Christmas greetings to soldiers
My grade school buddy's daughter is a marine helicopter pilot. Her mom is orchestrating a project to have lots of people send Christmas wishes to her and her fellow soldiers. Below you will see her address and also how you should display your greetings. She will share all the greetings with the three ships that are a part of the "13th MEU".
I encourage you to send this to other friends who might like to send their thanks to a soldier away.
Send your greetings to this exact address:
Capt. Donovan, Eileen C.
VMM-166 S-4
Unit 26052
FPO AP 96427-6052
Eileen will receive and display your greetings on board the USS Boxer, USS New Orleans and USS Harpers Ferry (three ships forming the Amphibious Readiness Group, 13th MEU).
Your salutations should read:
To All Marines and Naval Service aboard USS Boxer, USS New Orleans and USS Harpers Ferry
USS BOXER ARG, 13th MEU.
Jeanne McGill
Email
Bonus for a job not done
As you know, at the last town council meeting an APS representative had a $15,000 plus check for the town! At the end of business, by a vote of 5-2 or 4-3 [editor note: Bunch, McGuire and Spitzer voted against], council granted Rodney Glassman a contract extension – cost $15,000 or so. It’s a lot like a Christmas bonus for a job that was not done on his first $15,000 or so. That’s my view.
David Bogenshutz
Cave Creek
The biggest bully on the block
Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively to impose domination over others.
The news is full of stories of bullying. The word is usually associated with children. We all know children can be cruel. We read of the young girl who jumps off a bridge or hangs herself, devastated by hurtful words and slurs on Facebook. No one seems immune, even the NFL is plagued by those who abuse and intimidate at the expense of a more passive target. It would seem that everyone hates a bully.
I remember when I was in fourth grade I tried to be a bully. I was picking on a friend of mine because he wore glasses. I hit him with some of my best insults at the time including four eyes and goggle head. This was followed with a snowball to the forehead that removed the aforementioned glasses. The kid snapped. Pummeled me into a snow bank and my bullying days were over. Lesson learned. Just because someone appears timid, different, or uninvolved don’t assume you can force your will on them. They may have the ability to rise up and pummel you into a snow bank.
Right now, If I was awarding the Biggest Bully Award it would have to go to our federal government. They are threatening our Constitution, abusing our laws, and intimidating its citizens. It would appear, by the actions of the NSA and IRS that intimidation is a goal.
Obamacare, which was aggressively pushed is an obvious attempt to dominate our country’s healthcare system and control the American public. The big problem for Americans is that this bullying is not being done by just one person. The bully is not a living breathing thug that can be taken out with a punch. This bully is a nebulous collection of agencies, bureaus, and enablers that are hard to pin down or hold accountable for their actions.
How can you stand up to a bully when the bully is thin air? This bully tells you that you are stupid everyday. The bully proclaims our children are stupid, needing guidance from the great minds in Washington. This bully states that they know the healthcare we should have for our family, the food we should eat, the programs we should support. This bully will spend our money on a” bridge to nowhere” while at the same time ignore the laws of the country that can jeopardize our safety.
The bully is all about the bully. This bully only asks my opinion every couple of years. This bully tells me that I should keep supporting it because without it I would amount to a quivering pile of jelly, my life would be unfulfilling, and uncertain.
News flash ... the bully is a liar too. Two years ago a small number of Americans voted for a conservative change. The bully called these Americans every name in the book and some that have not yet been added to the dictionary.
With the launch of Obama care the bully has stepped over the red line and delivered a snow ball to the forehead of America. The bullying and lies that affected the victims of Fast & Furious, Benghazi, NSA spying, and IRS intimidation has been expanded to include all Americans and their wallets. All Americans get to see the bully in action.
While some will seek the safety of the bully’s power, others will challenge that power. Vote, participate, write, speak out, call email, text. We can all stand up to this bully and get our country back.
Scott Haberman
Cave Creek
By the Time I get to Phoenix
The old Glen Campbell song, “By the Time I get to Phoenix,” was at a golden time for Phoenicians, a time of innocence and wonderful expression of a place called “Miracle city in the Sun," we bragged of its arrival with population signs. The time I arrived in Phoenix from Page, AZ after completion of the Glen Canyon dam, was 1962. A young lad of adolescent years marveling at palm trees, swimming pools and dust devils.
I recently came across an old issue of Arizona Highways dated March 1964 called the "Changing face of Phoenix, by Tim Kelly.” Inside the first pages is a small article from then editor Raymond Carlson called "The Phoenix story goes on and on…" In the 1st paragraph he says, "Again it’s a pleasure to devote an issue to what we call, the miracle city in the sun Phoenix. It is such a big, dynamic, ever-changing story, one despairs of ever telling it properly: You cannot say: “This is Phoenix!” What you say today will be old hat tomorrow. Phoenix is in turmoil of growth in all phases of human activity and achievement – economic, cultural, population-wise – and what the future holds for the community staggers the imagination not only of the statistician but of the dreamer and the poet."
Boy, howdy! Phoenix was half a million residents at that time and a mere 600,000 went through Sky Harbor in one year. I am somewhat of a dreamer and abstract poet (just maybe that fascinated child who embraced this city with youthful memories of growing up here) as was Raymond Carlson a theorizing dreamer and poet.
The miracle city turned into, “The valley of the sun,” and what I’ve seen in my many years living here I call it, “Valley on the run!” Inside that issue of Arizona Highways is a caption that spells out, “Slow down and enjoy life.” I don’t see anybody slowing down, but there is still room to enjoy life while we can, while we’re here. But growth has changed the Valley. I don’t like what I see but that’s progress. “There is a dark cloud on the horizon no larger than the palm of my hand – its called progress,” wrote Edward Abbey. The face of Phoenix will never be the same as the one I knew (now those population signs are collecting soot underneath the ashes of the “Valley on the run”) so I wrote a short poem on what Phoenix had and has meant to me.
Spreading her wings
Phoenix, Arizona where art thou burg I once knew
A haven a mere half century ago I’m blue
Where have you gone my amigo friend
I guess it’s true all good things end
We bragged of your growth your interior seed
With population signs for people to heed
A few hundred thousand souls
To a population out of control
Where art thou small Phoenix bird
The tranquil hamlet from years gone way
Traffic, litter, smog, crime were growing way to fast
I miss your youthful beauty from the past
It saddens me to think you’ll never be back
A tear I cry for an old dying friend
I miss you Phoenix, the city I knew back then
A love in my heart
You’ll always have a part
I will always remember for sure
The peaceful paradise you once were
I’ll dream of your divine presence again
Goodbye Phoenix my old friend.
Lyle Anderson
Apache Junction
It’s time to recognize Merchant Seamen
Now that Veteran’s Day is behind us, it is time to recognize the Merchant Seamen who brought men and supplies to all the theaters of war.
For every troop transport manned by these volunteers, a dozen ships followed carrying clothing, food, ammunition, vehicles, airplanes and even locomotives. All the tools of war were carried on ships manned by these men and boys.
These brave men suffered the highest casualty rate of all the services. Theirs was 3.16 percent while the next highest was the Marine Corps with 2.9 percent.
There is an organization “The American Merchant Marine Veterans of WWII,” a chapter of which is the “ Desert Mariners of Arizona” meeting regularly on the third Saturday of the month at the American Legion Hall, 7145 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, at 11 a.m. All those with salt water in their blood are invited to join with us.
Very truly yours,
Norman Palmer
Peoria
Visit American Merchant Marine at War: www.usmm.org.
468 of 535 members of Congress could be replaced in 2014
This is OUR COUNTRY! We don’t have to accept the trash coming out of Washington D.C. that’s being presented to us as “the fruit of the government of the greatest nation on Earth.” The president’s approval rating is 37 percent and that of Congress is about 9 percent. Collectively those we have elected to govern us are unfit to do so. It’s time for “change that really matters.”
The president will be replaced no later than 2016. Approximately one third of the senate is elected every two years; some 33 in 2014. The 435 members of the US House of representatives are another matter; they are all elected every two years! So of the 535 members of both chambers of congress, some 468 of them could be replaced in 2014!
Everyone gets to vote for 1 representative and at most 1 senator. Patriotic citizens MUST “take care of business” at the 2014 ballot boxes in their state and congressional district for “change that really matters” to occur.
Finally, due to the states’ congressional district gerrymandering, effective change WILL ONLY happen in the primary elections. So, in order to save the republic YOU must get busy now. Do it for our kids and grandkids.
Glen E. Terrell
Arlington, Texas
[email protected]
Looking past Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving was surrounded by life's hardships. The early settlers were bombarded with extreme weather, hunger, sickness and death. Those who had survived believed the best they could do was to stop and give thanks.
Too many throughout America are looking past Thanksgiving. Either we don't want to think about it or we are looking to black Friday, Christmas or just trying to get through the year. The aggravations of the world often drive us to feeling beaten down and we become bitter and resentful instead of thankful.
When we live with gratitude our lives are more peaceful. Gratitude is a great stress reliever because we are looking to God and thanking Him. A thankful life is a healthy life emotionally and physically. In Gratitude we focus on the positive instead of the negative. We focus on the giver of life and not everything that is wrong with life.
How well we know that life is filled with suffering. Tornadoes destroyed towns throughout the Midwest last week. Thousands of people were devastated. One evening news sound bite was a woman in tears saying that she and her husband lost everything but they clung to each other because they still had each other." In the middle of losing everything they were grateful for each other. The Philippines were almost wiped off the map because of the most horrific typhoon ever recorded. Those people are suffering.
We don't want pain and suffering. Yet, it's almost impossible to live very long without experiencing both. A man in the Bible by the name of Job lost everything. He lost his children, his entire wealth and his health. Job suffered and lost everything. His wife told him to curse God and die. Job looked to his creator in spite of circumstances. He never lost his sense of gratitude toward God even in the blackest hours of his life. He said, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him," Job 13:15. In his last years of life Job ended up with more than ever before. Gratitude was the beginning step to a new life for Job.
You may not feel life is going your way. Stop and give thanks. Giving thanks is often the first step to better days.
Glenn Mollette
American columnist
Real health care reform: Share your ideas
As we continue to watch the disastrous roll out of Obamacare, it would be easy for us to say that we have been warning about this for the last 4 years. It would be easy for us to say that we had a major impact in the fight for Congress to stop implementation of the law by not wasting any taxpayer money on what was clearly shaping up to be a train wreck - with fierce opposition from both political parties. We could say we did all of this with the intent to protect the America from the disasters of Obamacare. And it would all be true.
However, right now is not the time for pointing fingers and "we told you so." Right now is time to go back to the drawing board and undo this mess before it continues to do harm to the American people. That's why we are laying out our guidelines for real health care reform.
The first step is full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Then any new attempt at health care reform needs to include principles that promote health care freedom for all.
Real Health Care Reform would meet the following criteria:
• CONSTITUTIONAL: Real health care reform will be constitutional and protect all Americans' rights.
• COMPREHENSIBLE: Real health care reform will be comprehensible, clear, and simple for everyone to understand.
• DEBT-FREE: Real health care reform will not add to the national debt.
• RELATIONSHIPS: Real health care reform will enhance the doctor-patient relationship.
• FREE MARKET: Real health care reform will draw on the strengths of the free market by encouraging innovation and competition.
• PRIVACY: Real health care reform will minimize the role of the federal government in the health care sector.
• CHARITY: Real health care reform will incorporate opportunities for the private sector to provide charitable solutions.
• CHOICE: Real health care reform will increase consumer choice.
• TRANSPARENCY: Real health care reform will increase transparency.
Congress isn't leading the way on this, so it is time for the American people to step up and guide us to health care freedom. Join in on the conversation by letting us know what Real Health Care Reform looks like to you.
Click for more details on Real Health Care Reform.
In liberty,
Tea Party Patriots National Support Team
www.tppsupport.org
