Well we’re still setting things right after last week’s flooding of my office here at Casa de la Curmudgeon . We received more rain last Friday night thru Sunday intermittently as well. With any luck shortly all should be back to normal, though I am taking the opportunity to rearrange, reorganize and down size some in anticipation of Casa de la Curmudgeon’s possible relocation sometime late this fall which is slowing things returning to normal down slightly
Though the summer solstice is still about three weeks away, Sunday having been June 1st marked the start of Hurricane Season for us. Given the way its rained in the last week, I’m thinking a Hurricane might be the least of our worries for this season, rain might just wash us away. On the plus side all those concerns about wildfires, low water tables, and nearly empty reservoirs have, for the moment anyhow, been abated.
The season forecast is for somewhere around eight to 11 named storms three to five hurricanes. However, it only takes one in your neck of the woods to make it a big hurricane season. Trust me I speak from multiple experiences on this subject.
Ok if you’re not hear to help with the reconstruction of my office (pauses expectantly) yeah as I though, well then you might as well start on today’s issue and I’ll catch up with you after I send my iRobot vacuum to kill those dust bunnies behind the server tower before the U.N. decides I can’t use a robot to kill anything.
OFF WITH THE LIKE O’ YA NOW! You’ll figure out what I’m talking about soon enough!
Today’s Feature- Song Parodies
AC/DC “Dirty Deeds” Done with Sheep
Drivers On the Phone (Parody of Riders On the Storm)
P.M.S. (Parody of T.N.T.)
Stop robocalls from bothering you
We’ve all been there. The phone starts ringing at the worst possible moment and you pick it up only to hear a pre-recorded voice saying: “Hello. This is a call for …”
[Personally I hate the one with the fog horn for cruise ships I get at least 3 times a month]
It’s enough to drive you up the wall. Those irritating robotic phone calls waste your time peddling everything from car insurance to time shares.
Nomorobo is another step you can take. This unique service blocks illegal robocalls.
Nomorobo lets the phone ring once, and then it identifies the caller. If the caller is a robot telemarketer, Nomorobo hangs up.
Note that Nomorobo only blocks robotic calls people report as illegal, so you won’t miss a doctor’s appointment reminder, a school call, or a weather alert. Unfortunately, Nomorobo does not yet block political or charity calls, but it’s in the works.
To start, you will need to provide Nomorobo with some information. List the type of phone you have — wireless or landline — and select your carrier.
Note:Nomorobo does not currently support wireless services.However, it is working to partner with the major cell services. If you enter a wireless provider, the site will give you instructions on how you can help.
Nomorobo will also need a valid email address to contact you with updates and other information. If you don’t feel comfortable giving out your personal email address, you can create a temporary account from the list of hosts here.
If your carrier supports Nomorobo, you will receive an email with a link. Click the link and you will go to the Nomorobo signup page. Enter your first and last name and create a password to create an account.
After you create your account, Nomorobo will walk you through setting it up on your phone. It’s a simple, one-time setup that will keep those annoying robot callers off your phone for good.
Whiskas Big Cat Little Cat, Official TV advert 2013
Is Fred A Veteran? Maybe it’s courtesy of the V.A. !
Spicy Tuna & Tomato Sauce with Fettuccine
It might sound unusual, (ok I admit it it sounds damned unusual) but you’ve got to give this deliciously different dish a try…you’ll find that it’s easy to make and the combination of picante sauce, tuna and peas makes it absolutely scrumptious.
1 Heat the picante sauce, celery and peas in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the tuna. Cook until the celery is tender, stirring occasionally.
2 Add the fettuccine to the saucepan and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the parsley and cheese.
I skipped the celery since I didn’t have any on hand but I did add 1/2 a small red onion chopped and 1 large clove of garlic minced. Since I happened to have some good canned Italian tuna I reserve solely for cooking here that’s what I used, primarily because I wanted some of the olive oil the tuna was packed in to sauté the onion and garlic in with pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
Since I didn’t have the fresh parsley I used cilantro which I did happen to have. I figured since we were already using Picante Sauce I might as well, especially since the Picante jar was labeled mild and this was supposed to be spicy.
Lemony Blueberry Layered Pie
Ingredients
19-inch graham cracker crust
18-ounce package cream cheese, softened
114-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
¼cup powdered sugar
13.4-ounce box instant lemon pudding mix
2teaspoons fresh lemon zest
¼cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
121-ounce can Blueberry Pie Filling
Instructions
Combine cream cheese, condensed milk and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix at medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until smooth. Add pudding mix, lemon zest and lemon juice; mix until well blended.
Spoon about half of the Blueberry Pie Filling evenly into bottom of graham cracker crust. Spoon lemon-filling mixture on top and spread evenly. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
Spoon remaining Blueberry Pie Filling on top just before serving. Garnish with fresh lemon zest if desired.
Works well with Strawberry and Cherry Canned Pie Filings too!
Frosted Citrus Green Tea
Prep 15 min.
Total 3 hr. 15 min.
Serves 6
What You’ll Need
4 cups Diet V8 Splash® Tropical Blend Juice Drink, chilled 4 cups strong brewed green tea Fresh mint sprigs (optional) lemon slices
How to Make It
1 Pour 2 cups of the juice drink into 1 ice cube tray. Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until it’s frozen.
2 Stir the remaining juice drink and tea in a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour 30 minutes.
3 Unmold the cubes and place 1 to 2 cubes in each of 6 glasses. Pour the tea mixture into each glass. Serve with mint and lemon, if desired
Adult Beverage Time!- This cries out for some citrus vodka or white rum.
UN Convention Weighs Fears About Killer Robots
By Denise Chow, Sci-Tech Editor | May 13, 2014 01:31pm ET
The idea of humans answering to robot overlords is a concept that has often been joked about, but with drones and other robotic technologies advancing at such a rapid pace, the notion that humans could need protection from killer robots may be no laughing matter.
At least, governments are gathering this week for a four-day session to discuss how to prevent “lethal autonomous robots,” reported AFP. The debate is part of the U.N. Convention on Conventional Weapons, which is being held in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Killer robots would threaten the most fundamental of rights and principles in international law,” Steve Goose, arms division director at Human Rights Watch, an international non-governmental organization, told AFP. “We don’t see how these inanimate machines could understand or respect the value of life, yet they would have the power to determine when to take it away.”
Robotic weapons, such as armed drones, are already used around the world, but some military experts predict cutting-edge research could give rise to autonomous killer robots within 20 years, according to AFP.
“It’s totally unconscionable that human beings think that it’s OK to cede the power and life over other humans to machinery,” said Jody Williams, a political activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner for her work to ban land mines, according to AFP. “If we don’t inject a moral and ethical discussion into this, we won’t control warfare.”
I was wondering when we’d get around to this particular bit of whining from the UN.
It seems to me that anything we do or develop the UN either wants us to cede control over to them, give to all countries for free or seeks to prevent us from using.
In fact I’m hard pressed at this point to even explain what benefit we derive from participation in the UN anymore as anytime we put forth a resolution the ‘Hate America Except for their Money We Get Out of Them’ faction forms up to block it. But that’s a discussion for a different Parting Shot that perhaps one day will get written.
Undoubtedly the opinion expressed by the following two Editorial cartoons are largely accurate, and entirely due to the mismanagement of Obama and his sycophants not only of our capabilities but of their mouths and foreign relations which influence world wide perception.
I’ll stipulate there is some basis of truth in these editorial opinions. Obama has made heavy use of drones. He and his Justice Department Chihuahua (a breed noted for loud mouths- which they use often and for no good reason) Lap Dog Eric Holder did say that the US Government could kill American’s abroad, if they were working with/for our enemies against US interests sans benefit of due process. We in fact already discussed this particular issue at great length in a previous Parting Shot. I pointed out that we could & should take some lessons regarding the handling of citizens who aid and abet terrorism with regard to their citizenship from Great Britain.
However the assertion we just crank up a robot show it a photo, upload a set of GPS co-ordinates and say go do this evil in the name of God, Country of your creation and Freedom and it goes and flies off to autonomously hunt down terminate its victim is frankly, pure bullshit.
Drone (n)- an unmanned aircraft or ship that can navigate autonomously, without human control or beyond line of sight.
Robot (n)-any machine or mechanical device that operates automatically with humanlike skill.
The US maintain a large inventory of Semi-Autonomous Drones, a.k.a. Remotely Piloted Air Vehicles (RPAVs), not airborne robotic killing machines. For every drone aloft actively prosecuting a target by executing a weapons hot (weapons armed and capable of being remotely fired) there is a scene someplace safely behind the combat line, yes possibly 1000’s of miles away just like this:
That team is likely responsible for the monitoring of multiple drones while they perform their automatic functions of flight (same thing as auto pilot on an airliner) and routine surveillance. When surveillance detects something of interest and becomes no long routine the operators are alerted to take hands one control of the surveillance equipment and likely the drone was well. Despite being side by side the drone controllers function just as they would in an Apache Longbow Attack Helo, one controlling the surveillance camera and the other piloting the drone. Any engagement of hostile forces would be done remotely by these two controllers not autonomously by the Drone itself.
Drones can only operate autonomously on their mission if they are constantly able to contact their control center. Should they be unable to their autonomous programing calls for them to return to their launch point. Should this prove impossible they are programed to self destruct to prevent falling into enemy hands. If you want to look at potential for an air vehicle going rogue the actual chances are far higher with a manned airframe as opposed to an unmanned one which would have to have its controls hacked or taken over by force.
The U.N.’s Chicken Little squawk isn’t really all that surprising when you couple the diplomatic ineptitude that has been the hallmark of Obama’s administration, with his arrogant aura and foreign press sensationalism hatchet jobs like this:
The article, artfully coupled to a still of an airborne hunter-killer robot from the opening scene of one of the Terminator movies for the sole purpose of over blown sensationalism, tries to allege the US is deliberately heading their research to autonomous robotic soulless killing machines. If you read the article with any level of education or intelligence that is not what their sources say at all. IN point of fact one of the quoted sources makes a point of saying:
Despite the dramatic advances in technology, the American military insists humans will remain in control when it comes to using lethal force.
I should point out that this hatchet job was done on us by India who allegedly is-
a dynamic and democratic global power, India is a vital partner of the United States, sharing many foreign policy goals in the region and serving as an important trading partner and source of investment-http://results.usaid.gov/india#fy2012
an ally(?) [neither side is apparently actually sure, India is fiercely independent and proud but also afraid of China and knows it has no hope of standing up to Communist expansionism unless it is with our good will and aid] whom in 2011 received over $200 million in foreign aid from multiple US government sources alone not counting other charities, private sector and religious sources.
With allies like this spewing misinformation and offering us this sort of support is it any wonder why the champion of the 3rd world beggar countries wants to reign us in when it come to making our having to be their police force safer for our troops? After all what good is blocking our attempts to root out terrorists and their infrastructure if the terrorists you are helping our enemies harbor and hide can be targeted by us but can’t suicide bomb out troops because they are safely out of harms way fighting by remote control?
Chester the Molester with a Towel on his head a.k.a. Mohammad never said anything about Allah the Misquoted saying any of these goat knowing in the biblical sense terrorists would be welcomed into Paradise for killing a drone. When you’re entire justification for fighting and doing things the Koran forbids other wise is ‘Holy War’ with the reward being Paradise this is a serious recruitment problem. In fact if those unwashed sons of bestiality with goats and camels were semi literate and paid any attention to the outside world at all they might well take a page from the experience of our troops with their promised version of post fighting paradise (Veteran’s Benefits) is working out for them. Seems at least when comes to our troops the ‘Great Satan’s’ name is Veteran’s Affairs.
But I digress.
I do agree with one point of the U.N.’s concern and apparently so does DARPA and the other Military Technology Research Think Tanks. The decision to kill should never be taken out of human hands or ever blamable on a non human. The taking of a life no matter how justified is still a weighty decision. It is precisely the weight of this decision multiplied by the number of times it has to be made on multiple levels (all the way up the chain from the grunt looking over his weapon at the enemy in his foxhole to the National Command Authority) that makes war such an awful and terrible thing. Something to be avoided at all costs and used only as a last resort. This is precisely why the decision to kill must never become automated or removed from human hands, lest we forget the awful and terrible cost of taking a life.
Beyond that if the UN wants a level playing field I’m fine with that, US troops have never shied away from meeting an enemy on the battlefield, but can the UN assure us the same from those whom they are trying to protect by keeping us out of our reach? I doubt it. Until that time that the UN can assure us that the Taliban and assorted other Muslim Radical Fundamentalist Terrorist Organizations are ready to face us head on openly on a battlefield and stop preying on civilians, to settle this once and for all the US should keep flying our drone autonomously while releasing weapons manually in the time honored method of a human making the conscious decision to pull the trigger on a weapon (system) somewhere.
Oh! One last thing U.N.- Since you are so fearful of our Drones and what they might become, that you seek to deprive us of them U.N., you’ll of course have no objections if we refuse to deploy them in your defense, to assist your objectives, or rescue your sanctimonious anti US asses right?
I’m still recovering from that fantastic Memorial Day Weekend Party/BBQ Bash/Orgy/Mosh Pit/Karaoke/Dance fest. I’m relatively sure my head is still not quite attached to my body. My wings have gone somewhere they weren’t supposed to and my tail is still in an embarrassing place waiting for a surgeon to remove it. (and no! It’s no where in my own anatomy, Lethal! I didn’t invite that damn congressman, but when I find out who did they will be banned from any future parties!)
Anyway, what do you say we just get on with the laughter. Drink some coffee. Wait for the doctor. Sound like a plan? Good! Then…
Staggering in from the huge Memorial Day Bash, the drunken Leprechaun collapsed in a chair and let out an enormous belch.
“That’s it Lethal! I’ve had it this time,” his wife screamed. “I’m cutting you off forever!”
“That’s impossible,” the leprechaun replied, “you don’t even know where I’m getting it!”
It fun to poke at Lethal and Molly, one of the most loving and dedicated couples I’ve ever known. Did you guys see them at the party? Wondering round, holding hands, watching the drunks. It was really sweet. You guys are the best! Cheers, you guys!
Okay, so maybe I’m just a little weird, but this picture cracked me up bad! And now the damn song is stuck in my head!
This stinker goes a long way for a real groaner of an ending
A couple lived near the ocean and used to walk the beach a lot.
One summer, they noticed a girl who was at the beach pretty much every day. She wasn’t unusual, nor was the travel bag she carried, except for one thing; she would approach people who were sitting on the beach, glance around furtively, then speak to them.
Generally, the people would respond negatively and she would wander off, but occasionally someone would nod and there would be a quick exchange of money for something she carried in her bag.
The couple assumed she was selling drugs and debated calling the cops, but since they didn’t know for sure, they just continued to watch her.
After a couple of weeks the wife asked, “Honey, have you ever noticed that she only goes up to people with boom boxes and other electronic devices?”
He said he hadn’t.
Then she said, “Tomorrow I want you to get a towel and our big radio and go lie out on the beach. Then we can find out what she’s really doing.”
Well, the plan went off without a hitch, and the wife was almost hopping up and down with anticipation when she saw the girl talk to her husband, and then leave.
The man walked up the beach and met his wife at the road.
“Well, is she selling drugs?” she asked excitedly.
“No, she’s not,” he said, enjoying this probably more than he should have.
“Well, what is it, then?” his wife fairly shrieked.
The man grinned and said. “She’s a battery salesperson.”
“Batteries?” cried the wife.
“Yes,” he replied. “She sells C cells by the seashore.”
This is some awesome artistic talent!
Would you let your dog be treated this way?
The top 10 reasons we look like complete idiots to the rest of the world:
Number 10) Only in America…could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000.00 per plate campaign fund-raising event.
Number 9) Only in America …could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a black Attorney General and roughly 20% of the federal workforce is black while only 14% of the population is black 40% of all federal entitlements goes to black Americans – 3X the rate that go towhites, 5X the rate that go to Hispanics!
Number 8) Only in America…could they have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner (the head of the Treasury Department) and Charles Rangel (who once ran the Ways and Means Committee), BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.
Number 7) Only in America…can they have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.
Number 6) Only in America…would they make people who want to legally become American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege, while they discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just ‘magically’ become American citizens (probably should be number one).
Number 5) Only in America….could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country’s Constitution be thought of as “extremists.”
Number 4) Only in America…could you need to present a driver’s license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.
Number 3) Only in America…could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. Oil company(Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).
Number 2) Only in America….could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a Trillion dollars more than it has per year – for total spending of $7-Million PER MINUTE, and complain that it doesn’t have nearly enough money.
And Number 1) Only in America…could the rich people – who pay 86% of all income taxes – be accused of not paying their “fair share” by people who don’t pay any income taxes at all.
Bubba went to Alabama on a football scholarship. He was a good running back, but a poor student.
At graduation day, Bubba didn’t have enough credits. But he was a great football star and the students held a rally and demanded the dean give him a diploma anyway. They were so insistent that the dean agreed if Bubba could answer one question correctly he would give him a diploma.
The one-question test was held in the auditorium and the students packed the place. It was standing room only.
The dean was on the stage and told Bubba to come up. The dean had the diploma in his hand and said, “Bubba, if you can answer this question correctly I’ll give you your diploma.” Bubba said he was ready and the dean asked him the question. “Bubba,” he said, “How much is three times seven?”
Bubba looked up at the ceiling and then down at his shoes, just pondering the question. The students began chanting, “Graduate him anyway! Graduate him anyway!”
Then Bubba held up his hand and the auditorium became silent. Bubba said, “I think I know the answer. Three times seven is twenty-one.”
A hush fell over the auditorium…and then the Alabama students began another chant. “Give him another chance! Give him another chance!”
Here’s an unusual test, that should get you thinking…
1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven’t eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?
2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?
3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?
4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday?
5. This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious as to just how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so ordinary and plain that you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is highly unusual though. Study it and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!
THE ANSWERS TO ALL FIVE THE RIDDLES ARE BELOW:
Answers:
1. The third room. Lions that haven’t eaten in three years are dead.
That one was easy, right?
2. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry (shot; held under water; and hung).
3. Charcoal, as it is used in barbecuing.
4. Sure you can name three consecutive days, yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
5. The letter e, which is the most common letter used in the English language, does not appear even once in the paragraph.
How did you do?
I’ll admit it. I missed #3.
A man who’d just died is delivered to a local mortuary wearing an expensive, expertly tailored black suit.
The female blonde mortician asks the deceased’s wife how she would like the body dressed. She points out that the man does look good in the black suit he is already wearing.
The widow, however, says that she always thought her husband looked his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit. She gives the Blonde mortician a blank check and says, ‘I don’t care what it costs, but please have my husband in a blue suit for the viewing.’
The woman returns the next day for the wake. To her delight, she finds her husband dressed in a gorgeous blue suit with a subtle chalk stripe; the suit fits him perfectly…
She says to the mortician, ‘Whatever this cost, I’m very satisfied. You did an excellent job and I’m very grateful. How much did you spend?’
To her astonishment, the blonde mortician presents her with the blank check.
‘There’s no charge,’ she says.
‘No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that exquisite blue suit!’ she says.
‘Honestly, ma’am,’ the blonde says, ‘it cost nothing. You see, a deceased gentleman of about your husband’s size was brought in shortly after you left yesterday, and he was wearing an attractive blue suit. I asked his wife if she minded him going to his grave wearing a black suit instead, and she said it made no difference as long as he looked nice.’
‘So I just switched the heads.’
(BET YOU DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING!!!)
————————-
Recent Survey
————————-
A recent survey was conducted to discover why men get out of bed in the middle of the night:
Five percent said it was to get a glass of water.
Twelve percent said it was to go to the bathroom.
Eighty-three percent said it was to go home.
AMEN! Me too!!! Woo Hoo!!!!
A man went to the doctor complaining of insomnia. The doctor gave him a thorough examination, found absolutely nothing physically wrong with him, and then told him, “Listen, if you ever expect to cure your insomnia, you just have to stop taking your trouble to bed with you.”
“I know,” said the man, “but I can’t. My wife refuses to sleep alone.”
A guy walks into a bar with a small dog. The bartender says, “Get out of here with that dog!”
The guy said, “But this isn’t just any dog… this dog can play the piano!”
The bartender replied, “Well, if he can play that piano, you both can stay… and have a drink on the house!”
So the guy sat the dog on the piano stool, and the dog started playing. Ragtime, Mozart… and the bartender and patrons enjoyed the music. Suddenly a bigger dog ran in, grabbed the small dog by the scruff of the neck, and dragged him out.
The bartender asked the guy, “What the hell was that all about?”
The guy replied, “Oh, that was his mother. She wanted him to be a doctor.”
A well-dressed gentleman entered an upscale restaurant in the East End of Manhattan and took a seat at the bar.
The bartender came over and asked “What can I get you to drink, sir?”
The gentleman responded, “Nothing, thank you. I tried alcohol once, didn’t like it, and never tried it again.”
The bartender was a bit perplexed, but being a friendly sort, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered the gentleman one.
The gentleman refused, saying, “I tried smoking once, didn’t like it, and never did it again. The point is, I wouldn’t be in here at all, except that I’m waiting for my son.”
The bartender retorted, “Your only child, I presume?”
Here’s a really good letter that I received from Tom in Oregon that I was going to just share with Lethal (since it is regards to his Memorial Day issue) but thought I’d share with all of you.
I was more than touched and impressed by your Veterans Day presentation (And Lethal of course too.) You have far too few subscribers. I want to copy and print sections of your work and circulate some truth around to unknowing citizens. If I could do that, I would! It’s very sad that so many Americans are unaware that they are losing their freedom.
In 2007 I warned everyone that I could about what was about to happen. I was ignored and often called crazy. Not once have my predictions been wrong. No, I’m not one who can foresee the future, only the plain truth that was and is so very obvious.
I have looked all through history and have seen the results of socialism as you have. I believe it’s a little different this time. Brain washing the American people IS working for this administration and it shows. The dumbing down of young people has worked very well and the banning of religion is growing.
When the government has control of the media and fills us with lies and propaganda we lose. When the people finally wake up it will be too late. Socialism is a poison and a disease that is very hard to cure. As history has shown, it can’t be cured until it is too late. People don’t want to give up their “Free shit.” Obama wants everyone to be dependent on him and he’s doing it. You know that so I won’t go on about it.
I’ve always felt that it’s human nature to protect what is yours and to thrive to do better. To work hard and to be proud of what you have achieved. Even if it’s only a little. How can an American be proud of this government? It is more than shameful.
I can remember when Bush 43 was damned for smoking a cigar and having an occasional beer. Now we have a president who smokes cigarettes, used marijuana, used cocaine, heroine and who knows if he still does?
I’ll stop now because I’m disgusted at my thoughts of the future.
With people like you and Lethal, we might have a chance. Don’t ever stop and thank you for all you’ve done. I’ll probably be executed as soon as I send this.
Tom
Take heart, gentle readers, I have heard from Tom since he sent this and he hasn’t been executed…although they may just be waiting for the popularity to die down a little and then …. no, no, no! Tom will be fine, I promise. We’ve posted a few dwarven knights around his place in Oregon and he’ll be fine.
Thank you for the kind and eloquent words, Tom. You have given us the best gift we can receive from any of our readers, the gift of response.
And to all of you like-minded people out there, don’t sit on your duffs, get out, talk about your feelings and your fears, caution your friends and families, let them know that the time to act is NOW. Novembers elections are almost here and we have a chance to make a change. Real change this time, not Obamas bullshit change.
A huge ripping sound echoes through the campground followed by a loud dragon like sigh!
You’ll be glad to know that I no longer have the politician impaled on my tail and every thing came out just fine. Oh, the politician is dead. But, he was amongst the walking dead anyway, so no huge loss.
The Continuing VA Scandal
I find myself again pissed off over what the Veteran’s Administration has been doing to our honored Vets. More and more bullshit is coming to light the longer this thing seems to go on. Is there no end in sight? Is there no point at which we can say, “Okay, this is it. This is all of it.”? Apparently not.
Congress: Wait times at VA tied to bonuses?
In opinion piece, VA secretary says he found report ‘reprehensible’
Again with the damn bonuses. You guys already know how I feel about that. So, let’s move on.
The VA has acknowledged 23 deaths nationwide due to delayed care. The VA’s acting inspector general, Richard Griffin, told a Senate committee in recent weeks that his investigation so far had found a possible 17 deaths of veterans waiting for care in Phoenix. But he added that there was no evidence excessive waiting was the reason.
23 deaths! Why are there not more people screaming about this? Why is the president biding his time? Well, for one opinion on this here’s another article:
I suspect the real answer is as many as they can get. After all, veterans tend to vote Republicans.
Like cutting Medicare, cutting Tricare and letting the VA kill vets is one way to kill off the voters least
likely to vote for the Democratic Party.
The president seems completely oblivious to all that’s going on around him. “I had no idea anything was wrong in Benghazi!” “What do you mean, Vets are dying?” It’s appalling!
The man is worse than incompetent. He’s doing permanent damage to our country, our infrastructure and our lives! Carney repeated Thursday that Obama found the report deeply troubling, and a White House official speaking on the condition of anonymity told CNN that Shinseki was on “thin ice” with the President.
Yes, yes, Shinseki needs to be fired. New management is the only thing that has a chance of fixing this problem. But, he’s not the only one who needs to get the axe. It needs to follow right to the top. Obama needs to resign in shame!
In an opinion piece published Thursday in USA Today, Shinseki wrote that he found the report “reprehensible” and that he’s “not waiting to set things straight.”
Yeah, right.
Give me a break. If it wasn’t for the fact that some reporter somewhere finally got a letter from someone that he actually read, decided it was a slow enough news day pushing his nose up the liberal left’s ass, and wrote a story about how our Vets were dying at VA facilities, none of this, and I mean NONE of it, would have ever come to light.
You actually think that Shitski didn’t know what was going on? He hadn’t a clue that things were this bad? Really?
If so, I’ve got this great bridge to sell you. Hardly ever used and in a great location:
We’ll have it all nice and cleaned up for you.
Now we have this headline:
42 VA Hospitals Now Under Criminal Investigation, Up From 26
A preliminary report by the Inspector General revealed that its criminal investigation of the country’s beleaguered Veteran Affairs health system has expanded from 26 facilities to 42.
The report,which you can read here, was in reference to allegations at the VA at Phoenix, specifying that it “substantiated that significant delays in access to care negatively impacted the quality of care at this medical facility.”
But it also signals that the national investigation has expanded. Namely:
“To date, we have ongoing or scheduled work at 42 VA medical facilities and have identified instances of manipulation of VA data that distort the legitimacy of reported waiting times. When sufficient credible evidence is identified supporting a potential violation of criminal and/or civil law, we have contacted and are coordinating our efforts with the Department of Justice.
42! FORTY-TWO!!! And has anyone seen a list of these 42 facilities? I’m a damn good researcher and I couldn’t find them. I even read the whole, disgusting report referenced in the second paragraph above and I couldn’t find anything other than the one Phoenix facility that’s taking all the heat right now.
Why won’t they give us a list of the facilities under investigation? I sure as hell want to know, even if for the fact that someday I might have to go back to the VA for medical treatment. Is it because if they start naming names than people are going to realize that the list is actually much, much larger when they don’t see the name of a facility on the list that they KNOW is under investigation? Is it possible that the list is actually much larger? Even in to the hundreds? I think so.
Trust me folks. The truth will eventually come out, like it always does. Just like we all know who killed Kennedy, which aliens are really in Area 51, how many people the Clintons really had killed and where Obama’s real birth certificate and school records are.
Sure.
It will happen.
<A hip boot sporting Lethal looks up from his desk which seems to have been raised off the floor on a series of pallets. The top of his desk is covered in file boxes which seem to be full of personal items>
Hmm? What are you people doing here? Another issue is due? Didn’t I just publish an issue? My home office at Casa Celtic Curmudgeon is flooding from all the rain we’ve taken since Monday so I’ve had to move out of it until the carpet dries. How am I supposed to get out a third issue in 7 days with everything moved to drier ground and located only the Lord knows where?
Where’s that gold bricking dragon? He was late with the sand bags because he was defending his young daughter’s honor at the community pool according to him. You think he could cover for me in times of near biblical flood like disasters (Yeah that’s right, Biblical Flood disasters, see when Noah got them 40 days & 40 night o’ rain? Well here in Southern Texas we got near ta a 1” of it.
Knowing Impish he’s probably off finding every leftover from our most memorable Memorial Day Picnic in years and throwing himself on them in glutinous glee. I suppose in the case of those artisan sausage maker’s bratwursts and my new baked stuffed potato potato salad recipe that’s understandable, but who goes gaga over fruit cocktail in Orange Jell-O molds anymore?
OK! OK! Calm down already! Bloody bunch of blog addicts!
Someone go tell the kitchen to send up coffee and pastries. I’ll meet you in the conference room soon as I slap something together. Being that this is my 3rd issue in 7 days and the fact I had other obligations for Memorial Day plus need you use a rowboat to get around my office don’t expect things to be up to my usual standards.
Plus we got Dark Chocolate!
Ohhh! So THAT’S what Impish is talking about when he’s complaining about seeing scary things in mirrors! I thought it was like the time he mistook his portrait for a mirror and though his reflection was paralyzed!
IT seems as though it is inevitable, every special issue we put out a day or so post issue publication something one or both of us wish we could have included in the issue shows up in our Inbox. Usually by the time our next issue comes round its too late to include it so we’re left with 2 choices allow it to pass by or attempt to save it for next years issue and hope we bloody well remember we have it electronically squirreled away in some dark file someplace and the electrons we forced into storing it haven’t revolted and depolarized or some equally Microsoft obscure reason we cannot have our data back.
This year I have the option because of the closeness of the holiday to my regular issue with regard to when I received the email that I can just call it an Addendum or Post Scripted thought
Freakin’ Brothers
Chicken Taco Casserole
All of your favorite taco fixings can be found in this crowd-pleasing casserole. Plus, it uses convenience products like canned soup and veggies, cooked chicken and taco seasoning mix that make it a snap to prepare. It’s loaded with fantastic flavor and on the table in less than an hour!
Prep 15 min.
Total 55 min.
Serves 8
What You’ll Need
4 cups shredded cooked chicken 2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or Fat Free) 1 cup light sour cream 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained 1 can (about 15 ounces) black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 envelope (about 1 ounce) reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix ( I use Mrs. Dash’s which has no sodium as there are plenty other sources of it here) 5 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces) Chopped tomato, sliced green onion and chopped fresh cilantro leaves
How to Make It
1 Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Stir the chicken, soup, sour cream, tomatoes & green chilies, beans and seasoning mix in a large bowl.
2 Layer half the chicken mixture, 3 cups tortilla chips and half the cheese in the baking dish. Layer with the remaining chicken mixture and tortilla chips. Cover the baking dish.
3 Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
4 Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbling and the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the chopped tomato, green onion and cilantro before serving, if desired.
Great to take to summer gatherings as it transports and sits well plus taste good warm or room temp.
I like using 1 can of the Cream of Chicken and one of Cream of Mushroom soup
Here is a tip for you- Trying to limit your sodium intake? (who isn’t?) Tortilla chips have a lot of sodium. To further lower your sodium level in this dish instead of using Tortilla chips locate tostada shells. These are essentially just crisp fried corn tortillas that come in a bag stacked more or less flat. Think of them as giant tortilla chips without the salt. Since you’re going to be breaking them up anyway you’ll never taste the difference but your blood pressure and water retention will know the difference!
Wilted Kale with Bacon and Tomatoes
Everyone is carrying on about how great and how healthy greens are for you. The particular favorite green of the moment is Kale. Well that great but if I have not had them someplace or been able to get a clear idea on how to prepare them so that Molly will approve of the culinary horizons widening attempt they’re not likely to fly here.
Here’s a simple but good tasting recipe I found using prewashed, chopped and bagged Kale. Personally I like it best with pork and a plain baked sweet potato.
A side dish recipe for fresh kale combined with tomatoes, onion and a little bacon
1 can (14.5 oz each) Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 slices fully cooked bacon
Directions
Melt Spread-tub in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add kale; stir to combine. Add undrained tomatoes, water, garlic salt and pepper; stir gently. Cover; cook 10 to 15 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat bacon in microwave according to package directions. Cut into bite-size pieces. Stir bacon into kale mixture before serving.
Notes: Two comments-
1.) I didn’t use the Spread-tub pretend butter, I’m old school, I used the pan drippings from the bacon as I was trying to make this taste as good as it possibly could and lets face it bacon drippings beat the hell out of artificial spread hands down.
2.) I used actual garlic and real salt for two reasons. First I never have Garlic or Onion Salt in my kitchen I buy Salt Garlic Powder and onion powder. ANY seasoning with salt added to it is a sure way to over sodium a dish and I’ve never used 50/50 mixture of salt and either of those spices. Secondly I used fresh garlic because I can control the garlic taste and experience much better using it depending on when I add it and how. In this case I used roasted garlic during the cooking and a single finely chopped fresh clove at the end stirred in when the bacon was which effectively sat cooking the the hot greens until I served them even though the greens were turned off for about 5 minutes. This gave me the best of both garlic tastes.
Holiday Banana Bread Pudding
Yup it does say ‘holiday’ in the recipe name but as far as we’re concerned here in Keebler tower anytime my favorite baked good, Banana Bread can meet Molly’s favorite baked good, Bread pudding, it is a holiday!
Prep 15 min.
Total 55 min.
Serves 8
This mouthwatering dessert featuring cinnamon swirl bread, bananas and melted chocolate is perfect for any time…and it’s ready in less than an hour!
What You’ll Need
12 slices Cinnamon Swirl Bread, cut into cubes 2 large bananas, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces 2 1/2 cups milk 4 eggs 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
How to Make It
1 Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2 Place the bread cubes, bananas and chocolate pieces into the baking dish. Beat the milk, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Pour the milk mixture over the bread mixture. Stir and press the bread mixture into the milk mixture to coat.
3 Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Vanilla Bean Rum or Brandy Butter (Hard Sauce)
A rich sweet buttery sauce perfect for topping warm holiday desserts such as Christmas pudding, soft gingerbread or spice cake, or apple or mince pies and tarts.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted ( 1 full box)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature ( 2 sticks)
1/2 vanilla beans, split and scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cream
5 -6 tablespoons brandy or 5 -6 tablespoons dark rum
1 pinch ground nutmeg ( optional, for garnish)
Directions
Beat butter until light and fluffy (I use a hand held mixer).
Gradually blend in the powdered sugar; add vanilla and cream, beating well to combine.
Beat in the rum, to taste.
Transfer to a pretty glass serving bowl, dust with nutmeg.
Cover with cling film and refrigerate several hours or overnight, or may be packed into jars for holiday gift giving.
Keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator.
It seems as though it is inevitable, every special issue we put out a day or so post issue publication something one or both of us wish we could have included in the issue shows up in our Inbox. Usually by the time our next issue comes round its too late to include it so we’re left with 2 choices allow it to pass by or attempt to save it for next years issue and hope we bloody well remember we have it electronically squirreled away in some dark file someplace and the electrons we forced into storing it haven’t revolted and depolarized or some equally Microsoft obscure reason we cannot have our data back.
This year I have the option because of the closeness of the holiday to my regular issue with regard to when I received the email that I can just call it an Addendum,a Post Scripted thought or my Parting Shot on the subject of Memorial Day for the year.
I’m including this because it brought to light an aspect about honoring our Military Men & Women which I had not previous considered, probably because I had taken it as a ‘gimme’ situation. That aspect is who it is that should be always leading the call to honor our troops, not just in words, which are cheap, but in actions and deeds.
That person is their Commander in Chief. Now you can say what you will about former President George W. Bush, the man and his Presidency was admittedly not without its flaws and problems. Further his homegrown manner of speech did give rise to a whole host of comedic bits and even the term ‘Bushism’ for his interestingly coin words not found the the dictionary (although some perhaps should be). However the man knew how to honor those under his command and never once appeared to think that his office set him above those he commanded. Perhaps it was because he served too, perhaps he was just that sort of person I cannot say with any authority.
What I can say is that for the last 6 years there have been no photos like these or to this extent of personal not Presidential report with troops that I am aware of and I spent a good bit of time looking after I receiving these.
Have you seen any photos like these in the last 6 years?
If a hug is needed, don’t be shy!
No one appreciates a firm handshake more than a soldier.
If they prefer not to shake hands…
…then a chest bump will do.
Admire their medals. They were hard-earned.
Always treat their families with great respect.
They have been through more than you could imagine.
Laugh with them!
Laughter is a medicine that works 102% of the time.
It’s important that you treat a soldier the way you would treat your own family.
Each soldier has an amazing story.
Listen.
But if you only have a minute, look them square in the eye…
And say, “Thank you.”
We promise you they will appreciate it.
God Bless America !
Happy Memorial day to all! (And remember our soldiers.)
Once again it’s come around to that time of year, one of the issues that I consider (as Impish has already stated in the St. Patrick’s Day Issue) one of the big 5 or 6 we do every year. Arguably for me, this is one of the top 3 issues with Independence Day and St Patrick’s Day rounding out the hat trick, though not in that order.
Of this day, John M. McHugh wrote:
“As America celebrates Memorial Day, we pay tribute to those who have given their lives in our nation’s wars.”
For us here at DL & LL Electronic Media this is an important and weighty responsibility we take extremely seriously and not just because we have both served our country. We ask your indulgence and assistance as we on this day of remembrance
The Fallen Soldier Battle Cross
This image is known as the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross or Battle Cross or simply, Helmet Rifle Boots.
It is made up of the fallen soldier’s rifle with bayonet attached and stuck into the ground with the soldier’s dog tags hanging, helmet on top of the rifle and the boots of the fallen soldier beneath.
This tradition began during the American Civil War as a means of identifying the bodies on the battlefield. Today it is used to show respect for the fallen and as a means to allow fellow troop members to mourn as attending a funeral or memorial service is not always possible for soldiers still engaged in battle.
Ladies and Gentleman, Please rise for the raising of our National Colors.
Morning Colors USMC style at Parris Island
Ladies and Gentleman, Please remain standing for our National Anthem… all of it, as sung by a gifted retired Marine.
National Anthem, Full Version! Four Verses, Lewis Shaeffer
If You would all please bow your heads, Sargent at Wings Impish Dragon will now lead us in a prayer for out Troops.
A Memorial Day Prayer
Heavenly Father, as our nation pauses today to remember those in the military who have given their lives for freedoms we enjoy, we pray you would have us all look to you for strength, comfort and guidance. Be with all who serve in our Armed Forces. Bless them and their families. Grant your loving protection. Let peace prevail among all the nations, O God. Especially let your mercy rest upon our land, even as we acknowledge with thanksgiving your past goodness on this country. If it is your will, preserve the lives of the men and women in uniform as they defend our citizenry. Most of all, we pray that you would turn the hearts of all – military and civilian – to your holy Word where we find the true peace for our sinful souls that surpasses all understanding. Keep us repentant of sin. Move us to know, take hold and treasure your saving grace. Amen.
At ease, you may be seated. Smoking lamp is lit, slurp it if you got it.
“…gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime….let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude,–the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.” –General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868
Only 31 words — Think about it!
Isn’t life strange? I never met one Veteran who enlisted to fight for Socialism!
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
If I Die Young (Dedicated To The Fallen Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors)
They too served, they too are Fallen Heroes! Remember them and honor them by demanding the truth be told and the culpable punished!
Tim McGraw If You’re Reading This
Human Life International: On Memorial Day, We Should Honor Our Fallen Heroes And What They Died For …
“The whole world should stop and honor America’s fallen heroes on Memorial Day,” commented Father Richard Welch, CSSR, JCD, President of Human Life International, the world’s largest pro-life, pro-faith, pro-family apostolate. “Not as a gesture endorsing any nation and its current political or economic policy, but in honor of brave men and women who gave their lives for others.”
“Memorial Day is not about picnics and ballgames. But neither is it an unqualified endorsement of American society as we know it. These brave soldiers, sailors, fliers and marines died protecting their country and what it stood for. They died defending a way of life that they felt was worth dying for … families, children, freedom, morality, values, responsibility.”
“We should each take a moment and look into our souls to see what we are doing with the bloodstained legacy they have left behind. Did those valiant Marines at Iwo Jima make their sacrifice so that sacramental union could be redefined as same sex marriage? Did our Revolutionary War heroes go into battle for the right of mothers to kill their unborn children? Did men die in the trenches at Argonne so that man-boy love could be protected?”
“Today, America is busy finding new ways to pleasure itself, new ways to avoid responsibility, new ways to destroy the family and isolate and marginalize those who call for morality and personal responsibility,” concluded Father Welch. “On this most solemn holiday, we must stop and consider the great sacrifices that others have made so that we may have the freedom and prosperity we enjoy. Let us consider what those valiant warriors were fighting for…and let us honor each and every one of them…with a prayer, and a pledge to restore to this nation the honor, morality, values and love of God for which they gave their lives.”
“Their true memorial is the nation and culture we create from their sacrifice. Are we really doing them the recognition they deserve?,” said Father Welch in conclusion.
Founded in 1981, Human Life International (http://www.hli.org, (1-800-549- LIFE) is the world’s largest pro-life, pro-faith, pro-family educational apostolate, with chapters in the United States and a network of international branches and affiliates around the world.
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. -Mark Twain
I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.- James A. Baldwin
These fallen heroes represent the character of a nation who has a long history of patriotism and honor – and a nation who has fought many battles to keep our country free from threats of terror. – Michael N. Castle
There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America. – William J. Clinton
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.– George Washington
They defend us should they not be able to defend themselves? What does our Government fear about our military and why? Why are they desperate to disarm our military on US soil?
Thank You For Your Service (A Moment of Truth)
Don’t just remember the missing and the dead, remember those who fought a war they never wanted to be in, and then came home to a country that didn’t want them. We owe them more than a debt of gratitude and our respect, as a Nation and a Society we owe them an apology.
American Soldier- Toby Keith (Tribute)
The “Memorial” in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:
by visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
by visiting memorials.
by flying the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.
by flying the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well (Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act).
by participating in a “National Moment of Remembrance“: at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.
Also, please consider adding your voice in support of the efforts to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th (instead of “the last Monday in May”). This would help greatly to return the solemn meaning back to the day, and to help return minds and hearts to think upon the ultimate sacrifices made by those in service to our country. Just one day out of the year to honor our loved ones, our ancestors, our friends who died in conflicts and wars — not to honor war, but those that died in those conflicts and wars.
Many times you have heard Impish and I use the phrase-
“A soldier is someone, who at one point in their life wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, and including, their life. “
While to those of us who have written that check and served this is an honor, sadly there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact. Nor do they understand that when payment comes due on such a check, it is not just the soldier that pays the full amount due, but his family as well.
If more people understood the terrible and awful cost of defending their right to ambivalence, disrespect and indifference towards our military, way of life and benefits of US citizenship, I suspect there would be far less of it and far more support for the military, its budget and its service men and women, and we would as a people all be far better Americans.
We here at DL/LL Electronic Media Enterprises are dedicated to raising awareness of the realities of what being an American citizen means and at what price that is achieved. Ladies and Gentleman school is now in session!
This is the honor done the fallen hero, who is never alone on his long journey home. The binder on that blank check has been collected already on the battlefield. But now the final payment, in the currency of anguish and grief over the loss of a loved one by his family, friends and brothers in arms comes due.
HARTFORD CT. >> As commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr. has made it a priority to develop a national museum dedicated to the maritime service. After years of discussion, developers have committed to a location in New London, but as Papp prepares to retire next month, the project still has a long way to go to raise enough money for construction to begin on the $80 million museum.
A ceremonial groundbreaking is planned for May 2 so that Papp can be recognized, and hoist a shovel, while he is still leading the Coast Guard. Papp has pledged to remain involved after he leaves the service.
“I’ll even sweep the floors and take the tickets if I have to,” he said in an interview. “We’re going to get this thing built.”
The commandant, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and New London Mayor Daryl Finizio signed an agreement in February pledging support for the museum, a four-story, 54,000-square-foot building proposed for the New London waterfront. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy, also in New London, has a museum, but backers say the new project will be the first national museum to honor the service’s 224-year history.
<truncated for brevity use link above to read full article>
The association hopes the federal government will contribute as much as $30 million, but the law that authorized the museum more than a decade ago prohibited the use of federal money for its design and construction. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, who represents eastern Connecticut, said that treats the Coast Guard project differently from national museums for other service branches, and he has had discussions with House colleagues to pursue federal funding opportunities.
Courtney also said he has 276 of the 290 co-sponsors he needs for legislation that would require the U.S. Mint to create a commemorative coin that honors the Coast Guard, with proceeds benefiting the museum.
The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the U.S. Department of the Navy by the U.S. President at any time, or by the U.S. Congress during times of war. To date, this has happened twice, in 1917 and 1941, during World War I and World War II, respectively.-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard
IMHO the Coasties are always on the short end of the stick. They are treated (unfairly) like the poor orphan foster sibling of every other service. They get the bottom of the barrel in regards to the military’s budget, often making due with recycled cast offs from other services who have moved on to newer better more technologically current equipment. They don’t complain, they simply make due and do an extraordinary job at living up to their motto Semper Paratus – Always Ready. IMHO this sort of recognition of an ever changing and evolving job well done and always done well is long over due
America’s – New Song! WOW!!!!
My Name is America by Todd Allen Herendeen
They too serve. They too are heroes. They too protect us. They too fight the war on terror. They too know the anguish and heart break of losing a brother in arms. They too write the blank check to our Country, States and Municipalities.
For many, (like Impish) they are writing it for the second time, having already served in the military. They too deserve our thanks and remembrance this day.
Since we try to make these special issues a joint effort with both our names on them (not that it always works out that way) Impish was tasked with providing a Last Word for the issue as opposed to my Parting Shot. In truth I was grateful when he agreed as this is always a difficult issue for me to author for multiple reasons. I suggested to the always supportive during the process of writing this issue Impish a subject he might well find worthy of writing about for the issue based on the subject matter of the rest of the issue and sent him a single link to an article that appeared in the Houston Chronicle which had me wound up pretty good.
Well if what I was was euphemistically termed ‘wound up’ then after doing slightly more reading on the issue Impish became outright pissed off, something that you folks rarely see here.
I’ll catch you at the tail end of Impish’s unloading.
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” -G.K. Chesterton
Many of us have written that check to Uncle Sam and the people of the United States of America. You know the one. That blank check that says, “up to and including my very life.” To be cashed when necessary. We promised to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…
Many of us have had that check cashed for the ultimate price. Many more of us have had that check cashed for a substantial, but lesser amount. And let me make it abundantly clear to those of you who have never held up your right hand and sworn that oath that, even though we now no longer wear the uniform, our check is still good and our oath is still valid. We swore to defend the Constitution; there was no time limit stated nor implied; there was no “use by date” or expiration.
I just passed my twenty-first year of military service; my twenty-fifth year of public service and I have seen the treatment of our veterans go from poor to fair to deplorable in the years since I first joined the Air Force in 1977. Yes, I know the years don’t add up, I had a twelve year period in there during which I was a straight civilian, working for a living, making a decent wage until I decided to (with the help of the company that “down-sized” me) return to serving my state and my country.
In 1977, vets were mostly of the Vietnam war and some of the Korean war who required our help and assistance in returning to the normalcy of home, getting medical care for the wounds they received in combat and turning from a military lifestyle to the far less structured and disciplined one of the civilian. Most vets were treated poorly, called baby killers or war-mongers, but the care they received from the government entities wasn’t horrible. The military was still given enough money to do its job properly and the VA kind of had its act together.
Over the next couple of years, through the 80’s and 90’s it got a bit better with fewer vets needing assistance and enough money being available. Don’t get me wrong. VA assistance was never great. A civilian normally got a better deal out of the unemployment services and Medicare than a returning vet did with his pension and VA care. But the one thing the VA was VERY good at was taking care of those types of war-related injuries that are so specific and specialized to the military veteran.
Then came the downsizing of our military. Bases all over the world were closed. Money was cut off; we were forced to do more and more with less and less. And the Veterans Administration was hit hard, like all the rest. Through the Bush years and now the Obama fiasco, our courageous and honorable Veterans were treated worse and worse.
Here’s an article printed last year near Memorial Day on the shameful treatment of our Military Veterans by the Obama Administration:
25 Signs That Military Veterans Are Being Treated Like Absolute Trash Under The Obama Administration
Why does the Obama administration treat our military veterans like human garbage? Every year on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Barack Obama and our other politicians make very nice speeches, but the truth about how they feel about our veterans can be seen in how they are treated every single day. In the United States today, there are well over half a million veterans that have been waiting for at least 125 days to have their benefit claims processed. Many of them will ultimately have their claims sent back or denied just so a government employee somewhere can get a bigger bonus. Meanwhile, conditions at VA facilities all over the country are absolutely abysmal, and many veterans have to wait more than half a year just to get an appointment at one of those facilities.
Once you start looking into how this country really treats military veterans, it becomes easier to understand why 22 military veterans commit suicide in America every single day. Our vets have a higher rate of unemployment, a higher rate of poverty, a higher rate of homelessness, a higher rate of depression and a higher rate of divorce then the general population. It is a crying shame. One of the ways that any society is judged is by how it treats military veterans, and the truth is that America has failed miserably. This has been particularly true since Barack Obama has been in the White House.
The following are 25 signs that military veterans are being treated like absolute trash under the Obama administration…
1. The average claim for veteran benefits takes more than half a year to be processed.
2. The Department of Veterans Affairs has a backlog of more than half a million overdue claims for benefits that are at least 125 days old.
3. In 2009, the number of veterans that had been waiting for more than a year to have their benefits approved was 11,000. Today, that number has soared to245,000.
4. Thousands upon thousands of military veterans that are waiting for their claims to be processed are dealing with absolutely horrible injuries…
Of those who have sought VA care:
• More than 1,600 of them lost a limb; many others lost fingers or toes.
• At least 156 are blind, and thousands of others have impaired vision.
• More than 177,000 have hearing loss, and more than 350,000 report tinnitus — noise or ringing in the ears.
• Thousands are disfigured, as many as 200 of them so badly that they may need face transplants. One-quarter of battlefield injuries requiring evacuation included wounds to the face or jaw, one study found.
5. At one VA hospital in Wisconsin, one military veteran with a broken jaw that was seeking treatment still had not had his jaw fixed after a month and a half.
6. Today, it takes military vets an average of seven months to get an appointment at a VA facility.
7. Many VA facilities are in absolutely horrific condition. A while back, ABC News conducted an investigation of conditions at VA facilities across the United States. What ABC News discovered was absolutely shocking. The following are just a few of the things that they found during the course of their investigation…
*Bathrooms filthy with what appeared to be human excrement
*Dirty linens from some patients mixed in with clean supplies
*Examining tables that had dried blood and medications still on them
*Equipment used to sterilize surgical instruments that had broken down
*Some patients were forced to beg for food and water
*Veterans that were neglected so badly that they developed horrific bedsores and dangerous infections
8. As I have written about previously, applying for veteran benefits is extremely complicated, and VA employees are actually paid bonuses for denying claims…
The truth is that we have made it extremely difficult for our military veterans to claim the benefits that we have promised them. Vets have to fill out an absurdly complicated 23 page application and if they make even one small mistake their applications can be stonewalled for years. The U.S. Veterans Administration actually has a policy under which they pay large bonuses to employees that meet certain application processing goals. This explains why approximately 70% of the claims submitted to the Veterans Administration are refused or sent back to be redone. In fact, using the Freedom of Information Act, one local NBC station was able to learn that $250,000 was paid in bonuses to VA employees who work inside the Poff Federal Building in Roanoke, Virginia in just one year alone.
9. Large numbers of military veterans that legitimately should be getting benefits are having their claims denied by the federal government. Just check out the following example from a Veterans Today article…
In one case, we found a veteran with 40 percent of his brain removed found to be healthy and employable. He was also missing his right arm. The physician who examined him over looked the arm and failed to note the cognitive degeneration the traumatic brain injury had caused.
10. Last year, more than 85,000 military veterans were treated for sexual abuse that they suffered while serving in the military. 40 percent of them were men.
11. According to a recent Defense Department survey, approximately 14,000 men in the U.S. military were sexually assaulted by other men during 2012.
12. According to the Washington Post, there is an epidemic of sexual assaults being committed by military recruiters. The Pentagon is pledging to do something about the problem…
“The secretary has made it clear that we will spare no effort to rid our military of sexual abuse,” said George Little, the Pentagon press secretary. “The fact that there have been problems of sexual abuse during the recruiting process is simply intolerable.”
13. The number of active members of the U.S. military that are killing themselves now exceeds the number that are dying on the battlefield.
14. Since the beginning of the Iraq War, twice as many members of the Texas National Guard have killed themselves as have been killed in combat.
15. According to one recent study, 22 military veterans kill themselves in the United States every single day.
16. At this point, combat veterans account for about 20 percent of all suicides in the United States.
17. The unemployment rate for military veterans is significantly higher than for the population as a whole. This is especially true for younger veterans.
18. On any given night, approximately 200,000 military veterans are homeless in the United States.
19. All over America, monuments that honor military veterans are crumbling and falling apart. For much more on this, please see this article.
20. Under the Obama administration, many military veterans have had to pay to have their medals shipped to them. For example, one soldier actually had to pay a 21 dollar shipping fee to get his Purple Heart. The following is from the Huffington Post…
War comes with an incalculable human cost. And apparently a shipping fee of about $21.
Retired Sgt. Major Rob Dickerson says that’s the price he was forced to pay when his Purple Heart — the medal issued to soldiers wounded in action — arrived at his door, C.O.D.
Instead of being awarded the military honor in a formal ceremony, the vet with 29 years in the service was handed his award, and a shipping invoice, by a FedEx deliveryman outside his Sioux Falls, S.D., home.
21. In some areas of the country the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been caught banning the words “God” and “Jesus” during funeral services for veterans.
22. Today, the federal government provides “end of life” literature to veterans that helps them to determine when their lives are “no longer worth living“…
“Your Life, Your Choices” presents end-of-life choices in a way aimed at steering users toward predetermined conclusions, much like a political “push poll.” For example, a worksheet on page 21 lists various scenarios and asks users to then decide whether their own life would be “not worth living.”
The circumstances listed include ones common among the elderly and disabled: living in a nursing home, being in a wheelchair and not being able to “shake the blues.” There is a section which provocatively asks, “Have you ever heard anyone say, ‘If I’m a vegetable, pull the plug’?” There also are guilt-inducing scenarios such as “I can no longer contribute to my family’s well being,” “I am a severe financial burden on my family” and that the vet’s situation “causes severe emotional burden for my family.”When the government can steer vulnerable individuals to conclude for themselves that life is not worth living, who needs a death panel?
23. One study discovered that approximately one-third of all military veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq were officially determined to be mentally ill by government officials.
25. The federal government is increasingly labeling military veterans as “potential domestic terrorists” if they express viewpoints that are critical of the government. The following is from a recent article by John Whitehead…
Making matters worse, thanks to Operation Vigilant Eagle, a program launched by the Department of Homeland Security in 2009, military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are also being characterized as extremists and potential domestic terrorist threats because they may be “disgruntled, disillusioned or suffering from the psychological effects of war.” As a result, these servicemen and women–many of whom are decorated–are finding themselves under surveillance, threatened with incarceration or involuntary commitment, or arrested, all for daring to voice their concerns about the alarming state of our union and the erosion of our freedoms.
An important point to consider, however, is that the government is not merely targeting individuals who are voicing their discontent so much as it is locking up individuals trained in military warfare who are voicing feelings of discontent. Under the guise of mental-health treatment and with the complicity of government psychiatrists and law-enforcement officials, these veterans are increasingly being portrayed as ticking time bombs in need of intervention.
Are you upset yet?
You should be.
The way that the federal government is treating military veterans is absolutely shameful.
That was a year ago. Now this year, we have even more problems. Promises were made to fix things and apparently, the transparent administration of Mr. Obama’s isn’t as transparent at all.
Obama backs Shinseki, pledges to fix VA woes
26 VA facilities under investigation
Author: By Scott Bronstein and Tom Cohen CNN
(CNN) – President Barack Obama promised accountability, but he made clear Wednesday he won’t fire Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki — yet — over excessive and sometimes deadly waiting times faced by veterans seeking government health care.
The controversy has mushroomed since CNN first reported the problem last November in a detailed investigation examining several VA hospitals.
After meeting with Shinseki at the White House, Obama held a hastily arranged news conference in which he said he needed more time to review what was going on.
The rest of this article is available here, but you can find it repeated by many news stations all over the country. In NONE of the articles that I read (an impressively large amount of written material) did I see where the 26 VA facilities under investigation were named. Why is this list being withheld? Wouldn’t YOU want to know if YOUR doctor’s office was under investigation from the government? Oh the articles give little snippets and hints as to the facilities that are on the list. Some of the places listed were Phoenix (fraudulent record-keeping and secret waiting lists where at least 40 vets have died waiting on care), the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida (more secret lists and bad record keeping), and facilities in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Florida and elsewhere.
That doesn’t sound very forthcoming to me. And I’m willing to bet that as these articles go further and further afield, more and more facilities will be added to that list of 26 (or covered up) and Mr. Obama still backs up VA Secretary Eric BullShitski, who must have known about the problems and has been approving and paying out bonuses to the VA employees based on bullshit information. These problems were pointed out AT LEAST as early as 2010 and we still haven’t seen any improvement, in point of fact, it has gotten worse!
Many vets are opting to go the route of Medicare and paying their medical expenses out of their own pockets so they don’t have to deal with the VA and the benefits they were PROMISED.
It’s pure BullShitSki that on Memorial Day, when we should be honoring the men and women who have died in the protection of our country and our freedoms, the people who have cashed that check, that we, as a country, are still killing them off through neglect, bureaucratic bullshit and greed.
To Mr. Obama, Mr. Shinseki, the United States Congress and Senate and any other members of the administration or the VA who were involved in this horrendous debacle and treatment of our heroes, how can you look at yourselves in the mirror? You should be ashamed; you should all do the honorable thing and resign. But, what am I thinking? If there was even an ounce of honor in any of you, this would never have been allowed to happen in the first place
I had the opportunity to read Impish’s Last Word, previous to publish the issue and like it very much. Rarely have I seen him that fired up or long winded about anything not directly related to his penchant for conspicuous consumption (with the possible protesting of his innocence whenever he winds up in trouble) but think he missed a few key issue with regard to Obama , liberals and the shit they (apparently) live to smear on Vets as there way of ‘honoring & thanking them’ for their service, to say nothing of administering the Congressionally assured Veteran’s benefits for having written that blank check and serving with honor and distinction.
I’d dearly love to know why the list of those 26 facilities under investigation has not been made public. Seems to me the Vets would have a vested interest in knowing/ right to know if the place they are depending on for their medical care is under investigation for screwing them over and possibly delaying treatment so long that it’s caused the death(s) of other Vets.
Whatever happened to the open and clear look inside this administration you ask?
(CNN) – He promised accountability, but he’s not firing Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki – yet.
My guess is he’s pulling a Clinton “I didn’t have sex” distinction- His Administration’s definition of the terms “Transparency in Government” & “Accountability” apparently doesn’t extend to include Cabinet Departments, their Directors, Asst Director, Regional Directors or Janitors which are under continual fire for being monumentally screwed up.
Obama when he was campaigning for the Presidency jumped ALL OVER the Walter Reed Deplorable Conditions fiasco before he ever even got in office a full 7 years ago and vowed their would be changes within the VA. Seems to me the ONLY change has been in the VA fiasco being focused on at any given time.
Antiquated equipment and facilities -no appreciable change
Antiquated record keeping and processing methods – no appreciable change
Outrageous delays in software and custom operating system conflict resolution resulting in a stagnant situation with regard to digitizing applications and reducing an unacceptable waiting time for applicants to receive much needed benefits and medical attention – 50% decrease in the number of records awaiting processing in the last 7 years. (that means 125,00 injured Vets still wait and average of 18 months for their benefits application to be processed 7 years after a concerted effort was undertaken to reduce this number to zero)- unacceptable level of change given the length of time required to affect it
Then there is the VA controlled Cemeteries and their vendetta against religion (I’ve covered this subject more than once) which is another grave insult, not only to those families seeking burial of their Vet, but to those who served, who preform final honors AND to those fighting now to protect freedom of religion – National outrage by Veteran’s Groups, nearly all religious denominations and just plain folk got this nipped in the bud…twice with one resignation and one horizontal promotion
I want to point out that its shit experiences like these that cause many Vets to avoid the VA all together and pay their bills out of pocket at great expense just to get timely medical help despite being entitled to it and damned well deserving of it. These men, who have proven themselves fearless in the face of the enemy, are literally fearful of depending on the VA for the medical needs to the point of being willing to bankrupt themselves to avoid being the subject of a newspaper article like this one:
Veteran dies waiting for VA appointment in Houston, family says
Family: Vietnam War veteran dies waiting for appointment at VA Medical Center
HOUSTON – George Barraza love two things in this life: playing the electric guitar with all his heart and this country.
During the Vietnam War, Barraza proudly served in the U.S. Army.
But on April 16, Barraza, a father of three girls, a chef and an American veteran, died waiting for an appointment at the VA Medical Center in Houston.
At the time of his death, Barraza was battling heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. But his problems became much worse in September when he went to the Michael Debakey VA Medical Center in terrible pain and unable to move his hands at all.
“They said, ‘Oh, that looks like it hurts, let me give you some pain medication and send you on home,'” said Barraza’s daughter, Georgia Barraza who complains the VA staff did not treat her father’s problem that day by admitting him and caring for him, but instead gave him pain medication and an appointment to come back.
The very next day, she said Barraza had to be rushed to another hospital outside the VA system to Methodist Hospital Sugar Land, where he was immediately admitted and treated for close to a week.
Over the next several months, family members said Barraza began to decline physically and he did go to the VA for various tests and other help.
But in March family members said Barraza was suddenly rushed to Methodist Hospital again. This time he was vomiting blood and doctors told him he had a tumor or growth on his liver.
Barraza’s family said doctors at that hospital told Barraza he had to get to the VA right away, it was very serious and he needed treatment.
But the very next day, when they took him to the VA Hospital, they said again Barraza was not treated or admitted to the hospital. Instead he was given more prescription medicines and given an appointment more than a month away on May 5.
Barraza died April 16.
Local 2 asked Dr. James Scheurich, deputy chief of staff at the VA Medical Center in Houston, why Barraza was not treated.
“It’s within the guidelines and we do the best we can, that was the open appointment,” said Scheurich. “A lot of our staff are veterans and our whole mission is taking care of veterans, and we do the best we can for every one of them.”
Let me translate the highlighted red text passage for you from Deputy Chief of Staff Dr James Scheurichshitzonyou-
“It’s within the guidelines and we do the best we can, that was the open appointment,”
Translates into:
We could give a shit less you problem is life threatening and you require urgent care pal, it is after all, your problem. Didn’t the military teach you to hurry up and wait?! People like you with unscheduled emergencies mess with my appointment flow and I might not get my (undeserved) quarterly bonus if that happens. However if you co-operate and just die that won’t effect my bonus at all
Personally Impish and I think there should be a voucher approach just like they do with education and schools along the lines of an HMO allowing you to choose from Providers who will accept government payment to treat you for compensation comparable to what it costs the VA when they get damned good and ready to get around to providing it to you.
Certainly with the exception of initial applications for benefits this would have the appearance of taking some of the load off the VA while simultaneously providing better quality and more immediate care for Vet’s because to survive a war and come home only to be killed by the bureaucracy sole sole purpose of is to over see providing you access to the medical care and other benefits you were promised for your service is simply not <ED:multiple expletives deleted> right and certainly should be considered <ED: salty Marine speak removed> unacceptable to the point of absurdity and even possibly rise to the level of criminal charges or Depraved Indifference at the very least!
Finally in light of my summarizing all the short comings of the VA and the overall craptacular way Eric Bullshitski and all his legion of undershitlings treat Veteran’s it occurs to me I now understand the liberals motivation for disarming our troops on bases on US soil- outright fear.
They are fearful of backlash from the very people they will soon be mistreating and if you ask me, with damned good reason because that mistreatment is apparently over due and bloody well justified! Especially since Congress doesn’t seem interesting in hearings to identify and punish those responsible for this grievous insult to our men and women in uniform.
Twenty-four notes. It’s a simple melody, 150 years old, that can express our gratitude when words fail. Taps honors the men and women who have laid down their lives and paid the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom.
May it become a reality in our children’s life time
Good Morning Campers!
Let me be clear, right up front, that this is NOT, the Memorial Day Issue. This is a normal issue of Dragon Laffs that’s coming out on the Memorial Day Weekend. Tomorrow, Lethal Leprechaun has put together the annual Memorial Day issue and it will be a real doozy! I just spent the last couple of hours writing a Last Word for the issue, which is currently going through our deeply detailed editorial staff and will be prepared and ready to go in tomorrow’s issue.
Therefore, today’s issue is going to be a bit more on the relaxed and laffing side, enjoying the long weekend that most of us will have with friends and family. We are having our annual company, first of the summer barbeque this weekend at D.L.&L.L. Electronic Media, LLP corporate headquarters. So, if any of you are near around the mountain retreat, be sure to come round the back for some fun. Don’t go to the business headquarters storefront, no one will be there to teleport you through to the mountain. Just use one of the many public portals that are around and type in our coordinates, come around back and have a brat or burger and some of the finest distilled spirits, wines, and beers available.
Okay, so I can hear some of you saying, “What’s a portal?” and others, “What’s the code?” The portals can only be used by mythical creatures, the Fae, some of the undergrounders (but not all) and only humans with the blood of the Fae or the Myths in their blood. Most of those you would know as magicians, witches, seers, sages and the like. So, if you don’t fall into one of those categories, or don’t know that you fall into one of those categories, then you are S.O.L.
On the other hand, if you just need the code or the coordinates (and don’t bother looking in the white pages of the coordinate handbook, we aren’t listed) then send an email to our admin staff, state your reasons for the information (Memorial Day Picnic/BBQ/Orgy will work) and most importantly, state what dish or drink you will be bringing since that is the real judge as to whether you’ll be given the access code or not. If you are applying for staff membership of the bacchanalia, then you’ll need to send a full frontal nude picture of yourself, with letters of recommendation from at least one group of the mythological pantheon.
If you were at the party last year, then that code is still the same, since we haven’t moved in space/time over the last year, but DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, use any of the codes from before that time as all of them are still too radioactive to survive more than a few seconds.
It’s also possible to come through with someone who has access, but I warn all of you that you need to be VERY careful who you bring with you! Any and all lawsuits arriving from YOUR guest are YOUR responsibility to render neutral. More than one beloved camper has been forever banished from our property and a few have been banished from the known realms.
Are there any other questions?
Yes, you… the young lady in the back?
No, I can’t hear you. You guys stop with the wolf whistles and help her up front so I can hear her!
Now, what was your question?
Are your attributes acceptable? Which attributes would those be?
Ah, THOSE attributes! Sweetheart, put your shirt back on and here’s my card, you call me personally when you are ready to … um … bring your attributes to the picnic and I will personally fly you there myself.
Okay, if there are no other questions, fill your coffee, grab a pastry or bagel and
I was sure that my dad, The Great Papa Dragon Senior, knew EVERYTHING, until I got this email from him. And you know what? I think he did know all this stuff, but what he was trying to nicely say is that here’s a bunch of stuff that I’ll bet YOU didn’t know. Yeah, that was probably it.
STUFF I DID NOT KNOW.
It takes glass one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!
Gold is the only metal that doesn’t rust, even if it’s buried in the ground for thousands of years.
Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals.
Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.
The song, Auld Lang Syne, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year.
Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent.
Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn’t smoke unless it’s heated above 450 F.
The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear, is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean.
The banana cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man.
Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density.
The University of Alaska spans four time zones.
The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.
In ancient Greece , tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.
Warner Communications paid $28 million for the copyright to the song Happy Birthday.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
A comet’s tail always points away from the sun.
The Swine Flu vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent.
Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines.
The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.
If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.
When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight.
In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed.
Strawberries are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.
Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.
The moon moves about two inches away from the earth each year.
The earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.
Due to earth’s gravity, it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters.
Mickey Mouse is known as “Topolino” in Italy .
Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down.
Everything weighs one percent less at the equator.
For every extra kilogram carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off.
The Letter J does not appear anywhere on the Periodic Table of the Elements
Amen! And yet another way of saying the same things that Lethal and I have been saying all along.
There’s a new sobriety test that’s making it’s way through the police departments, mostly through the southern states right now, but expect to see this at your next police sobriety road block. Here’s the latest rendition. Believe it or not, it’s a written test!
I’m not sure if the Guinness Book of Records people were around or not, but this had got my vote as the longest bowling strike in history.
It may start you right at the right point or you may have to go through a few scenes first, but watch this teenagers Michael Jackson routine. You’d think he’d come back from the dead or was reincarnated as a teenager.
OH MY GAWD! Think about this video the next time you see a cylinder truck on the highway! The video is called Highway to [HazMat] hell! And you can be sure this is going to make it into some of my classes.
Farmer John lived on a quiet rural highway. But, as time went by, the traffic slowly built up at an alarming rate. The traffic was so heavy and so fast that his chickens were being run over at a rate of three to six a day.
So one day Farmer John called the sheriff’s office and said, “You’ve got to do something about all of these people driving so fast and killing all of my chickens.” “What do you want me to do?” asked the sheriff. “I don’t care, just do something about those crazy drivers!” So the next day he had the county workers go out and erected a sign that said:
SLOW: SCHOOL CROSSING
Three days later Farmer John called the sheriff and said, “You’ve got to do something about these drivers. The ‘school crossing’ sign seems to make them go even faster.” So, again, the sheriff sends out the county workers and they put up a new sign:
SLOW: CHILDREN AT PLAY
That really sped them up.. So Farmer John called and called and called every day for three weeks. Finally, he asked the sheriff, “Your signs are doing no good. Can I put up my own sign?” The sheriff told him,”Sure thing, put up your own sign.” He was going to let the Farmer John do just about anything in order to get him to stop calling everyday to complain.
The sheriff got no more calls from Farmer John. Three weeks later, curiosity got the best of the sheriff and he decided to give Farmer John a call. “How’s the problem with those drivers. Did you put up your sign?”
“Oh, I sure did. And not one chicken has been killed since then. I’ve got to go. I’m very busy.” He hung up the phone. The sheriff was really curious now and he thought to himself, “I’d better go out there and take a look at that sign… it might be something that WE could use to slow down drivers…”
So the sheriff drove out to Farmer John’s house, and his jaw dropped the moment he saw the sign.. It was spray-painted on a sheet of wood:
NUDIST COLONY
Go slow and watch out for the chicks!
And we wonder why we can’t get honest news reporting.
Mine was…as was Lethal’s. We do give a fuck. About a lot of things. Just not the unimportant ones.
Memorial Day Picnic Blast/BBQ/Orgy break. The brats are great! The beer and ale and Irish Whiskey is flowing and I just saw Lethal Leprechaun dance an honest Irish Jig! He’s amazing, he is. So, I thought I’d give it a try myself.
Okay, so not nearly as graceful as my Irish buddy, but still, not bad for a dragon.
Here’s a little test sent to us by William. Not sure if I agree with all the answers, but it’s supposed to be the REAL MAN TEST:
The Real Man Test
1. Alien beings from a highly advanced society visit the Earth, and you are the first human they encounter. As a token of inter-galactic friendship, they present you with a small but incredibly sophisticated device that is capable of curing all disease, providing an infinite supply of clean energy, wiping out hunger and poverty, and permanently eliminating oppression and violence all over the entire Earth. You decide to:
A. Present it to the President of the United States.
B. Present it to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
C. Take it apart.
2. As you grow older, what lost quality of your youthful life do you miss the most?
A. Innocence.
B. Idealism.
C. Cherry bombs.
3. When is it okay to kiss another male?
A. When you wish to display simple and pure affection without regard for narrow-minded social conventions.
B. When he is the Pope. (Not on the lips.)
C. When he is your brother and you are Al Pacino and this is the only really sportsman-like way to let him know that, for business reasons, you have to have him killed.
4. In your opinion, the ideal pet is:
A. A cat.
B. A dog.
C. A dog that eats cats.
5. You have been seeing a woman for several years. She’s attractive and intelligent, and you always enjoy being with her. One leisurely Sunday afternoon the two of you are taking it easy. You’re watching a football game; she’s reading the papers when she suddenly, out of the clear blue sky, tells you that she thinks she really loves you, but, she can no longer bear the uncertainty of not knowing where your relationship is going. She says she’s not asking whether you want to get married, only whether you believe that you have some kind of future together. What do you say?
A. That you sincerely believe the two of you do have a future, but you don’t want to rush it.
B. That although you also have strong feelings for her, you can not honestly say that you’ll be ready anytime soon to make a lasting commitment, and you don’t want to hurt her by holding out false hope.
C. That you cannot believe the Bears called a draw play on third and seventeen.
6. Okay, so you have decided that you truly love a woman and you want to spend the rest of your life with her, sharing the joys and the sorrows the world has to offer, come what may. How do you tell her?
A. You take her to a nice restaurant and tell her after dinner.
B. You take her for a walk on a moonlit beach, and you say her name, and when she turns to you, with the sea breeze blowing through her hair and the stars in her eyes, you tell her.
C. Tell her what?
7. One weekday morning your wife wakes up feeling ill and asks you to get your three children ready for school. Your first question to her is:
A. “Do they need to eat or anything?”
B. “They’re in school already?”
C. “There are three of them?”
8. When is it okay to throw away a set of veteran underwear?
A. When it has turned the color of a dead whale and developed new holes so large that you’re not sure which ones were originally intended for your legs.
B. When it is down to eight loosely connected underwear molecules and has to be handled with tweezers.
C. It is never okay to throw away veteran underwear. A real guy checks the garbage regularly in case somebody and we are not naming names, but this would be his wife is quietly trying to discard his underwear (which she is frankly jealous of because the guy seems to have a more intimate relationship with it than with her).
9. What, in your opinion, is the most reasonable explanation for the fact that Moses led the Israelites all over the place for forty years before they finally got to the Promised Land?
A. He was being tested.
B. He wanted them to really appreciate the Promised Land when they finally got there.
C. He refused to ask for directions.
10. What is the human race’s single greatest achievement?
A. Democracy.
B. Religion.
C. The Remote control.
REAL MEN ANSWER “C’ ON ALL QUESTIONS!
Recently, Lethal sent Mrs. Dragon a book…
I often wonder if he doesn’t have a hidden agenda…
Well, that’s all for today folks. I’m off back to the party. It’s a grand time we’re having. Hope you all are having just as much fun and laughter as we are. May your holiday be safe and may you remember the reason for the long weekend. Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow for the spectacular Memorial Day Issue. I know you’ll be impressed, Lethal has been busting his green ass on this for quite a while and I KNOW it will be an issue to remember!
Prep 20 min. 
Total 40 min. 
Serves 4 
![image_thumb21[1]](https://dragonlaffs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/image_thumb211.png "image_thumb21[1]")
![image_thumb2[1]](https://dragonlaffs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/image_thumb21.png "image_thumb2[1]")
Dragon Laffs 