Patriotism, Texas and Chris Kyle

This was sent to me in email. I have seen credit given to a Dallas paper for it, but I’m not sure of the origin.

I just wanted to share with you all that out of a horrible tragedy we were blessed by so many people. Chris was Derek’s teammate through 10 years of training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD to some extent and took great care of each other because of it. 2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never had any more aggressive physical contact with another human than on a Texas football field. They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was happy about, other than the fact that in so doing, he saved a lot of American lives. Three years ago, his wife Taya asked him to leave the SEAL teams as he had a huge bounty on his head by Al Qaeda. He did and wrote the book The American Sniper. 100% of the proceeds from the book went to two of the SEAL families who had lost their sons in Iraq . That was the guy Chris was. He formed a company in Dallas to train military, police and I think firemen as far as protecting themselves in difficult situations. He also formed a foundation to work with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris was a giver not a taker. He along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield, were murdered trying to help a young man that had served 6 months in Iraq and claiming to have PTSD.

Godspeed, Iron Lady!

Sad news, as Margaret Thatcher has passed away. She was one of the world’s great politicians, bring Great Britain back onto the forefront of the world’s countries. She dragged Great Britain back to the right, and consequently back to prosperity. And she did it being positive.

Why is Clear and Present Danger my favorite Tom Clancy book?

Thanks ISU Men’s Basketball Seniors 2012-2013

You made this year a special one in the history of ISU athletics. Yours was a class of castoffs and transfers, and you managed to come together and make a run in the NCAA tournament, when most figured you would spend the postseason viewing it from home. Shows how much they know.

You had the heart, the will, and the ability to win a lot of games, and managed to win a couple more that they handed you an L in. My thanks to you, for making this season enjoyable.

The future is bright for ISU Basketball, and you helped to start that out.

You also took the time to take some pictures with a young Cyclone fan after the game against Ohio State in Dayton, and you made his day (my nephew).

WAGE INCREASE: Pushing For Higher Minimum Wage

Reblogged from WHOTV.com:

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D) of Iowa wants to increase the minimum wage, and that would include the first increase for tipped workers in more than 20-years.

As a waitress, Betty Waters of Des Moines is trying to raise her four sons on just $4.35 an hour plus tips.  "Trying to buy food is hard." says Waters, "I mean, hamburger, macaroni and cheese, hamburger and hotdogs just to make sure that your kids have any kind of food in their stomachs is the best that we can do."

Read more… 162 more words

Latest brainstorm by Outgoing Senator Tom Harkin (still love the sound of that). Betty the waitress will get a raise! But did anyone interview her boss? Would Betty still have a job? What does Betty make in tips per hour (I'll bet it's more than $4.65 an hour, or she's a shitty waitress)? What benefits does Betty get, and why? If $10 is fair, why not $20 an hour, $50 an hour, etc? Just asking questions here.

I have one thing to say about Kansas’ “victory” over ISU tonight…

Click the pic, it’s a gif that isn’t active in the main post…

The non-charge call and subsequent “unknown” foul against Niang with 5 seconds left is absolutely inexcusable for a Division 1 referee. This better go to the commissioner’s office.

Don’t believe me? Here, take a look…

Sgt. Stubby, the Heroic War Dog

From an email. Links about the story follow.

In honor of all our Veterans I thought this little bit of history was interesting to share.

Meet America’s first war dog, a stray Pit Bull/Terrier mix, named Stubby. He became Sgt. Stubby, was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat.
One day he appeared at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut; while a group of soldiers were training, stopping to make friends with soldiers as they drilled. One soldier, Corporal Robert Conroy, developed a fondness for the dog. He named him Stubby because of his short legs. When it became time for the outfit to ship out, Conroy hid Stubby on board the troop ship. In order to keep the dog, the private taught him to salute his commanding officers warming their hearts to him.