Monday, May 25, 2009
Memorial Day 2009
Who do you honor today?
My father never served in the military, nor did my grandfather. However, my Uncle Frank did. He was a PFC all the way through World War II. He did what he was told, and he survived the landing at Normandy and fought the Germans in Europe.
My father-in-law served in the South Pacific during World War II, he was a Sea Bee, building landing fields, and fighting the Japanese.
Ken's Uncle Henry, who served in Korea, the forgotten war.
Ken's Uncle Bruno, who served in the Army.
My Uncle John, who during World War II was a clerk in the Army, and never left the USA.
My Godfather, Uncle KoKo (Henry), who was in the Army Air Corps as a navagator towards the end of the war.
My husband, Ken, served 3 tours in Viet Nam, two on board a carrier, the Kearsarge, one tour at Cam Ran Bay in country. He was a "aviator storekeeper", meaning he supplied and ordered parts for aircrast.
Our friend Hank, who enlisted in the Navy at the same time as Ken and was sent to Viet Nam as a Corpsman.
My friend Carolyn, who after college graduation enlisted in the Army and served her country.
My sister's friend Janet, who although she has a PhD in Medical Technology, was only accepted into the Army Reserves as enlisted personnel because Med. Techs aren't considered as professional as even Nurses.
A casual friend of my son, who name is Piers, who served in the first Gulf War, tending the bodies of the dead.
Or do I also honor those who I did not know, those who are nameless, those who are now homeless wandering the streets of the nation they once defended?
Do I honor the French, the British, the Canadians? Do I honor only those who were our allies? Or do I honor those who served and the fallen of our enemies as well. After all, they too were defending their country.
Yes. I honor them all. The living and the dead. Allies and enemies.
After all today is Memorial Day. A day to remember those who have sacrificed for their nation, whichever that nation was.
My father never served in the military, nor did my grandfather. However, my Uncle Frank did. He was a PFC all the way through World War II. He did what he was told, and he survived the landing at Normandy and fought the Germans in Europe.
My father-in-law served in the South Pacific during World War II, he was a Sea Bee, building landing fields, and fighting the Japanese.
Ken's Uncle Henry, who served in Korea, the forgotten war.
Ken's Uncle Bruno, who served in the Army.
My Uncle John, who during World War II was a clerk in the Army, and never left the USA.
My Godfather, Uncle KoKo (Henry), who was in the Army Air Corps as a navagator towards the end of the war.
My husband, Ken, served 3 tours in Viet Nam, two on board a carrier, the Kearsarge, one tour at Cam Ran Bay in country. He was a "aviator storekeeper", meaning he supplied and ordered parts for aircrast.
Our friend Hank, who enlisted in the Navy at the same time as Ken and was sent to Viet Nam as a Corpsman.
My friend Carolyn, who after college graduation enlisted in the Army and served her country.
My sister's friend Janet, who although she has a PhD in Medical Technology, was only accepted into the Army Reserves as enlisted personnel because Med. Techs aren't considered as professional as even Nurses.
A casual friend of my son, who name is Piers, who served in the first Gulf War, tending the bodies of the dead.
Or do I also honor those who I did not know, those who are nameless, those who are now homeless wandering the streets of the nation they once defended?
Do I honor the French, the British, the Canadians? Do I honor only those who were our allies? Or do I honor those who served and the fallen of our enemies as well. After all, they too were defending their country.
Yes. I honor them all. The living and the dead. Allies and enemies.
After all today is Memorial Day. A day to remember those who have sacrificed for their nation, whichever that nation was.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
serial killer
There is a serial killer in my neighborhood. The killer targets cats so far, skinning them alive or removing their faces or cutting them opened and leaving their intestines beside them. He/she/it
takes cats from back yards, then a few days or a week later returns the mutilated bodies to their "homes".
It's horrific.
And if this serial cat murder is not caught, given tme, he will turn to other pursuits - like killing humans.
I hope when they find him he gets the help he needs if he is a child/teen. If it's an adult that is the cause of this mutilation I hope the courts see fit to do to him what he has done to the animals - an eye for an eye - as barbaric as it sounds.
takes cats from back yards, then a few days or a week later returns the mutilated bodies to their "homes".
It's horrific.
And if this serial cat murder is not caught, given tme, he will turn to other pursuits - like killing humans.
I hope when they find him he gets the help he needs if he is a child/teen. If it's an adult that is the cause of this mutilation I hope the courts see fit to do to him what he has done to the animals - an eye for an eye - as barbaric as it sounds.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
water restrictions
It rained a little when I was in chuch during the sermon, a typical FL downpour ofr about 5 minutes, and by the time we were dismissed it was already dry, except for one or two puddles. It feels like we are inhaling a wet sponge the humidity is so heavy, but the clouds seem to be moving in places other than here so we are getting very little benefit. My grass looks like hay and I have taken to using "stale" water to water the potted plants outside on a daily basis. Water restrictions mean we can't use a sprinkler. It's a $500 fine for EACH occurance if caught. I can't afford that.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Killer Flu Pandemic
Did you know that in any given year on average 36,000 people worldwide die from the flu? That's ANY flu. Why did they get so excited about this one? Slow news time? No terror threat to hang over our head? And why are so many people in a panic? I went to the pharmacy for my Rx yesterday and guess what? There is NO hand sanitizer to be had anywhere. The shelves are totally devoid of even the house brands.
Why?
Panic that's why.
The news media has hyped this H1N1 virus so much that people are absolutely sure that they will be getting the flu and die.
Well, a young 17 year old girl from Hallendale High School in Broward County has tested positive for it. The girl recently visited Mexico and has a very mild case, according to the Jo DiMagio Children's Hospital doctor's who treated her. The girl has not been in school since 4/24/09.
So as a precaution the Broward School District is closing the school for 3 days and sending in a cleaning crew to disinfect it. They also contacted everyone who was in contact with the girl and those people are being tested for the virus. So I think we have a handle on it, dont' you?
The places that really could be devisteated by this virus, even in the mild form, are places like Haiti.
In America we have resources and even our poor have better access to health care than most of the population of Haiti. We also have a vast communication network that can tell us all how to contain the spread of this illness. Those two things are mostly unavailable in Haiti, which dooms the population to this easily transmitted flu.
Should we panic?
No. Should we worry about others?
If we have any grain of humanity we should.
Will we?
I don't know.
Does a massive humanitarian effort to stop the spread of disease get the media as many rating points as spreading panic in our own country?
Why?
Panic that's why.
The news media has hyped this H1N1 virus so much that people are absolutely sure that they will be getting the flu and die.
Well, a young 17 year old girl from Hallendale High School in Broward County has tested positive for it. The girl recently visited Mexico and has a very mild case, according to the Jo DiMagio Children's Hospital doctor's who treated her. The girl has not been in school since 4/24/09.
So as a precaution the Broward School District is closing the school for 3 days and sending in a cleaning crew to disinfect it. They also contacted everyone who was in contact with the girl and those people are being tested for the virus. So I think we have a handle on it, dont' you?
The places that really could be devisteated by this virus, even in the mild form, are places like Haiti.
In America we have resources and even our poor have better access to health care than most of the population of Haiti. We also have a vast communication network that can tell us all how to contain the spread of this illness. Those two things are mostly unavailable in Haiti, which dooms the population to this easily transmitted flu.
Should we panic?
No. Should we worry about others?
If we have any grain of humanity we should.
Will we?
I don't know.
Does a massive humanitarian effort to stop the spread of disease get the media as many rating points as spreading panic in our own country?
