding back the tears. I do not know who is in that steel box but the fact that another brother or sister in arms has made the ultimate sacrifice so others can live free has hit me hard. This is not the first time I have seen this ceremony nor will it be my last. I am not sure why this particular ceremony is effecting more than the others I have watched but it has. The 8 Marines return from inside the plane, marching slowing, just as they came in but without the precious cargo they carried. The detail of Marines stop, face each other and then all the Marines present take one step backwards, turns about and walks away. Lights on the airplane come on. The ramp on the back of the plane is raised and closed. The engines come alive as the crew in the plane are preparing for the next leg of their mission. Somewhere back in the United States a family waits for their loved one to be returned to them.

I stand and watch as the plane completes its pre-flight checks and taxies to the runway. Behind the C-130 the sky is getting brighter. The sun will soon rise and it is the beginning of a new day. The C-130 reaches the end of the runway, turns around, powers up its engines and rolls down the runway. A couple thousand feet later it is airborne and passes in front of me at about 50 feet off the ground. Goodbye, so long, thank you.

Since 9/11 every single American has been touched somehow by the war on terrorism. Everyone has a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or knows somebody that has had to leave their lives back home to come fight for the right to live without fear. Memorial Day is just a few weeks away. The official start of summer. Pools open, people have BBQ’s, hit the beach, go for a motorcycle ride, go camping, maybe watch a race. Summer time is here and it is time to have fun. Most do not realize or take the time to think of the true meaning behind the holiday. It is holiday created as a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. Please set aside a few moments and remember those who have fought to give us our freedoms. Remember those who are away from their families continuing the legacy of our great nation to help those in need and protect our right to live without fear. Thank a Veteran, maybe say a prayer. Anything to keep the spirit of this holiday alive.

(cross-posted to Bama Angels)

What Soldiers’ Angels means to me

When I’ve shared my experience with Soldiers’ Angels with people I’ve met and explained how much our efforts make a real difference with the troops, several times I’ve been asked, “But what has Soldiers’ Angels done for you?” I answer simply, “Everything and more.”

Looking back, I don’t even remember HOW I initially found Soldiers’ Angels. This would have been 2, maybe 3, years ago. Things were hectic in my life — but then again, things are always busy. After the wedding, I had some time off from everything to think about what I was doing with my life. I thought to myself, “I have a great family. I have a great job. We lead a pretty simple life, but … ”

Part of me felt as if I wasn’t doing enough — I was missing something. Sure, I did a little charity work here and there, but nothing that felt really meaningful to me. I never felt needed, or as if I truly belonged to a particular cause.

You know, you hear it all the time from various inspirational stories printed online or emailed around via chain letters and such — “one person can make a difference.” I can honestly say that I never FULLY believed that until I joined Soldiers’ Angels. I can honestly say that this is the most rewarding and humbling experience. I’m constantly wow’ed by the awesome men and women in our military that I’ve spoken to and corresponded with over the past year.

I’d like to share a few examples that I have run across only recently:

A thank you from my first adopted soldier:

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for mailing me the letters they mean a lot to us over here. We all look forward to the mail that any Soldiers Angel send us. It is always nice to receive a caring work from home.”

“Mail, believe it or not, is the biggest part of our day; at home we make no time to go look at the mail box, but here we make nothing but time to go and see what we got.”

Comments from another grateful soldier:

“I just want to thank you in your support. It means a lot to the Army and a lot to me as well to know that there are people who support what we do. I think the biggest request would have to be phone cards. Other than that, the simple things are the greatest things such as Hygiene products, snacks, and moral support. Again, I thank you.”

An email from Anthony:

“Hey this is Anthony, the soldier you once wrote. I just wanted to let you know I stumbled upon the letter you sent me and reading it over made me rethink why I enlisted. Again I just wanted to say thank you for taking your time to write.”

A quote from a soldier who received some TLC:

“This Soldiers’ Angel thing is crazy and cool at the same time. We just got mail today again and I got 26 Angels that sent me cards and packages. It was almost overwhelming, but it kept me busy most of the morning. One of my sergeants was trying to screen my letters for inappropriate stuff but I know he was just looking for the single females that live near his home town. He was cracking me up this morning … everyone wants to be my friend now because I have enough candy and hygiene products to make a small army really clean and have no teeth! LOL But it’s nice, I think my mouth was like four different colors yesterday from all the candy I was eating.”

Another hero tells us:

“Thank you for everything you do for us. It is so great to get something from the US, no matter what it is.”

Our heroes aren’t the only ones affected. When I received my first “thank you” from one of my adoptees, I cried. Nothing hits closer to home than true, honest appreciation. I have always admired the brave men and women in our military and wholly appreciate their efforts with all of my heart. It never once dawned on me that someone may appreciate my efforts (however small I thought they were!).

I know I am not the only one. Take this post from PeggyV just before Mother’s Day:

“One of my adoptees is a hero who has been silent since I adopted him in September 2007. Each letter is a struggle since I know nothing about him. Imagine my surprise this week when I received free mail from Iraq and it was Zach! The letter only contained the following, “Happy Mother’s Day. I know you don’t have kids, but you have been like a Mom to me this past year.”

“Wow, let’s all remember that the silence may be hard sometimes, but they really do need us. His few words are priceless to me.”

There are so many more stories like the ones I just posted. Perhaps you have one you’d like to share? Feel free to post to the Soldiers’ Angels forums, or if you’d prefer, the comments form below. I’d love to hear them.

(cross-posted to Bama Angels)

Time to reflect, unplug

At approximately 5:10pm CST, Jessie and I were in an automobile accident. We’re both ok. Jessie was in her car seat (a booster seat) and has a knot on her head and is still a little shaken up. I’ll be sore for a small bit, but we’re both OK and relatively unharmed. However, I cannot say the same for my car.

I was sitting, fully stopped, about to turn in to my subdivision. A young lady in a gold Pontiac G6 did not see my brake lights and hit me from behind at almost full speed. I say “almost” because she tried to stop suddenly … her brakes squealed, and BOOM! Knocked us forward with such momentum that everything in my dash came out and littered the car seats and floor. The A/C vents were knocked out on one side, I have no idea where my cigarette lighter is, my Bluetooth ear piece is also nowhere to be found, etc. — aggravating because I had *just* cleaned the inside of my car!

The external damage is a lot worse. Both back doors will not open or shut properly. The trunk door is slightly unhinged. The whole rear bumper and undercarriage is broken and mangled an hangs down off the car — in fact, the car is not drivable because it’s pushed up against my two back wheels. I’m also a little worried about 3 of the 5 doors not being able to properly close or lock. The seal around one of the back windows is also a bit warped — I think if she had hit me any harder it probably would have popped right out. Half of my tail lights are popped out of place and/or mangled. There’s gold paint all over the back end and back (trunk) door.

I felt sorry for the young lady who hit me, she was hysterical and had only had her car for 2 weeks. She kept crying and said, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”, over and over. I really felt bad for her, I’ve been in her situation before and it’s an ugly feeling. Within minutes, her father and her agent (both lived nearby) were there, then a Gardendale police officer arrived. I had already called Jim at this point, and he was on his way home.

Luckily this happened outside our end of the subdivision, so we weren’t but just a few hundred yards from the house. Jim drove my car back to the house and Jessie and I hopped in his car. I’ve already called and left a message for my boss on his cell. I’m going to try to work from home tomorrow but at this point don’t know yet how much will get done (if anything at all).

I had wanted to post about other stuff, but to be honest, I just want to unplug for a bit and spend some time with my husband and daughter. It sounds so cliché, but we really are lucky it’s just the car that’s damaged. Everybody’s ok … cars are replaceable, people aren’t.

Hit my cell if it’s anything important … otherwise I’ll get around to email and other stuff later.

Humpday Hilarities

My mother sent me this one, and I think it addresses a problem that plagues us all: Anger Management.

Sometimes when you are angry with someone, it helps to sit down, take a moment to cool off, and think about the problem.

links for 2008-05-20

• A Living-Room Crusade via Blogging – New York Times
  Yay! Jane made it onto the New York Times!!
  (tags: freedom Cotillion Tiara-Media Yemen media)
• YouTube declines Sen. Lieberman request to remove terrorist-produced videos
  (tags: YouTube Google anti-American terrorists)

A Tiara makes the NYT

About two weeks ago I posted about Cotillion sister Jane Novak, who has become an outspoken advocate for a Yemeni journalist, Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani, who is facing execution for sedition. Since then, so many have signed the petition and blogged this story.

Well, today an article about Jane is featured on the New York Times blogs, and this morning made its way onto the front page of their website. Way to go, Jane!!

I encourage you to go read the article, and if you’re so inclined, please bookmark and/or save to your favorite bookmarking/sharing services:

• Digg
• Kirtsy
• StumbleUpon
• Del.icio.us
• Reddit
• Facebook
• Technorati
• Twitter
• BlogBookmark
• Newsvine

I understand that ABC News, CNN, et. al. are also getting in on the action … Jane says:

ABC gave me a link http://abcnews.go.com/. CNN is sending a car at 12:30 for a 2:30 show. BBC Radio at 6:30.

YAY! Way to go, Jane!

I’m seeing a ton of coverage on Technorati:

Jane’s article is also listed on Technorati’s Politics channel.

Also reporting:

• PoliGazette
• Fausta’s Blog
• Conservative Belle
• My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
• International Herald Tribune
• Nice Deb
• The Cotillion
• Yeah, Right, Whatever
• Jihad Watch
• Talk Islam
• Cathouse Chat
• The Jawa Report
• Tigerhawk
• Texas Sparkle
• Crossroads Arabia
• Exit Zero
• Tech Republican
• Villainous Company
• Louisiana Conservative
• Hooah Wife and Friends
• Titus One Nine
• National Review Online (NRO)
• RightWingSparkle
• Alabama Improper
• politburo diktat 2.0 (ACE)
• Bill Doskoch
• Free Republic
• Atlas Shrugs
• The Home of Two of Jonah’s Military Guys
• Alarabiya
• Redstate
• The American Mind (Sean Hackbarth)
• Blatherings
• Bill Boushka
• NeoConstant
• Time / CNN
• Little Miss Attila
• A View from England
• E the People (en español)
• Politics after 50
• Steal the Bandwagon
• The Reservoir
• Merri Musings
• Free Mark Steyn (link)
• The Jawa Report Radio Edition (click to listen)
• Double Plus Undead
• Solomonia
• Flopping Aces
• Isaac Schrödinger
• Kiss My Gumbo
• Fuzzlover
• Zokuga
• Michelle Malkin
• InstaPundit
• American Power
• Buzz Tracker
• Bearing Drift
• Clipmarks (saved by another user)
• A View from England
• A Hole in the Middle
• About:Blank (NL)
• The Anchoress
• International, NZZ Online
• The Outraged Spleen of Zion
• Black Shards, In Your Eyes, Blinding
• Happy Friendly Sparkly Toast Club Charter Member
• Or Does It Explode?
• Dreams Into Lightning
• Baithak
• The Main Point
• Right Pundits
• Blue Star Chronicles
• Not Ready for My Burqua

Feeling left out?

If you have blogged or posted about this story, leave your link in the comments below and I’ll add your link to the list! (Hooray, link love!!!!)

Update

Al-Khaiwani’s verdict and sentencing case has been postponed! It looks like all the media attention got them nervous, and are probably waiting for all the “hubbub” to die down…

Reporting: Armies of Liberation (Jane Novak), Conservative Belle, Not Ready for my Burqua, My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

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