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Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/24/2009 11:57:40

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,169th day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4250
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4101
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3789
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3392
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 21

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 656
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 426
Contractor Deaths - Iraq: 446


We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 599, 630, 100, 000.00




There's a rather stunning story circulating this week about an Army charity that was set up in 1942 specifically to help families of servicemen. Given the long deployments and weake economic climate, you'd think they would be spreading money around to make sure our military families could remain afloat. Unfortunately, that's not so; they seem to be sitting on the money. Even more incredibly....they blame the stock market.

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42 comments (Latest Comment: 02/25/2009 02:35:30 by AuntAzalea)

Open for Business!
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/23/2009 13:57:32

Good Morning, folks!

Asleep at the switch, I suppose.

In any case, you know what to do!

 
47 comments (Latest Comment: 02/24/2009 00:32:04 by Will in Chicago)

ReTHUG Life
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 02/22/2009 15:05:21

What a splendid idea – Michael Steele, one of 6 African American men that belong to the Grand Old Party, and who was recently given the formidable challenge of leading the RNC and rebuilding their image has graced us with this spectacular plan: marketing the Republican agenda to appeal to minorities and youngsters by mixing the swell policies of small government, less corporate oversight and tax breaks for the rich, with Hip Hop culture. He recently said the RNC needs an “off the hook” makeover to attract those urban and suburban kids. Oh, if only 2Pac were alive, I’m sure he’d lend a hand to this cause. As it is, he’ll have to settle for either older gangsta rappers like Ice-T and Snoop-Dogg, the latter who’s busy with a reality TV series, or, the new “posers” like lil Wayne and he of the current domestic violence crisis, Chris Brown. (Seriously, Velveeta has no Earthly idea who any of these people are, she had to rely on her people to gather this information for her).

Mr. Steele, feels certain that using language like “off the hook” and, I’m not kidding, “bling-bling” is going to get the kids to swag their 501’s below the butt, light a big-assed spliff and have them rappin’ “Yo, my N*ggaz, we got to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax”. Even I know that the word “bling” went the way of Vanilla Ice. Word.

Here, is a bit more of what the Notorious G.O.P said, “It will be avant garde, technically. It will come to table with things that will surprise everyone - off the hook.”

Does that mean cutting-edge?

“I don’t do ‘cutting-edge,’ “ he said. “That’s what Democrats are doing. We’re going beyond cutting-edge.”

Goody, yet another phrase in our artistic/cultural vernacular to describe “trendy”. Can’t wait to hear what it’ll be.
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14 comments (Latest Comment: 02/23/2009 02:35:22 by livingonli)

It's a beautiful Saturday
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/21/2009 13:22:18

Let's see....

I woke up this morning, my wife at my side, my son chattering downstairs over something or other.

I was warm, dry, and I went downstairs and found food in the refrigerator and the pantry.

I'm able to log on to the internet...read, type, listen, and do a bunch of other things.

Looking outside, it's a beautiful morning. Clear skies, sun shining, birds munching happily at my feeder.

Both of my parents are still alive. Papa TriSec is about to turn 75; Mama TriSec has some minor medical issues, but is still quite fine at 67.

We all still have our health. Mrs. TriSec has recovered nicely from surgery over a year ago; Javi's asthma and other minor issues are under control, and I've got nothing happening on the medical front, either.

My car is paid off. I go out every day and it starts and runs reliably. Sure, there's some cosmetic things that need fixing, but the "airframe" and engine are sound.

Monday morning, I'll send my child off to a brand-new school building in this city, with a class size of just 19. I know some places approaching 30 kids and in crumbling, decades-old buildings.

We have a vast network of friends and family that live nearby; it's easy to travel to visit cousins, aunts, uncles, and old friends from wherever. Some of them are even always willing to pony up money or food, or help us buy things for Javi if we need help.

The neighborhood where we live, despite having a downturn over the past 8 years or so, is still relatively safe and quiet. There's plenty of kids around to play with, and better playgrounds and a big field to run around in are mere steps away.

Lesser items in the big picture, but I'm no less thankful for being a Bostonian. Despite razzing others on the blog, there's quite a thrill to me to be able to live and work in the same places where John Hancock, Paul Revere, and George Washington trod and fought.

Our sports teams seem to be doing well; after nearly a decade out of the picture, the Celtics and Bruins are both making legitimate runs at their respective championships, and the Red Sox have just opened camp. Spring is coming, for sure!

BC, BU, and Northeastern are all highly ranked this year in my favorite college sport...hockey! We just had the Beanpot, and they're getting ready for the NCAA playoffs...BC won it all last year, and BU is favored to win this year.

Soon, we'll be out and about walking through the woods. Thanks to an extensive local park system, and the wonderful Mass Audubon Society, we have hundreds of acres of land that have been preserved for us city-dwellers to get out and re-connect to nature, many within a few minute's drive. Not all places have that.



I've got a couple more things to be thankful for...

We elected President Obama. He got his jobs-creation package through and that includes extended unemployment benefits and tax breaks for us common folk. I shudder to think what my future might look like this morning under McCain's watch.

The industry I work in is one of the few growth industries left in these United States. Fortunately, I have a skill that is in high demand, and the field is so narrow there's a finite number of people that can do it.

In addition to that, my work career is so varied and extensive, two agencies have already told me that my resume is terrific; they shouldn't have any trouble finding opportunities for me.

Lastly....this blog. Like I posted a few weeks back on that "25 things" we've all seen...."I'm glad some people I know on the internet have turned into real friends."

So....you all know I got laid off Tuesday. I contemplated writing a "woe is me" blog this morning, but fuck that.


:peace:




 
14 comments (Latest Comment: 02/22/2009 05:58:24 by livingonli)

It's all Fun and Games....
Author: wickedpam    Date: 02/20/2009 13:11:15

Well, hopefully no one is losing an eye, but I thought I would use today’s blog to focus on the lighter things in the world or just our corner of it.

This past week the 2009 American International Toy Fair has been held in New York. Not really big news, they’ve done it 106 times before, but I find some of the trends come out of it rather interesting. First off, despite everyone going through tough economic time’s people, kids and adults, like their toys and while they would like to not spend a lot for them they still want to play.

Playthings.com
One former sales rep at tonight’s ASTRA party at FAO Schwarz called it “a normal Toy Fair”—in and of itself a noteworthy achievement considering the run-up to the show has been anything but normal amid global economic troubles and months of bureaucratic wrangling that looked like there might be nothing to actually show at this year’s show.

Walking the show floor today wasn’t nearly the doom-laden gloom fest some predicted. Generally, exhibitors were feeling fairly upbeat to have come out of 2008 still in one piece and when asked, were nearly unanimous in reporting better than expected business in January. And while the days of jam packed tradeshows look more and more to be a thing of the past, at least for a while today Toy Fair looked like a place people wanted to be, with aisles busy enough to keep most exhibitors content and nothing particularly vexing for people whine about.

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73 comments (Latest Comment: 02/21/2009 05:09:54 by clintster)

Fan Boys
Author: Random    Date: 02/19/2009 13:25:32

A new look at whiny bitchy assholes on the television and radio.

It may not surprise some of you that I am a geek. I spend my time playing video games, watching TV and movies, writing random pointless things on blogs like people actually want to read it, and of course, roaming internet sites, and talking with millions of anonymous people about B.S.

And through my travels as an internet watcher, I’ve found something called Fan Boys. Now true girls do fall into this category, but frankly, guys out number them 1 out of 10. And as I watched these Fan Boys, I’ve come to identify two sub groups. The Apologetics, and The Haters.
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63 comments (Latest Comment: 02/20/2009 01:16:22 by trojanrabbit)

Really!
Author: clintster    Date: 02/18/2009 13:11:36

So, here we are, almost a month into the Barack Obama Presidency, and the usual suspects are already showing the class and grace that marked the previous eight years of conservative commentary. It would take a lot more time than I have to document all of their foibles and slip-ups. In lieu of that, let's hit on a few of the choice bits of willful ignorance and not-so-subtle racism that have bubbled to the surface over the past week. Grab your hip waders and join me, won't you?

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81 comments (Latest Comment: 02/19/2009 04:26:56 by livingonli)

Ask a Vet
Author: TriSec    Date: 02/17/2009 11:40:33

Good Morning.

Today is our 2,162nd day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of Antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4245
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4106
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3784
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3387
Since Election (1/31/05): 2807

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 651
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 426
Contractor Deaths - Iraq: 446

We find this morning's cost of war nearing $600 billion dollars:

$597, 665, 900, 000.00



So....here at Ask a Vet, you know we focus almost exclusively on the war in Iraq...ocassionally looking at Afghanistan, and once in a long while, veering away from these conflicts entirely. Today, we'll be thinking far outside the box.

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112 comments (Latest Comment: 02/18/2009 04:17:11 by MMB)

Presidents Day
Author: Raine    Date: 02/16/2009 13:25:58

Happy day! I hope you are enjoying it so far. Let's Talk about our current President, who will most likely be signing the economic recovery bill tomorrow. He's doing pretty well, some say.
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126 comments (Latest Comment: 02/17/2009 02:19:21 by livingonli)

Michael is trying to figure out how to upload pitures to FB.
Author: velveeta jones    Date: 02/15/2009 14:30:58

Michael W. Savage is trying to figure out how to upload pitures to FB………22 hours ago.
Sean Hannity | Dude get your kids to show you. I had my lawn boy, Jesus or whoever, help me with mine.

Rush Limbaugh | I just hire people to do this shit.

Michael posted a note: 25 Random Things About Me

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people (if you can) to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I wrote a lot of books about herbs. I’m famous for them.
2. I am NOT gay and I DID NOT have a crush on Allen Ginsberg.
3. Allen Ginsberg was a wanker; and I hated him!
4. I have never been to a gay bathhouse in hippie-ville San Fransisco.
5. My son, Russell, created the hippie drink “Rockstar Energy Drink” and he’s more conservative than me! Bwahahahaha.
6. I do not like masculine bodies….. not in any way.
(more)
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20 comments (Latest Comment: 02/16/2009 04:09:47 by Scoopster)

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