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sgtdub

Thursday, March 22, 2007

22 March 2007, Happy Thursday to everyone. I have had mixed opinions about today's post. On the one hand I was excited to be over my rants and soap boxes and could get back to whatever it is I am doing with this blog, on the second hand I was suppose to start on my Thinking Blogger Award post, but on the third hand, (how did I end up with three hands?) I saw a bit of Hannity and Colmes from last night and it got me a tad bit upset, warranting another soapbox/rant. However, I was unable to verify any more information on what I saw, (I try to work a little during the day too) So if you bear with me, I guess we will try to cover all three.
1. It was another gorgeous day here, and you can't say that too much, the sky was clear, the sun was warm, a light breeze, so nice I made three LTs go eat lunch outside again with me. Our jobs keep us indoors almost always and a day like today just needed to be exploited a bit. I've mentioned before that Kabul sits in a basin and is completely surrounded by mountains, but the pollution here can be so bad that not a mountain can be seen on most days. Today was not like that at all.










2. Let's switch it around a little and do the rant next. Apparently at the "peace" "anti-war" protests this last weekend in Oregon, a third group evolved. You see, we already had the pro-military, pro-war supporters, the pro-military, anti-war supporters, and now, we have the anti-military anti-war hate America pot-smoking culture burning effigy's of American soldiers and burning American flags. I am currently serving with the Oregon National Guard, and I have the feeling they may be the first victims of being spit upon by this low life degenerate group posing as Americans. What's worse is that they blended with the regular anti-war protest and I haven't seen anybody from them objecting to it. In fact, the person being interviewed on the national news program was sidestepping the point blank question completely by going back to the old "President Bush lied" President Bush lied" So that's why you want to see American troops die? There is no other way to interpret this sign, you can't say, "well, things just got out of hand" You can't say that you brought an American Soldier mannequin, a can of lighter fluid and a box of matches by accident.
3. The Thinking Blogger Award. This is catching on so fast that it's hard to keep up with. It all originated with ilker yoldas at The Thinking Blog, who picked 5 blogs that made him think rather than just answer a simple meme about what his favorite color is. From there, each new Awardee is to pick 5 also, and so on. I read many blogs everyday that I can, and picking just 5 would be a daunting task indeed. I also know that ones that I would have picked either nominated me or selected ones I would choose too. So to share the wealth here is the list:

Michael at The Wonderful World of Nothing. Michael has a way of taking a news piece we might have overlooked and turn it into a brilliant take on how it should have been perceived.
Christopher at The Conservative Cowboy. Christopher is a cowboy in Ohio, yes, Ohio, seems a little too north but he's there. He introduced me to The Cowboy Code and all things just and fair as well as supporting our hero's.
Teflon Don at Acute Politics. TD is serving with his unit in Iraq and besides giving us the news of what's happening in the war, he's a poet and thinker, quite a plate full for such a young man.
Dariana at Charmed and Dangerous. Take away her being a lawyer (I'm kidding) and she's a good egg. Dari is against the war in Iraq but does support the military. One reason I can be sure of this is because both of her sons are in the military and she boasts her motherly pride about both of them. We exchange comments back and forth, her last comment was I sounded like her son, even though we aren't that far apart in age ourselves.
This is where I should include Mrs. Dub, but she doesn't make me think, she tells me what to think, and that didn't fit the criteria.
Flag Gazer at Gazing at the Flag. Flag gazer started her site to support the military troops fighting today. Her site captures the triumphs and tragedy's of the war. With my rant today, Flag gazer lives in Oregon and although she isn't alone there, she certainly stands out in a crowd.
Congratulations, you won a
Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging. I thought it would be appropriate to include them with the meme.The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

Well I hope you managed to get to the end of the post, be safe and have a great day.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sgt, I am very honored. You and I are proof that people do not have to see eye to eye on things to respect one another. As for my comment about you "sounding" like my son let me explain, lol. Everytime I throw statistics at him about the deaths due to the war, he comes back at me with pretty much the same thing you said in your post about statistics caused by accidents, drunk driving, car wrecks, etc.

Like you, he is very proud of what he does as you both should be.

Again, I thank you for mentioning me and as I said, I am truly honored. I left you a comment over at my place in reply to yours. Go see it, you may even giggle once or twice, lol.

Have a great day!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

dub i am sorry but no one has ever made me see how you can be for the troops and against the war. i try to see, i really do, but so far i can't. i see the all volunteer military serving by choice being invalidated by these statements. sigh. i really am trying here. not succeeding, but trying. be safe....

smiles, bee

Desert Songbird said...

I'm thinking too hard and not able to come up with the right words to say in response, so let me just say the photos are stunning, and I'm glad you got to experience a bit of beauty in an otherwise normally dreary environment.

Lee Ann aka Dixie said...

Sgt... those pictures are absolutely breathtaking... one would never think there would be anything beautiful about Kabul... but you have proved us wrong.

Odat said...

Those pics are gorgeous...thanks for sharing them with us....and rant all you want...it's ok by me...ya gotta get it out...
Congrats again on your award..and the only one i've read from your list is my best blogggin pal, Michael...and he certainly deserves it...!!!!! ;-)
Peace

SQT said...

The only thing I can think of that even begins to explain those protestors is that there's always going to be flaky people doing stupid things. I remember when we were first going to war people like this were already coming out of the woodwork. Nothing they said made any sense, but they were going to say it as loud as they could regardless.

Hopefully the brave men and women who are serving this country right now know that most of us don't listen to a word they (the protestors) have to say.

Anonymous said...

Sgt Dub,

I have been reading your blog for a while, in preps for my son being deployed. I have 2 sons in the California National Guard and very proud of it. We are not from a military family but I beleive in Freedom from all. And whenever I see something like that going on which we have ran upon. I very politely inform them that they are walking free and speaking freely because of every American soldier. They have the right to disagree with the war but they are disrespecting every Soldier out there by saying things they are about the war. We should praise them and thank them for their work. And if you have a problem with the War voice your complaints to your Congress man, Senator, the President, etc. But not to the innocent hard working Soldiers. I have a very loud and outspoken neighbor who loves to tell me how messed up this world is and it is just going to crap. Well it is if everyone keeps stops caring and teaching their kids to do the things they do. And I will be very sad if something happens to one of my sons but I will be very proud of them for protecting their dad and I and their 4 sisters. We can change the world to a better place one person at a time.

There that is my soap box for you.
Becky from California

Linda said...

Beautiful pictures! Kabul sounds a lot like San Bernardino, California in that there are a lot of mountains surrounding it but you'd never know that they were there because of all the smog that comes in from LA and then sits there at the foot of the mountains. I moved there in April and didn't see the mountains until November - what a shock to see that they were so close!

Amazing Gracie said...

Congrats, Sgt. Dub! We always knew you were a Thinker!
We have a group of "cretins," (don't know what else to call them) that hang out on the busiest corner in town every Friday night, holding their stupid anti-war, impeach Bush signs, amongst others. They're mainly CalState profs (gee, who'da thunk?). I hate to admit this, but I actually flipped them off once and I NEVER do stuff like that. I hope to heck I never run into this other bunch...and don't you just love Alan Colmbes? I have to watch Glenn Beck instead. I can't handle Alan any longer.
BE SAFE!!!

Amazing Gracie said...

Congrats, Sgt. Dub! We always knew you were a Thinker!
We have a group of "cretins," (don't know what else to call them) that hang out on the busiest corner in town every Friday night, holding their stupid anti-war, impeach Bush signs, amongst others. They're mainly CalState profs (gee, who'da thunk?). I hate to admit this, but I actually flipped them off once and I NEVER do stuff like that. I hope to heck I never run into this other bunch...and don't you just love Alan Colmbes? I have to watch Glenn Beck instead. I can't handle Alan any longer.
BE SAFE!!!

CJB said...

Well, Sgt... First, I'm honored to read the kind words you wrote about me. I am very humbled and at the same time very proud. Thank you.

Next... the anti-war protesters. It just goes to demonstrate that the Anti-Bush crowd will side with any other group, no matter how revolting, as long as they bash Bush.

The hypocrisy is almost mind numbing. Burn soldiers in effigy. That's ok. Burn the flag, that's ok. Because you're protesting the war, that's ok. But host a little game of "catch the illegal immigrant" to protest the border problem and the left comes unglued and wants to put the clamps on free speech.

And I certainly hope that anyone who spits on Soldiers has that gesture met by swift and absolute pain.

Claire said...

Definitely a thinker and you definitely make me think!
But i would like to know what you meant when you said this:
'One of my younger soliders doesn't like to smile much either. Guess what my favorite past time is with him.'
I have been laughing about this ever since i read it!
Sorry if this deflects from the more serious issues.
Keep Safe!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the award - I am humbled - between you and Todd this has been quite a week for me. Thank you!

Oregon protesters - somedays it is hard to admit that you are from Oregon. Those kids all go to expensive private colleges - and this goes on all of the time. I pity any serviceman going through Portland airport. It is so bad, that they usually bring them into Ft Lewis and then bus them home. As you know, I was interviewed by the Oregonian newspaper as a "rare" supporter - I received vile mail for it - wishing my death and my rotting in hell. Some of the guys in the Oregon guard are facing family members who oppose what they are doing - loudly. It is difficult.

I will be posting the pictures and the story of the effigies and the other nonsense in the state on Saturday.

MrsDub said...

Just tell those Oregon Soldiers they are WELCOME to come to Oklahoma! I pity the fool that ever tries to spit on a Soldier coming through Will Rogers International Airport!

Mimi Lenox said...

This whole post and these comments made me definitely think about things...especially the dilemma of being against the war and for the troops. I shall address this in a post soon. Got some articulating to do.....

Great choices for the Thinking Award, Sarge. And yes, we can leave from one another and our differing opinions on the war. I'm so proud to be an American where I can freely express my opinions without fear of confinement.

More later....

Stay safe, SGT. We are all with you in prayer and thought.

Mimi Lenox said...

I meant we can "learn" from one another....not "leave" from one another.

Oops.

And by the way.....gorgeous photographs. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

My Thinking blogger post is up
http://gazingattheflag.blogspot.com/2007/03/thinking-blogger-award.html

Travis Cody said...

Congratulations on your thinking blogger award.