I know…everyone is busy (except you retired folk), but today, like the rest of the week will be busy getting orders back for Labor Day to the customers.
I’ll point you elsewhere to feed your need to read:
If you’re not already a fan of the weekly series of “Flight Deck Friday” and you love aviation history, SteelJaw Scribe takes an every 7 day journey down this path in a Naval way. This week, the Navy’s first jet!
CDR Salamander, that mysterious active duty officer provides glimpses of exceptional devotions to duty in naval history in his long running “Fullbore Friday” series, most times the subject being on the US, sometimes engaging stories of navies of other nations. This week: USS Harry Lee (AP-17/APA-10). So what’s an auxiliary got to do with showing some guts? Click here and find out.
I’m off to work, all the while considering how the Navy is turning into a sea going Air Force with such grand adventures as this (damn touchy feely types!) and, how the body count rises, yet we can’t seem to deploy weapons that might cut it down…oh, yeah, on both sides of the equation, for fear of a bad report on CNN to the world, full of ridiculous assertions as discussed here (damn lawyers!).
Now all we need is more “lifer” (and I do mean that in a derogatory way) Congresscritters to pretend they are the President, safely behind the fact they are not the one who has to not only make incredibly complex decisions, but will be the one to shoulder forever, even beyond the grave, the responsibility for such judgment to make the news day complete. Those after the psychologists who tell us what went wrong at VT by not treating our adult offspring like they have no brains and are to be herded about like cattle from now on because of one incident and how the rest of the world needs to know what they are thinking at all times.
Ever notice how there is lots of stress at military schools (show in news, movies and TV shows regularly) and no records (that I know of) mass murder by someone who couldn’t take taking the classes and because people made them feel picked on? Solution: Expand high school and college military schools to grow some adults for the future…and that will be tomorrow’s topic.
I found the Global Defense Group blog via a comment on Acute Politics (written by an Active Duty Soldier currently completing his tour in Iraq). Scanning the GDG site quickly, it looks like there’s some interesting posts on three, and also I noted they are looking for help, in the form of authors and other technical support.
Contributors are the key to the success of Global Defense Group.
It is the members of the community who bring this site to life, and without the contributors GDG would be little more than a bunch of buttons on a web page.
GDG is always on the prowl for qualified “authors”, and if you have experience in any of the following areas, we encourage you to contact us about becoming a contributor to the blogs, databases or media archives:
* Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
* Cyber-Terrorism, Hacking and Internet Security
* Domestic Politics and, in particular, Political Activism
* Military/Insurgency Tactics and Military History
* Homeland Security and Law Enforcement
* Digital Video/Audio/Podcast Production
* Border Security and Illegal Immigration
* Diplomacy and International Law
* WMD and Nuclear Proliferation
* Islam and The Q’uran (Arabic and Farsi translators wanted!)
* The Constitution and United States Law
* Political Satire and Political Cartooning
* Global Economics and The Oil Industry
* Middle East History and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
In addition to the specialized fields listed above, GDG is also looking for dedicated individuals to help with the daily operations of the site. While these people will not be in “the lime light”, their contributions will be essential for the efficient and continued operation of the site.
Some of these areas are:
* Maintaining the Events Calendar
* Research and Documentation
* Forum and Chat Room Moderation
* Maintaining Image and Video Archives
* Site Promotion and Recruitment
* Coordination and Correspondence
* Video and Podcast Production
* Editing and Publishing
* Legal Protection
* More Research and Documentation
The individuals who perform these tasks will be given “Author” access or higher, depending upon the access required for each job. Members will be selected to fill these important roles based on a variety of factors, including availability, expertise, and an ability to work and communicate with others.
Sounds like some of the readers here might be able to lend a hand over there….
Also: Don’t miss Teflon Don’s (Acute Politics Blogger) short but wonderfully written post: Beauty in the Dirt. He has a way with words to rival some of the best novelists, yet he speaks about the real world around him…
FbL has the after action report of the Soldier’s Angels Conference in San Antonio, TX, specifically on the ValOUR-ITfront. Can you believe it? In 2 years, 1200 laptops have been passed out to those needing them? Take one wounded geek, put in a blog blender with a school teacher and push the “liquify” button. See what happens in two years:
Last weekend was the 2007 Soldiers’ Angels Conference, and the highlight of the event for Angels was a party at the Brooke Army Medical Center’s (BAMC’s) Fisher Houses in which 78 Valour-IT laptops were distributed to wounded Soldiers and Marines. This brings Valour-IT’s total laptop distributions to over 1200 in two years, and an additional 22 laptops are on standby at BAMC.
Valour-IT was able to distribute the 78 laptops at once thanks to a $150,000 grant [warning, PDF file] from the San Antonio Area Foundation (SAAF), which is by far the largest donation Valour-IT has ever received. The money must be used exclusively in Texas, but that will free up other donations to be applied to locations around the country. SAAF has five million dollars to distribute and this was the first round of grants. Valour-IT received the largest grant of this round (about $80,000 of it remains at this time).
In related news, Circuit City has been working with Valour-IT for some time now, helping us to stretch our donated bucks. They negotiate with their major suppliers to get the best dealer incentives and bulk rates available at any given time and pass that savings directly on to us.
[…]
Read the rest of the story, for there’s plenty of great things happening around the SA/ValOUR-IT program! and…if you have a few spare bucks, I bet there’s a service member support charity that might appreciate them!
In case you didn’t catch the announcement last month on your WP Dashboard, the WPAU plugin is out.
Took me about 2 minutes to move from 2.2.1 to 2.2.2 (out today to fix some security issues). That sure is a lot less than the all morning long sessions I have had before coming to the 2.X then 2.1.X and finally the 2.2.1 version, making sure I didn’t lose anything.
Besides having to download two generated backup files, there was one plugin that didn’t reactivate in the process, so I did it manually.
Highly recommended!
Update 8/08/2007: I found two other plugins I had activated that didn’t come back on using the automatic update. Recommendation: Scan your plugin list for ones not coming back on.
“Made ion America” with cheap and poor quality parts fabricated in China.
I’m going to stand in the sun and practice mechanical skills with regards toi feul and cooling systems on a Dodge that is my transportation.
This is number three major issue to arise during ownership, the result of poor product standards. Details later…
So, a question for anyone interested in chipping in two cents (and you don’t even need PayPal!), ponder this:
The routine Monday posts are titled “Monday Maritime Matters.” Would it be too fadish to rename it to “Monday Naval Contemplations?”
Just a thought.
Input, as simple as “Yes/No” accepted. More lengthy thoughts appreciated as well.
Next thought: I don’t have some magical WordPress plugin to rotate my header graphics, but I can whip out topical pictures pretty quickly. Not that this is a well travelled blog, but if you have a picture of merit, with some connection to mostly nautical things, and would not mond having a SWO pin and some brand name lettering overlaid on it, I’d be happy to put it on the hosting server for regular use. Some topical stuff for holidays, special occasions, or maybe earthscapes/astronomy stuff, too. Format is 730 px wide x 200 px tall…can go up to 900 px wide, too, if it frames better. let me know if you’d like to participate.
Gouge…some who read this know the inestimable value of such a commodity….
A recently opened blog, Information Dissemination, is becoming a good resource to keep tabs on developments in naval equipment and navies, not only the US stuff, but some detailed articles on China, Saudi Arabia and India have shown up as well.
Interspersed are deployed orders of battles of the US Fleets, and lots of discussion on current and projected shipbuilding.
Wander on over, I think you’ll find it a resource worth bookmarking and returning to regularly.
I picked this up on my “Dashboard” of WordPress, but it’s not specific to WP blogging, but some well thought out stuff on how to ramp up the quality of posts on blogs in general. Done by Lorelle VanFossen:
Oh, not to mention, the SlideShare site looks like you PowerPoint Rangers can spread your message way beyond that briefing to the DVs who pop by constantly….C’mon…go and post your work, you know you want to.
Update 7/27/2007: Great! SJS accuses me of encouraging the digital version of this heinous activity by this post:
Thanks, Shipmate, I was only trying to help….Maybe he should check out this slide show I found there before he protests so, coz even Hummers made it in the batch:
Almost 39 years ago (7/28/1968) in a land far away, a Navy Corpsman gave his life, so his Marine shipmates could live. IN doing so, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor:
Hospital Corpsman Third Class Wayne M. Caron, United States Navy
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 28 July 1968 while serving as Platoon Corpsman with Company K, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division during combat operations against enemy forces in the Republic of Vietnam. While on a sweep through an open rice field in Quang Nam Province, Petty Officer Caron’s unit started receiving enemy small-arms fire. Upon seeing two Marine casualties fall, he immediately ran forward to render first aid, but found that they were dead. At this time, the platoon was taken under intense small-arms and automatic-weapons fire, sustaining additional casualties. As he moved to the aid of his wounded comrades, Petty Officer Caron was hit in the arm by enemy fire. Although knocked to the ground, he regained his feet and continued to the injured Marines. He rendered medical assistance to the first Marine he reached, who was grievously wounded, and undoubtedly was instrumental in saving the man’s life. Petty Officer Caron then ran toward the second wounded Marine, but was again hit by enemy fire, this time in the leg. Nonetheless, he crawled the remaining distance and provided medical aid for this severely wounded man. Petty Officer Caron started to make his way to yet another injured comrade, when he was again struck by enemy small-arms fire. Courageously and with unbelievable determination, Petty Officer Caron continued his attempt to reach the third Marine until he himself was killed by an enemy rocket round. His inspiring valor, steadfast determination, and selfless dedication in the face of extreme danger, sustain and enhance the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
HM3 Caron was outstanding young men who enlisted while America was enganged in a conflict:
Wayne Maurice Caron was born on 2 November 1946 in Middleboro, Massachusetts. He graduated there with multiple honors from Memorial High School in June 1966. On 12 July of that year, he enlisted in the U. S. Navy in Boston, Massachusetts. He advanced to hospital apprentice on 23 September 1966, to hospitalman on 1 April 1967, and to hospital corpsman third class on 16 January 1968.
Hospital Corpsman Third Class Caron underwent recruit training at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois, and was the Honorman of his company. He attended Naval Hospital Corps School, also in Great Lakes, and then received further training at Field Marine Service School, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California. In July 1968, HM3 Caron joined 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, and served as a platoon hospital corpsman with the 2d Platoon, Company K in the Republic of Vietnam.
On Oct 1st, 1977, USS CARON (DD-970), was commissioned. CARON was in service 24 years, stationed out of Norfolk, VA. Most of her career was spent attached to DESRON TEN.USS CARON (DD-970) saw action in several major operations during her time at sea. She was at Grenada for Urgent Fury, providing Naval Gunfire Support. Present in the Gulf of Sidra, she sailed across Khadiffi’s “Line of Death” in 1986. In 1991, she fired Tomahawks in support of Operation Desert Storm.USS CARON was sunk off Puerto Rico 12/4/2002.
At the USS IOWA Turret Nr 2 Gun Crew Memorial in Norfolk, VA
It seems “Pinch” Paisley was on a road trip and took some time to get pictures and publicity for the ValOUR-IT project the week of the 4th of July, while doing some active duty time…Stay turned for more outstanding naval settings where MEGEN has been showing up at!
Update 07/16/2007: Pinch has posted an entire set of great photos of MEGEN, in the company with ships a and planes and at memorials. Not only are they fun to look at, but they are great to copy and send around to your friends, complete with an explanation of the ValOUR-IT program!
Paint dot Net. Not only is it freeware, it nags you not, it does layers, varied “opacity,” has shapes, brushes, fonts, erasers, and not only does it have some useful effects loaded in, you can download a raft of free plugins to do things like make a picture on a spherical background, inject clouds, align objects, etc, etc, etc, via the Paint.Net user forum.
I do my headers with it, because it’s quick, simple and has plenty enough features to drop the SWO pin and lettering on top of a cropped pic to header dimensions.
High quality AND free (with a PayPal button if you feel inclined to use it)!
