CBSNews.com: Iraq War Quadruple Amputee Says He's `Fortunate` - CBSNews

Iraq War Quadruple Amputee Says He's `Fortunate` - CBSNews
URL: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/12/eveningnews/main6477674.shtml
Sooner or later it had to happen - a soldier lost all four limbs and survived. It happened to Brendan Marrocco on Easter Sunday of 2009 in Iraq when his vehicle tripped a roadside bomb.

CNET: The source for computers and technology http://www.cnet.com

Reading 'Wrath and Remembrance' by John Walker

 Reading Jon Walker's
Wrath and Remembrance

"I'm That Guy": The Matt Maher Story

Great Story of Inspiration...Stay strong, Matt.

http://www.themattmaherstory.com/send.php

A Guide to Memorial Day

The Memorial Day holiday is a permanent fixture in the calendar that for many marks the start of summer. Officially, Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May each year, but is nationally observed on the the Monday following to create a 3-day holiday weekend.
Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868. It was instituted by proclamation of General John A. Logan to honor the fallen in the Civil War. The day, which was originally known as Decoration Day, involved flowers and other memorials being placed at the graves of Civil War soldiers.
Following World War I, Memorial Day began to encompass remembrance of those who lost their lives in all of America's wars. This practice is still observed today.

Memorial Day in the Present Era

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia is the national focus for Memorial Day in its current form. Every year on on the last Sunday of May a ceremony commemorating America's war dead takes place. Traditionally, the President or Vice-president issues a speech in honor of those who gave their lives to defend America and its people, and a wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the cemetery.
All around the US, Memorial Day ceremonies follow Arlington's lead. Respect for those who have protected us right up through to the present day conflicts is demonstrated by the laying of memorials at their graves.
To commemorate Memorial Day this year why not honor our fallen soldiers with your own special Memorial Day memorial. Many families take advantage of the time preceeding Memorial Day to place an order for a grave marker or headstone for their loved one.

The Boss App Presents Stanley

Go Stanley! (That's my boy)

Quote for the week of 5/24/10

"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that
my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it
should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a
superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function
of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my
days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."

-- Jack London

Dooley's Dream for Heroes - June 21, 2010

* * * * * * 

Dooley's Dream for Heroes

Held in memory of SSG Micheal Dooley, KIA June 8, 2003

All proceeds will benefit Homes for Our Troops,

building specially adapted homes for severely disabled veterans.

June 20, 2010

11am-4pm

Padora Park, Export PA

To make donations or for more information contact:

Christine Dooley

724-433-6499

Quote of the Week 5/23/10

"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that
my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it
should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a
superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function
of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my
days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." ~Jack London

Finally, an inspiring story!

John Travolta & Kelly Preston Expecting 'New Addition' To The Family

Finally, an inspiring story. Love this man and I am inspired by what he has gone through. Go John and...of course, Kelly and family! 

 http://omg.yahoo.com/news/john-travolta-kelly-preston-expecting-new-addition-to-the-family/41026?nc

 

Book Review

Excellent book with a great, true-life story. I loved that it was easy to read and grasp even for the most introvert biker.
Thank you, Bill, for your courage and honor!

I give it a "LOVED IT!"

Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang

NEW SCAM DIRECTED AT MEN (Seriously folks?)

Women often receive warnings about protecting themselves at the mall and in dark parking lots, etc.
This is the first warning I have seen for men. I wanted to pass it on in case you haven't heard about it. This will only become more commonplace.
A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular Lowe's, Home Depot, or Costco customers. This one caught me by surprise Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.

Here's how the scam works:
Two seriously good-looking 20-something girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the trunk. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look. When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to McDonalds.
You agree and they get into the back seat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen Sept 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th,17th, 20th, 24th, & 29th. Also Oct 1st & 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 23rd, 26th & 28th, three times last Monday and very likely again this upcoming weekend.
So tell your friends to be careful.  What a horrible way to take advantage of older men. Warn your friends to be vigilant.
   
Wal-Mart has wallets on sale for $2.99 each. I found cheaper ones for $1.99 at K- Mart and bought them out.  Also, you never will get to eat at McDonalds.  I've already lost 11 pounds just running back and forth
to Lowe's, Home Depot, and Costco.

 

Quote for the week of 5/17/10

"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to
it." ~Dennis P. Kimbro

Family fights to recover after vet's transplant

Fight the fight and never accept defeat!

Why didn't I think of that?

Why didn't I think of that? Answer #6

It was mealtime during an airline flight.
'Would you like dinner?', the flight attendant asked John, seated in front..
'What are my choices?' John asked.
'Yes or no,' she replied.

 

Why didn't I think of that? Answer #5
 

A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her.
Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub.'

 

Why didn't I think of that? Answer #4

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, ' Do these turkeys get any bigger?'
The stock boy replied, 'No ma'am, they're dead.'

 

Why didn't I think of that? Answer #3

The police officer got out of his car as the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. 'I've been waiting for you all day,' the officer said.
The kid replied, Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could.'
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.

 

Why didn't I think of that? Answer #2

A truck driver was driving along on the freeway and noticed a sign that read: Low Bridge Ahead.. Before he knows it, the bridge is right in front of him and his truck gets wedged under it. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, 'Got stuck, huh?'
The truck driver says, 'No, I was delivering this bridge and I ran out of gas.'

 

Why didn't I think of that? Answer of the year 2009!!

A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam. 'Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury, illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!'
A smart-ass student in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, 'What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?'
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shook her head and sweetly said, 'Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand.'

 

Why didn't I think of that? Bonus Answer

A woman is standing nude looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect.

Quote of the Week 510/10

"Failure is nature's plan to prepare you for great
responsibilities." ~Napoleon Hill

Is this true?

This was forwarded to me from Facebook. Is this actually true?

____________________________________________________________

On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.

Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.

"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."

The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.

They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.

The boys really had no choice, and went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset, calling what happened to their children, "total nonsense."

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."

But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.

"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."

As for an apology, the boys and their families say, 'fat chance.'

"I'm not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong," Galli said. "I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I'm an American and I'm proud to be an American."

The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district and the school do not see eye-to-eye on the incident and released the following statement:

The boys will not be suspended and were allowed to return to school Thursday. We spotted one of them when he got to campus -- and, yes, he was sporting an American flag T-shirt.

"If I Die Before You Wake" sung by Dustin Evans

Golf Therapy for Injured War Veterans

Golf Therapy for Injured War Veterans

This is post is about one of my favorite people and an individual who has been an inspiration to me.

My next book to be released, ' Brannigan's War was written with Ssgt Russ Marek's spirit in mind along with all the many veterans that have given so much and asked for so little in return!

Fire Engine

A fireman is polishing his fire engine outside the fire station when he notices a little girl next door in a little red cart with little ladders hung on the side and a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle.

The little girl is wearing a fireman's helmet and has the cart tied to a dog and a cat.

The fire-fighter walks over to take a closer look: 'That's a lovely fire engine,' he says admiringly.

'Thanks,' says the little girl. The fireman looks closer and notices the little girl has tied one of the cart's strings to the dog's collar and one to the cat's testicles.

'Little colleague,' says the fire-fighter, 'I don't want to tell you how to run your fire engine, but if you were to tie that rope around the cat's collar, I think you could probably go a lot faster.'

The little girl pauses for a moment, looks at the wagon, at the dog and at the cat, then shyly looks into the fireman's eyes and says:

'You're probably right, but then I wouldn't have a siren, would I?'

Air Force Sgt James Alley- All Patriot Guards

On April 6, 1972 Air Force Sgt James Alley volunteered for a search and rescue mission instead of coming home from Vietnam. The helicopter he boarded was shot down that day and up until recently Sgt Alley was MIA. This coming weekend he will no longer be MIA, he is coming home. Please read the below information regarding an escort ride by the Patriot Guard Riders and also the attachment.

To All Patriots,

There will be a group ride from the Leesburg area to Arcadia to Honor Sgt James H.Alley on Saturday Morning - 08 May 10.

Meet at the McDonalds south of Leesburg, intersection of US27 and CR48 (south side of Walgreens)

Meet for breakfast at 0630 hrs with planned KSU at 0700 hrs.

Route: South on US27 to Avon Park, West on Route 64 to Zolfo Springs, South on Route 17/35 to Arcadia.

You can join us anywhere along the route...just let us know where..........please contact either myself or Goofy.

Ride Captain / Leader: Doyle "Goofy" Schwab

I am riding down to Arcadia on Thursday morning to be able to participate in the escort from Fort Myers to Arcadia on Friday morning.....Please contact me for details. A few of us have hotel reservations.

Airport Escort - 07 MAY 10
Staging: 1030 hrs
Chamberlin Parkway & Regional Lane (Map attached)
Old RSW Terminal
Ft. Myers
Briefing: 1100 hrs
KSU: 1115 hrs

Full LEO Escort
NO FLAG BIKES or poles attached to bikes as we will be going at a high rate of speed
Route: I-75 to Exit 164 to US 17 N
Ponger-Grady Kays Funeral Home
50 N. Hillsborough Avenue
Arcadia, FL

Services - 08 MAY 10
Staging: 1030 hrs
DeSoto County Courthouse Annex
201 East Oak Street
Arcadia, FL

Briefing: 1130 hrs
Flagline: 1200 hrs
Services: 1230 - 1330 hrs

Ponger-Grady Kays Funeral Home
50 N. Hillsborough Avenue
Arcadia, FL

KSU: 1345 hrs
Full LEO Escort

Flag Bikes are encouraged
Interment: 1400 hrs
Full Military Honors
Oakridge Cemetery
Arcadia, FL

kick stand plates will be needed)
http://tinyurl.com/jamesalley
Please be advised that Arcadia is full of one way streets, if traveling from the south, the best route from I-75 is to take Exit 164, going north on US 17 into Arcadia, making a right on E Magnolia and then a left on N Hillsborough Avenue, then you will make a left into the Annex parking directly across the street from the funeral home. If traveling from the north, the best route from I-75 is to take Exit 217, going east on SR 70 into Arcadia, making a left on N Hillsborough Avenue, then you will make a left into the Annex parking directly across the street from the funeral home.

Please be prompt at the time indicated for Staging for the Services as a large turn-out is expected and parking will be coordinated.

Please bring your 3x5 American Flags to help me Honor Sgt James H. Alley as he did not hesitate to Stand for US 38 years ago and now it is our turn to Stand in Silent Respect for this True American Hero.

Ride Captain:
Joan "PGRLabLuvr" Colosimo
Florida Senior Ride Captain
PGRLabLuvr@patriotguard.org
239.404.1624

Assistant Ride Captain:
Lenny "Taz" Leary

Yahoo! Movies - Actress Lynn Redgrave has died at age 67 (AP)

Carol Gambill (carol@carolgambill.com) has sent you a news article
Personal message: What a beautiful lady!
Actress Lynn Redgrave has died at age 67 (AP)
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/actress-lynn-redgrave-has-died-age-67-ap

---

Actress Lynn Redgrave has died at age 67 (AP)

Source: AP 31 minutes ago

 

Once Wild By Carol Gambill - Alternative Read Book Review

Once Wild By Carol Gambill - Alternative Read Book Review

Once Wild by Carol Gambill - A Night Owl Reviews Book Review

Once Wild by Carol Gambill - A Night Owl Reviews Book Review

Yahoo! Music - Afghanistan Troops Go Gaga With Their Own 'Telephone' Remake - Stop The Presses!

Afghanistan Troops Go Gaga With Their Own 'Telephone' Remake - Stop The Presses!

Telephone Remake @ Yahoo! Video

What does your sleep position reveal about your personality?

These days, the way that I sleep simply says, "I am happy to be single and spending five to seven hours sprawled out in the center of my bed alone."

At other points, my tightly squeezed eyes and curled-up body would have screamed, "I know the baby will wake up/someone will start snoring/the alarm will begin blaring as soon as I finally, finally, finally get to sleep."

Years and years ago, the corpse-looking college student still in her clothes would have mumbled something like, "Finals. Boys. Beer."

Our lives, the amount of sleep we get, and how well we actually rest during those nighttime hours may change drastically over time. However, one sleep researcher says that our body position in bed could say something about who we are, not just what else is happening in our lives.

Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, says that a study of 1,000 Brits revealed that the six most common sleeping positions are indicative of personality types.

If this sounds ridiculous (and honestly, I'd love to see information on this study and the analysis fleshed out further than any of the reports I could find), consider that Idzikowski says it comes down to body language.
"We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us," Idzikowski said. "What's interesting is that the profile behind the posture is often very different from what we would expect."
The research also links certain sleeping positions with health risks. Some aid digestion while others spur on snoring and restlessness.
Here are the six common sleeping positions and correlated personality traits and health implications, according to this study.

[graphic via BBC.com]

• Fetus position - A whopping 41% of participants sleep in this curled-up manner. Women are twice as likely to rest like this and it is listed as the most common position. These sleepers are said to have a tough exterior but are still sensitive and may appear to be shy but warm up quickly.

• Log position - If you sleep on your side with both arms down, you are a social, easy-going person who is trusting, sometimes to the point of being gullible. The study showed 15% of people sleep like a log.

• Yearner position - A close third is the side-lying position with both arms out in front of the body, with 13% of partipants sleeping like this. Yearners are noted to be open-minded and still cynical, suspicious, and stubborn about sticking to decisions once they are made.

• Soldier position - These sleepers lie on their backs with arms down and kept close to the body. This 8% study is said to be reserved, quiet, without fuss, and hold themselves and others to a high standard. Soldier sleepers have a higher likelihood for snoring due to the flat-back position, which may not cause them to wake up often but may result in a less restful night's sleep.

• Freefall position - Those people who lie on their bellies with arms under or wrapped around a pillow with head turned to the side, make up 7% of the population studied. Freefallers are brash, outgoing, and are very uncomfortable with criticism. 

• Starfish position - Sleepers who lie on their backs with arms up near their head or the pillow account for 5% of participants. These people are good listeners, helpful, and are uncomfortable being the center of attention. People who sleep in starfish position are more likely to snore and to suffer from a poor night's sleep more often.

If you think you are one of those people who move through all of these positions, that's not likely to really be the case. Idzikowski said the research reveals most people stay in the same position all night and only 5% lay differently night by night. Also interesting is that the study showed only one in ten people cover their bodies entirely with a blanket, with most people exposing an arm, leg, or both feet.