HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

This is always that time of year where I sit back and reflect on the past 365 days. It was quite a year for me filled with laughter, tears, joys, heartache, and anticipation for 2006. I am thankful for so much in my life....for my family and friends. I am thankful for our great President and especially for all of our men and women overseas who will ring in the new year listening to RPGs and mortars instead of noisemakers and fireworks. Without them I doubt I'd be here today and I thank God for them every day.

This is more of a personal post so feel free to stop reading if you'd like.

Major events for me in 2005:

-I was told I was getting a 3rd observation for my teaching job. It terrified me but I took the bull by the horns and took my teaching to the next level.

-The principal told me I did an outstanding job and invited me to come back next year.

-I found my perfect townhouse and bought it! In January I didn't even know if I had a job, let alone be able to move out on my own.......by May I was signing my life away and have a beautiful home I can be proud of!

-On a sadder note, I broke up with the only man I have ever loved after a happy 2 year relationship. I have never been so miserable and the worst part was breaking his heart. Its hard to do that to someone you love, but I think it was the right decision for us at that time. That was definitely the worst part of 2005.

-After the breakup, I renewed some amazing friendships with people who held my hand through the tough times, took me out and helped me smile, laugh and party again. They are the best friends I could ever have.

-I lost my best friend, another low point that makes me sad every day. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding and couldn't be happier for her! But for some reason she stopped talking to me completely after the wedding and after dozens of phone calls and emails I find out she's furious with me. Apparently at her wedding I was talking crap about her, her husband and her wedding. Of course this is absurd because I love her, love her husband and loved her wedding. I know that whomever told her this misheard but she chose to believe them instead of simply calling and asking me. She was my second half for so long and while it looks like she's made her choice to end our friendship, I am a doormat and still hold out hope that she digs deep and knows in her heart that I would never say or do anything to hurt her.

-I had quite a scare when I found out my Marine friend/old flame in Iraq's platoon was attacked and suffered many casualties. I watched the news every second I could, surfed the internet and talked with mutual friends to find out if he survived. When the news finally released the names of Marines KIA, my heart was in my throat but as each picture flashed on the screen, I was relieved yet upset knowing those terrorist bastards killed such amazing men. My friend was slightly injured but was okay. Emailing with him in Iraq was wonderful and I am so glad he was okay.

-I had a tough school year with athletic training....it was stressful, clashes with my coworkers and ridiculous hours really tried my patience...but when it comes down to it, its about the kids and taking good care of them so as long as I focus on that, it will be alright.

-I had quite possibly the BEST WEEKEND of my life when I went back to my alma mater, Ohio University for Homecoming this year. I spent time with my old crush/great friend in Columbus, partied it up in Athens, saw all my old friends and just walked around campus remembering some of the best times of my life. The best part, by far, was the Marine coming down to see us the very week he returned from Iraq. His stories were upsetting and seeing the saddness in his eyes was difficult but just the fact he was back with us was the best thing I could have asked for. I used to be so smitten with him back in college, and its just too bad he lives in Ohio....a gorgeous, gun-loving, Republican, sarcastic, fellow Bobcat, Marine, war veteran, does it get any better than that? :) Oh well, thats how the cookie crumbles!

-I had my 2 observations for my job this semester and I did a great job, so my career is intact for another year, which is great news and a load off my mind!


Soo all and all its been an eventful year! I have high hopes for 2006 and I will do everything in my power to make it the best year ever! I know many people's lives have been tougher by leaps and bounds so I feel very lucky in the grand scheme of things.

I hope each and every one of you....yes even Democrats, a wonderful New Years and a 2006 full of prosperity and love. I'm off to party, later!

Titanic Survivors

I have had a little free time over this Christmas break and some of that has been spent flipping back and forth between 2 movies: Phantom of the Opera and Titanic. There are certain movies that I simply cannot turn off if they are on and these are 2 of them. I got to thinking if there are any Titanic survivors still alive and here's what I found:

3 known Titanic Survivors:

Lillian Gertrude Asplund: she was 5 1/2 on The Titanic in third class. she is 91 now.
Barbara West: she was 3 1/2 on The Titanic in second class. she is 89 now.
Eliza Gladys Milvina Dean: she was 10 weeks old on The Titanic in third class. she is 85 now.

If you would like to read more about these three survivors, click here. You never know, maybe you'll end up on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and need this random piece of info.

Sacrifices for our country

So Ranting Republican and I are putting care packages together for the troops and took a trip up north to an adult video store. No military porn, sorry to say....but we did get 3 DVD's and some magazines for the troops. We went incognito....I was in a Marines Sweatshirt and a cowboy hat and she wore huge movie star sunglasses. I giggled a lot...suprising for a health teacher, I know!
In the back of the store there were these rooms where people could view movies and um, well, take care of business......we could hear all the movies, complete with moaning and screaming...it was like surround sound in there! Then we'd see a guy walk out and leave, it was hilarious. One dude was like 80, I swear.

I never realized how expensive and adult movie is...DVDs ranging from $25-$75. The real expensive ones were even interactive. Fascinating. I had some friends over and we previewed the movies......my sister picked out a funny one, I picked out a horrible amateur one, and the other I picked up was totally hardcore, I had no idea! Instead of turning us all on, we don't want to see a breast or penis for a while!!! 3 or 4 hours of watching that stuff will do that to you! I'm sure we'll all be back to our normal selves tomorrow though.

What sacrifices we'll do to keep the Marines morale high in Iraq, I tell ya!

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

THANK A SOLDIER WEEK!!!

I urge everyone who visits my site to CLICK HERE and send a quick message out to our men a women overseas. While we are sitting around a fireplace opening presents and laughing with our family, they are in the desert manning their posts and hunting down the very people who want to vaporize every American (there are some I wouldn't mind vanishing into thin air, but that's another story.)

I, personally, have my own way I thanked a soldier (and I recommend it highly) but by either sending a care package or even writing an email, we are letting the troops know we love and support them every minute of every day.

Ranting Republican and I are putting together care packages for several Marines in Iraq....filled with video games, DVDs, magazines, fleece blankets I made, pillow, cigarettes, dip, food, and even some adult entertainment.....I know thats what they want!!!

THANK YOU AIRMEN, SEAMEN, GUARDSMEN, SOLDIERS AND MARINES!

A Commie's Christmas email to me

So I get this email from a fellow teacher (notice the quote he uses at the end of his emails):

For My REPUBLICAN Friends:

> "Please accept with no obligation, implied or
> implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally
> conscious, socially responsible, low-stress,
> non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the
> winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most
> enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of
> your choice, or secular practices of your choice,
> with respect for the religious/secular persuasion
> and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to
> practice religious or secular traditions at all. We
> also wish you a fiscally successful, personally
> fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition
> of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year
> 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars
> of choice of other cultures whose contributions to
> society have helped make America great. Not to imply
> that America is necessarily greater than any other
> country nor the only America in the Western
> Hemisphere. And without re gard to the race, creed,
> color, age, physical ability, religious faith or
> sexual preference of the wishee. By accepting these
> greetings you are accepting these terms. This
> greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal.
> It is freely transferable with no alteration to the
> original greeting. It implies no promise by the
> wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for
> herself or himself or others, and is void where
> prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole
> discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to
> perform as expected within the usual application of
> good tidings for a period of one year or until the
> issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever
> comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement
> of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole
> discretion of the wisher."

For: My DEMOCRATIC Friends:
>Here's wishing all of You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!


"There was no reason for America to go to war when we did, the way we did, and for the false reasons we were given," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.)

Congressional Medal of Honor

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

I know this happened last year but I just heard about it now and wanted to share.

22 year old Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham is being considered for the Medal of Honor. When I heard his story on the radio tonight, it put me in tears. Here is the story:

Jason Dunham stepped into the role of protector long before he ever donned a Marine uniform.
As a teenager, he put himself between a friend and an adversary to protect his buddy during a fight. As a brother, he would warn his little sister to watch out for boys. As a man, he dreamed of becoming a state trooper — so long as work didn’t take him too far from home, where he could keep an eye on those he loved most.

Dunham died as he had lived, said the minister at his burial last May: “Caring more for others than himself.”
He has been nominated for the Medal of Honor, given for extraordinary valor without regard to one’s safety.

On April 14, Dunham, 22, was on a mission with his Marine unit in the Iraqi town of Karabiliah when reports came in of an insurgent attack against another group of Marines nearby. Dunham’s team went in search of the perpetrators in an attempt to stop the attack. When they came upon a line of Iraqi vehicles, the team checked each one. One vehicle’s driver, an Iraqi, lunged out of the driver’s side, grabbed Dunham by the throat and he and Dunham wrestled to the ground. Other Marines at the scene rushed to help, but one heard Dunham yell, “No, no, no—watch his hand!” The Iraqi was holding a hand grenade, which was on a hair trigger. When the insurgent released the grenade, Dunham threw his helmet and his body over the weapon, taking the brunt of the explosion.

He died a week later at a U.S. hospital, his parents by his side. His mother, Deb, held one hand. His father, Dan, clasped the other. “He never opened his eyes,” his mother said.

Dunham is among several Americans in the Iraq war who gave their lives to save another. Marine Sgt. Kirk Straseskie, 23, of Beaver Dam, Wis., drowned after he jumped into a canal to rescue victims of a helicopter crash. Army Sgt. Jaror Puello-Coronado, 36, of Pocono Summit, Pa., was hit by an out-of-control truck after he pushed another soldier out of its path.

Dunham is the first person in this conflict to be recommended for the nation’s highest military honor, according to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. In a letter asking President Bush to approve the Medal of Honor nomination, Schumer noted that Dunham’s “unbelievable bravery and selflessness” saved the lives of at least two other Marines.

“I can imagine no clearer a case of an individual soldier exhibiting the ideals that the Congressional Medal was established to honor.”

Dunham’s mother says they were ideals her son displayed all his life. “He was a hero before this,” she said. “It didn’t take this for us to find that out.” — Associated Press

I did some homework on the Congressional Medal of Honor:

The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress, it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor.

From my research, a Medal of Honor hasn't been awarded since 1993 when Randy Shugart and Gary Gordon received Medals of Honor for their actions in the Blackhawk Down incident. If I am wrong, then please correct me. I have tried to find out if President Bush did award it to Dunham but was unsuccessful.

God Bless our men and women in the Armed Forces who are fighting abroad to keep us safe here at home. Merry Christmas

RAW in Afghanistan

I use to love WWF wrestling back in the days of the Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, and Sgt. Slaughter......and then again in college with Stonecold Steve Austin, The Rock, and The Undertaker. Then it got stupid and the WCW and WWF merged so I stopped watching. Vince McMahon took his now WWE RAW show to Afghanistan and its going to be on tonight, 8pm CT on USA. Here is the website with a bunch of pictures: Tribute to the Troops. I think I might tune in.

Semester winding down.....

Well, I'm in class right now giving final exams...which is way better than taking them I might add! Its been an interesting end to the semester...here are some highlights (or lowlights):

-Since I'm a "madatory reporter" of child abuse I had to tell the police about a former student of mine who came to school in a wheelchair. Her mom has bipolar disorder and is in and out of a mental hospital, her dad works all the time and this poor 15 year old takes care of her younger sister and brother. They all were home schooled, which scares the hell out of me. I had her in summer school 2 years ago and was the first teacher she ever had. She confided a lot in me and thats why when I saw her in a wheelchair, my heart leaped into my throat. I heard her tell her other teachers that she had a growth spurt problem....but when I asked her privately, she told her her dad was "wrestling" with her. She said he was mad and she kept him away from her siblings. He injured her hip and he has a herniated disc in her back. Bastard...this girl is soooo petite and sweet and quiet. The school police liason called her down after I told him and she admitted all to him so its being dealt with.....so sad. Some people do not deserve to be parents!

-I have 2 freshman kids who are dating each other in 2 of my health classes. The girlfriend wrote the boy a note, talking about sexual things (stick figure drawing of sexual positions) and how one teacher is pissing her off so bad she wants to kill her.....and the boy's mother found the note while she was doing the wash. She held the note over her son's head and if he did anything bad, she would turn it into the school. Both of these kids are "A" students and really sweet....but for some reason Mom turned the note into the school authorities and suspended the girl b/c of the threat to the teacher. Yikes!

-THIS ONE IS INSANE!!!!!! I had this student last year in Health class. He's a short white kit with scrappy black hair who does his work but keeps to himself. He got an "A" in my class. This year he's been dressing a little differently, black Anarchy shirts, trenchcoats, baggy cargos, black gloves and pentagrams.....total Columbine style. I saw him at the Homecoming dance sitting by himself the entire time just staring at the crowd...it was creepy.

WELL, he had on one of those wallets with the chain attached to it. We don't allow those b/c it could be used as a weapon. When the dean saw it, he asked the kid to remove it...kid refused. So he escorted the kid to the office and when he removed it, it was attached to a big, sharpened metal stick! Also in his back pocket was an arrowhead. Wait, it gets better. Then the dean asked what else he had on him...to which the kid replied "nuthin". When he checked his cargo pants pockets, he had a butterfly knife in one and a double bladed butterfly knife in the other!! Good lord! Wait, it gets better. The dean then asks him what he's got in his backpack, and of course he says "nuthin." He checks it and finds several real metal sharp ninja stars!!!! Last but not least he finds a disc.....he puts it in the computer to reveal its contents.....how to make a bomb! Doubt he'll be returning to school here! Scary part is that he walked around all day with that stuff, and who knows what he's brought to school other days. Glad I never pissed him off, I could've been shanked to death!

Note from a soldier

I signed up on this website and my sister, Ranting Republican, and I will be sending troops care packages to show our appreciation. If you would like to do the same, simply pick a guy (or gal) and send away! This was a particular touching story:

"The election went well and they even ran out of ballots at some places. What it must feel like to be able to finally vote after so many years of being under someone’s thumb. Here is something that Communist News Network will never show (not enough of a body count) a woman shows up at our front gate requesting help. The guards are a bit leery because she is big as a house and they were afraid that maybe she had explosives wrapped around her waist. What looked like it could be one thing, turned into another, a cry for help. She was about ready to deliver and had complications. The local hospital turned her away and said “Go to the Americans, they can help you”. So she came to our front gate unannounced and unafraid seeking help. We spun the choppers up in a heartbeat and rushed her away to our main Hospital North of Baghdad, where they were able to help her. Her child lives to see a beautiful Iraqi day due to the Americans. Can’t wait to see that on Al-I’m-a-terrorist T.V., but won’t hold my breath, hey, It’s our job and we do it well."

What my students taught ME in Sex Ed

I let my students ask anonymous questions and I got a few that I didn't even know:

"What is a nugget porn?" (its apparently a porno involving midgets without limbs)

"If you skeet in someones eye, will they go blind?" (I didn't know skeet was a word for that)

"Is it possible for a guy to urinate during sex? Can a guy urinate if he has an erection?" (I didn't know so I asked some guy friends.....they said you can't if its a "raging one" but if its kinda floppy, you can. Agree?)

Then I got these classic questions:

-"Can you get pregnant from oral sex?"
-"Can a hermaphrodite have sex with themselves?"
-"Why is it so important to wait until marriage to have sex?"
-"If you shave yourself, can you still get pubic lice?"
-"How fast does sperm travel?" (a man ejaculates at approx. 35 mph!)
---follow up to that "then why doesn't the girl get knocked across the room?"

Ahhhhh, gotta love my students.

bye bye Tookie!!!!

ENJOY THE REST OF ETERNITY IN THE FIERY DEPTHS OF HELL TOOKIE.

Just because you are reformed doesn't mean you get a free pass. Or does it? I'm a Catholic, doesn't God forgive someone who truly is remorseful?

Well, I'm not God, stating the obvious, I know, so I don't have to forgive him for slaughtering 4 innocent people.

But look at this website!!!! SAVE TOOKIE . Here's just a sampling:

"Stan is a peacemaker on death row.
He has been nominated 5 times for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in helping to prevent gang violence.
He has been nominated four times for the Nobel Literature Prize for his children's books that warn young people about the pitfalls of joining a gang and exposes them to alternatives."

I found this to be quite interesting as well (courtesy of Flopping Aces):

While Williams’ celebrity cheerleaders have claimed he has been a model prisoner throughout his sentence and have pointed to this as evidence of his rehabilitation, the DA’s report contains 11 examples of incidents for which he was disciplined, beginning in 1981 and continuing through 1993. They include:

* a violent fight with another inmate June 30, 1981, in which he repeatedly struck the prisoner while kneeling over him;

* a refusal to line up for a return to his cell Jan. 26, 1982, in which he threatened a guard;

* throwing a chemical substance in the eyes of a guard Jan. 28, 1982, in an attack that resulted in chemical burns and emergency treatment;

* a second attack on a guard with a chemical substance Jan. 29, 1982;

* an attack on another inmate Feb. 16, 1984, in which Williams only stopped beating the prisoner when a warning shot was fired;

* a threat to kill a guard June 8, 1984;

* the beating of another inmate July 4, 1986 that only ceased when armed officers arrived on the scene;

* another fight with an inmate that led to his own stabbing, reportedly retaliation for his ordering another inmate to be stabbed;

* his continued association with the Crips street gang led to administrative segregation Oct. 19, 1988;

* the beating of another inmate Dec. 24, 1991, that only stopped after a warning shot was fired;

* another fight with other inmates July 6, 1993, in which a stabbing instrument (shank) was recovered.

The DA’s report also says Williams threatened all of the jurors after they found him guilty.

“Specifically, the defendant looked at the jurors and said he ‘was going to get all’ of them,” said the report.
“After learning of this threat, the trial judge inquired of the jury foreperson. The foreperson confirmed the defendant mouthed the words ‘I’m going to get each and every one of you m—–f——.”

What about the fact he's a killer? You can go to this blog to see the pics of his victims. The liberals are organizing rallies and vigils all over the country tonight. I must say, his passing won't cause me a moments loss of sleep.

"Lets talk about sex baby"

Today I start teaching Sex Ed in my freshman health classes....stay tuned for some good stories....

Success

I just got home from our 2nd Annual Young Republican Holiday Party.....and it was a total success! Our VP and I were the ones running it tonight so it was on our shoulders. The place was packed and a ton of candidates stopped by. That was huge...many local candidates, candidates for the US Congress and even candidates for Governor. I have been sick all week long so it took everything I had to put on my black turtleneck, red satin skirt, black leather "f-me" boots and my political face. Whew, load off my mind....man I'd be such a good political wife.

Watching Top Gun in bed......ooooo, sweaty volleyball part, now I know I'll have sweet dreams!

Bad Weather

Its a blizzard here!!!!!!

"The Day that Shall Live in Infamy"

Pearl Harbor Raid December 7, 1941.

Saddam for President!

I've been watching some of the coverage of the Saddam trial and I must say, I'm fascinated. He has some balls, I'll tell you that.

My personal opinion....after his capture I would have tortured the hell out of him until he told us everything we needed to know, including where Bin Laden and Zarqawi are, how he and Bin Laden planned 9/11 together and exactly where the WMD's are (wishful thinking I know). Then I would have killed him, stuck his head on a stick and marched with it at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (alongside a bunch of hot Marines, of course!)

This entire trial is ridiculous. All he's been doing is bitching how poorly he's being treated. "I had to walk up stairs in handcuffs b/c the elevator was broken." Boo freaking hooo. YOU TORTURED THE IRAQI SOCCER TEAM WHEN THEY LOST!!!

And Ramsey Clark? Can we seriously start prosecuting for treason again? This is even worse than that pinko commie Sean Penn going over to Iraq and badmouthing us. Strung up on the White House lawn I say! How can an American citizen help defend a man who's loyal followers are killing our soldiers every day?? HOW????

I've decided this is all a ploy to make the dems look good, and Saddam is using their words for his defense...thank you Ramsey. Nevermind the thousands of your own people you nerve gassed to death, you were taken out of power in an illegal and unjust war!! Anything to make President Bush look bad. The libs, and many have said this, that Iraq was better when Saddam was in power! John Kerry, when we leave Iraq, should we give Saddam his country back????? Anything to make President Bush look evil.....but make Saddam look like the victim? COME ON. I bet you that if given the choice to put Saddam on trial for all his crimes against humanity or put up President Bush for...umm, lying to the American people.....that they would immediately release Saddam and throw some handcuffs on Georgie!

So my post basically boils down to this question I'd like answered:

The Democrats think Bush lied, that we had no business removing Saddam because he had no WMDs, hence we declared war under false pretenses, so it was unjust and illegal, but the Democrats are supporting the new constitution and the upcoming elections without Saddam?

If everything the Dems are saying is true (and it ALWAYS is, right?) then shouldn't John Kerry, Hillary, Dean, Durbin, Pelosi, Murtha (I could go on forever) be demanding that Saddam Hussein be immediately released and put back in power????? Where is Amnesty International? This is an atrocity!!!

JOHN KERRY: What a piece of dog shit. No, I won't even insult a dog like that.....donkey shit, thats better. He appeared on "Face the Nation" on Sunday and said this:

"And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children..."

Does he believe that our soldiers are of the same moral relativity as the terrorists? If it were anyone else saying this I would have thought it was a slip, but thinking about Kerry's comments over the last several decades that were put under the microscope during the last election....this leads me to believe he sees our troops to be just as evil as the Viet Cong and Al Qaeda. THANK GOD he is not our President!!!

military ornaments

military ornaments
Originally uploaded by Toribear5.

Aren't they great??? Now my christmas tree looks ever better!!!

LOL

CIMG4293
Originally uploaded by seanhorgan.

Haaaa haaa haaaa haa

Are Elephants and Donkeys actually in agreement?

.....Of course the donkeys would never admit to it. Yesterday President Bush outlined his detailed plan for Iraq. (If you missed it, scroll down to my last post, there's a link.) I decided to do some research and it seems that President Bush is doing EXACTLY what the libs have been bitching about, yet they continue to give him no credit. Here are some quotes from our favorite libs:

Sen. Joseph Biden's (D-DE) Op-Ed: "Over The Next Six Months, We Must Forge A Sustainable Political Compromise Between Iraqi Factions, Strengthen The Iraqi Government And Bolster Reconstruction Efforts, And Accelerate The Training Of Iraqi Forces." (Sen. Joseph Biden, Op-Ed, "Time For An Iraq Timetable," The Washington Post, 11/26/05)

Sen. Biden: "The President Must Set A Schedule For Getting Iraqi Forces Trained To The Point That They Can Act On Their Own Or Take The Lead With U.S. Help." (Sen. Joseph Biden, Op-Ed, "Time For An Iraq Timetable," The Washington Post, 11/26/05)

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV): "It Is Time To See A Significant Transition Toward Full Iraqi Sovereignty, With Iraqi Forces Helping To Create The Conditions That Will Eventually Lead To The Phased Redeployment Of The United States Armed Services." (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 11/15/05, p. S12796)

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): "[W]e Need To Shift ... The Responsibility To Iraqis To Begin To Provide Their Own Security." (MSNBC's "Hardball," 11/17/05)

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): "[A] Genuine, Broadly Based Political Settlement Among The Iraqis IsEssential To Defeat The Insurgency." (Sen. Carl Levin, Remarks To The Council On Foreign Relations, Washington, D.C., 10/21/05)

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI): "[What] We Should Be Looking For Here Is Some Kind Of Success For The Iraqi People Of Getting Back Their Country And Being Able To Bring Together These Factions And To Have A Country That Actually Functions As A Democracy ..." (ABC's "This Week," 11/27/05)

Sen. Biden: "[W]e Must Build Iraq's Governing Capacity And Overhaul The Reconstruction Program." (Sen. Joseph Biden, Op-Ed, "Time For An Iraq Timetable," The Washington Post, 11/26/05)

Sen. Reid: "We Urged The Administration To Increase International Participation To Secure And Rebuild Iraq, But The Administration Rejected This Call." (Sen. Harry Reid, Congressional Record, 11/15/05, p. S12795)

PRESIDENT BUSH'S SPEECH ON 12/1/05:

President Bush: "To Achieve Victory Over Such Enemies, We Are Pursuing A Comprehensive Strategy In Iraq. ... Our Strategy In Iraq Has Three Elements." (President Bush, Remarks At The U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 11/30/05)

President Bush: "On The Political Side, We Know That Free Societies Are Peaceful Societies, So We're Helping The Iraqis Build A Free Society With Inclusive Democratic Institutions That Will Protect The Interests Of All Iraqis." (President Bush, Remarks At The U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 11/30/05)

President Bush: "On The Security Side, Coalition And Iraqi Security Forces Are On The Offensive Against The Enemy, Cleaning Out Areas Controlled By The Terrorists And Saddam Loyalists, Leaving Iraqi Forces To Hold Territory Taken From The Enemy, And Following Up With Targeted Reconstruction To Help Iraqis Rebuild Their Lives." (President Bush, Remarks At The U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 11/30/05)

President Bush: "And On The Economic Side, We're Helping The Iraqis Rebuild Their Infrastructure, Reform Their Economy, And Build The Prosperity That Will Give All Iraqis A Stake In A Free And Peaceful Iraq." (President Bush, Remarks At The U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 11/30/05)

IMMEDIATELY, THE DEMS PUT OUT THIS RESPONSE:

"Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid Issued A Statement Claiming That Bush 'Recycled His Tired Rhetoric Of "Stay The Course" And Once Again Missed An Opportunity To Lay Out A Real Strategy For Success In Iraq That Will Bring Our Troops Safely Home.'" (Deb Riechmann, "President Bush Defends His Embattled War Policy," The Associated Press, 11/30/05)

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI): "The President Relied Too Much Upon Rhetoric, Upon A Laundry List Of Tasks Accomplished, Not A Coherent View Of Where We Are Realistically And Where We Must Go To Succeed. It Was More Generalities Than Specifics." (Sen. Jack Reed, Press Conference, 11/30/05)

I DON'T UNDERSTAND, SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME? WHAT THE #### ELSE THESE DONKEYS WANT FROM HIM?

We will win this war

Say it with me everyone! President Bush gave a rousing speech yesterday at the US Naval Academy. While I did not have the opportunity to watch it, I did read it and here's the link:

11.30.05 President Bush's speech on the War on Terror

The speech really gave the American people AND Iraqi people a better understand of why we are over there, what exactly we are doing over there and when we can expect our boys home.

"Victory Trumps Withdrawl." We will not cut and run, we will not leave until Iraqi forces are trained and ready to go.

"An Iraqi Army Sergeant named Abbass Abdul Jabar puts it this way: "We have to help the coalition forces as much as we can to give them a chance to go home. These guys have been helping us. [Now] we have to protect our own families."

I also found it fascinating how President Bush outlined the 3 types of people we are fighting:

The enemy in Iraq is a combination of rejectionists, Saddamists and terrorists. The rejectionists are by far the largest group. These are ordinary Iraqis, mostly Sunni Arabs, who miss the privileged status they had under the regime of Saddam Hussein -- and they reject an Iraq in which they are no longer the dominant group.

Not all Sunnis fall into the rejectionist camp. Of those that do, most are not actively fighting us -- but some give aid and comfort to the enemy. Many Sunnis boycotted the January elections -- yet as democracy takes hold in Iraq, they are recognizing that opting out of the democratic process has hurt their interests. And today, those who advocate violent opposition are being increasingly isolated by Sunnis who choose peaceful participation in the democratic process. Sunnis voted in the recent constitutional referendum in large numbers -- and Sunni coalitions have formed to compete in next month's elections -- or, this month's elections. We believe that, over time, most rejectionists will be persuaded to support a democratic Iraq led by a federal government that is a strong enough government to protect minority rights.

The second group that makes up the enemy in Iraq is smaller, but more determined. It contains former regime loyalists who held positions of power under Saddam Hussein -- people who still harbor dreams of returning to power. These hard-core Saddamists are trying to foment anti-democratic sentiment amongst the larger Sunni community. They lack popular support and therefore cannot stop Iraq's democratic progress. And over time, they can be marginalized and defeated by the Iraqi people and the security forces of a free Iraq.

The third group is the smallest, but the most lethal: the terrorists affiliated with or inspired by al Qaeda . Many are foreigners who are coming to fight freedom's progress in Iraq. This group includes terrorists from Saudi Arabia, and Syria, and Iran, and Egypt, and Sudan, and Yemen, and Libya, and other countries. Our commanders believe they're responsible for most of the suicide bombings, and the beheadings, and the other atrocities we see on our television.
They're led by a brutal terrorist named Zarqawi -- al Qaeda's chief of operations in Iraq -- who has pledged his allegiance to Osama bin Laden. Their objective is to drive the United States and coalition forces out of Iraq, and use the vacuum that would be created by an American retreat to gain control of that country. They would then use Iraq as a base from which to launch attacks against America, and overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East, and try to establish a totalitarian Islamic empire that reaches from Indonesia to Spain. That's their stated objective. That's what their leadership has said.

These terrorists have nothing to offer the Iraqi people. All they have is the capacity and the willingness to kill the innocent and create chaos for the cameras. They are trying to shake our will to achieve their stated objectives. They will fail. America's will is strong. And they will fail because the will to power is no match for the universal desire to live in liberty.
The terrorists in Iraq share the same ideology as the terrorists who struck the United States on September the 11th. Those terrorists share the same ideology with those who blew up commuters in London and Madrid, murdered tourists in Bali, workers in Riyadh, and guests at a wedding in Amman, Jordan. Just last week, they massacred Iraqi children and their parents at a toy give-away outside an Iraqi hospital.

This is an enemy without conscience -- and they cannot be appeased. If we were not fighting and destroying this enemy in Iraq, they would not be idle. They would be plotting and killing Americans across the world and within our own borders. By fighting these terrorists in Iraq, Americans in uniform are defeating a direct threat to the American people. Against this adversary, there is only one effective response: We will never back down. We will never give in. And we will never accept anything less than complete victory.

Thank you President Bush for your giving such a great speech. I have always believed in our cause but MAYBE we can sway the public opinion and the left to stand together and we can truly say "United We Stand."

The Sands of Christmas

As I look outside on the first day of December, there is a steady flow of snow and Christmas is in the air. In this holiday season, we need to remember what truly matters: our families, our Country, our soldiers and our freedom. I will be posting different military poems throughout the season, and will be ranting as usual. I found this great poem here.

"The Sands of Christmas"

I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh, and looked across the table where the bills were piled too high. The laundry wasn't finished and the car I had to fix, My stocks were down another point, the Dolphins lost by six.

And so with only minutes till my son got home from school, I gave up on the drudgery and grabbed a wooden stool. The burdens that I carried were about all I could take, and so I flipped theTV on to catch a little break.

I came upon a desert scene in shades of tan and rust, No snowflakes hung upon the wind, just clouds of swirling dust. And where the reindeer should have stood before a laden sleigh, eight hummers ran a column right behind an M1A.

A group of boys walked past the tank, not one was past his teens, Their eyes were hard as polished flint, their faces drawn and lean.They walked the street in armor with their rifles shouldered tight, their dearest wish for Christmas, just to have a silent night.

Other soldiers gathered, hunkered down against the wind, To share a scrap of mail and dreams of going home again. There wasn't much at all to put their lonely hearts at ease, They had no Christmas turkey, just a pack of MRE's.

They didn't have a garland or a stocking I could see, They didn't need an ornament-- they lacked a Christmas Tree. They didn't have a present even though it was tradition, The only boxes I could see were labeled "ammunition".

I felt a little tug and found my son now by my side, He asked me what it was I feared, and why it was I cried. I swept him up into my arms and held him oh so near and kissed him on the forehead as I whispered in his ear.

There's nothing wrong, my little son, for safe we sleep tonight, our heroes stand on foreign land to give us all the right, to worry about the things in life that really mean nothing at all, instead of wondering each day if we will be the next to fall.

He looked at me as children do and said it's always right, to thank the ones who help us and perhaps that we should write. And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note, to thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote,

God bless you all and keep you safe, and speed your way back home. Remember that we love you so, and that you're not alone.The gift you give, you share with all, a present every day, You give the gift of liberty and that we can't repay.