You Better Watch Out...

Betcha Didn't Know Santa Carries an M-16! 

That's my buddy, Kevin, who I have mentioned in this blog several times. He is a chaplain's assistant in Iraq with the 1st Battalion 23rd Marines. According to an email that I got from his wife, Kevin went out on a convoy dressed like that! He apparently attracted a lot of attention from some passing Army convoys and a couple of farmers. I can't imagine why! I know the worst of the war there is over, but wearing a bright red suit on a convoy in a country that has plenty of hostiles isn't my idea of a safe way to spend the holidays! That would take cahunas of solid steel. If you hear ringing, they aren't sleigh bells!

Anyway, Kevin and his chaplain were able to distribute about 1,200 stockings filled with goodies from home to the men in his unit in Operation Christmas Stocking, spearheaded by the chaplain's and Kevin's respective wives.

Well, as the picture clearly shows, Santa is packing heat. So I'd recommend "You'd better watch out; you'd better not cry; you'd better not pout I'm telling you why" - Santa's got an M-16 and kevlar body armor! OOO-rah!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

I'm about to wind down here for the night. I need to get back to the house and do some holiday baking. Last night I made a cheesecake for a co-worker that is bound to be covered by the 7th commandment! I would taunt you with a photograph, but I'm still working on the presentation. I'll be making another most likely tonight. All I've got to say is that the raspberry topping that I put on it was so good that I needed a cigarette! Whew!

Kind of reminds me of a quip a friend of mine made one time. When asked if he smokes after sex he simply replied, "I've never checked!"

On that note I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas in the event that I don't come back tomorrow and tempt you with my cheesecake porn! (Don't get all worked up! I'm speaking figuratively!)

Merry Christmas!

A Cool Way To Write Your Favorite Marine

Check out this (Click Here) post on WB's website about a cool innovation made by the USMC (OOOH-rah!) to enable people to send mail to Marines deployed abroad. In fact, even if you don't personally know any Marines this system will help you to find one that would appreciate your correspondence. Check it out!

Remembering Pearl Harbor

WB wrote a great post Click Here recently about two sailors lost at Pearl Harbor that is a must read. Seriously! Check it out!

Well, At Least They Are Consistent...

I read an article today about the new "leader" of the "palestinian" Authority. Sounds like he is cut from the same cloth as Arafat. Isn't that lovely? Oh well, at least we won't be left thinking that there is any change in the philosophy of the PA. According to the article:

The new leader of the ruling Fatah movement said the Palestinians want to replace Israel with a state of their own.

Fatah chief Farouk Khaddoumi said the Palestinian strategy toward Israel was two-fold. In the first stage, he said, the Palestinians would accept a Palestinian state alongside Israel. In the second stage, the Palestinians would seek to eliminate the Jewish state.

Nothing new there. That has been the "palestinian" plan all along.

Khaddoumi, who regards himself as Palestinian foreign minister, said he was confident that Israel would be eliminated. He said he always opposed Israel's existence and cited the Arab numerical superiority over the Jewish state.

"[There are] 300 million Arabs, while Israel has only the sea behind it," Khaddoumi said.

Khaddoumi said his platform was endorsed by the PLO in 1974. He said the strategy called for a phased plan that would establish authority over any territory obtained from Israel, concluding with an Arab war to destroy the Jewish state.

I notice a few glaring problems with Doo Dah's information: 1) Israel is backed by the United States. Our military has shown that in a conventional battle Arab soldiers make good cannon fodder. 2) Israel has shown that they really don't need our help. On at least two occasions, ALL of the Arab countries have attempted to drive Israel into the sea. On both occasions Arab countries got their butts wiped AND lost territory. Israel received no US help in either of the two events that I am thinking about. In fact, in the first attack (back in 1948) Israel didn't even have a trained army and had no weapons! And they STILL kicked the Arabs' collective butt. 3) God still likes Israel and backs her up. The re-establishment of Israel is right out of the pages of Isaiah. I also remember reading a prophecy in the Bible that says that Israel will pretty much own 90% of what is called the Middle East at some point. Since that has never happened before (even under King David or King Solomon) I figure that is a prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled. Based on what I have seen of other biblical prophecy it is only a matter of time....

I pity this poor, deluded man. One day he will awaken from his "martyrdom" to discover that he was dead wrong in all of his suppositions and beliefs. It will be a very bad day for him.

Shop At Wal-Mart

A Good Neighbor... 

Hi folks! I found out that today and tomorrow Wal-Mart will match every dollar dropped into a Salvation Army kettle in front of one of their stores. This is tremendous! Please show your appreciation to Wal-Mart by shopping at their stores as you finish up your Christmas shopping in the next couple of days and don't forget to give generously to the Salvation Army when you do.

Isn't it amazing how different the approaches of two different companies can be? Target has decided to shun the Salvation Army by not allowing their bell ringers to station themselves outside Target stores. However, Wal-Mart doesn't seem to have a problem with the Salvation Army.

I'll just go out on a limb and make a bold prediction: Target will ultimately lose the retail battle to Wal-Mart. I really wouldn't be surprised to hear that Target's holiday receipts are 10% lower than expected this holiday season. It couldn't happen to a more deserving company.

I'm glad that Wal-Mart "gets it." They will continue to receive my patronage. Obviously Target doesn't. I kind of hope I get a gift purchased at Target (with cash, preferably.) That way I can take the gift back, get cash, tell them why I think that they are evil, and tell them why I'm getting ready to go and buy the same item at Wal-Mart.

Remember: through Christmas Eve Wal-Mart is matching donations to the Salvation Army in front of their stores dollar for dollar.

Merry Christmas!

French (?) Bridge

New French Bridge 

The French have built a Viaduct to help ease traffic congestion in southern France.

President Jacques Chirac inaugurated the world's highest bridge on Tuesday, a creation taller than the Eiffel Tower, longer than the Champs Elysees and designed to end a traffic bottleneck in southern France.

Conceived by British architect Norman Foster, the slender white viaduct in the picturesque Tarn Valley will provide a new motorway link between Paris and the Spanish border, easing congestion in the Rhone valley during the busy summer months.

...snip...

He hailed the viaduct as a ``marvel of art and architecture,'' a monument to French engineering genius that was a ``miracle of equilibrium'' and projected a bold, successful, modern image.

``The Millau Viaduct is a magnificent example, in the long and great French tradition, of audacious works of art, a tradition begun at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries by the great Gustave Eiffel,'' Chirac told a reception.

Here's a question for you: if it was conceived by a British architect how can it possibly be "a monument to French engineering genius?" Ah, but perhaps it is the perfect monument to their "genius." It was created by a Brit instead of a Frenchman!

I can't help but think that this viaduct would also make a wonderful target for terrorists. I have this sneaking suspicion that cars falling from heights exceeding that of the Eiffel Tower would be somewhat of a damper on the whole "bold, successful, modern image" that Chirac envisions. Considering the rise of Islamic Fundamentalism in France and the success of the terrorist fringe in Spain, such a scenario hardly seems to be out of the question.

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful... 

Hard to Believe...

Well folks, I must apologize for leaving you for so long. I never really intended for it to go so long. Wow. I really haven't written since a few days before Thanksgiving.

I had planned to write this really great post about all of the things that I'm thankful for, but never really managed to get back into the office to get it written. By the time that I did make it back, it was kind of too late to do an official "Thanksgiving" post. The night that I had actually planned to do the post I started doing some research and before I knew it the night had gotten away from me, I hadn't written a thing and I was too tired to start at that point. Perhaps I'll go a little unconventional and do a "Thanksgiving" post some time other than Thanksgiving. There is plenty to be thankful for.

In spite of the sibling situation, things went fairly well for the holiday. Of course, I wasn't on the list of favorite people, but I'm used to that.

During the Thanksgiving break I did experiment with modifying a cheesecake recipe for a cherry/chocolate cheesecake. It turned out pretty well, but could use some improvement. I'll probably attempt round two today or tomorrow. I'll try to post a picture of it.

So now we are in the home stretch for Christmas. I have managed to take care of most of my major presents. I still need to do some cooking and put together a care package for Kevin over in Iraq and some similar gifts. I still have to round out my presents for my sister's family and finish up for my grandparents.

Speaking of Christmas shopping, I hope that none of you are shopping at Target. They are still on the evil list. Here is the real shocker: Target has taken a position left of Borders bookstores. Most bookstores are so liberal that it is scary, but Borders is allowing the Salvation Army to solicit funds from in front of their stores. If you have any readers on your shopping list and you have a Borders close by, please make it a point to patronize their store.

WB is getting ready to demolish his house in the aftermath of Ivan. I'm hoping that he will be able to build something substantially better in its place.

Well, that is enough rambling for one night. Hopefully, this will get me back in the groove of posting.