25th Rant: Online Social Media Tea Party?

There is a reason I had titled this rant like I did. Back in July during the debt ceiling debacle Hugh Hewitt, a talk radio host as well as a columnist for TownHall.com, mentioned that a “Twitter Tea Party” is needed. I had tweeted a couple of things during that Tea Party, and think that another one is needed right now. Only thing is I will go one better. What we need is just as I had mentioned in the title of this blog entry, an ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA Tea Party.

As far as I know, there are 8 forms of Social Media online right now:

1. Facebook (http://www.facebook.com)
2. Twitter (http://www.twitter.com)
3. Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com)
4. LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com)
5. Digg (http://www.digg.com)
6. YouTube (http://www.youtube.com)
7. any and all blogs
8. any and all message boards

(NOTE: If there are any others I am forgetting, please let me know. Also, I realize I am missing sites like RedState, Tea Party Patriots, Tea Party Nation, and FreedomWorks and FreedomConnector as well, but I have included them in the final two forms.)

With sites like Facebook and Twitter, I would propose we find out the online pages of ALL of the political figures - whether they are local, state, or national – and post on their sites, telling them how you think they are doing and just let them know what you would like to see enacted on either a bill or some other pending legislation, as well as your thoughts on how they had voted on prior pieces of legislation. Also, Facebook and Twitter are good sites to post articles and other items to let people know what is happening not only in America but all around the world.

With sites like Tumblr, LinkedIn, and Digg, I would propose that we find articles and other items, like we did with Facebook and Twitter, and post them to our pages to let people know what is happening. This way we can get the word out and keep others up to date on what is happening.

In the event that the articles we had found are already posted to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, or Digg by others, we should like, share, Retweet, Digg, and/or even comment on them.

With YouTube, we have a choice of either uploading a video of our own opinions on certain events, uploading videos of rallies or speeches, or commenting on the videos which are already out there.

For the various blogs and message boards out there, we can employ the same methods we used above, especially sharing them on the other social media outlets. This way the same articles get multiple coverage.

Why do I say post the same articles on all forms of social media? The answer is real simple. You might have different friends on Facebook than you do on Twitter (for example) and as such your Twitter friends might not be aware of a certain issue if you had only posted it to Facebook. I use all of the above social media outlets and there are some friends who are one outlet but not on others. If you only post to one social media outlet and then tell your friends on another they might feel out of the loop if they had not read a certain article, blog entry, or anything else. That is why we should cover ALL of the social media outlets, regardless of what they are, and get the word out there.

If you are interested in a Social Media Tea Party, please let me know and hopefully we can try to work something out. My email and Instant Messengers are always open and available for discussion about this.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Just got this in an email from my mom. It was so good that I just have to share it.

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go."
"Not without something hot in your belly." George said.
He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew ... Made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."
Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front.. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken." George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead.
"You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.
"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."
George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ole truck has brand new ." George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.
George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.
"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln . They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.
As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."
George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.
"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance."
The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.
He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."
George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."
George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.
"None for me," said the officer..
"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.
The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.
"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."
The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now."
He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pea shooter away."
George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week."
George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."
He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."
The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."
"Shut up and drink your coffee " the cop said.
George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.
"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.
Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran."
George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?" the wounded cop continued.
"Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."
The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"
Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."
"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems."
George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."
The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."
"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."
George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."
The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier.
"And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said. "Now git home to your family."
The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."
"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."
George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"
"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"
"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."
The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.
The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. "That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."
George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.
"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."
The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."
George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.
"You see, George ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."
George fell to his knees and replied, "Happy Birthday, Lord Jesus"

This story is better than any greeting card.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND GOD BLESS!

Now clear the lump from your throat, blow your nose, and send this along to a friend of yours or someone who may need a reminder as to why we celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all!

24th rant: The BlameStream Media and the possibilities of a replacement media

The way the media is nowadays, tearing down a decent man in order to pump up either their anointed one (in the form of MSNBC, CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC pumping up Obama) or their golden boy (in the form of Fox News pumping up Romney during the GOP primary now) is making many Americans, including myself, so upset that the only solution is to start another media outlet. Granted in 2005 there was the advent of the blogosphere as the new media which is all well and good, but now we might have to expand into broadcast and video media.

A good friend of mine, Jay Riley, had put a wonderful idea out there in a conversation on a site known as Team Cain. Here is what he said:

 

If I may interject this concept into the discussion of "The Media". Part of this is a technological shift no less important than the shift from pre and post radio, and pre and post TV. The new broadcast medium is Internet. As one friend puts it "the 50-something TV execs just don't get it" (I'm 51 btw, but was a teen computer wiz). They are correct. Ever notice how all the cable companies are feverishly trying to get you to bundle TV, Internet, and Phone?

Obama was successful in part because he was one of the first to tap into the broadcast modes used by a new generation of voters, Facebook and Twitter. That edge, coupled with financial collapse under the outgoing Republican candidate, allowed a guy who -- although he obviously is sincere in his beliefs -- does NOT get how to run the country. In academia he's always had money from the sky solve all problems and never had to earn that money running a business.

Steve Jobs, who DID understand where money came from, made his helping to invent some of the tools to create the new medium, and as a business man warned Obama that he is on the path to being a one term president (I think Steve, like myself, grew up in a liberal household, but because of his public position was not able to easily extract himself...one of the most courageous things Ronald Reagan did was switch from Democrat to Republican even after being in the public eye).

Happily Republicans like Herman Cain *do* get the new medium somewhat, as does Donald Trump, and most in the current GOP field. We have to avoid being like some of the spoiled folks who complain they don't have a job but expect someone else to fix it. WE have the power to create a live video feed via Internet (I recommend a Mac with Lion Server which includes a Quicktime server connected to a business Internet line with fast UPLOAD speed). Presto! Instant TV station.

Recap: ANY one of us can buy an iMac install Mac OS X Lion Server (which includes QuickTime streaming server), plug it into an Internet connection with good upload speed (they advertise download speeds -- eg my Time Warner Road Runner Turbo has 15Mbps download speed but only 1Mbps up), point a domain to it and presto, WE are our own media source. (you will need a business line, they don't allow servers on residential accounts due to load). WE must embrace this new technology not let THEM dictate

What he had said reminds me of what I had seen in an old episode of “V” from back in 1983. For those of you unfamiliar with the premise, it started out with a race of reptilian humanoids who had come to earth in the hopes of being the saviors of earth’s problems. Little do the humans know, these reptilian humanoids (also known as “Visitors”) had an ulterior motive of stripping the earth clean of resources and using humans for either food or cannon fodder. After the humans beat the Visitors, a year later the Visitors had come back bigger and stronger to where they controlled almost everything. The Visitors even controlled most of the major TV and radio outlets as they had in the apst but a small group of humans (and even some Visitors who rebelled against the authority of the Leader who were called the Fifth Column) were featured on a radio broadcast called “Freedom News Network” which was a pirate radio broadcast in New York meant to deliver unbiased media to the people, and kept the watchers up-to-date with the state of the conflict around the world; reporting on Resistance victories and defeats and awarding a "Medal of Valour" to a specific Resistance fighter once a week if they saved many human lives or killed many Visitors and fought incredibly bravely.

With that in mind, I think we as Conservatives and Americans who love the country but hate what the media is doing should take a page out of  start our own media network and spread the TRUTH about the issues and the corrupt politicians.WE are the resistance to the liberals, progressives, and the establishment. Let us take America back!

23rd Rant: An Open Letter to America

Our Fellow Americans,
We are writing to you as fellow citizens of this great country, The United States of America. We believe that the direction this country is heading is way off course from what was established by our forefathers and from where we ought to be.
We have taken for granted too long our liberties and our rights and now they are under assault. Through untruths and allegations without basis in fact Mr. Herman Cain was forced to suspend his campaign in order to stop the media frenzy, focus on his family and clear his name.
We the grassroots supporters of Herman Cain believe that this type of character assassination will continue unless we the people send a message to the establishment. In this case we feel a vote for Herman Cain in the caucuses or primaries will send that message. We urge you to consider standing with us on caucus day and let the establishment know that we “the people” will choose our own candidates for elective office.
For more information please check out hermancain.com or listen in on Friday evening at 8pmCST to FoggybottomAl on Cain Nation blogtalkradio.com
Sincerely and Thoughtfully
Concerned Citizens for Cain

These words were written by a good friend and fellow Herman Cain Supporter Brenda Ward. who like many that support Herman Cain is disgusted that he had to drop out over baseless allegations. Like Herman himself said in a few interviews, “They cannot attack me on my policies so they attack me on my character.”

This Open Letter to America is our way to let people know that we will not stand for it any longer and we WILL be heard, even if we have to write Herman Cain in when we vote in the caucuses and primaries!

22 Rant: The Media, the Establishment, and the death of a good man

 

With Herman Cain suspending his campaign yesterday due to baseless allegations and lies on his character, we had just witnessed the death of America. I say that because it was the media and the establishment, folks like Karl Rove, Charles Krauthammer, Bill O’Reilly, Keith Olbermann, Al Sharpton, and Tavis Smiley among others, who had torn down a decent man by listening to the allegations of “women” (and I use that term loosely) like Sharon Bialek and Ginger White who claimed that Herman Cain either sexually harassed or had an affair with them. IF the media were to have done their research on these “ladies” they would have found their claims to be baseless.

For instance, Ginger White had said that during the “affair” Herman Cain took her to a Mike Tyson fight, which is TOTALLY UNTRUE because Tyson last fought in 1997 against Evander Holyfield (aka “The Bite of the Century” where Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear twice) and was suspended due to his actions. Also, Herman Cain was battling STAGE 4 CANCER. Now I do not know much about Cancer, but from I had heard, Stage 4 means you are right at death’s door. So there is no way that he could have had time to have an affair while he was doing chemotherapy. Also, his wife had health problems and so Herman Cain would not travel 30 miles from his home to the WSB studios in Atlanta when he was doing his radio show so Herman had broadcast the show right from his office close to home. (hat tip to Neal Boortz for that little bit of knowledge about Herman’s radio show)

Another thing that has me upset about this is the fact that the media had focused on these “allegations” because of the time frame in which they had taken place in. It seems odd to me that ALL of these allegations took place during Herman’s three years as head of the National Restaurant Association. Out of 45 PLUS years of business experience that Herman Cain has, working at the Department of the Navy, Godfather’s Pizza, Coca Cola, Pillsbury, the Federal Reserve bank of Kansas City, and Cox Media, the Blamestream Media decided to focus on those 3 years like a laser. If they really did their homework, they would have looked at the ENTIRE body of work and asked people who worked with him there and asked if he was like that. But the media did not because they wanted to choose our candidate for us. Well I hope the media is happy because now we are stuck with 4 more years of Obama and as such America died yesterday.

21st Rant: Herman Cain, his path to victory, and the establishment

I have heard many “pundits” and “experts” say that in order for Herman Cain to win, he has to put boots on the ground and spend more time in the first four states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida or Nevada) because that is how TRUE candidates play the game. Well I am here to tell those “pundits and “experts” that it is not the case this election. With the advent of social media and how it is coming into play more now than in the 2008 election, it IS possible to run a different style of campaign. This election is all about going to the people, and have a grassroots team in those states while you listen to the residents of the other states.
Herman Cain is proving this by having people (even in other states) calling the residents of the first four or five states and then going from there while he is in one of the “obscure states” (though this election there ARE no obscure states as EVERY STATE is in play) and campaigning there. He is doing this because the voice of the people is more important than the voice of the “pundit” or “expert” and as such the PEOPLE will choose who our next candidate is!
Back in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s there was a religious crusade in my area of Fort Myers, and the theme used in this crusade was “if one person tells two people, and those two people each tell a person, and those four people each tell a person, then the word will grow.” That was based on Jesus Christ having twelve disciples and then those twelve going out to tell the people in a certain area. Soon the word spread like wildfire and Jesus had a multitude following him. Herman Cain's campaign is the same way. He started out with a small core group of people but in time he grew to 140,000+ followers on Twitter, 300,000+ (or so) people liking his Facebook page, and so many others telling their neighbors by word of mouth.
Not many people had seen a campaign being run like this, so the “pundits” and the “experts” say that this is not how it should be run because it is not traditional. Well who decides what is and is not traditional? After all, what might be traditional to one person might not be to another. Herman Cain does what he does because it works FOR HIM and is traditional FOR HIM. He has seen the “traditional” playbook the establishment has in mind and just tosses it right out the window because he is a candidate of the people, not of the traditional establishment, as Mark Block so eloquently points out in the following video:

Enter video caption here

Herman Cain is smoking the competition because he is doing what HE feels is right, and it is resonating with the people!

20th Rant: The Debt Debacle in Washington DC

 

 

 

This clip from Jerry Maguire where Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) tells Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) to show him the money is quite fitting of what the American people (mostly from the Tea Party) are trying to tell the Democrats and Obama. Namely, the Democrats in the Senate who had not produced a budget in over 800 days now.While the House of Representatives had passed a cure to the debt ceiling (ie. Cut, Cap, and Balance) Obama and the Democrats say that it is not proper and has no chance of passing the Senate. Plus Obama says he will veto it if it passes his desk. What are the Democrats afraid of? Hey, Senate Dems, SHOW US THE BUDGET AND ALSO PASS CUT, CAP, AND BALANCE! Otherwise, your time in control will be up in 2012,

LEST WE FORGET!

I was listening to the live stream of a national talk radio show last August and the host had mentioned this. I will put up the link to where I got it as well as the story.
LINK: http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2009/08/lets-end-with-this.html

 

I did all I could last night to research this bit on the Internet. Snopes had nothing. This is a message an airplane pilot sent to his colleagues after one particular flight:

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, 'We have an H.R. on this flight.' H.R. stands for human remains. 'Are they military?' I asked. 'Yes', she said. 'Is there an escort?' I asked. 'Yes, I already assigned him a seat.' 'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early', I said.
A short while later, a young Army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us. My soldier is on his way back to Virginia', he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words on his own. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', he said. He then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia. The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendant's voice when he asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told him that I would get back to him.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had onboard with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and this following is the text:
'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and planeside to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans.
Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.' Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.
'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is private XXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft. When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one. Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of America.

With the type of people we have running this country right now ... people who don't believe that we're at war with Islamic terrorism .. .this sure makes you feel better about the rest of us.

Let us keep ALL the men and women in uniform, past and present, in our prayers. If there are any who you know who had served or any families of those who are currently serving, thank them for their part in keeping America safe.

19th Rant: The Federal Tax System (Part 3)

 

The above cartoon was posted in my local newspaper by a local cartoonist on April 14, 2010. That is spot on as many feel that way when filling out the tax forms that the government says we are required to do. The Tea Party has it right when they say we are taxed too much, and the only solution to this is to scrap the IRS and the Income Tax and implement the Fair Tax. I had posted a few things on the Fair Tax in earlier rants (http://rickbulow1974.blogspot.com/2005/03/second-rant-federal-tax-system.html and http://rickbulow1974.blogspot.com/2005/04/13th-rant-federal-tax-system-part-2.html, but it needs to be said again. We need to implement the Fair Tax soon and especially with the economy the way it is, because we have lost many jobs and also money overseas. There is over $12 TRILLION of our money invested in offshore banking centers. It is time we bring that money back to the US to be spent.

Here is something heartwarming from Southwest Florida

This is a good heart-warming story of how one loss can help bring back life to another, so to speak.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20091202/COLUMNISTS02/912020383/1075/San-Carlos-Park-man-offers-late-wife-s-artificial-leg-to-Army

San Carlos Park man offers late wife's artificial leg to Army
Sam Cook • scook@news-press.com • December 2, 2009

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Buzz up!Twitter 1:10 A.M. — When retired Michigan policeman D'Arcy Young read about U.S. Army Pfc. Michael Araujo losing his leg, he didn't hesitate.

Young, who lives in San Carlos Park, called me and offered to give Araujo, 19, his late wife's artificial leg.
Southwest Floridians are known for helping folks in need, yet how can you top that?
The gift was an ultimate gesture of a man grieving the loss of Henrietta, 74, his wife of 29 years. Young says she died Oct. 30 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
"If that young man needs a leg, this is a possibility,'' says Young, 82. "Henrietta would want him to have it.''
He says his wife had diabetes and a vein problem, yet didn't use the prosthesis much because of infections in her right leg.
Cape Coral resident Araujo is recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., after a Humvee in which he was riding on Oct. 16 was struck by a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Tyler Araujo, the soldier's father, was overwhelmed by Young's generosity.
"That is great,'' he says. "The Army is taking care of Michael's prosthesis, but there is a need for artificial legs up here. He should find a way to send it to Walter Reed.''
Young, who bought the Otto Bock Compact Microprocessor Knee System from Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics in Fort Myers for around $30,000, says he will gladly donate it to the hospital.
"It has a knee joint and can be adjusted to either leg,'' he says about the Austrian-made prosthetic he purchased in 2007. "Rather than see it sit here and go to waste, I'd rather see the Army have it.''

The original story

http://www.news-press.com/article/200911260110/COLUMNISTS02/91119083

Wounded Cape Coral soldier thanks Southwest Florida residents for support
By Sam Cook • scook@news-press.com • November 26, 2009

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11:40 A.M. — U.S. Army PFC Michael Araujo is thankful to be alive this Thanksgiving.

The 19-year-old Mariner High graduate and Cape Coral resident also appreciates the prayers and monetary donations he and his family received from folks in Southwest Florida.

“Please thank everyone for their help during our time of hardship,’’ said Michael Araujo from his bed Wednesday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. “We are grateful for their support.’’

Military Policeman Araujo (pronounced A-roosh) lost his left leg when the Humvee in which he was riding was struck by a roadside bomb the Taliban detonated Oct. 16 in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Surgeons at Walter Reed removed Araujo’s left leg above the knee in an eight-hour operation Friday, according to Tyler Araujo, Michael’s father. Surgeons completed work Monday with a second procedure.

“They shortened the leg a little bit more,’’ Tyler Araujo said. “They reinforced the upper thigh with screws and pins. They will let it heal and fit a prosthesis with a knee joint in six weeks.’’

Michael Araujo says he is eager to begin his rehabilitation.

“God bless everybody,’’ he said. “Tell them to have a happy Thanksgiving.’’

TO HELP: If you wish to help the Araujo families offset expenses while staying in D.C., mail a check to Wayne Hamlin, Michael’s uncle and godfather, at 1724 NW 15th Terrace in Cape Coral, 33993. Hamlin’s telephone number is 239-218-9019. You may also donate money at any Fifth Third Bank nationwide. An account has been established by Patricia Hamlin, Michael’s aunt and godmother.
Originally published Nov. 19, 2009
There are people who need our help.

Then, there are people who deserve our help.

U.S. Army Pfc. Michael Araujo fits both categories.

The 19-year-old Mariner High School graduate was strengthening his upper left leg muscles Tuesday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The exercise wasn’t part of his normal rehab.