ArmyBlood

More fodder for Republican Sexcapades:

Legislator resigns amid sex scandal – U.S. Life – MSNBC.com

Curtis was among state GOP lawmakers in Spokane Oct. 24-26 for a retreat to discuss the upcoming legislative session. He went to the Hollywood Erotic Boutique early on Oct. 26 and met Castagna, who accompanied him to the hotel, police documents said.

The two arrived at the hotel around 3:30 a.m. and had sex, after which Curtis fell asleep, according to documents released Tuesday.

This story from AP highlights it pretty well:

Man guilty of hiding nuke plant damage – Crime & Punishment – MSNBC.com

updated 5:28 p.m. CT, Tues., Oct. 30, 2007

TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury convicted a former nuclear plant worker Tuesday of concealing the worst corrosion ever found at a U.S. reactor. A second defendant was acquitted.

Years ago I worked with a guy that had worked on the Glen Rose plant near here and used to regale us with tales of coming to work drunk, knocking high-tolerance pipes together with sledge hammers, drinking with inspectors, etc.  I’d been a proponent (as much as a high school kid could proponentize anything) of nuclear power but that changed my mind.

From the Waco paper:

CLICK TO COMMENT: Beyond the bumper stickers, citizen support for U.S. troops down but still determined

Any spare time she has is spent knitting scarves, baking dozens upon dozens of cookies and compiling care packages as part of Mom 4R Marines — just one of the troop-support organizations nationwide finding themselves in need.

HOW TO HELP

* Mom 4R Marines: Go to www.mom4Rmarines.org and click on “donate.” The Web site explains the group’s projects and where your money will go.

* Military Support Online Network: Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
MilitarySupportOnlineNetwork to join. The group is based in Woodway and is run by Marine mom Reba Hollingsworth. The group sends personalized greeting cards and care packages to troops.

* Hewitt VFW Post 6008: The post ships care packages every other week and has parties and other programs for soldiers’ families. Donations can be dropped off at 725 Sun Valley Blvd. in Hewitt or mailed to P.O. Box 608, Hewitt 76643. Checks can be made payable to the VFW.

* Fort Hood’s Adopt-a-Unit program: Go to forthoodausa.org for information. Because units of soldiers are often sizable, this is a better method for organizations, groups and businesses to show their support.

Is your group sending comfort items to the troops? If so, you may e-mail the name of your group, the project you’re working on, what you’re looking for from donors, a contact name and phone number to goingson@wacotrib.com. Those wanting to donate may consult the online list to learn ways to help.

The national group — which claims parents in every state of the nation — had $130,000 in donations last year, furnishing everything from holiday stockings full of gifts for troops to markers for those who didn’t make it home alive. This year the group is at $40,000.

Doesn’t do much for recruiting or telling business owners to give the troops a break when you don’t do it yourself:

Union, law firm partner to pursue reservists’ benefit claims

By Brittany R. Ballenstedt bballenstedt@govexec.com October 30, 2007

The American Federation of Government Employees has teamed up with a New York law firm to help federal employee reservists collect thousands of dollars in back pay.

The union and Tully, Rinckey & Associates will co-represent about 10,000 AFGE members who claim they were improperly charged leave for reserve duties, even if such duties occurred on weekends, federal holidays or other days when they were not regularly scheduled to work.

(I know – an easy pun)  But why do Captains hate America?

From the TimesDaily.com (AP), a story about the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and captains at the artillery school:

“When it becomes a burden to my family, it becomes repulsive,” said one captain, who told Mullen that he wants a stable assignment so his wife can go to school but said he was told that “family considerations don’t play a role” in such planning decisions.

Mullen grimaced as the officer said he was preparing to leave the Army because of the problems.

“We can’t not take family considerations into account,” Mullen said. “That is just not the case in 2007. It can’t be the case if we’re going to have a healthy force.”

Look at that last sentence.  Even as the Army signs a covenant with troops and families, the CJC is out saying that he can’t consider them.  Sounds like the definition of an unhealthy force and a very confused message.  Despite all the happy talk about recruiting and retention, the Army is preparing to offer huge bonuses to retain captains and other mid-grade leaders, the meat and backbone of the Army, because they are all getting out.  It’s a bit funny and a bit sad when in one announcement the recruiting command will pronounce recruiting and retention great, then open up a new moral waiver and throw in an extra ten grand.  Maybe Admiral Mullen is coaching them on strategic messaging.

Watching the last race of the year, wondering if Massa will be allowed a win and if Hamilton can stop choking. It looks like the iceman just pulled out of the pits in front of Massa and into the lead for both the race and the championship.

-sent from my Treo-

Join thousands of other Americans for Human Rights and sign Human Rights First’s petition to the presidential candidates asking them to commit to ending policies that have led to torture and tarnished the United States: http://www.endtorture08.org/

From Bloomberg.com: News, because we’d hate to inconvenience the President or make him look like an idealogical obstructionist:

Senate Democrats Drop Plan to Challenge Stem Cell Restrictions
By Brian Faler

Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) — Senate Democrats, yielding to a veto threat, have dropped provisions from a spending bill that would have loosened President George W. Bush’s restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research.

And another one bites the dust.  Bobo’s world just never seems to shrink and the faithful gullible never seem to learn (or exhaust their budgets)

Oral Roberts President Exits Amid Scandal, Richard Roberts To Take Leave After Being Accused Of Lavish Spending At Donors’ Expense – CBS News

(CBS/AP) Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts asked the school’s board of regents for a leave of absence Wednesday amid accusations of lavish spending at donors’ expense and illegal involvement in a political campaign.

You can read a lot about it here:  Scandal Vulnerability Assessment

The Cove Leader Press published my letter (basicall a rehash of the IAVA mail)

It’s time Congress fixed care for veterans

Despite the toxic atmosphere in Washington D.C., the 110th Congress has made a lot of progress on some important issues, but seems to have stalled just as they reached a critical point. As a recent report from the Government Accountability Office reveals, seven months have passed since the Walter Reed crisis and serious problems in Veterans’ care remain. As of Oct. 1, the veterans’ budget was late. Until it is approved, the VA will be forced to ration care.