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A very Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, whether you are a dad, a grandfather, a special uncle, or just a surrogate dad to someone who needs a male role model in their life.  May you have a very special day.

Some of our dads are no longer with us but they have left an indelible mark on our lives.

102 Thoughts to “Open Thread……………………………………….Sunday, June 19”

  1. The right to keep and bear arms is a constitutional right. I don’t see it as a human right at all. I actually wasn’t accusing arms and collective bargaining of coming from the same place but examples of things that can be taken away from people. Both are legal rights derived from different sources. One is more firmly entrenched than the other, I will grant you.

    Most people who enjoy these ‘rights’ are going to be real pissed off if they are taken away, especially if taking away something limits ones ability to earn a good living and save for the future.

    My issue with what you are saying is that you are making some seriously sweeping generalizations. Let’s take the the sick notes. I saw that happening on TV. It happened with a few people. It didn’t happen with everyone or even close to everyone. Yet it is being discussed as though every union worker presented a doctor’s note. On the other hand, there were lots of health care workers in that group so it might be hard to ‘catch’ those who weren’t really sick.

    There is just a lot of ‘they’ ‘They’ ‘They’ in your discussion with points union supporters out as children of a lesser God. That is why I have been so disturbed by this attitutude since last winter.

    YOU say public employees shouldn’t have collective bargaining, unions or whatever. I expect they will give you a collective giant international sign of contempt. This is another example of some members of the public wanting something for free. Public employees should be paid as well or better than private employees.

    Again, traditionally, private salaries have been more, benefits less. Public salaries have been less with better benefits. Let’s just ask…..do you think public employees are somehow less capable than private employees?

    Did you notice that New Jersey and Illinois skipped or reduced retired payments? So whose fault is that? The employee who is counting on being able to retire before they drop dead at 90? No.

    Even in Virginia, the governor is going around the country big assing that VA has a balanced budget. No, it isn’t. VA borrowed from the VRS, the retirement system. I don’t even think what they did was legal, if you look at the VA state constitution.

    The bottom line is, I am tired of the workers being the butt monkeys of whatever politician wants to get re elected. He/She can boast about lowering taxes but they had better take care of the pension funds. Each state is different. Some have more responsibly run systems than others.

  2. Starryflights

    Obama announces plan to bring home 33,000 ‘surge’ troops from Afghanistan

    By Scott Wilson, Published: June 22
    President Obama charted a middle course Wednesday for ending the U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, outlining a departure plan that will remove troops faster than his commanders had requested but more slowly than many of his political allies would like.

    In a prime-time address from the White House, Obama said he will bring home 10,000 U.S. troops by the end of the year and 23,000 more by next summer, a withdrawal window that will conclude two months before voters decide whether to give him a second term. The first troops will leave Afghanistan next month.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-to-order-home-10000-troops-from-afghanistan-officials-say/2011/06/22/AGUuRCgH_story.html

    It’s about time. This is long overdue.

  3. Lafayette

    The Park Authority’s website still bites. I have a friend trying to find swim classes and is having a time of it on the website. I told her to just call BenLomond Park! This is a crying shame that we have people wanting to take advantage of the reasonably prices classes and can’t view the classes available easily.
    I sure hope someone from the Park Authority is reading this. 🙂

    1. Someone from Park Authority did respond to the old thread. I think every person who meets with frustration needs to call and voice outrage over the lack of a user friendly website. I ran into a problem last weekend ….AGAIN. I tried calling the park (Long). Recording. That was no help at all. The information should have been on the website and easy to find.

      That software bites majorly!!!!!
      @Lafayette

  4. Lafayette

    @Moon-howler
    I saw that, but they came after the thread was almost dead. Furthermore, it’s the same old run around on their website. I also, remember them saying call the park, etc.. Well, that one worked out real good for you. Didn’t it? 👿

  5. marinm

    MH, I think they have a few more issues than just user visible design on that website. 😉

    http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pwcparks.org%2F&charset=%28detect+automatically%29&doctype=Inline&group=0

  6. Lafayette

    @marinm
    Geesh!! On a lighter note. How much longer before the bundles of joy arrive?

  7. Big Dog

    The markets are tanking again this morning.

    It is a giant feed-back machine – we feel the need to spend even less
    which deflates the economy which encourages us to spend less which …

    “Sell in May and go away” was great advice on stocks … which, of course,
    I didn’t take. I’m not depressed, but more than a little recessed today.

    1. I am hanging in there. It is like a roller coaster ride, isn’t it, Big Dog?

  8. marinm

    It’s a roll of God’s dice. If my wife’s protein levels elevate any further or she has a seizure they’ll move her to the OR. If none of that occurs the plan is to deliver at 36 weeks and transfer the babes to the NICU.

    On the positive side they both have developed lungs and on an ultrasound they look to be breathing. They both are scoring very well on development and had steroids to further develop their lungs in case of early delivery.

    Friends, family, work and the government have all been very supportive. She is in good spirits and we enjoy hearing their heartbeats on the monitor.

    I can’t wait!! But, am willing to wait as long as need be for them to come out healthy. We got the cutest little MARPAT onesies that I need to post on Facebook. They say, “Shhh.. I’m on crib recon”

    Any thoughts on the joint bill introduced in the house to legalize marijuana?

    1. I guess I had better get over to facebook to look at those onesies.

      Post the link for the mary jane bill please.

      Wish Mrs. Marin well for all of us. Is she on bed rest now?

  9. marinm

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20073545-503544.html

    The bill will get the federales out of the MJ business and they’ll look upon it the same way they do alcohol. Each State will be allowed to decide for themselves and the federales will only be concerned about importation and making sure that it doesn’t cross state lines to the prohibition states.

    Yes, she’s been on bed rest for a lil under a week now.

  10. I hope Mrs. M has help at least part of the day.

    Thanks for the link and more importantly, thanks for summarizing. I like it when contributors do that.

    I hate a patchwork of laws. If I buy legal mj in VA and want to take it to my beach house in Florida I have to drive through NC which is prohibited state. Right there, Ihave a problem that should not involve fed govt expense. It should either be legalized in all states or not legalized in any states.

    There is also the issue of use, sales, production, grow, drive through etc. That is absurd.

    I want the govt to tax it and let the states sell it like they do booze. states get a tax cut and so do the feds. Otherwise, why bother?

  11. Starryflights

    Gates: DOD budget cuts will require rethinking missions, benefits
    By Leo Shane III
    Stars and Stripes

    Published: June 15, 2011

    WASHINGTON — Steep defense budget cuts will likely mean a smaller military and a radical redesign of military benefits, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told lawmakers on Wednesday.

    Defense Department leaders will offer a laundry list of potential cuts and estimates of the resulting national security limitations to the White House by the end of the summer, in response to President Barack Obama’s calls earlier this year for $400 billion in DOD budget cuts.

    Gates expects that report to include a serious re-examination of military pay, retirement benefits, Tricare fees, weapons acquisition and even the fundamental two-war philosophy of the military. None of the moves alone are impossible or impractical, he emphasized, but leaders need to be aware that such a dramatic reduction in military spending will have ramifications for the power and capability of the services.

    http://www.stripes.com/gates-dod-budget-cuts-will-require-rethinking-missions-benefits-1.146688

    All those who want to reduce government spending need to examine cuts in defense, including military pay, health care and benefits. Defense isn’t all about weapons. A good portion of defense spending involves pay, health care and retirement benefits that are also problems for civilian government budgets at all levels.

  12. marinm

    I agree with Starry. We need to cut defense.

  13. marinm

    For those inclined feel free to donate.

    http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=810

    RICHMOND – The Commonwealth was notified today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied all three appeals for federal assistance to help individuals recover from 34 tornadoes that struck Virginia in April.

    A website has been created to process credit card donations at http://disasterrelief.vi.virginia.gov/. Those who wish to write a check can do so by making checks payable to the Treasurer of Virginia with “tornado relief” noted in the memo line. Send checks to Comptroller’s Office, P.O. Box 1971, Richmond, VA 23218-1971. Donations are tax deductible.

    1. I think FEMA needs to re-think this issue. What does it take? I am not opposed to Virginians helping other Virginians but I also pay a boatload of federal taxes. How many charity pick ups are we going to be asked to pick up?

  14. “include a serious re-examination of military pay, retirement benefits, Tricare fees,”

    Hmmmm, I guess that the military needs a union, like all those other public servants.

  15. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    The World is spinning backwards. I agree with Obama on pulling out of Afghanistan (should be pulling out faster, but that’s really being picky), and agree with Barney Frank on the legalize Marijuana bill. My head may explode. All kidding aside, it’s funny how extreme left and extreme right can somehow come together on stuff.

  16. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Oh, Jesus, and I agree with Starry, we need to cut defense. WTF is going on around here!!!???!!

  17. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Is that what happens? If you go too far to one side, you find yourself on the other? Like going out the right exit in Pac-Man and emerging from the left exit?

    1. bwaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahaa! Slowpoke, I am hysterical with laughter. Welcome to pac-world! Your own personal bizarro world!

  18. How bad would the press have savaged President Bush, or would savage a President Palin for this “gaffe”? From BlackFive:

    The President addressing the 10th Mountain Division today at Fort Drum:

    “First time I saw 10th Mountain Division, you guys were in southern Iraq. When I went back to visit Afghanistan, you guys were the first ones there. I had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously.”

    As we all know, SSG Sal Giunta, of the 173rd Airborne, was the first living recipient (2011) of the MOH who fought in Iraq/Afganistan. SFC Jared Monti, 10th Mountain Division, was KIA in Afghanistan in 2006. He was posthumously awarded the MOH by Obama in 2009.

    How does the Commander-in-Chief mix these heroes up? He put that medal around Giunta’s neck and he stood with Monti’s parents as they grieved.

    President Bush wouldn’t have screwed that up. I can’t see Palin screwing that up.

    It is perfectly feasible to me that President Obama would. He doesn’t care.

    1. Do you think that is really fair, to say he doesn’t care? How do you know? That is what we call a gaffe. All he can do is apologize to the families and to Giunta. I would have never picked at GWB over something like that. And actually I didn’t know that. So we don’t ALL know.

  19. If he cared, he would not have made this horrible mistake. He would have MADE CERTAIN to get that right.
    If he cared, he would not be making military decisions based upon his sinking domestic polls.
    If he cared, he would have visited the wounded at the Ft. Hood massacre instead of a photo op in the gym.
    If he cared, he would not have had that silly photo op of him saluting caskets as they came of the plane in Dover,
    If he cared, he would be not be illegally attacking Libya.
    If he cared, he wouldn’t have canceled a visit with wounded troops in Germany when he found out that he couldn’t use it as a photo op while campaigning.
    If he cared, he wouldn’t be declaring troop withdrawal schedules so that that the enemy learns about it, or surrendering at all, for that matter. He’s pulling out because its too expensive,
    If he cared, he wouldn’t be publicizing the intel from the Osama raid, hoping for a bump in ratings,
    If he cared, he wouldn’t continually state that there are no combat troops in Iraq, when we still have people being killed in combat over there.
    Heck, if he cared, he would have learned out to pronounce “corpsman”……

    But, you know what….
    Never mind. Forget it.

    He loves the troops.

    As a PR tool.

    1. I think he cares deeply. He makes decisions different from you if you were president. Perhaps you need to think about how far off many of his decisions are from what some of his base wants. The photo op thing is just preposterous.

  20. Starryflights

    I agree with Cargo that the Libya attacks are illegal and that we should withdraw from Afghanistan sooner. We have no national security interests in either place. We also need to reduce the size of our standing forces.

  21. marinm

    @Cargo, he didn’t screw up. The teleprompter did. 😉

  22. @Moon-howler
    He likes to “compromise” because he knows that if he caves to his base, he won’t get reelected. He didn’t send enough the troops requested to Afghanistan because it would have outraged his base completely. So he dithered for months. And when he did, he added a surrender date, outlining, telling the Taliban, when we would be pulling out, REGARDLESS of the development on the ground. And…now, if we are pulling out because its “so expensive” and because of a campaign promise, not because we’ve won….then we’ve lost. If he had announced that we were done because Osama was dead, and withdrawing ALL troops…fine. If he was stating that he was withdrawing all troops, for whatever reason, fine. But he’s taking them down slowly, because he wants to have enough for his operations, which are there for what reason? And because he doesn’t have the fortitude to make the case to take them all home. He wants his cake and to eat it too. He states that the Taliban are under extreme pressure and losing. So, he’s taking the pressure off, negotiating with them, AND giving them what they want. What a good negotiation tactic.

    Either listen to the generals and win it, or quit completely. He’s getting troops killed for nothing if he’s deciding to leave over the next few years. If he’s staying to teach Karzai’s army to pick up the slack, he’s dreaming. Our generals have stated that such an enterprise would take another 10 years. And that’s just the training part. And one of the things that would have to change is the government itself.

    Which photo op thing? Dover? Ft. Hood? The managed one in Iraq? The one forbidden in Germany?

    @marinm

    Funny.
    Yeah…not so much. His office says that it was not “prepared.” Really? A scheduled stop and no prepared remarks? With his history of gaffes?

    It was scheduled. The base is near a fund raising stop. I notice that a lot of his stops where he makes speeches end up being at fund raisers that night. Hmmmm, almost ..as if…they’re scheduled so he doesn’t have to pay for the trip…….nah….he’s only done it a few times…
    I bet his remarks at the fund raiser were prepared.

    1. It doesn’t matter whether we pull out of Afghanistan tomorrow or in 2 years, the Taliban will come back in as long as Kurzi allows it to happen. Our mission in Afghanistan pretty much ended with killing Big BL. As soon as we leave, that nation will go right back to where it was. it doesn’t matter if we stay another 10 years, the outcome will be the same.

      So lets blame Obama. And I think even the Taliban is smart enough to notice that kind of troop movement. It won’t be a news flash.

      I have come to accept that you are filling the role of code pink for Obama. Nothing will ever satisfy you that he does.

  23. Code Pink actually supports the enemies of America. I know that you don’t mean it that way, but, that analogy is insulting.

    I am a political opponent of Obama’s incompetence and agenda. I admit it. Because I think that his agenda is anathema to the American way, his actions harm America, and either he’s doing it on purpose or he is completely incompetent.

    The Taliban might and probably would notice it….eventually. AFTER it starts. Now, they know our timetable.

    Why shouldn’t Obama get the blame when its HIS agenda, decisions, and plans?
    His actions are blatantly obvious if you listen and remember his statements and watch his actions. He told us that he was going to draw down troops at this time, REGARDLESS of the situation. General Petraeus and Admiral Mullens have both, publicly, disagreed with his actions. General Petraeus states that we are slowly training local forces and are handing over to them. But we need more time. Drawing down 33,000 troops will force the others to do more with less. And they will die.

    Obama knows that he’ll draw heat for his actions and he’s trying to have it both ways, which usually angers BOTH sides.

    I blamed Bush when he was trying to conduct war on the cheap, too. Either go to war to win, or stay home.

  24. I forgot.

    There are many things that he could to to satisfy me. However, that would include telling the truth, stop choking our economy, cut spending, and make his agenda more business friendly in a way that DOES NOT include cronyism.

    I don’t think any of that is going to happen.

  25. Code Pink is known by most people including me as a group who relentlessly bitched about George Bush in addition to their antics. He could not please them.

    Many folks simply do not agree with you about the current president. It was in that vein that I made the code pink comparison. I don’t think there is anything Obama can do that would make you say good job.

    I was not a Bush fan but I don’t think I felt the same rancor towards him that you do towards Obama. You continue to feed the rancor. I tried to find positive things about George Bush. One thing I always felt–I felt he was sincere, even in when he was dead wrong.

    Doing those things make the 8 years pass faster. What on earth did you do during the Clinton years?

  26. I’ve tried to find positive things about Obama. And he is sincere about the things he cares about. Unfortunately it is those things that I feel harm America. I have given credit to him, when credit was due. Unfortunately, that’s rarer than Congressman Rangel’s honesty.

    During the Clinton years, I got off active duty so as not to serve “actively” under Clinton because I did not trust him. Everything I predicted would happen under him came true. The only reason I returned to the Reserves was to give my nephew his first salute. I figured that Clinton couldn’t or wouldn’t screw with the Navy Reserve too much. I bitched about him. This was all before blogging was available. In fact, my wife had a clock radio that came on at news time, in the morning. All it would take was whatever recent corrupt thing Clinton had done to be reported and I was AWAKE. Hard to sleep when you’re angry.

  27. Raymond Beverage

    On the Afgan Sandbox: all those politicos say “No more Vietnams” and yet, that sandbox is turning just the same. Yes, once we are out, the “domino” will fall.

    Of course, Rudyard Kipling said it best about that whole region:

    “the end of the fight is a tombstone white
    with the name of the late deceased,
    and the epitaph drear:
    a fool lies here
    who tried to hustle the east.”

  28. @Raymond Beverage
    Absolutely. I would have applauded if President Obama had said….”We got him. Time to come home. Our mission is over.”

    But…

    What’s the mission now?

  29. I guess you missed his speech.

    Its probably a good thing you got out of the service. I am not sure people should feel they can’t serve under a Commander in Chief of one political party.

    I have some bad news. You have landed in Clinton territory.

  30. Its not the party. It was the man and his agenda/policies. If Zell Miller had been President, I would not have gotten out. I have no beef with Clinton now. He has no power over me or anyone. I got out because I predicted 8+ month cruises, a draw down in resources, etc. And that’s what we got.

    I missed his speech. I could not get past the smarmy tone when he mentioned the Iraq theater. He had to give yet ANOTHER “history” lesson, like we’ve forgotten it. He then sounded like he DIDN’T dither for two months, not even meet the generals, and then only sent HALF of what was requested for the surge. A surge that he did not want to do. He sent half and then set out the surrender terms. All to satisfy his domestic political allies. So, I turned off the radio.

    I read the transcript. He wants to transition from prosecuting the war to support for the Afghani army and police. And finish that monumental task of training illiterate tribe members into a force that has a national allegiance vs a tribal one, by the end of 2014.

    He is delusional. He set this goal with no idea of what the conditions on the ground were going to be nor the capabilities of the Afghanis. And now, when we are finally pushing the Taliban over, as he stated, he wants to stop and give the Taliban everything that they want.

    So, again…what’s the mission. Even if its support, we have to still defeat the Taliban. Yet, he’s negotiating with them. He says, “We are starting this drawdown from a position of strength.” Really? He told them when we are leaving, the conditions under which we are leaving, and has illustrated that conditions on the ground mean nothing. How is this negotiating from a position of strength.

    Then he double talks us again. He said that he wants a “more centered course” that does not have us “over-extend ourselves, confronting every evil that can be found abroad.”

    But then says this, “When innocents are being slaughtered and global security endangered, we don’t have to choose between standing idly by or acting on our own. Instead, we must rally international action, which we are doing in Libya, where we do not have a single soldier on the ground, but are supporting allies in protecting the Libyan people and giving them the chance to determine their destiny.”

    One: its an illegal war now. Two: We did not rally international action, it was asked of us by Europeans. Three: If its all about saving innocents, why haven’t we invaded or attacked Iran and Syria. Four: Why are our people receiving “imminent danger pay” in the Libyan theater?

    Protecting the people? Really? The Al Quaeda rebels, the Muslim Brotherhood rebels, who? The towns people? How does one do that with air strikes?

  31. I dont know where you get your information, Cargo. We aren’t cutting deals with the Taliban. You have your mind made up so I will save wrist energy.

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