So.. had a random call today that asked:
"If the Vice President runs for President and wins and nominates the former President as Vice President; if he then dies, can the former President legally be President again?"
(If Cheney rand for president, and picked Bush as his vice; and Cheney then dies, does Bush become President again?"
YES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_United_States
"The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution requires vice presidents to meet the same requirements as presidents, and the 22nd amendment limits presidents to being elected to only two terms.
It is, however, debated whether a former two-term president could be elected Vice President since the 22nd amendment doesn't limit a president to serving two terms; it only prevents him from being elected to more than two terms. According to one interpretation a two term president could be elected to the vice-presidency and then serve another term in the presidency if the elected president died or was removed from office. The 22nd amendment only forbids election to, not service in, the presidency more than twice."
So the President can only be "elected" twice; he can serve as President the 3rd time because he was not "elected" into it, but secededd into it.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Monday, September 25, 2006
The Fallen
NYTimes Article on the current role of women in combat. Even though we are not allowed to serve in infantry or spceial forces, women are still oversea's dieing in their supporting roles.
My personal thoughts are if a woman wants to blow shit up and slit people's throats, then she should be able to. I feel the majority of women may NOT want to do this, so the military should not worry about it. The politics are still rough - sexual hassisment and what not - and we still have to prove ourselves as "one of the guys"; but in receint events in my life I have met several women I would rather have by my side in combat over a man - they are quick and ruthless and have no problems taking down men who are 3x's their size and killing their enemy.
Below is the full length article as well as links to profiles of the fallen women.
SMM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fallen
Profiles of the 65 American female soldiers who have died in Iraq or Afghanistan.2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ
Published: September 24, 2006
LT. EMILY J. T. PEREZ, 23, a West Point graduate who outran many men, directed a gospel choir and read the Bible every day, was at the head of a weekly convoy as it rolled down roads pocked with bombs and bullets near Najaf. As platoon leader, she insisted on leading her troops from the front.
Two weeks ago, one of those bombs tripped her up, detonating near her Humvee in Kifl, south of Baghdad. She died Sept. 12, the 64th woman from the United States military to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Eight died in Vietnam.
Despite longstanding predictions that America would shudder to see its women coming home in coffins, Lieutenant Perez’s death, and those of the other women, the majority of whom died from hostile fire (the 65th died in a Baghdad car bombing a day later), have stirred no less — and no more — reaction at home than the nearly 2,900 male dead. The same can be said of the hundreds of wounded women.
There is no shortage of guesses as to why: Americans are no longer especially shocked by the idea of a woman’s violent death. Most don’t know how many women have fallen, or under what circumstances. Photographs of body bags and coffins are rarely seen. And nobody wants to kick up a fuss and risk insulting grieving families.
“The public doesn’t seem concerned they are dying,” said Charles Moskos, a military sociologist at Northwestern University who has closely studied national service. “They would rather have someone else's daughter die than their son.”
What’s more, no one in the strained military is eager to engage in a debate about women and the risks they are taking in Iraq because, quite simply, the women are sorely needed in this modern-day insurgent conflict. As has happened many times in war, circumstances have outpaced arguments. They are sure to be taken up again at some point, only this time, the military will have real-life data on the performance of women in the field to supplant the hypotheticals.
Like most soldiers on the job, Lieutenant Perez, who will be buried at West Point on Tuesday, was focused on her mission, not on her groundbreaking role in a war that seems to have dispelled a litany of notions about women warriors.
For the first time, women by the thousands are on the ground and engaging the enemy in a war that has no front line, and little in the way of safe havens. In this 360-degree war, they are in the thick of it, hauling heavy equipment and expected to shoot and defend themselves and others from an enemy that is all around them. They are driving huge rigs down treacherous roads, frisking Iraqi women at dangerous checkpoints, handling gun turrets and personnel carriers and providing cover for other soldiers.
It is not so much the job titles that have changed — the policy shift that allowed women to serve in combat support units close to the front lines occurred in 1994. Rather it is the job conditions.
“We are asking far more of our female soldiers than ever before in history,” said Elaine Donnelly, director of the Center for Military Readiness, a conservative think tank.
But a line in the Iraqi sand exists. Under the 1994 Pentagon policy, women were still barred from serving in ground combat forces — infantry, armor, field artillery — but are allowed to serve as fighter pilots and on warships. In Iraq, women were not involved in the initial invasion; they did not clear insurgents from Falluja; they don’t drive tanks or, in most cases, kick down doors in house searches.
They are also barred, technically, from “co-located units” that support combat troops. A woman can serve as a medic, for example, but not as a medic in a unit that “co-locates and remains” or accompanies a unit on the front line, like an infantry unit.
In reality, though, this so-called co-location is taking place, analysts say, although it is unclear how widespread it is. The Pentagon has stretched the language of the policy, mostly because there are not enough troops, men or women. It has done so because the language is fuzzy. An effort by some House Republican leaders last year to challenge the practice was beaten back by the Pentagon, which argued that it could not sustain the mission without women in these jobs.
“It says you can have female medics, but they can’t see combat,” said Capt. Megan O’Connor, who served in Iraq for a year and a half in the New Jersey Army National Guard as a medical operations and plans officer. “It’s all combat in Ramadi. It’s so gray. They put the rules down on paper. It looks good. It reads good. But for a commander to implement, it’s impossible.”
“The women were itching for it,” she added, and accumulating commendations and medals for bravery along the way.
Ms. Donnelly said the Pentagon was openly flouting current policy and sending women out directly with combat troops, with no debate, no hearings in Congress and, so far, no consequences. She has no qualms about women, who make up 10 percent of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, doing the jobs they are assigned in dangerous circumstances. That is standard. But to send them out with combat troops is illegal, she said.
“I have enormous respect for these women,” said Ms. Donnelly, who opposes allowing women into ground combat forces. “My criticism is not of the women in the military. They are fulfilling their responsibility to the greatest degree, and that, too, is unprecedented. The policymakers should not be ordering them into areas that are not gender integrated.”
But the fact that the Army is successfully using women in this way is likely to lead policymakers to revisit the rule, some analysts say. “It’s that policy that when this war is over is going to have to change, even if we have to keep women out of the infantry per se,” said Lory Manning, a retired Navy captain who is the director for the women-in-the-military project at the Women’s Research and Education Institute, a nonprofit public policy group. “The next door to open is ground combat. That’s the last frontier. A lot of the social conservatives have powerful feelings about training mothers to kill.”
Conventional wisdom has long dictated that women were not suited to the battlefield — too frail, emotionally and physically, to survive combat pressure. Men, it was said, would crumble at the sight of a bloodied female soldier, or put themselves at risk to protect her. The public would not stomach women coming back in body bags or suffering life-changing wounds. And mixing men and women — with all the sexual and emotional pitfalls — would strain the unit dynamic, which can lead to deadly mistakes.
Those sorts of arguments were revived last week when the former Navy secretary James Webb, running for Senate in Virginia, was reminded of his assertions 30 years ago that women could not, and should not, fight, assertions he has distanced himself from.
None of this, so far, has come to pass. “They are pulling their own weight and performing as well as men,” Ms. Manning said. “And the American public is not any more upset about women coming home in body bags than men.”
Mady Wechsler Segal, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland and the associate director for the Center for Research on Military Organization, said succinctly, “If they weren’t doing a good job, we would be hearing about it.”
Certainly, women in Iraq and Afghanistan face different challenges, both at war and at home. Incidents of sexual harassment on military bases are common enough, and fending that off without offending peers and superiors is tricky. Sexual assault, while less common, only intensifies combat stress, leading to greater vulnerability. It also leads to new complications. What if your attacker is also the person you must defend, or must defend you?
A whole crop of veterans are suffering from post-traumatic stress and lost limbs, circumstances that sometimes prove more difficult for women who often fill the role of nurturers to their families.
And there are practical considerations. Women on smaller bases in Iraq often share sleeping quarters with men. Equipment in women’s sizes can sometimes be harder to come by. Some women use newer forms of birth control to make their periods less frequent. Even urinating can become a problem. The military has disbursed portable contraptions the women affectionately call a weenus, for use on long truck drives.
Women also face resistance among some male commanders, who are not keen to put women at risk, some women who have served in Iraq say. But many commanders, they added, treated them no differently.
Capt. Tammy Spicer, who commanded a transportation company for the Missouri National Guard, said women were often being watched to see if they are up to the job. Driving trucks is dangerous work in Iraq, and her company drove a million and a half miles with no enemy-related casualties.
If anything was taxing, she said, it was in 2003 in Kuwait, when she and four other women shared a tent with 45 men. The women shared showers with men, on rotation, and always got the worst hours, she said. “Their bickering, their cursing, their body noises,” she said, laughing. “They would leave their food out and we would have rats. There was no relief from men.”
My personal thoughts are if a woman wants to blow shit up and slit people's throats, then she should be able to. I feel the majority of women may NOT want to do this, so the military should not worry about it. The politics are still rough - sexual hassisment and what not - and we still have to prove ourselves as "one of the guys"; but in receint events in my life I have met several women I would rather have by my side in combat over a man - they are quick and ruthless and have no problems taking down men who are 3x's their size and killing their enemy.
Below is the full length article as well as links to profiles of the fallen women.
SMM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fallen
Profiles of the 65 American female soldiers who have died in Iraq or Afghanistan.2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ
Published: September 24, 2006
LT. EMILY J. T. PEREZ, 23, a West Point graduate who outran many men, directed a gospel choir and read the Bible every day, was at the head of a weekly convoy as it rolled down roads pocked with bombs and bullets near Najaf. As platoon leader, she insisted on leading her troops from the front.
Two weeks ago, one of those bombs tripped her up, detonating near her Humvee in Kifl, south of Baghdad. She died Sept. 12, the 64th woman from the United States military to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Eight died in Vietnam.
Despite longstanding predictions that America would shudder to see its women coming home in coffins, Lieutenant Perez’s death, and those of the other women, the majority of whom died from hostile fire (the 65th died in a Baghdad car bombing a day later), have stirred no less — and no more — reaction at home than the nearly 2,900 male dead. The same can be said of the hundreds of wounded women.
There is no shortage of guesses as to why: Americans are no longer especially shocked by the idea of a woman’s violent death. Most don’t know how many women have fallen, or under what circumstances. Photographs of body bags and coffins are rarely seen. And nobody wants to kick up a fuss and risk insulting grieving families.
“The public doesn’t seem concerned they are dying,” said Charles Moskos, a military sociologist at Northwestern University who has closely studied national service. “They would rather have someone else's daughter die than their son.”
What’s more, no one in the strained military is eager to engage in a debate about women and the risks they are taking in Iraq because, quite simply, the women are sorely needed in this modern-day insurgent conflict. As has happened many times in war, circumstances have outpaced arguments. They are sure to be taken up again at some point, only this time, the military will have real-life data on the performance of women in the field to supplant the hypotheticals.
Like most soldiers on the job, Lieutenant Perez, who will be buried at West Point on Tuesday, was focused on her mission, not on her groundbreaking role in a war that seems to have dispelled a litany of notions about women warriors.
For the first time, women by the thousands are on the ground and engaging the enemy in a war that has no front line, and little in the way of safe havens. In this 360-degree war, they are in the thick of it, hauling heavy equipment and expected to shoot and defend themselves and others from an enemy that is all around them. They are driving huge rigs down treacherous roads, frisking Iraqi women at dangerous checkpoints, handling gun turrets and personnel carriers and providing cover for other soldiers.
It is not so much the job titles that have changed — the policy shift that allowed women to serve in combat support units close to the front lines occurred in 1994. Rather it is the job conditions.
“We are asking far more of our female soldiers than ever before in history,” said Elaine Donnelly, director of the Center for Military Readiness, a conservative think tank.
But a line in the Iraqi sand exists. Under the 1994 Pentagon policy, women were still barred from serving in ground combat forces — infantry, armor, field artillery — but are allowed to serve as fighter pilots and on warships. In Iraq, women were not involved in the initial invasion; they did not clear insurgents from Falluja; they don’t drive tanks or, in most cases, kick down doors in house searches.
They are also barred, technically, from “co-located units” that support combat troops. A woman can serve as a medic, for example, but not as a medic in a unit that “co-locates and remains” or accompanies a unit on the front line, like an infantry unit.
In reality, though, this so-called co-location is taking place, analysts say, although it is unclear how widespread it is. The Pentagon has stretched the language of the policy, mostly because there are not enough troops, men or women. It has done so because the language is fuzzy. An effort by some House Republican leaders last year to challenge the practice was beaten back by the Pentagon, which argued that it could not sustain the mission without women in these jobs.
“It says you can have female medics, but they can’t see combat,” said Capt. Megan O’Connor, who served in Iraq for a year and a half in the New Jersey Army National Guard as a medical operations and plans officer. “It’s all combat in Ramadi. It’s so gray. They put the rules down on paper. It looks good. It reads good. But for a commander to implement, it’s impossible.”
“The women were itching for it,” she added, and accumulating commendations and medals for bravery along the way.
Ms. Donnelly said the Pentagon was openly flouting current policy and sending women out directly with combat troops, with no debate, no hearings in Congress and, so far, no consequences. She has no qualms about women, who make up 10 percent of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, doing the jobs they are assigned in dangerous circumstances. That is standard. But to send them out with combat troops is illegal, she said.
“I have enormous respect for these women,” said Ms. Donnelly, who opposes allowing women into ground combat forces. “My criticism is not of the women in the military. They are fulfilling their responsibility to the greatest degree, and that, too, is unprecedented. The policymakers should not be ordering them into areas that are not gender integrated.”
But the fact that the Army is successfully using women in this way is likely to lead policymakers to revisit the rule, some analysts say. “It’s that policy that when this war is over is going to have to change, even if we have to keep women out of the infantry per se,” said Lory Manning, a retired Navy captain who is the director for the women-in-the-military project at the Women’s Research and Education Institute, a nonprofit public policy group. “The next door to open is ground combat. That’s the last frontier. A lot of the social conservatives have powerful feelings about training mothers to kill.”
Conventional wisdom has long dictated that women were not suited to the battlefield — too frail, emotionally and physically, to survive combat pressure. Men, it was said, would crumble at the sight of a bloodied female soldier, or put themselves at risk to protect her. The public would not stomach women coming back in body bags or suffering life-changing wounds. And mixing men and women — with all the sexual and emotional pitfalls — would strain the unit dynamic, which can lead to deadly mistakes.
Those sorts of arguments were revived last week when the former Navy secretary James Webb, running for Senate in Virginia, was reminded of his assertions 30 years ago that women could not, and should not, fight, assertions he has distanced himself from.
None of this, so far, has come to pass. “They are pulling their own weight and performing as well as men,” Ms. Manning said. “And the American public is not any more upset about women coming home in body bags than men.”
Mady Wechsler Segal, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland and the associate director for the Center for Research on Military Organization, said succinctly, “If they weren’t doing a good job, we would be hearing about it.”
Certainly, women in Iraq and Afghanistan face different challenges, both at war and at home. Incidents of sexual harassment on military bases are common enough, and fending that off without offending peers and superiors is tricky. Sexual assault, while less common, only intensifies combat stress, leading to greater vulnerability. It also leads to new complications. What if your attacker is also the person you must defend, or must defend you?
A whole crop of veterans are suffering from post-traumatic stress and lost limbs, circumstances that sometimes prove more difficult for women who often fill the role of nurturers to their families.
And there are practical considerations. Women on smaller bases in Iraq often share sleeping quarters with men. Equipment in women’s sizes can sometimes be harder to come by. Some women use newer forms of birth control to make their periods less frequent. Even urinating can become a problem. The military has disbursed portable contraptions the women affectionately call a weenus, for use on long truck drives.
Women also face resistance among some male commanders, who are not keen to put women at risk, some women who have served in Iraq say. But many commanders, they added, treated them no differently.
Capt. Tammy Spicer, who commanded a transportation company for the Missouri National Guard, said women were often being watched to see if they are up to the job. Driving trucks is dangerous work in Iraq, and her company drove a million and a half miles with no enemy-related casualties.
If anything was taxing, she said, it was in 2003 in Kuwait, when she and four other women shared a tent with 45 men. The women shared showers with men, on rotation, and always got the worst hours, she said. “Their bickering, their cursing, their body noises,” she said, laughing. “They would leave their food out and we would have rats. There was no relief from men.”
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Squirrel Crossing
This morning I saw a squirrel cross the street in the crosswalk.
I wish the students would learn a lesson.
I wish the students would learn a lesson.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
I'm Engaged!!!
(damn... been a month since I posted!)
I'M ENGAGED!!!!
DID I TELL YOU I AM ENGAGED!!!
HEY! DID YOU HEAR THAT SCOTT PROPOSED TO SHANNON!
YEAH! I HEARD HE DROPPED HIS BEER TAILGATEING AND GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE TO PICK IT UP!
WOW! THAT'S AWESOME!
** no date set yet, just enjoying the moment. Scott's father would like us to get married before he retires in 09 so he can recoup his losses. Will keep everyone posted! **
I'M ENGAGED!!!!
DID I TELL YOU I AM ENGAGED!!!
HEY! DID YOU HEAR THAT SCOTT PROPOSED TO SHANNON!
YEAH! I HEARD HE DROPPED HIS BEER TAILGATEING AND GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE TO PICK IT UP!
WOW! THAT'S AWESOME!
** no date set yet, just enjoying the moment. Scott's father would like us to get married before he retires in 09 so he can recoup his losses. Will keep everyone posted! **
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Season of Friends
My good friend Mark (hi Mark!) talks all the time about season's in your life. New jobs, new experiences, essentially the ever shifting change that comes with the ebbs and flows of life.
I have started to experience such a flow with my circle of friends.
Now you have your friends from childhood. No matter how long it has been since you have talked, you pick up where you left off and they are always there for you when you need them (goes for certain college friends as well).
Then there are the friends you "work" with. The student leaders you bonded with in college you talk to once in a while but the relationship you have with them is no where near your childhood friends.
Now I have moved on to my adult friends. For the last three years I have been part of a community organization in Brighton. We always strive to be friends first over organization members - putting our friendship and fun first over community goals and what not. Then Scott and I have sword friends; and we are spending more and more time with them and less and less with our other adult friends.
It is here that I am seeing a slight shift in loyalties. I miss some of my other friends, but I am finding myself wanting to spend more and more time with my new friends.
Why is that? Is it that they feed me in a different way? Or maybe they are just totally different people who really care about YOU and what you do in life and try to make to a better person along the way?
I have started to experience such a flow with my circle of friends.
Now you have your friends from childhood. No matter how long it has been since you have talked, you pick up where you left off and they are always there for you when you need them (goes for certain college friends as well).
Then there are the friends you "work" with. The student leaders you bonded with in college you talk to once in a while but the relationship you have with them is no where near your childhood friends.
Now I have moved on to my adult friends. For the last three years I have been part of a community organization in Brighton. We always strive to be friends first over organization members - putting our friendship and fun first over community goals and what not. Then Scott and I have sword friends; and we are spending more and more time with them and less and less with our other adult friends.
It is here that I am seeing a slight shift in loyalties. I miss some of my other friends, but I am finding myself wanting to spend more and more time with my new friends.
Why is that? Is it that they feed me in a different way? Or maybe they are just totally different people who really care about YOU and what you do in life and try to make to a better person along the way?
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Fustrated
Can't believe it has been almost a month since I have posted anything... if crazy David Hasseloff videos even count as a post.
This summer I have been applying for jobs at the U of M. I am being very selective applying only for the jobs I really want - mostly in academic advising and event planning. Last night I received another "Dear Jane" letter. Now most the time this isn't upsetting but last night it was because it was from my "dream department" and came from someone who verbally encouraged me to apply for the job.
To add insult to injury the letter expressed that "other applicants matched their qualifications better" when they have actually reposted the position!! Which means, they didn't like anyone from the first group so they are reposting the job to see what they get next.
Let's run down the job requirements:
Understanding of established principles and practices associated with first year experiences and students in transition;
ability to manage highly detailed projects;
skilled in using M-Pathways system;
knowledgeable about Business Objects and Crystal Reports.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders;
demonstrated ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-oriented environment;
excellent judgment and ability to act in a service-oriented operation.
Excellent customer service, communication, interpersonal and organizational skills with a proven track record of positive and friendly client interactions.
Ability to work effectively with supervisors, peer, and clients in a high visibility role; ability and desire to contribute to building a multicultural environment.
Willingness to seek out projects and additional responsibilities during non-peak times.
Minimum of between two and five years of professional experience in higher education or student affairs administration with experience in the delivery of student services.
Demonstrated experience utilizing M-Pathways; excellent computer skills utilizing Word, Excel, Business Objects.
Proficiency with current standard office productivity applications; specifically, Microsoft Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint, Project, Visio.
Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Considerable knowledge of university organization, policies and procedures.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
So out of 16 "requirements" only 6 can be measured on a resume, the rest you would have to prove in an interview or try to touch on in a cover letter. Out of all the requirements (16 remember) I am only shaky on experience for 2 of them (which happen to be computer applications I have had minimal experience with). So... if a person you have previously met and interviewed "appears" to meet the 6 measurable requirements, wouldn't you give them an interview?
Needless to say I am pretty frustrated and feel I am dammed to roam the earth as a secretary for the rest of my life.
Anyone think I should follow up with the administrator to see why I wasn't offered an interview?
This summer I have been applying for jobs at the U of M. I am being very selective applying only for the jobs I really want - mostly in academic advising and event planning. Last night I received another "Dear Jane" letter. Now most the time this isn't upsetting but last night it was because it was from my "dream department" and came from someone who verbally encouraged me to apply for the job.
To add insult to injury the letter expressed that "other applicants matched their qualifications better" when they have actually reposted the position!! Which means, they didn't like anyone from the first group so they are reposting the job to see what they get next.
Let's run down the job requirements:
Understanding of established principles and practices associated with first year experiences and students in transition;
ability to manage highly detailed projects;
skilled in using M-Pathways system;
knowledgeable about Business Objects and Crystal Reports.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders;
demonstrated ability to work in a highly collaborative, team-oriented environment;
excellent judgment and ability to act in a service-oriented operation.
Excellent customer service, communication, interpersonal and organizational skills with a proven track record of positive and friendly client interactions.
Ability to work effectively with supervisors, peer, and clients in a high visibility role; ability and desire to contribute to building a multicultural environment.
Willingness to seek out projects and additional responsibilities during non-peak times.
Minimum of between two and five years of professional experience in higher education or student affairs administration with experience in the delivery of student services.
Demonstrated experience utilizing M-Pathways; excellent computer skills utilizing Word, Excel, Business Objects.
Proficiency with current standard office productivity applications; specifically, Microsoft Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint, Project, Visio.
Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Considerable knowledge of university organization, policies and procedures.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
So out of 16 "requirements" only 6 can be measured on a resume, the rest you would have to prove in an interview or try to touch on in a cover letter. Out of all the requirements (16 remember) I am only shaky on experience for 2 of them (which happen to be computer applications I have had minimal experience with). So... if a person you have previously met and interviewed "appears" to meet the 6 measurable requirements, wouldn't you give them an interview?
Needless to say I am pretty frustrated and feel I am dammed to roam the earth as a secretary for the rest of my life.
Anyone think I should follow up with the administrator to see why I wasn't offered an interview?
Friday, July 28, 2006
The Evolution of Dance
| I LOVE THIS GUY!!! Judson Laipply (comedian) dances to clips of music from the 60's to the 2000's | |
New Music Video From David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff - "Jump In My Car"
| hehehe... I can't believe this. I guess there is a reason he is popular in Europe and not America. If the video was ment to be cheesy, they hit the makk! ~SMM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That's right, it's Hofficial... your favourite cult icon wants to take you home! The one and only David Hasselhoff of "Bay Watch" and "Knight Rider" fame returns with a cover of the 1975 classic 'Jump In My Car' and its a doozy. Recorded in Sydney last year with the legendary Harry Vanda (AC/DC, The Angels), the Ted Mulry Gang tune has been re-vamped with full Hoff gusto and this music video promises to rock the socks off all his Hofficial fans. Watch it, enjoy it, share it on Google Video, courtesy of Sony BMG Australia. Want more? Buy the buy the track on iTunes Australia by clicking here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=155871591&s=143460 | |
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Taking it back...
This weekend Scott and I saw the much awaited Clerks II. Possibly one of the funniest movies I have ever seen; Kevin Smith's best movie to date (well Dogma is still my favorite); and funnier than Clerks I.
Could it be that like Dante and Randal, I entering my 30's have fallen into what is expected of me? Graduate HS, go to college, get a job, have a career, etc... When really all I would love to do in life is work in a restaurant during the day and party all night. I loved college.... But now I have too many bills to support a life of leisure such as that.
So I am working the 9-5 job hoping soon for a career move and a more secure future for the next 40 years until I can retire, hopefully with no debt, and become the porch-monkey we all really want to be.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
"Eye of God" AKA The Helix Nebula
I give you NGC 7293: The Helix Nebula
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030510.html
Explanation: Will our Sun look like this one day? The Helix Nebula is the closest example of a planetary nebula created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. The outer gasses of the star expelled into space appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix. The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star, glows in light so energetic it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce. The Helix Nebula, given a technical designation of NGC 7293, lies about 650 light-years away towards the constellation of Aquarius and spans about 2.5 light-years. The above picture is a composite of newly released images from the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope and wide-angle images from the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN 0.9-m Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. A close-up of the inner edge of the Helix Nebula shows complex gas knots of unknown origin.
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030510.html
Explanation: Will our Sun look like this one day? The Helix Nebula is the closest example of a planetary nebula created at the end of the life of a Sun-like star. The outer gasses of the star expelled into space appear from our vantage point as if we are looking down a helix. The remnant central stellar core, destined to become a white dwarf star, glows in light so energetic it causes the previously expelled gas to fluoresce. The Helix Nebula, given a technical designation of NGC 7293, lies about 650 light-years away towards the constellation of Aquarius and spans about 2.5 light-years. The above picture is a composite of newly released images from the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope and wide-angle images from the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN 0.9-m Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. A close-up of the inner edge of the Helix Nebula shows complex gas knots of unknown origin.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Finally Here!
He's finally here!!!
Christopher Robert Johnson II!
A month later than what we thought, and a week overdue.
He was born early Friday morning at 3:50 am. 9 lb. 2 oz. 21 inches.
Mom and baby are great and went home late Saturday afternoon. He looks just like his daddy, but has the Marshall nose :o)
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Oh Britney
When is she ever going to learn.
Now I love pregnent women, and I love nude photos of them as well. I think a monther's belly is the most beatuiful thing in the world. But this picture could have been better. It is very nice and well done, but the expression on her face looks like it belongs to a 16 year old who just got her first car. Just saying it could be a little more serious.
Now take photo #2. I LOVE IT! Very classy, sexy, and still expresses her motherhood. Bazaar should have went with #2 as their cover and done the nudes inside.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Tomb of the Unknown
http://www.tombguard.org/site.html"The soldier is the Army. No army is better that its soldiers. The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for ones country.
"Hence it is a proud privilege to be a soldier, a good soldier [with] discipline, self-respect, pride in his unit and his country, a high sense of duty and obligation to comrades and to his superiors, and a self confidence born of demonstrated ability." ~ General George S. Patton, Jr.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once a year I receive the "Tomb of the Unknown" email. And once or twice a year I journey to the Society of the Honor Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown web page. This is a page made and maintained by alumni sentinels of the Tomb of the Unknown. It contains the history of the tomb, the meaning of the tomb, and general FAQ's. Please check it out, as I was inspired today by the quote I found above.
I was very struck by "The Soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country." I have never served in the military, but had always wanted to. I have a lot of friends who fight on a daily basis for not just the freedom of our country, but for the freedom and basic human rights of every country in the world. I do hope that one day, if I so choose to reproduce, that my children will find serving in the military to be an honor and enlist.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Happy 69 Day!
I am declaring June 9th officially 69 day! After 666 I wasn't sure when another cool date would come along, let alone 3 days later... so Happy 69 day!
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Today's Forecast
Today's forecast calls for 20% chance of baby with high swelling in the ankle region and high irritability. Staying inside, kept cool, and well fed should decrease your chances of irritability.
Tomorrow's chance of baby increases as we move into the weekend as this front will not last till the next full moon.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Military Oaths Of Enlistment
Oaths Of Enlistment
All persons, upon entering Military Service and upon reenlistment, are required to take the Oath of Enlistment. At one time, the Oath of Enlistment was the same for all services. Due to changes in both society and the differing Military Branches, the Oath has undergone marked change and has been specifically tailored to each branch of the Military and their specific function. Here are the latest versions of the Oath of Enlistment as recently released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
US AIR FORCE OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES AIR FORCE because I know I couldn't hack it in the Army, because the Marines frighten me, and because I am afraid of water over waist-deep. I swear to sit behind a desk. I also swear not to do any form of real exercise, but promise to defend our bike-riding test as a valid form of exercise. I promise to walk around calling everyone by their first name because I find it amusing to annoy the other services.
I will have a better quality of life than those around me and will, at all times, be sure to make them aware of that fact. After completion of "Basic Training", I will be a lean, mean, donut-eating, Lazy-Boy sitting, civilian-wearing-blue-clothes, chair-borne Ranger. I will believe I am superior to all others and will make an effort to clean the knife before stabbing the next person in the back. I will annoy those around me, and will go home early every day. So Help Me God!"
____________________ Signature
____________________ Date
US ARMY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, Rambo, swear to sign away 4 years of my mediocre life to the UNITED STATES ARMY because I couldn't score high enough on the ASVAB to get into the Air Force, I'm not tough enough for the Marines, and the Navy won't take me because I can't swim. I will wear camouflage every day and tuck my trousers into my boots because I can't figure out how to use blousing straps. I promise to wear my uniform 24 hours a day even when I have a date.
I will continue to tell myself that I am a fierce killing machine because my Drill Sergeant told me I am, despite the fact that the only action I will see is a court-martial for sexual harassment. I acknowledge the fact that I will make E-8 in my first year of service, and vow to maintain that it is because I scored perfect on my PT test.
After completion of my Sexual.....er.....I mean "Basic Training," I will attend a different Army school every other month and return knowing less than I did when I left. On my first trip home after Boot Camp, I will walk around like I am cool and propose to my 9th grade sweetheart. I will make my wife stay home because if I let her out she might leave me for a better-looking Air Force guy. Should she leave me twelve times, I will continue to take her back. While at work I will maintain a look of knowledge while getting absolutely nothing accomplished. I will arrive to work every day at 1000 hrs because of morning PT and leave everyday at 1300 to report back to "COMPANY."
I understand that I will undergo no training whatsoever that will help me get a job upon separation, and will end up working construction with my friends from high school. I will brag to everyone about the Army giving me $30,000 for college, but will be unable to use it because I can't pass a placement exam. So Help Me God!"
_____________________ Signature
_____________________ Date
US NAVY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, Top Gun, in lieu of going to prison, swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES NAVY, because I want to hang out with Marines without actually having to BE one of them, because I thought the Air Force was too "corporate," because I didn't want to actually live in dirt like the Army, and because I thought, "Hey, I like to swim...why not?"
I promise to wear clothes that went out of style in 1976 and to have my name stenciled on the butt of every pair of pants I own. I understand that I will be mistaken for the Good Humor Man during summer, and for Nazi Waffen SS during the winter. I will strive to use a different language than the rest of the English-speaking world, using words like "deck, bulkhead, cover, geedunk, scuttlebutt, scuttle and head," when I really mean "floor, wall, hat, candy, water fountain, hole in wall and toilet."
I will take great pride in the fact that all Navy acronyms, rank, and insignia, and everything else for that matter, are completely different from the other services and make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I will muster, whatever that is, at 0700 every morning unless I am buddy-buddy with the Chief, in which case I will show up around 0930. I vow to hone my coffee cup-handling skills to the point that I can stand up in a kayak being tossed around in a typhoon, and still not spill a drop. I consent to being promoted and subsequently busted at least twice per fiscal year. I realize that, once selected for Chief, I am required to submit myself to the sick, and quite possibly illegal, whims of my newfound "colleagues." So Help Me Neptune!"
______________________ Signature
______________________ Date
US MARINE CORPS OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (pick a name the police won't recognize), swear..uhhhh....high-and-tight.... grunt... cammies....kill....fix bayonets....charge....slash....dig....burn....blow up....ugh...Air Force women....beer.....sailors wives.....air strikes....yes SIR!....whiskey....liberty call....salute....Ooorah Gunny....grenades...women....OORAH! So Help Me Chesty PULLER!"
Thumb Print X____________________ XX __________________
Teeth Marks ____________
Date __________________
All persons, upon entering Military Service and upon reenlistment, are required to take the Oath of Enlistment. At one time, the Oath of Enlistment was the same for all services. Due to changes in both society and the differing Military Branches, the Oath has undergone marked change and has been specifically tailored to each branch of the Military and their specific function. Here are the latest versions of the Oath of Enlistment as recently released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
US AIR FORCE OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (State your name), swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES AIR FORCE because I know I couldn't hack it in the Army, because the Marines frighten me, and because I am afraid of water over waist-deep. I swear to sit behind a desk. I also swear not to do any form of real exercise, but promise to defend our bike-riding test as a valid form of exercise. I promise to walk around calling everyone by their first name because I find it amusing to annoy the other services.
I will have a better quality of life than those around me and will, at all times, be sure to make them aware of that fact. After completion of "Basic Training", I will be a lean, mean, donut-eating, Lazy-Boy sitting, civilian-wearing-blue-clothes, chair-borne Ranger. I will believe I am superior to all others and will make an effort to clean the knife before stabbing the next person in the back. I will annoy those around me, and will go home early every day. So Help Me God!"
____________________ Signature
____________________ Date
US ARMY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, Rambo, swear to sign away 4 years of my mediocre life to the UNITED STATES ARMY because I couldn't score high enough on the ASVAB to get into the Air Force, I'm not tough enough for the Marines, and the Navy won't take me because I can't swim. I will wear camouflage every day and tuck my trousers into my boots because I can't figure out how to use blousing straps. I promise to wear my uniform 24 hours a day even when I have a date.
I will continue to tell myself that I am a fierce killing machine because my Drill Sergeant told me I am, despite the fact that the only action I will see is a court-martial for sexual harassment. I acknowledge the fact that I will make E-8 in my first year of service, and vow to maintain that it is because I scored perfect on my PT test.
After completion of my Sexual.....er.....I mean "Basic Training," I will attend a different Army school every other month and return knowing less than I did when I left. On my first trip home after Boot Camp, I will walk around like I am cool and propose to my 9th grade sweetheart. I will make my wife stay home because if I let her out she might leave me for a better-looking Air Force guy. Should she leave me twelve times, I will continue to take her back. While at work I will maintain a look of knowledge while getting absolutely nothing accomplished. I will arrive to work every day at 1000 hrs because of morning PT and leave everyday at 1300 to report back to "COMPANY."
I understand that I will undergo no training whatsoever that will help me get a job upon separation, and will end up working construction with my friends from high school. I will brag to everyone about the Army giving me $30,000 for college, but will be unable to use it because I can't pass a placement exam. So Help Me God!"
_____________________ Signature
_____________________ Date
US NAVY OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, Top Gun, in lieu of going to prison, swear to sign away 4 years of my life to the UNITED STATES NAVY, because I want to hang out with Marines without actually having to BE one of them, because I thought the Air Force was too "corporate," because I didn't want to actually live in dirt like the Army, and because I thought, "Hey, I like to swim...why not?"
I promise to wear clothes that went out of style in 1976 and to have my name stenciled on the butt of every pair of pants I own. I understand that I will be mistaken for the Good Humor Man during summer, and for Nazi Waffen SS during the winter. I will strive to use a different language than the rest of the English-speaking world, using words like "deck, bulkhead, cover, geedunk, scuttlebutt, scuttle and head," when I really mean "floor, wall, hat, candy, water fountain, hole in wall and toilet."
I will take great pride in the fact that all Navy acronyms, rank, and insignia, and everything else for that matter, are completely different from the other services and make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I will muster, whatever that is, at 0700 every morning unless I am buddy-buddy with the Chief, in which case I will show up around 0930. I vow to hone my coffee cup-handling skills to the point that I can stand up in a kayak being tossed around in a typhoon, and still not spill a drop. I consent to being promoted and subsequently busted at least twice per fiscal year. I realize that, once selected for Chief, I am required to submit myself to the sick, and quite possibly illegal, whims of my newfound "colleagues." So Help Me Neptune!"
______________________ Signature
______________________ Date
US MARINE CORPS OATH OF ENLISTMENT
"I, (pick a name the police won't recognize), swear..uhhhh....high-and-tight.... grunt... cammies....kill....fix bayonets....charge....slash....dig....burn....blow up....ugh...Air Force women....beer.....sailors wives.....air strikes....yes SIR!....whiskey....liberty call....salute....Ooorah Gunny....grenades...women....OORAH! So Help Me Chesty PULLER!"
Thumb Print X____________________ XX __________________
Teeth Marks ____________
Date __________________
Monday, May 22, 2006
Jeni Ready to Pop!
Jeni is about ready to pop! She is in final stage of "re-nesting" and Christopher has dropped. She has started to experience some contractions, though she has only diliated to a one (1).
She has a Dr's appointment tomorrow and we will know a little more. We should all have a new baby by the end of the week!
(Picture taken this weekend: May 20, 2006)
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
My email is breaking up with me
Hi.
This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com. I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up.
Sorry it didn't work out.
This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com. I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up.
Sorry it didn't work out.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Back In Town
Florida was awesome! 75-85, Sunny, Clear skys (with a little haze from the fires) and a slight breeze. I could not have ordered better weather. I have a few pictures on my myspace. Check them out.
The reunion was fun. I met classmates I didn't know, hung out and caught up with people I knew and loved. It was still clicky though. Made my rounds and said Hi to the "popular" people, and tried to have a good time.
My girlfriend Jennifer asked me to be her maid of honor in her wedding in October, so I will be heading back down sometime later this year. This time I am taking Scott and we are going to Disney. I didn't think I would miss him this last weekend, but by Saturday night I missed him terribly and wished I had drug him down with me.
So yesterday I spent the afternoon looking up prices for Disney. For the low price of $650 I can have a room at the French Quarter, airport transportation, park hopper passes for three days that never expire, and a few other cool things. Pricing does not include meals, entertainment, and drinks. Whew... better start saving my money / paying off credit cards.
The reunion was fun. I met classmates I didn't know, hung out and caught up with people I knew and loved. It was still clicky though. Made my rounds and said Hi to the "popular" people, and tried to have a good time.
My girlfriend Jennifer asked me to be her maid of honor in her wedding in October, so I will be heading back down sometime later this year. This time I am taking Scott and we are going to Disney. I didn't think I would miss him this last weekend, but by Saturday night I missed him terribly and wished I had drug him down with me.
So yesterday I spent the afternoon looking up prices for Disney. For the low price of $650 I can have a room at the French Quarter, airport transportation, park hopper passes for three days that never expire, and a few other cool things. Pricing does not include meals, entertainment, and drinks. Whew... better start saving my money / paying off credit cards.
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