You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop

I got this from my daughter. I'm not sure of the source but, I Like It!



When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building' by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.
You could have heard a pin drop.
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Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?' A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?'
You could have heard a pin drop
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A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.
At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French Admiral suddenly complained that, 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
You could have heard a pin drop.
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A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane. At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically. Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously. 'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.' The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.' 'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!' The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. 'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find any Frenchmen to show it to.'
You could have heard a pin drop
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What Is A Veteran?
A 'Veteran' -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to, and including his life.'
That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today, who no longer understand that fact.

Coming Soon! San Diego Comic Con !

The SDCC is next month on the week of my birthday. Phoo! I will be here in ND and not there. Someday soon I'd like to attend again. My brother Stephen and I were minor members of the original staff when the con began many, many years ago.

We've met some great people through the years, though I haven't attended one for probably 25 or more years. Most memorable for me were, Kirk Allyn - the origninal Superman from the movie serials way before my time, Bob Clampett - who created many of the Warners Bros cartoon characters as well as Beany and Cecil, Harlan Ellison - one of my favorite sf writers, and topping the list was the Con's good friend and mentor, Ray Bradbury! And I only attended a few of the cons, wow! This was the first place I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the outtakes from the original King Cong in reverse! Also I'll never forget Richard Corbin's Neverwhere - the debut of his Den character.

I have no idea who all will be there but if you like comics and sf and fantasy and movies about any of this stuff, you would like this. There are still amny cons i think around, but the SDCC has grown into the premier convention around.

I had the dvd of the movie Serenity which was the culmination of a tv series called Firefly. On the dvd was a feature about how the staff had attended the SDCC and found out that there was a lot more support for their cancelled show than they knew. This prompted them to make the movie.

I'm listing a link so you can check it out for yourself. Keep the Faith (as Stan Lee would say)

Counter Culture Hero Dies

George Carlin, one of my favorite comedians has passed away at the age of 71. Complaining of chest pains, he went to the doctor and later died. Carlin had a history of heart problems. I always admired him though lately I agreed with him less and less. He always looked for a different take on things in life and made me search my beliefs deeper. I will miss him. Does anyone remember him as the conductor on Shining Time Station?

My prayers go our for his family. We will miss him.

My Fences (Apologies to Garth Brooks)

I spent a few hours today and expanded the second horse fence that is in a tree break. The nags have eaten all the ground cover which is what I wanted them to do. I extended the area another 100 ft roughly doubling the size of the area. The first picture above shows where the old line was. The second shows some really happy horses up to their bellys in fresh hay. (We're sittin' in tall grass now, Jeb). When we put them over there, it didn't take Ally and Whiskey long to realize they could go there. Ringo, always the chicken, took awhile to get it figured out.

We will never forget

Today is the 2nd anniversary of our son's death in Iraq. We must never forget the brave soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Nor should we forget there are many people in the world who would like to see our very way of life erased from this world. We must continue to protect this country and our allies.

Jeremiah will always be my hero. I miss him very much. I want to relate a story about us. He came home on Thanksgiving 2005 and told me he wanted to get a tattoo. The thing was, he wanted me to get it too. I had never even considered getting a tattoo before. He designed one and the next day we went to Magoo's in Grand Forks and got the job done. The tattoo is a chess piece-a knight- his favorite piece. on the base are the words "No Guts - No Glory" This is a phrase my mother used to say to us kids. I used to say it to Jeremiah and Alexander as a tool to push them when they had to do some task that they didn't want to do. It wasn't that big to me, just fun with the boys, but it made a big impression on Jeremiah and he wanted it included. I was very moved. Now I have a reminder that I'll never misplace and have with me every day.

here are a couple of announcements from that time:

DoD Identifies Army Casualty
June 17, 2006 The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Jeremiah S. Santos, 21, of Minot, N.D., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 15 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Santos was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

June 19, 2006 Hoeven Statement On The Death Of Spc. Jeremiah S. Santos In Iraq
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the death of Spc. Jeremiah S. Santos of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division of Fort Hood, Texas. Jeremy died in combat in Iraq on June 15:
“Mikey and I, and all North Dakotans, are deeply saddened by the death of Spc. Jeremiah Santos, who gave his life in the service of his country in Iraq. We extend our sympathy to his family and friends, and we will keep them in our prayers.
“Jeremiah’s warmth touched many people, especially at his church and school, and his love of country inspired pride in all who knew him. He was a son of North Dakota and a true American hero. We pledge never to forget his sacrifice or the sacrifice of his family in these difficult times.”

GrandForks Herald -- BISMARCK, N.D. - Spc. Jeremiah Santos got applause when he spoke to his church congregation this spring about his military service Iraq. On Sunday, church members in Devils Lake were mourning his death.
Santos, 21, who lived in Devils Lake and Minot, died in Baghdad on Thursday in a roadside bomb attack, Army officials said. A roadside bomb detonated near his Humvee during combat, the military said Saturday in a statement. The Rev. Bruce Dick, of the Bethel Evangelical Free Church, said Santos addressed the congregation in March, while home on leave from Iraq. "Jeremiah really loved serving his country, and told us he was proud of what he did - and he made no apologies for being there," Dick said. "He said he loved the people there." Dick said Santos' speech drew applause from the congregation of about 175 people. On Sunday, the mood had changed with the news of his death. "We shed a lot of tears," Dick said. Santos also had talked with a youth group at the church, while home on leave this spring. "Even our children are aware of who he is," Dick said. The war has brought a U.S. death toll of about 2,500. "Until now, the number 2,500 had just become a number to us but now we have a face and a name," Dick said. "It has touched us here and we will never look at that number the same." Dick described Santos as "self-confident, strong and very determined." Dick said Santos had turned his life around before joining the military. "Jeremiah had come through some tough times - he made some bad choices as a kid and had come out that," Dick said. "Everybody was proud of him." Santos left school and attended the Quentin Burdick Job Corps Center in Minot, Devils Lake Principal Ryan Hanson said. He earned a GED, and graduated in the facility maintenance program at the Job Corps Center in January 2004, officials there said. He also attended a semester of classes at Minot State University. "He was a great boy who became a very strong man," McGlone said. "He believed in what he was doing and had strong faith in God." Santos was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division of Fort Hood, Texas, officials said. Laurie McGlone, Santos' mother, has been working as a temporary nurse in American Samoa. Patrick McGlone said she was notified there of her son's death. She was en route to the United States on Sunday, he said. Santos' father, Shannon Santos, lives in San Diego. Dick said a funeral was planned in San Diego, and a memorial service also was slated for Devils Lake, although details were not final, he said. Santos was the 13th U.S. service member with North Dakota ties who was reported killed while on duty in Iraq. Two other solders were killed this month in Afghanistan.

Take a minute out of your Father's Day, today, and remember my son with me. Thank You.

Happy Birthday Old Glory

Today is flag day! The U.S. Flag is 231 years old. Salute one today and remember what it means to be an American.

Horse or Hay disposal unit?

Due to a great clamor for more information, here's the lowdown on my useless hay-burners. We have three horses, Alli, Ringo, and Whiskey. Alli is a girl, and the other two are geldings. (Yes, Alli is very frustrated.) We got them from a rescue place in S. Dakota and attempted to have them broke last summer. We got them back and it was next to impossible to get a halter on them much less a saddle. I tried to Ride Whiskey one day and he threw me. He bucked and hit me in the face with his head. I remember being hit and then I remember being in the air and then on the ground. I was messed up for a couple of weeks. Later, we had just gotten Ringo and Alli back and I got on Ringo. He spooked and started running full out. I deceided this was the last place I wanted to be, so I got off. Getting off a moving horse is a lot more violent then it sounds. I also almost slid into a post in the ground. Alli is the only one we've ever been on here at home without the trainers around, and someone has to hold the reins on the ground and walk with her. We are currently trying to figure out if we want to keep them and try with a different trainer or get rid of them. I feed them every day and we are great friends. I just can't ride them. At least feeding them is relatively cheap as we have 20 acres of hay field. A parrot might be more fun. You can see the other two on the Sept.17, 2007 post

Patrick