The following is true.
When Julie was 6 months old, I had my gallbladder removed. In the hospital, I was lying there waiting to be taken in to surgery. Mark was off in the waiting room. There were about 5 curtained off areas for people waiting to go for some kind of abdominal surgery. There was a bit of commotion as someone from the ER was brought in. The curtains give some privacy, but they are not sound proof. From what I could hear, there was a crying young woman and her mother. She had gone to the ER with abdominal pain. She was pregnant with her first child. She was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy.
For those that do not know what that means, an ectopic pregnancy is an abnormal pregnancy that occurs outside the womb (uterus), usually (not always) in the fallopian tubes. The baby (fetus) cannot survive.
She wanted to wait until her husband got there before going into surgery. She wanted this baby. She was crying and started speaking loudly about them killing her baby. Her mother tried to calm her down. She started shouting that she didn’t want to kill her baby. Her mother pleaded with her, saying that she needed to live. And then I was wheeled away. Left with the hysterical voice of one and the pleading voice of another.
At the time, I was a new mother. I empathized with this young woman I could not see. My heart broke for her and her pain. I couldn’t imagine how I would have dealt with the same situation. 8 years later and I empathize with the mother. Her pleas for her daughter’s life ring in my ears. I would rather have my daughter alive than have her risk her life to see a baby to term.
I know of no doctor that would put an ectopic pregnancy in the same category as a chosen abortion.
There are pro-lifers that do. A terminated pregnancy is an unforgivable sin, even if it must be done to save the life of the mother. And that puts the life of the baby ahead of the life of the mother. And that puts the mother into the category of an incubator. Not worthy of life, just worthy to carry life.
All women are worthy of life, whether or not they are mothers. All women are valuable.
We’ve had a rash of laws around the country trying to speak to the intensely personal issue of abortion. All of them end up criminalizing women or doctors.
What laws am I talking about? Georgia State Representative Bobby Franklin has introduced a bill that would make abortion illegal in Georgia and would criminalize miscarriages.
South Dakota State Rep. Phil Jensen had to shelve his bill that would expand the definition of 'justifiable homicide' to include killings that are intended to prevent harm to a fetus. In other words, it is OK to kill someone trying forcibly to make you abort. Which the current self-defense laws already covers. The way it was worded made everyone think it was OK to kill abortion providers.
In Oklahoma, House Bill 1571 defines a person as a human being at all stages of human development, including the state of fertilization or conception.
Ohio State Rep. Lynn Wachtmann introduced a piece of legislation that would forbid abortions in any case in which the fetus had a detectable heartbeat, a development that can come as early as 18 days into a pregnancy.
I am not an incubator. I am a person, worthy of life. The choices I make are mine to make.
When does life begin? I cannot say. I know my daughter was alive when I held her in my arms. And I will protect her right to be allowed to make hard decisions should she ever need to. I will plead with her to think about how valuable her life is. And I will pray she is never in such a hard place, faced with losing a baby she wants.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
TSA
I’ve been rather busy and haven’t blogged in a while. But this whole TSA enhanced ‘pat-down’ or backscatter ‘view me naked’ choice has me rather upset.
Personally, I have no shame and don’t care if someone sees me naked. But heaven help you if you try to see my child naked. Of course we can refuse. But the alternative choice is that you want to molest my child? And if we refuse both and decide not to fly, we cannot leave without facing a $10,000+ fine? (http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-man-faces-fine-for-refusing-tsa-scan,0,7222070.story)
I thought Americans were protected from unlawful searches and seizures.
The 4th Amendment says, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
I am secure in my person.
What is the probable cause for TSA to search me?
That I am choosing to fly?
I thought Americans were innocent until proven guilty.
Quoting from the above cited article:
Michael Aguilar, TSA's federal security director in San Diego says, "We want to be sure that everyone on a plane can be assured that the people with them received the same screening process."
He said that any passenger can opt out of the full body scan and instead choose a pat-down, and that the TSA has a procedure in place that blocks out the groin area on a full body scan. "It ensures the official never sees the image on the display screen," he said.
(My first thought - So the potential terrorist could hide a bomb there? But then that is another blog.)
Aguilar went on to say, "We have a commitment to public safety, and a commitment to our mission to protect the freedom of movement of passengers," he said, "We're not going to allow anyone or any group to detract from our mission."
What about the Constitution of the Country???? No commitment to that?
I happen to agree with the statement from the National Opt-Out Day organizers. (Again, quoting from the article.)
"This country needs security measures in place that not only keep us safe but
also do not grossly violate privacy or constitute an unreasonable search, like
the current protocol," National Opt-Out Day organizers said in a statement.
"Protest the federal government's desire to virtually strip us naked or submit
to an 'enhanced pat down' that touches people's breasts and genitals in an
aggressive manner."
A person responding to this on Fark.com summed it up well:
"The mere fact that we are even suggesting that viewing little old ladies and young children naked while exposing them to radiation vs feeling them up as a way to protect us from evil is so mind boggling it just makes me want to scream in anger.
How is losing our right to privacy and right to travel protecting us in the long run?"
REOIV on Fark
The place to stop the terrorists is BEFORE the airport. When the intelligence agency submits memos to the president saying a known terrorist is determined to strike.
The truth is that there is no way to stop all terrorist attacks. A determined person will find a way.
The truth is that there is no way to 100% safe from any kind of danger as long as you are alive.
Minimizes the risks is a good thing. Go ahead and have security checks. But not ones that are essentially government sanction pornography and government sanctioned sexual molestation.
What made, and hopefully will continue to make, America great is our rights. Our freedoms. Let’s not take them away. Keep the 4th Amendment strong and alive. Don’t let TSA kill it.
Personally, I have no shame and don’t care if someone sees me naked. But heaven help you if you try to see my child naked. Of course we can refuse. But the alternative choice is that you want to molest my child? And if we refuse both and decide not to fly, we cannot leave without facing a $10,000+ fine? (http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-man-faces-fine-for-refusing-tsa-scan,0,7222070.story)
I thought Americans were protected from unlawful searches and seizures.
The 4th Amendment says, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
I am secure in my person.
What is the probable cause for TSA to search me?
That I am choosing to fly?
I thought Americans were innocent until proven guilty.
Quoting from the above cited article:
Michael Aguilar, TSA's federal security director in San Diego says, "We want to be sure that everyone on a plane can be assured that the people with them received the same screening process."
He said that any passenger can opt out of the full body scan and instead choose a pat-down, and that the TSA has a procedure in place that blocks out the groin area on a full body scan. "It ensures the official never sees the image on the display screen," he said.
(My first thought - So the potential terrorist could hide a bomb there? But then that is another blog.)
Aguilar went on to say, "We have a commitment to public safety, and a commitment to our mission to protect the freedom of movement of passengers," he said, "We're not going to allow anyone or any group to detract from our mission."
What about the Constitution of the Country???? No commitment to that?
I happen to agree with the statement from the National Opt-Out Day organizers. (Again, quoting from the article.)
"This country needs security measures in place that not only keep us safe but
also do not grossly violate privacy or constitute an unreasonable search, like
the current protocol," National Opt-Out Day organizers said in a statement.
"Protest the federal government's desire to virtually strip us naked or submit
to an 'enhanced pat down' that touches people's breasts and genitals in an
aggressive manner."
A person responding to this on Fark.com summed it up well:
"The mere fact that we are even suggesting that viewing little old ladies and young children naked while exposing them to radiation vs feeling them up as a way to protect us from evil is so mind boggling it just makes me want to scream in anger.
How is losing our right to privacy and right to travel protecting us in the long run?"
REOIV on Fark
The place to stop the terrorists is BEFORE the airport. When the intelligence agency submits memos to the president saying a known terrorist is determined to strike.
The truth is that there is no way to stop all terrorist attacks. A determined person will find a way.
The truth is that there is no way to 100% safe from any kind of danger as long as you are alive.
Minimizes the risks is a good thing. Go ahead and have security checks. But not ones that are essentially government sanction pornography and government sanctioned sexual molestation.
What made, and hopefully will continue to make, America great is our rights. Our freedoms. Let’s not take them away. Keep the 4th Amendment strong and alive. Don’t let TSA kill it.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Actions speak louder than words
I was watching the Rachel Maddow Show the other night (my conservative friends are probably aghast – to them I say, try it! You may enjoy listening to someone who treats you like an intelligent person) and she had former Ambassador Richard Holbrooke on. They talked about the horrific flooding in Pakistan (image the East coast of the USA under water – from Georgia to New Hampshire).
Then they began talking about the drone attacks.
He is a Vietnam Veteran. He knows first-hand that war is hell. He has seen things that I am very grateful to not have ever seen. The precision with which the drones attack amazes him. He recognizes the lives that have been saved using drones. And he is right.
In a conflict, there is much going on and a pilot can be easily distracted. Collateral damage occurs. Having the pilot thousands of miles away enables them to focus on the task at hand and minimizes the mistakes, the collateral damage.
Ms. Maddow has a problem with this program. And rightly so.
As Americans, we learn from an early age about being innocent until proven guilty. About our rights to be tried by a jury of our peers. The right to a speedy trial. The right to know what we are being accused of. We value those rights and we send our men and women to fight and protect them.
The drone strikes enable us to be judge, jury and executioner in one precision hit. Our efficiency at killing has come at a cost. We have lost our way.
When we try to explain our values and beliefs, our enemies point to Guantanamo Bay. And the drone strikes. They see our actions. Our actions that speak louder than words.
Then they began talking about the drone attacks.
He is a Vietnam Veteran. He knows first-hand that war is hell. He has seen things that I am very grateful to not have ever seen. The precision with which the drones attack amazes him. He recognizes the lives that have been saved using drones. And he is right.
In a conflict, there is much going on and a pilot can be easily distracted. Collateral damage occurs. Having the pilot thousands of miles away enables them to focus on the task at hand and minimizes the mistakes, the collateral damage.
Ms. Maddow has a problem with this program. And rightly so.
As Americans, we learn from an early age about being innocent until proven guilty. About our rights to be tried by a jury of our peers. The right to a speedy trial. The right to know what we are being accused of. We value those rights and we send our men and women to fight and protect them.
The drone strikes enable us to be judge, jury and executioner in one precision hit. Our efficiency at killing has come at a cost. We have lost our way.
When we try to explain our values and beliefs, our enemies point to Guantanamo Bay. And the drone strikes. They see our actions. Our actions that speak louder than words.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Freedom is not Free
Thursday, September 9, I stayed up to 2 am writing the following blog. I have decided it needs a bit of an introduction to give you an idea of what was in mind when I wrote it.
I had been watching the news and hearing the Republicans in congress going on and on about how we need to extended the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. I had also recently seen a clip showing the soldier asking Rumsfield about the need for armor and Rumsfield’s “screw you” answer. And then I thought about the exhibit in the National WW2 museum about the country pulling together and sacrificing so that our ‘boys’ would have everything they needed. President Bush asked us to just go and spend money. In 2003, he cut taxes.
Last Saturday was September 11. Nationwide it is known as 9-11. The formal name is Patriot Day. On this day, we were attacked. And then we went to war. The War on Terror. We cornered Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, but he got away when, right or wrong, when we invaded Iraq. Now our country has two wars. And President Bush cut taxes. And borrowed money from China. I doubt any American would have complained if he had raised taxes to pay for the wars. Instead, our fighting men and women scrounged for metal to protect themselves from IEDs.
Today, I ask that you support our troops with more than a ribbon stuck to your bumper. Pay your taxes. Demand better health care for our vets.
When the Republicans get all upset over losing the tax cuts for the wealthiest, I want to ask them, “Why do you hate our troops?” It costs money to go to war. That money should not come from China. We need to fund it. It was fiscally irresponsible to cut taxes during war. The Greatest Generation came together and everyone sacrificed. We are at war. Are we no longer great? The taxes you pay are among the lowest in the world (http://www.businesspundit.com/12-countries-with-the-highest-lowest-tax-rates/) and they are what you pay to be protected. Most of the federal budget goes for defense spending.
And then there is the Tea Party. Bitching and moaning that their taxes are too high. If they have a problem with the price they pay for their freedom, then they should go and complain to the following Americans:
Name/Rank/Age/Branch/State/Town
Charte, Philip G. E./ Corporal/ 22/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Goffstown
Deluzio, Steven J./ Sergeant/ 25/ U.S. Army National Guard/ CT/ South Glastonbury
Southworth, Tristan H./ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army National Guard/ VT/ West Danville
Van Aalst, Jared N./ Master Sergeant/ 34/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Laconia
Warren, Kyle R./ Staff Sergeant/ 28/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Manchester
Shaw, Eric B./ Staff Sergeant/ 31/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Exeter
Andrews, Scott A./ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Fall River
Silk, Brandon M./ Staff Sergeant/ 25/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Orono
Rivera, Edwin/ Sergeant/ 28/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Waterford
Desforges, Joshua D./ Sergeant/ 23/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ Ludlow
Slack, Wade A./ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Waterville
Barrett, Robert J./ Sergeant/ 21/ U.S. Air National Guard/ MA/ Fall River
Griffin, Tyler O. Lance Corporal/ 19/ U.S. Marine/ CT/ Voluntown
Coutu, Kyle J./ Private 1st Class/ 20/ U.S. Marine/ RI/ Providence
Currier, Eric D./ Private 1st Class/ 2/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Londonderry
Decoteau, Marc Paul/ Specialist/ 19/ U.S. Air National Guard/ NH/ Waterville Valley
Brown Jr., Harold/ Not yet reported/ 37/ CIA/ MA/ Bolton
Spino, Ronald J./ Staff Sergeant/ 45/ / U.S. Army/ CT/ Waterbury
Latorre, Xhacob/ Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ CT/ Waterbury
Sherman, Benjamin/ Sergeant/ 21/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Plymouth
Van De Giesen, Kyle R./ Captain/ 29/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ North Attleboro
Kirk, Joshua J./ Sergeant/ 30/ U.S. Army/ ME/ South Portland
Sklaver, Benjamin A./ Captain/ 32/ U.S. Army Reserve/ MA/ Medford
Brochu, Jordan M./ Private 1st Class/ 20/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Cumberland
Pellerin, Justin Reid/ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Boscawen
Bernard, Joshua Matthew/ Lance Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ ME/ New Portland
Xiarhos, Nicholas George/ Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ Yarmouth Port
Dupont, Kevin A./ Sergeant 1st Class/ 52/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Chicopee
Toner IV, Francis L./ Lieutenant (junior grade)/ 26/ U.S. Navy/ RI/ Narragansett
Ouellette, Michael W./ Corporal/ 28/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Manchester
Preach, Kevin T./ Lance Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ Bridgewater
Mescall, Brian M./ Major/ 33/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Hopkinton
Fortunato, Stephen R./ Specialist/ 25/ U.S. Army Reserve/ MA/ Danvers
Dimond, Scott G./ Private 1st Class/ 39/ U.S. Army National Guard/ NH/ Franklin
Conlon Jr., Paul E./ Private 1st Class/ 21/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Somerville
Simmons, Shawn E./ Master Sergeant/ 39/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Ashland
Ramirez, Nelson D. Rodriguez/ Sergeant/ 22/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Revere
Buxbaum, Justin L./ Specialist/ 23/ U.S. Army/ ME/ South Portland
Robertson, Nicholas A./ Sergeant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Old Town
Durkin, Ciara M./ Not reported yet/ 30/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Quincy
Wilson, Christopher M./ Specialist/ 24/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Bangor
McDonald, Edmund W./ Sergeant/ 25/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Casco
Phaneuf II, Joseph E./ Staff Sergeant/ 38/ U.S. Army National Guard/ CT/ Eastford
Keating, Benjamin D./ 1st Lieutenant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Shapleigh
Small, Andrew/ Private 1st Class/ 19/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Wiscasset
Monti, Jared C./ Sergeant 1st Class/ 30/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Raynham
Damon, Patrick/ Captain/ 41/ U.S. Army National Guard/ ME/ Falmouth
Durgin, Russell M./ Sergeant/ 23/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Henniker
Moquin Jr., Brian M./ Private/ 19/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Worcester
Stone, John Thomas/ Sergeant 1st Class/ 52/ U.S. Army National Guard/ VT/ Tunbridge/Norwich
Montrond, Alberto D./ Sergeant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Suffolk
Bertolino, Matthew L./ Private 1st Class/ 20/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Hampstead
Hines, Derek S./ 1st Lieutenant/ 25/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Newburyport
Reich, Stephen C./ Major/ 34/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Washington Depot
Healy, Daniel R./ Senior Chief Petty Officer/ 36/ U.S. Navy/ NH/ Exeter
Piper, Christopher N./ Staff Sergeant/ 43/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Marblehead
Kelley, Michael J./ Sergeant/ 26/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Scituate
Connolly, David S./ Captain/ 37/ U.S. Army Reserve/ MA/ Boston
McMahon, Michael J./ Lieutenant Colonel/ 41/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Not reported yet
Ouellette, Brian J./ Petty Officer 1st Class/ 37/ U.S. Navy/ MA/ Needham
Golding, Nicholes Darwin/ Sergeant/ 24/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Addison
Gilman, Benjamin L./ Sergeant/ 28/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Meriden
Perreault, Theodore L./ Sergeant/ 33/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Webster
Albert, Phillip R./ Sergeant Major/ 41/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Terryville
O'Neill, Evan W./ Private 1st Class/ 19/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Haverhill
Michaud, Seth R./ Captain/ 27/ U.S. Marine Reserve/ MA/ Hudson
Tracy Jr., William John/ Sergeant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Webster
Robinson, Thomas L./ Lieutenant Commander/ 38/ U.S. Navy/ MA/ Kingston
Rushforth Jr., Bruce A./ Staff Sergeant/ 35/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Bridgewater
Petithory, Daniel H./ Sergeant 1st Class/ 32/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Cheshire
Andrews, Evander E./ Master Sergeant/ 36/ U.S. Air Force/ ME/ Solon
This list of those who gave ALL from New England during Operation Enduring Freedom from the start to the present comes from http://icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx. The full list for Americans who died during both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom is over 400 pages long. The list is still growing.
Freedom is not Free.
I had been watching the news and hearing the Republicans in congress going on and on about how we need to extended the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. I had also recently seen a clip showing the soldier asking Rumsfield about the need for armor and Rumsfield’s “screw you” answer. And then I thought about the exhibit in the National WW2 museum about the country pulling together and sacrificing so that our ‘boys’ would have everything they needed. President Bush asked us to just go and spend money. In 2003, he cut taxes.
Last Saturday was September 11. Nationwide it is known as 9-11. The formal name is Patriot Day. On this day, we were attacked. And then we went to war. The War on Terror. We cornered Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, but he got away when, right or wrong, when we invaded Iraq. Now our country has two wars. And President Bush cut taxes. And borrowed money from China. I doubt any American would have complained if he had raised taxes to pay for the wars. Instead, our fighting men and women scrounged for metal to protect themselves from IEDs.
Today, I ask that you support our troops with more than a ribbon stuck to your bumper. Pay your taxes. Demand better health care for our vets.
When the Republicans get all upset over losing the tax cuts for the wealthiest, I want to ask them, “Why do you hate our troops?” It costs money to go to war. That money should not come from China. We need to fund it. It was fiscally irresponsible to cut taxes during war. The Greatest Generation came together and everyone sacrificed. We are at war. Are we no longer great? The taxes you pay are among the lowest in the world (http://www.businesspundit.com/12-countries-with-the-highest-lowest-tax-rates/) and they are what you pay to be protected. Most of the federal budget goes for defense spending.
And then there is the Tea Party. Bitching and moaning that their taxes are too high. If they have a problem with the price they pay for their freedom, then they should go and complain to the following Americans:
Name/Rank/Age/Branch/State/Town
Charte, Philip G. E./ Corporal/ 22/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Goffstown
Deluzio, Steven J./ Sergeant/ 25/ U.S. Army National Guard/ CT/ South Glastonbury
Southworth, Tristan H./ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army National Guard/ VT/ West Danville
Van Aalst, Jared N./ Master Sergeant/ 34/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Laconia
Warren, Kyle R./ Staff Sergeant/ 28/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Manchester
Shaw, Eric B./ Staff Sergeant/ 31/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Exeter
Andrews, Scott A./ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Fall River
Silk, Brandon M./ Staff Sergeant/ 25/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Orono
Rivera, Edwin/ Sergeant/ 28/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Waterford
Desforges, Joshua D./ Sergeant/ 23/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ Ludlow
Slack, Wade A./ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Waterville
Barrett, Robert J./ Sergeant/ 21/ U.S. Air National Guard/ MA/ Fall River
Griffin, Tyler O. Lance Corporal/ 19/ U.S. Marine/ CT/ Voluntown
Coutu, Kyle J./ Private 1st Class/ 20/ U.S. Marine/ RI/ Providence
Currier, Eric D./ Private 1st Class/ 2/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Londonderry
Decoteau, Marc Paul/ Specialist/ 19/ U.S. Air National Guard/ NH/ Waterville Valley
Brown Jr., Harold/ Not yet reported/ 37/ CIA/ MA/ Bolton
Spino, Ronald J./ Staff Sergeant/ 45/ / U.S. Army/ CT/ Waterbury
Latorre, Xhacob/ Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ CT/ Waterbury
Sherman, Benjamin/ Sergeant/ 21/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Plymouth
Van De Giesen, Kyle R./ Captain/ 29/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ North Attleboro
Kirk, Joshua J./ Sergeant/ 30/ U.S. Army/ ME/ South Portland
Sklaver, Benjamin A./ Captain/ 32/ U.S. Army Reserve/ MA/ Medford
Brochu, Jordan M./ Private 1st Class/ 20/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Cumberland
Pellerin, Justin Reid/ Specialist/ 21/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Boscawen
Bernard, Joshua Matthew/ Lance Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ ME/ New Portland
Xiarhos, Nicholas George/ Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ Yarmouth Port
Dupont, Kevin A./ Sergeant 1st Class/ 52/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Chicopee
Toner IV, Francis L./ Lieutenant (junior grade)/ 26/ U.S. Navy/ RI/ Narragansett
Ouellette, Michael W./ Corporal/ 28/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Manchester
Preach, Kevin T./ Lance Corporal/ 21/ U.S. Marine/ MA/ Bridgewater
Mescall, Brian M./ Major/ 33/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Hopkinton
Fortunato, Stephen R./ Specialist/ 25/ U.S. Army Reserve/ MA/ Danvers
Dimond, Scott G./ Private 1st Class/ 39/ U.S. Army National Guard/ NH/ Franklin
Conlon Jr., Paul E./ Private 1st Class/ 21/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Somerville
Simmons, Shawn E./ Master Sergeant/ 39/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Ashland
Ramirez, Nelson D. Rodriguez/ Sergeant/ 22/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Revere
Buxbaum, Justin L./ Specialist/ 23/ U.S. Army/ ME/ South Portland
Robertson, Nicholas A./ Sergeant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Old Town
Durkin, Ciara M./ Not reported yet/ 30/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Quincy
Wilson, Christopher M./ Specialist/ 24/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Bangor
McDonald, Edmund W./ Sergeant/ 25/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Casco
Phaneuf II, Joseph E./ Staff Sergeant/ 38/ U.S. Army National Guard/ CT/ Eastford
Keating, Benjamin D./ 1st Lieutenant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Shapleigh
Small, Andrew/ Private 1st Class/ 19/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Wiscasset
Monti, Jared C./ Sergeant 1st Class/ 30/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Raynham
Damon, Patrick/ Captain/ 41/ U.S. Army National Guard/ ME/ Falmouth
Durgin, Russell M./ Sergeant/ 23/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Henniker
Moquin Jr., Brian M./ Private/ 19/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Worcester
Stone, John Thomas/ Sergeant 1st Class/ 52/ U.S. Army National Guard/ VT/ Tunbridge/Norwich
Montrond, Alberto D./ Sergeant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Suffolk
Bertolino, Matthew L./ Private 1st Class/ 20/ U.S. Marine/ NH/ Hampstead
Hines, Derek S./ 1st Lieutenant/ 25/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Newburyport
Reich, Stephen C./ Major/ 34/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Washington Depot
Healy, Daniel R./ Senior Chief Petty Officer/ 36/ U.S. Navy/ NH/ Exeter
Piper, Christopher N./ Staff Sergeant/ 43/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Marblehead
Kelley, Michael J./ Sergeant/ 26/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Scituate
Connolly, David S./ Captain/ 37/ U.S. Army Reserve/ MA/ Boston
McMahon, Michael J./ Lieutenant Colonel/ 41/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Not reported yet
Ouellette, Brian J./ Petty Officer 1st Class/ 37/ U.S. Navy/ MA/ Needham
Golding, Nicholes Darwin/ Sergeant/ 24/ U.S. Army/ ME/ Addison
Gilman, Benjamin L./ Sergeant/ 28/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Meriden
Perreault, Theodore L./ Sergeant/ 33/ U.S. Army National Guard/ MA/ Webster
Albert, Phillip R./ Sergeant Major/ 41/ U.S. Army/ CT/ Terryville
O'Neill, Evan W./ Private 1st Class/ 19/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Haverhill
Michaud, Seth R./ Captain/ 27/ U.S. Marine Reserve/ MA/ Hudson
Tracy Jr., William John/ Sergeant/ 27/ U.S. Army/ NH/ Webster
Robinson, Thomas L./ Lieutenant Commander/ 38/ U.S. Navy/ MA/ Kingston
Rushforth Jr., Bruce A./ Staff Sergeant/ 35/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Bridgewater
Petithory, Daniel H./ Sergeant 1st Class/ 32/ U.S. Army/ MA/ Cheshire
Andrews, Evander E./ Master Sergeant/ 36/ U.S. Air Force/ ME/ Solon
This list of those who gave ALL from New England during Operation Enduring Freedom from the start to the present comes from http://icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx. The full list for Americans who died during both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom is over 400 pages long. The list is still growing.
Freedom is not Free.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Update
It is Wednesday and I haven’t posted a new blog in a while. It being summer, my regular routine is shot. Not that I am complaining; just noting.
Routines are very useful things sometimes. Like brushing my teeth every morning and every night. I am in the process of establishing some more good routines to help with the New Year’s resolutions. As a reminder, they are: to be more organized, lose weight, yell less, watch less TV, spend less, save more, and stop procrastinating so much.
Now that the year is well over the half-way mark, how am I doing? I have found that procrastinating and organizing go hand in hand. I’ve been trying to follow the FlyLady’s “DO IT NOW” principle. And I have found a local person who is a professional organizer to come and help me every so often. Baby steps are the way to go.
Being more organized leads to more peaceful state of being which leads to less yelling. I don’t yell at Julie to hurry up because we are ready to leave early.
TV, well, Discovery and the Science Channel have so many wonderful shows that TV viewing has increased. I’m currently watching Morgan Freeman’s Through the Wormhole series. Physics is a mind-expanding subject.
Spend less and save more are two sides of the same coin. I’ve gotten a little bit choosier on what I am spending, but not enough to make a difference. Still have a long way to go on this resolution.
As for losing weight, I have lost 47 pounds since the end of October 2009. And I’ve hit a plateau. Or maybe it is just summer and all the vacationing, dining out and family get-togethers. I am hoping that getting back into the routine of school, work, home will help.
In the meantime, I am going to enjoy every moment of the rest of this week and the next two weeks. Sit back with a glass of wine, watch TV and take a baby step every now and again.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!
Routines are very useful things sometimes. Like brushing my teeth every morning and every night. I am in the process of establishing some more good routines to help with the New Year’s resolutions. As a reminder, they are: to be more organized, lose weight, yell less, watch less TV, spend less, save more, and stop procrastinating so much.
Now that the year is well over the half-way mark, how am I doing? I have found that procrastinating and organizing go hand in hand. I’ve been trying to follow the FlyLady’s “DO IT NOW” principle. And I have found a local person who is a professional organizer to come and help me every so often. Baby steps are the way to go.
Being more organized leads to more peaceful state of being which leads to less yelling. I don’t yell at Julie to hurry up because we are ready to leave early.
TV, well, Discovery and the Science Channel have so many wonderful shows that TV viewing has increased. I’m currently watching Morgan Freeman’s Through the Wormhole series. Physics is a mind-expanding subject.
Spend less and save more are two sides of the same coin. I’ve gotten a little bit choosier on what I am spending, but not enough to make a difference. Still have a long way to go on this resolution.
As for losing weight, I have lost 47 pounds since the end of October 2009. And I’ve hit a plateau. Or maybe it is just summer and all the vacationing, dining out and family get-togethers. I am hoping that getting back into the routine of school, work, home will help.
In the meantime, I am going to enjoy every moment of the rest of this week and the next two weeks. Sit back with a glass of wine, watch TV and take a baby step every now and again.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Brenda's Befuddlement
Julie is off at her Aunt Sue’s farm this week and having the time of her life. I am so jealous.
Last week, she was at her Grandma and Grandpa’s. She is so very lucky
At the beginning of the summer, Julie and I signed up for the reading program at the library. While at Grandma’s, Julie read 11 books. (Yes, Grandma is a retired teacher. :))
I just went and got out my 4th book. It is Andy Williams’ memoir, titled Moon River and Me. It is very good so far, however, I now have “Moon River” stuck in my head. Well, just the small part that I know.
While Julie has been away, I’ve had one of our favorite songs stuck in my head. It is “I Sing you a Song” on the album Can You Hear a Lullaby? by Dee Carstensen. The two songs are mixing in my head. And it has me in quite the state.
“Moon River, I sing you song, wider than a mile, my little one, my little one.” Egad.
I have found myself shying away from fiction lately and I am not sure why. The book I just finished was another memoir titled Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich. It was about her year in India learning Hindi. It was also about how we learn language. And the Indian culture where she was studying. And how our brains are affected by the language we speak. The book went in circles around these themes and left me feeling - not lost, not mixed up, not confused, but in a dreamlike state, much as the author felt as she tried to comprehend the world around her in a language she didn’t grasp. When things started to click, then it was time to leave.
The book before was The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller. If you are training a dog, RUN to the library and get this book out. If you want to understand your four-legged friends better, read this book. If you want to know more about being a decent human being, then read this book. The author gives insight into her life as well as the lives of the dogs she trains. It is an excellent book.
The first book of this summer was I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui. There are images from her story that still haunt me. It is a slim book, after all, there is not much to chronicle when you are ten, but her story is packed with life. There are so many cultures that Americans are generally unaware of. Getting a glimpse into Yemen was moving. Nujood Ali is an amazing young lady who has gone through hell. No one should be forced to marry.
Now I am in another state. If you hear me humming, feel free to try and sing along.
To hear the songs yourself, click on the links:
http://www.deecarstensen.com/lullaby/QuickTime/4_isingyouasong.html
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/stuckonyou/moonriver.htm
Last week, she was at her Grandma and Grandpa’s. She is so very lucky
At the beginning of the summer, Julie and I signed up for the reading program at the library. While at Grandma’s, Julie read 11 books. (Yes, Grandma is a retired teacher. :))
I just went and got out my 4th book. It is Andy Williams’ memoir, titled Moon River and Me. It is very good so far, however, I now have “Moon River” stuck in my head. Well, just the small part that I know.
While Julie has been away, I’ve had one of our favorite songs stuck in my head. It is “I Sing you a Song” on the album Can You Hear a Lullaby? by Dee Carstensen. The two songs are mixing in my head. And it has me in quite the state.
“Moon River, I sing you song, wider than a mile, my little one, my little one.” Egad.
I have found myself shying away from fiction lately and I am not sure why. The book I just finished was another memoir titled Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich. It was about her year in India learning Hindi. It was also about how we learn language. And the Indian culture where she was studying. And how our brains are affected by the language we speak. The book went in circles around these themes and left me feeling - not lost, not mixed up, not confused, but in a dreamlike state, much as the author felt as she tried to comprehend the world around her in a language she didn’t grasp. When things started to click, then it was time to leave.
The book before was The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller. If you are training a dog, RUN to the library and get this book out. If you want to understand your four-legged friends better, read this book. If you want to know more about being a decent human being, then read this book. The author gives insight into her life as well as the lives of the dogs she trains. It is an excellent book.
The first book of this summer was I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui. There are images from her story that still haunt me. It is a slim book, after all, there is not much to chronicle when you are ten, but her story is packed with life. There are so many cultures that Americans are generally unaware of. Getting a glimpse into Yemen was moving. Nujood Ali is an amazing young lady who has gone through hell. No one should be forced to marry.
Now I am in another state. If you hear me humming, feel free to try and sing along.
To hear the songs yourself, click on the links:
http://www.deecarstensen.com/lullaby/QuickTime/4_isingyouasong.html
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/stuckonyou/moonriver.htm
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
McDonald's
I was reading CNN earlier today and saw this headline “McDonald's warned: Drop the toys or get sued.” Curious, I read the article. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is the group behind the lawsuit. My first reaction was, “Who the bleep are these guys and why are they trying to ruin something fun?” What’s the harm of a toy in a Happy Meal? The toys are what make a Happy Meal happy.
Then I thought about it. We rarely go to McDonald’s. Why? The food is not healthy. And we certainly don’t need another plastic, cheap toy around the house. The landfills certainly do not need another broken plastic toy.
Julie and I went to McDonald’s on the last day of school. I told I would take her out for lunch and asked her where she wanted to go. She wanted McDonald’s “because we haven’t been there in a long time.” I explained that it would be crowded and gave her several other, healthier alternatives, but no, she really wanted to go. So we went and we beat the crowd of all the other parents and kids who had the same idea. She got a Puss In Boots digital clock as a toy and she has been driving me crazy ever since with announcing what time it is every 5 minutes. At least it is a somewhat practical toy.
What did she have to eat? McNuggets, French fries, chocolate milk (total of 580 calories). Not the best nutritional lunch, to say the least.
I went to CSPI’s website and I read the letter of intent to sue that was sent to McDonald’s. It was very eye-opening. Here is an excerpt: “Considering that a reasonable lunch for a young child would contain no more than 430 calories (one third of the 1,300 calories that is the recommended daily intake for children 4 to 8 years old), not a single Happy Meal meets that target. The average of all 24 meals is 26 percent higher in calories than a reasonable lunch.”
They went on to say: “McDonald’s practices are predatory and wrong. They are also illegal, because marketing to kids under eight is (1) inherently deceptive, because young kids are not developmentally advanced enough to understand the persuasive intent of marketing;8 and (2) unfair to parents, because marketing to children undermines parental authority and interferes with their ability to raise healthy children.”
Will CSPI be successful in their lawsuit? I don’t know. I do know that we need to do better by our children. We need to help them to make the most of this land of opportunity. We don’t need cheap plastic toys filling our land and oceans. We don’t need high calorie, low-nutritional food expanding our waists.
Will I take Julie to McDonald’s ever again? Probably. But what was once a rare occurrence will become even rarer. And when she asks “why can’t we go to McDonald’s”, I’ll let her know where I stand. The food is bad for us. The toys are junky and bad for the environment.
8 Institute of Medicine, Food Marketing to Children: Threat or Opportunity? (2006); Kunkel et al.,
Psychological Issues in the Increasing Commercialization of Childhood: Report of the APA Task Force on Advertising and Children (2004).
Then I thought about it. We rarely go to McDonald’s. Why? The food is not healthy. And we certainly don’t need another plastic, cheap toy around the house. The landfills certainly do not need another broken plastic toy.
Julie and I went to McDonald’s on the last day of school. I told I would take her out for lunch and asked her where she wanted to go. She wanted McDonald’s “because we haven’t been there in a long time.” I explained that it would be crowded and gave her several other, healthier alternatives, but no, she really wanted to go. So we went and we beat the crowd of all the other parents and kids who had the same idea. She got a Puss In Boots digital clock as a toy and she has been driving me crazy ever since with announcing what time it is every 5 minutes. At least it is a somewhat practical toy.
What did she have to eat? McNuggets, French fries, chocolate milk (total of 580 calories). Not the best nutritional lunch, to say the least.
I went to CSPI’s website and I read the letter of intent to sue that was sent to McDonald’s. It was very eye-opening. Here is an excerpt: “Considering that a reasonable lunch for a young child would contain no more than 430 calories (one third of the 1,300 calories that is the recommended daily intake for children 4 to 8 years old), not a single Happy Meal meets that target. The average of all 24 meals is 26 percent higher in calories than a reasonable lunch.”
They went on to say: “McDonald’s practices are predatory and wrong. They are also illegal, because marketing to kids under eight is (1) inherently deceptive, because young kids are not developmentally advanced enough to understand the persuasive intent of marketing;8 and (2) unfair to parents, because marketing to children undermines parental authority and interferes with their ability to raise healthy children.”
Will CSPI be successful in their lawsuit? I don’t know. I do know that we need to do better by our children. We need to help them to make the most of this land of opportunity. We don’t need cheap plastic toys filling our land and oceans. We don’t need high calorie, low-nutritional food expanding our waists.
Will I take Julie to McDonald’s ever again? Probably. But what was once a rare occurrence will become even rarer. And when she asks “why can’t we go to McDonald’s”, I’ll let her know where I stand. The food is bad for us. The toys are junky and bad for the environment.
8 Institute of Medicine, Food Marketing to Children: Threat or Opportunity? (2006); Kunkel et al.,
Psychological Issues in the Increasing Commercialization of Childhood: Report of the APA Task Force on Advertising and Children (2004).
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