Dragon Laff PSA: HELP OUR TROOPS GET HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

ATTENTION ON DECK!

Lethal Leprechaun here and I have something important to say to you all, so listen up!

We all are running around with magnetic yellow ribbons on our cars (or damned well better be if the Dragon or I see you)

We all have watched, listened to or read one of the myriad of versions of ‘A Soldier Silent Night’. You all give us here at DragonLaffs kudos when we post something patriotic, pro Our Troops etc. However how many of us (yes I am including myself and the Dragon in this statement) are actually doing something tangible and direct to help those troops we are all paying lip service support to?

I’m not going to ask for a show of hands because I’m fairly certain we would all be embarrassed. Yes, I have sent used books, tapes. and DVDs though one of several groups over. Yes, I have bought $20 of various travel sized personal hygiene products and donated them to a group shipping those over and once even a $25 phone card. I’m sure some of you have done the same, I’m also equally sure that the majority of you have thought that magnetic yellow ribbons, forwarding Support the Troops e-mails, adding a signature or tag of a similar nature to the end of your e-mails or remembering to include them in your holiday prayers was enough.

WELL I’M HERE TO SAY, AS APPRECIATED AS IT IS BY THE TROOPS ITS NOT ENOUGH AND I’M ASHAMED IT’S THIS LATE IN THE GAME BEFORE THE THOUGHT DAWNED ON ME!

Truth is I’d still be ignorant, clueless and in the dark where it not from an interoffice memo from Impish on my desk this morning asking me to (what else) pick up his slack and check out a group that reader Danny M brought to his attention:

Let’s Bring Em Home http://www.lbeh.org/
Bringing military families together for the holidays since 2001!

This will be our TENTH year taking donations to purchase plane tickets for junior enlisted military personnel, giving them the opportunity to fly home and spend the holidays with their families.
This program was initially started in December 2001 to show our grateful appreciation to American service members deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and has become an annual tradition ever since. We are not Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green or Independent. Our mission is as simple, as it is noble. All we want to do is unite a few military families for the Christmas holiday. That’s it. No hidden agendas, no political speeches. We just buy plane tickets for troops.
Last year we raised over $95,000 and helped 155 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines go home for Christmas. Our sincere thanks to who donated last year!
So far (2010) we have received 117 ticket requests
96 tickets completed with another 21 pending
Donations received: $93,354.13
Number of donors: 1051

Ladies and Gentlemen, THIS is supporting our troops. THIS is making a difference. THIS is Christmas Spirit.

These people are a non-profit, post their tax returns on the web site, give their (in one case) vacation time as well as themselves to making these arrangements and take (as near as I can see) nothing in return for it, except the warm and fuzzes that come from helping our grossly underpaid service personnel make it home to their loved ones for what is arguably the most important holiday of the year.

Not only that, but I was highly impressed by their sincerity in wanting to help the troops. “Oh Lethal OF COURSE they are sincere, their page is a pitch for money!” you say to me? Nay not so! It was NOT their pitch that convinced this crusty, curmudgeonly  and cynical leprechaun of their sincerity.

Rather it was the page listing additional and alternate ways to provide tangible support and say thank you to our troops.

That’s right, they under no obligation, they listed their ‘competition’ for your time, attention and dollars because all they care about is tangibly helping better our troops conditions and addressing their needs!

Later today using the information from their web page a permanent page will be added to the top of the blog where the Legalese and about Impish & I appear listing these worth while troop support efforts

I’M THE LETHAL LEPRECHAUN AND I’M ASKING YOU PLEASE HELP THESE PEOPLE HELP OUR TROOPS!

I have donated today to them, now if every one of our over 800+ members would forgo one holiday flavored latte and instead donate that $5 (come on we both know you’d treat yourself to the large!) cumulatively we would have donated over $2000 and helped to bring several service men and women together with their families for the holidays.

“Money is tight Lethal! There is a recession on and people can barely make ends meet! I don’t have $5 to squeak out as much as I would like to.” Roger that, I hear you loud and clear and can commiserate. While we here at Firebase Leprechaun are a little better off so far than many families, things are exceedingly tight here too. I in fact used cash I was given as Cmas gifts to make my donation, largely because it was outside our financial budget and for a host of other personal and philosophical reasons that don’t bare repeating. If you cannot donate financially, that’s fine I understand that hearth and home come before charity.

Seriously, no bull, I hear that loud and clear. Understand it completely and agree with where you are coming from a hundred percent, especially if you have kids or are a primary caregiver to an elderly person. However, there are ways of direct support that cost as little as a sheet of paper, some heart felt words of thanks an envelope, a stamp, and a little of your time.

What about donating those frequent flyer miles you have that are about to expire? They are about to expire because you are never able to use them. Well these people can use them and would be grateful for them besides! Its high time we got something positive out of all those damned airline fees and surcharges anyway!

Still can’t see your way clear to helping out personally? Ok how about forwarding this to your church, your pastor, your friends, your Men’s or Woman’s group and asking them to help out? If there is one thing these guys are lacking in (besides money) its publicity and getting the word out there about them. They have been around 9 years and I just learned of their existence TODAY.

REMEMBER FOLKS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING A HOLIDAY OF PEACE ON EARTH AND GOOD WILL TOWARDS MEN BECAUSE OF THESE PEOPLE, MANY OF WHO ARE IN HARM’S WAY ON A DAILY BASIS AND JUST WANT TO SPEND THE SAME HOLIDAY HOME WITH THERE LOVED ONES!

YOU THINK WE HAVE IT HARD BECAUSE THERE IS A RECESSION ON? THEY GET PAID ROUGHLY HALF WHAT WE DO FOR COMPARABLE JOBS AND DO IT IN A WAR ZONE OFTEN UNDER THE WORST POSSIBLE CONDITIONS 24/7!!

That is all, except to say WELL DONE DANNY!

Leprechaun out.
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Dragon Laffs #1143

ThursdayGood Morning Campers!  Another Thirsty Thursday is upon us.  Overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it really doesn’t feel like the weekend will EVER get here!  This week has been going on and on for a month now.  I don’t know about you, but I REALLY need a laugh…so, let’s get started!

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Pass to all 50 yrs and older
Cardiovascular Exercise
The  older we get the more important it is to incorporate  exercise
into our daily routine. This is necessary to  maintain cardiovascular
health and maintain  muscle mass.
If you’re  over 50, you might want to take it easy at first, then  do
more repetitions as you become more proficient and  build stamina.
Warning: It may be too strenuous  for some.
Always  consult your doctor before starting any exercise  program!
Scroll 

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NOW  SCROLL UP
That’s  enough for the first day. Great  job.
Have  a glass of  Wine.

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DragonPapa1 (77)

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS  (from our dear camper friend Jeannie…)

1.  Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare… You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor
Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand and wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

Have a great holiday season

and Merry Christmas, Happy New Year! 

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A SPECIAL POEM FOR OLDER FOLKS


A row of bottles on my shelf
Caused me to analyze myself.
One yellow pill I have to pop
Goes to my heart so it won’t stop.
A little white one that I take
Goes to my hands so they won’t shake.
The blue ones that I use a lot
Tell me I’m happy when I’m not.
The purple pill goes to my brain
And tells me that I have no pain.
The capsules tell me not to wheeze
Or cough or choke or even sneeze..
The red ones, smallest of them all
Go to my blood so I won’t fall.
The orange ones, very big and bright
Prevent my leg cramps in the night.
Such an array of brilliant pills
Helping to cure all kinds of ills.
But what I’d really like to know…
Is what tells each one where to go?

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There’s always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it. For example I am sitting here right now thinking how nice it is that wrinkles & fat don’t hurt.

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A woman’s husband had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months, yet she had stayed by his bedside every single day.

One day, when he came to, he motioned for her to come nearer.

As she sat by him, he whispered, eyes full of tears, ‘You know what? ‘You have been with me all through the bad times. When

I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When I got shot, you were by my side.

When we lost the house, you stayed right here. When my health started failing, you were still by my side…  You know what?’


‘What dear?’ she gently asked, smiling as her heart began to fill with warmth.


‘I think you’re bad luck… get the fuck away from me.’

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Groaner Zack

It was a dark and stormy night. Mark was walking through the cemetery. Suddenly, he heard a voice cry out, “Mark! Mark!”  Pretending not to let it bother him, he pulled his coat a little tighter and kept walking.

    Again the voice said, “Mark! Mark!”

    That did it. Mark took off full speed and didn’t stop till he was well outside the cemetery gate. As he stopped to catch his breath, the moon broke through the clouds enough so he could see what had been following him.

    It was a dog with a speech impediment.

1s

wow2

Okay, this definitely falls under the category of WOW!

http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/implantable-artificial-kidney-may-cure-chronic-kidney-disease/12941/

A smart, artificial, implantable kidney!

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DID YA KNOW OR DO YA CARE?
 
The surname SMITH appears 1 out of every 144 times in birth records.
 
Derived from the Anglo-Saxon “smitan,” to smite or strike, SMITH and its derivations are an occupational name for a man who works with metal (smith or blacksmith), one of the earliest jobs for which specialist skills were required. It is a craft that was practiced in all countries, making the surname and its derivations the most common of all surnames. Smith still tops the list of most popular surnames in England and America, and is also a very common last name in Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Canada and Australia.
 

Donate3222222

I’ve used this link before…amazing people doing amazing things:

http://forum.gon.com/showpost.php?p=5445396&postcount=1

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hallmarks of felinity-60

Yes, I know it’s political (although, there is a jab at the Republicans in there, too) and yes, I know I’ll hear about it….but you gotta admit….it is funny!

Conservative Christmas List

Dear President Obama,

Age disabuses us of many of the sweetest fables of our childhood. When I was younger, I believed that one man circled the globe every Christmas Eve giving away the products of someone else’s labor without regard to merit. Now I realize that’s basically your job. It’s probably for the best – eventually the elves would’ve unionized, the sleigh would’ve failed its emissions tests and the old man would’ve figured out that it just made more sense for him to kick back at the North Pole and collect unemployment.

Since you’re the one in the business of dispensing plenty, I thought I’d address my Christmas list to you this year. This should be pretty easy for you. You see, I’m a conservative (we’re a major political movement that … you know what, just look it up). And because I’m a conservative, I don’t want much more from you than to be left alone most of the time. Thus, my list this year is of things I’d like you to take away, not things I want from you. Please give some thought to getting rid of the following:

Your Wife’s Crusade Against Junk Food – Here’s the thing: I’m a stress eater and nothing stresses me more than a woman with a personal chef hectoring some kid in the suburbs for eating a Twinkie. So if she stops, I’ll stop. Deal?

Every Cabinet Department That’s Named After a Sector of the Economy – Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Energy, Agriculture, Labor; is it just me or are all of these departments just an excuse for you to throw money at people you like until a Republican wins the presidency and gets to throw money at all the people he likes?

Your Weekly Video Addresses – So you can sit in a chair and deliver endless self-important monologues. I get it, but that’s not especially presidential, okay? Really, the camera is the only thing that makes you any different from the guy that everyone tries to avoid in the rest home rec room.

Intrusive Environmental Regulations – I’m a reasonable guy. I turn the lights off when I leave the room, only use my A/C when it’s needed and limit my electricity consumption by stealing my neighbor’s Internet. So please stop bugging me about what kinds of light bulbs I’m using and whether or not I’m driving a Prius. John Wayne would shoot out the tires on a Prius. As an American, that strikes me as a reasonable yardstick for judging public policy.

Julian Assange – One of the few things I expect from you to is to keep us safe. But how can I trust you to go nose to nose with Al Qaeda when you can’t stop a guy who looks like the Keebler Elf with the fastest modem? I don’t care how you punish him, but I could think of worst places to start than with a TSA patdown.

I know you’re a busy man, so I’ll limit my requests to those few items. One tip though: If you are able to deliver some of these gifts this year, I’d recommend knocking on the door instead of coming down the chimney. My family clings to their guns pretty bitterly.

Sincerely,

An American

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Be sure and put in your first name……

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Mother's Love

Nutshot

Office Politics

Groaner Zack

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Yes….it’s that bad that it needs two warnings!

One Christmas Eve, a frenzied young man ran into a pet shop looking
For an unusual Christmas gift for his wife. The shop owner suggested a
Parrot, named Chet, which could sing famous Christmas carols. This
Seemed like the perfect gift.
 
“How do I get him to sing?” The young man asked, excitedly.
 
“Simply hold a lighted match directly under his feet.” was the shop
Owner’s’ reply.
 
The shop owner held a lighted match under the parrot’s left foot. Chet
Began to sing: “Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! …” The shop owner then
Held another match under the parrot’s right foot. Then Chet’s tune
Changed, and the air was filled with: ” Silent Night, Holy Night…”
 
The young man was so impressed that he paid the shop-keeper and ran
Home as quickly as he could with Chet under his arm. When the wife saw
Her gift she was overwhelmed.
 
“How beautiful!” She exclaimed, “Can he talk?”
 
“No,” the young man replied, “But he can sing. Let me show you.”
 
So the young man whipped out his lighter and placed it under Chet’s
Left foot, as the shop-keeper had shown him, and Chet crooned: “Jingle
Bells! Jingle bells!…” The man then moved the lighter to Chet’s right
Foot, and out came: “Silent Night, Holy night…”
 
The wife, her face filled with curiosity, then asked, “What if we hold
The lighter between his legs?”
 
The man did not know. “Let’s try it,” he answered, eager to please his
Wife. So they held the lighter between Chet’s legs. Chet twisted his
Face, cleared his throat, and the little parrot sang out loudly like it
Was the performance of his life:
 
 
 
“Chet’s nuts roasting on an open fire….”

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What a great picture!

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The Cow, the Ant and an Old Fart!


A cow, an ant and an old fart are debating on

who is the greatest of the three of them. 

The cow said, “I give 20 quarts of milk every day and

that’s why I am the greatest!” 

The ant said, “I work day and night, summer and winter,

I can carry 52 times my own weight and

that’s why I am the greatest!”   


  
  
  
  
  
 
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Why are you scrolling down?

It’s your turn to say something…

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nano29

WHOO HOO!  These are great!
 
Synchronized Christmas Lights With Music

Click your mouse here: 
Christmas Lights One
then
Click your mouse here: 
Chirstmas Lights Two

 

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THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW

NOW, THIS IS FUNNY – For those who are old enough to remember –

This Tim Conway and Carol Burnett skit Never aired   – I wonder why???

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/75051/detail/

 

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Irish Introspection: Groundhog Day and the State of the Union address

Next year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union address occur on the same day. As Air America Radio pointed out, “It is an ironic juxtaposition of events: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, while the other involves a groundhog.”

Personally ’tis considerably more confidence I be havin’ in the forecast o’ the groundhog over that o’ the pinhead!

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Funeral For A Homeless Man

A Homeless Man’s Funeral

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs.

Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man.

He had no Family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper’s cemetery in the Kentucky back country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn’t stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight.  There were onlythe diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch.

I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place.

I didn’t know what else to do, so I started to play.The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around.

I Played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.  I played like I’ve never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played ‘Amazing Grace,’ the workers began to weep. They Wept, I  wept, we all wept together.

When I finished I packed up my Bagpipes and started for my car.

Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, “I Never seen nothin’ like that before and I’ve been putting in Septic Tanks for twenty years.”

Apparently I’m still lost….  it’s a man thing.

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Safest Restaurant on Earth

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