Blue Star Chronicles

I have been honored by being chosen as a ‘Thinking Blogger’ by two of my good blogging friends. My favorite pirate over at The Pirate’s Cove and Toni (a fine American) from over at Bear Creek Ledger. It’s not that I’m that popular - they are just running out of people to give it to

The rules:

Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging.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.
Please, remember to tag blogs with real merits, i.e. relative content, and above all - blogs that really get you thinking!

It’s really hard to think about who to present this award to. There are so many great bloggers out there. Fortunately, some have already received the award, so that narrows the field a bit.

So, I’ve given a lot of thought to who thinks ….

• Miss Trasahassee
• Theodore’s World/PC Free Zone
• The Median Sib
• Carry on America
• Karl at Leaning Up Straight

Thanks William and Toni!

The country that brought you Admiral Lord Nelson, The Duke of Wellington, the RAF pilots, the Knights of the Round Table is now exhibiting the rebirth of a Neville Chamberlain-like appeasement policy.

‘Peace in our time.’ Chamberlain declared just before the blitz.

The fact of the matter is that the British involvement in Iraq has been anemic at best. They contributed a token number of Soldiers, were assigned the least dangerous areas of operations and put into place rules of engagement that assured their personnel would not come into harms way unless by the most remote chance.

While any coalition military death is tragic, it should be noted that the British have suffered about 200 tragic deaths in this war. Their military has operated in the background while the United States military has done the heavy lifting.

Their last military victory, the Falkland Islands, was celebrated as a great British military success. The fact remains that this victory was over what amounts to a banana republic.

It’s hard to identify the exact point in time at which the British lost their stiff upper lip. Even worse, there appears to be no other remaining stiff anatomical body parts. Do you need any other proof than that their so-called assault troops contained a female whom the males made no attempt to defend knowing she was being taken into a captivity under Shar’ia law.

We will not see Prince Harry making an appearance in a ‘combat unit’ in Iraq after this. Until now it was relatively safe for the Brits in Iraq. It’s obvious now that even for the British, this isn’t a game of drop the hanky. They surely can’t send the prince into a situation in which the British Soldiers are functioning under rules of engagement that leave them high and dry should they happen to encounter an enemy combatant.

It’s fortunate that our response to their crisis in the 1940s was not as anemic as their response to our time of need today.

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I know that sounds like a given - but you never know what people might do.

Samantha Burns ’splains it all here.

Thirteen Things I Learned at the Hospital Last Week

This time last week I was pretty miserable and thinking about going to the ER. I didn’t go until about 1 in the morning. I had to do my Thursday Thirteen post after all. First things first. I keep my priorities straight.

I finally did go to the ER as I’m not really THAT dumb. I didn’t expect them to keep me, but they did. Although I have worked in hospitals in the past, this was the first time I had been in the hospital as a patient for any length of time except when I had my babies. That means, it was the first time I had been in the hospital as a patient for any length of time without being on medication that made the stay a little less excruciating.

I learned that I’m not a very good patient.

1. People get really mad at you if you don’t tell them you are going to or are in the hospital. I’m not good at that. What do you do, just call up and say, ‘Hi, I’m in the hospital?’ Then they get worried and feel like they have to do something. I feel like it puts people to too much trouble.
2. You can’t get your insurance cards out of your purse with a pulse monitor on your finger and IVs in your hand while your other arm is occupied with a blood pressure machine.
3. Talking your husband through navigating your purse to find your insurance cards is an adventure and an exercise in patience for both of you.
4. Just go ahead and throw modesty to the wind. It doesn’t matter. It’s impossible to be modest (or look good!) in a hospital gown and they’ve seen it all and more anyway.
5. Hospital staff say most things in terms of time. ‘This will last for 5 minutes.’ ‘She will be gone for 1 hour and 25 minutes.’ ‘We’ll have a room ready in 22 minutes’. They seem to have it down to the second.
6. A nurse who can properly insert a needle should make twice the salary of one who can’t. The place where a tube was inserted that stayed in and was used is hardly noticeable now. All the other places where another person tried to insert a tube are still bruised and scabbed.
7. When you arrive in the middle of the night, that means night shift is going to admit you to the floor. Do I need to elaborate on that?
8. When you are hooked up to a bunch of tubes and machines you can’t hop off the bed to find the button that makes the bed go up and down, so you are stuck in whatever position they left you in till you can get someone’s attention to show you how to move the bed. Unless, of course, you wake up Beloved Curmudgeon and ask him to do it.
9. The same goes for the light switch.
10. When you are sitting in a hospital room time doesn’t move. It stops completely. I know it’s a strange phenomenon, but true.
11. The time warp gets even worse, if possible, when they tell you they are going to let you go home as soon as the doctor makes his rounds that evening. It’s a very, very long time between that statement and whenever the doc gets there.
12. There is even another dimension to the time warp after the doctor makes his rounds and says you can go home as soon as the nurse comes in for you to sign some paperwork. It’s a very, very VERY long time between when the doc says that and the nurse finally comes in with the paperwork.
13. My Beloved Curmudgeon is good to have around when your sick and getting home to your own bed sure does feel good!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

This is not about politics - it’s about America, the future of our Republic, the well-being of Western civilization and the safety and success of our Troops.

John McCain is 100% right about this.

Surrender is not an option and together we will tell Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid that withdrawal will endanger America. Please email your friends and family to let them know about this important petition.

This was passed on by Villainous Company ….

Go read it, sign it and tell Congress to put up or shut up and that SURRENDER IS NOT AN OPTION.

Also at Shadowscope

When we first met 17-year-old Sanjaya Malakar he and his sister were trying out for American Idol. They both had talent and nice, rich voices. Sanjaya was chosen to continue the contest and his sister wasn’t. Frankly, at the time, I thought he was endearing.

As time has gone by we’ve seen an evolution in this young would-be singer. He has gone from what appeared to be a sweet, shy teenager to the heartthrob of 12-year-old girls throughout the United States.

The very same 12-year-old girls that I strongly suspect are responsible for keeping him in the American Idol competition.

He has gone from singing ballads that had a bit of the sound of Prince or Michael Jackson to prancing around the stage like a rock star. And the focus has changed from his singing to his hair. Each week, his hair is more outrageous.

Last night’s performance was more than a little embarrassing. I don’t even remember what he sang. What I do remember is that he gave the appearance of having plenty of confidence. He posed, danced and smiled for the camera and all the 12-year-old girls of the country. To top the whole thing off he had a faux mohawk. His hair was pulled up into seven pony tails. Seven was for good luck, he told Ryan Seacrest.

Seeing as he’ll probably continue to be part of this competition, thanks to the powerful block vote of 12-year-old girls, I am looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next week to top the mohawk.

The FauxHawk

The Median Sib has a prediction about who will be voted out this week. I’m thinking it will be Chris Sligh as much as I hate it.

More at Cozy Reader.

Walking With ‘Big Red One’
Photo by Sgt. Jeffrey Alexander
March 27, 2007

Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (’Big Red One’) conduct a cordon and search operation in the Al Adhamiya area of Baghdad.

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Disclaimer: trackbacks to this post do not necessarily represent the opinions or standards of the Blue Star Chronicles.

More great posts below …

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi

Billy Hodges, kneeling center.

Billy Hodges, who served in the U.S. Army and Texas National Guard between 1971-1979, is not only being profiled for his service, but also for what he’s done since then. Mr. Hodges runs an organization based in El Campo, Tx called Hunts For Heroes. They also have chapter in South Carolina , Arkansas , Mississippi , and California and what they do is take soldiers who’ve been wounded in battle on hunting and fishing trips and other outdoor related activities. All free of charge.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died,
We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

Constantinople Again has done a wee bit of investigation into the rumored existence of a mysterious muslim compound just outside of Odum, Georgia called Aliville.

He gives an excellent account of his adventure and includes directions and some pretty convincing pictures.

As I suggested earlier, perhaps others, especially those who live closer to Odum, GA than I do, can shed further light on this MoA outpost in the shadow of Ft. Stewart and a Nuclear Power Plant?

Read more at Constantinople Again. Does anyone know more about this compound?

Check out the similar compound in Islamberg New York.

All serve, voluntarily.
My anger at the ever growing anti-war movement is growing like a nasty weed. Every day I hear another person damning the US, the Military, the politicians ( ok I’ll give ya the politicians ) and I just want to go a few rounds with Jane Fonda-herself or misguided Cindy Sheehan

read more at Southern Sass on Crime | digg story

From 10 Downing Street

There is “absolutely no justification” for Iran to hold the 15 sailors seized in the Persian Gulf last Friday, the Prime Minister said today.

Speaking in a television interview with GMTV earlier, he said that the British Government hopes that ongoing diplomatic efforts will secure their release.

But he added that the situation would “move into a different phase” if the personnel continued to be detained.

“… what they should understand is that we cannot have a situation where our servicemen and women are seized when actually they are in Iraqi waters under a UN mandate.

“In the end, it is a question really for the Iranian government as to whether they want to abide by international law or not.”

Speaking today on a visit to Turkey, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said that is in everyone’s interest for the matter to be resolved “speedily and peacefully”.

Foreign Office minister Lord Triesman has met with the Iranian ambassador to discuss the situation.

The Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said yesterday that he was “utterly certain” that the British personnel were in Iraqi waters at the time they were detained.

The capture of these men and women was too well planned for it to have been just a circumstance of the British floating over into Iranian territory. Iranian operatives suddenly surrounded and overwhelmed the British vessel and captured them. It was planned.

There are only a couple of reasons that Iran would have taken the British Sailors and Marines. One is to provoke what they say they want which is open warfare with the West. The other is that they know the United States has been moving naval fleets into the Persian Gulf. They know they are vulnerable and having British personnel in Tehran gives them a buffer from the probability of retaliation from the United States from whatever Iran is planning for the West.

ITT Corporation has a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to to manufacture night vision goggles for our Troops and has sold the technology to China, Singapore and Britain.

So much for American Soldiers owning the night.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The leading manufacturer of night vision gear for the Defense Department has admitted sending classified materials overseas and will pay a $100 million penalty, according to federal prosecutors, who say the actions of ITT Corp. have jeopardized the security of U.S. soldiers.

ITT, based in Roanoke, Va., exported classified or sensitive technical data to China, Singapore and Britain without having obtained authorization from the United States, prosecutors said.

The conviction is the first involving a major defense contractor violating the Arms Export Control Act, prosecutors said.

Saying that American soldiers are ‘the principal victims of ITT’s crimes,’ U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said he has structured the $100 million penalty so that half of the money is spent by ITT to develop a next-generation night vision system and ‘ensure that our soldiers have the best night vision equipment in the world.’

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