Words of Viesta

Just Think I use to Write this way back in the 90s !

2010-06-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

Mistress Malice
by Viesta

I hear you want to talk,
about the man, your man, not mine,
do not concieve, or believe I am his,
I hear your hurt, i hear your voice, now
take the time, to perceive mine,

What I am to him and nothing more,
is his discomfort of you to even some score,
I am his change in mid-stream, I am his inception
of what he was, I am ease, I am his whore,
I am the dip stick for his tranmisson,
for his gears have been stripped,
he comes to me to talk of you, I am his transition,
I am the phone call waiting late into the evening,
for a moment, a day here and there, I pause,
for I do fool myself, that I could be you he’s leaving,
only to return to you, for I am his secret, his lost desire,
I am year in his life, while you find you are grieving,
I am the memory that will go with him in old age,
for now I am the need, the greed, on which he feeds,
You were the embrace, I became the lace, the stage,
His senses will return, and with me, it will end,
forgive him for what he does, he did not leave you for me,
He is just a man, a lost soul, I his am last and final sin~

Viesta Morrison, all rights copywrited- not to be republished

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I Know Why My Mother...............

2010-04-25T19:30:00.001-07:00

I Know why My Mother.........told me stories

My Mom, Maxine was her name- she could spin a story like no one other on Earth, I never questioned if her stories she told me were true or not, I just remembered that were very colorful, light hearted adventures, she told me of a dog she owned named Pal, she also told me about a raccoon she had and even a horse, all this she maintained was in New York's Central Park. I know I remember what she told me and I remember I liked hearing her tell me these stories, that was just my Mom; Maxine. It was sad for me thinking of her some days, for Maxine lived in the past a lot, but I suppose all of us do that at some point in our life.

I Know Why My Mother............ lingered in the past.

Maxine a box that always sat at the top of her closet, she called it a strong box. When I was little and knew my Mom was not around, I would drag that box down and look in it, as if these were my Mom's only treasures. She had a large stack of post cards that she kept rubber bound together,the cards were from all over the states, from overseas and they all started the same way, My Little Kitten.. they were short but very sweet, it was Maxine's father that was sending her these cards, I took it that he worked away from home. When I asked Maxine what her father (Lawerence Merriman ) did for a living, she was very proud to announce that he sold ladies laundrie and that he had a office out of Manhatten New York. I know this story to be true because there is a 1930 Cenus that I found on the Internet showing the Merriman's, their apt, Lawerence, Viola Marie and one 17 year old girl by the name of Maxine....... I never bothered to ask my Mom why she always spoke of her Dad and seldom of her Mom... I guess that is one story I will never know of.. and when I asked how Maxine's parents died, she would say her Mother had bad kidneys and her Dad died of a broken heart, I kept my opnions to myself when she told me this, I wish now I had pushed harder for answers.

　

I Know Why My Mother ........ Cried

I can still see my Mom sitting in the living room nightly, with a flannel shirt on, a huge ashstray beside her, staring off into the dimly lit room and smoke rising to her nose, she was forever french inhaling her cigs. She would get so dark during these moods and she was quite calm when she was in this state of mind. She would not talk to me when I passed by her in the room, but I could see her crying, and I know she was lonley, the kind of lonely that makes you want to put your arms around a persons neck and tell them that it is going to be alright. But it was not going to be alright for Maxine, for she was so sad, that kind of dark sadness a person has a hard time coming out of. I know too that she was in pain, I would see her rise from her chair, her feet would be twisted, her hands would swell and she was forever putting two fingers to her throat to check her pulse, she popped valium like candy and I know today it was because her body, her past and her life pained her so. Maxine was a great person to talked too, I can't recall a single thing that I could not be open with my Mom about, but she on the other hand was quiet, she did not see the need to share why she was in pain or how she got there, but I know her memories did not keep her warm at night, she was in agony.

　

I Know Why My Mother......... drank.

　

I could tell the mood or the setting of the house I grew up in when I came home from school, I would take the top off the garbage can and count the beer bottles, if there were only a few, then she would be okay, but if there were many bottles, I would refrain from entering the house, I would wait and come in the back door. Now you might think in reading this, that it was quite sad for a child to come home to this state of being, but trust me it was not. For as many dark days as my Mom had, Maxine made up for it with her sense of humor, the sound of her deep laugh that filled my room when she would come in to crack a joke and then laugh at what she just told me. There were summer afternoons when my Step Dad would be at work, so my Mom would take me to the A&W Root Beer stand, I would get a burger and coke, Maxine would order a tea to have with another smoke. Those are days I treasure, the days when school was out for the year and it would be just us talking about nothing but learning so much about each other before the car was put in reverse to head home.

　

I Know My Mother Loved me........ cause I was born out of wedlock and it was not easy in 1953 for a woman in her early 40s to decide to keep her baby that she had had by a married man. I use to have a picture of myself sitting in my Mom's lap, it was the only picture I had of us and I can still see Maxine's deep red shaded lips, oh how that woman loved her red lipstick and her hair cut short with bangs. I dont know if my Mom's passing was easy for her, I know she was always in limbo when it came to living, she yearned for something more and something better, she was a daydreamer, she was always thinking the grass was greener on the other side. I suppose she finally made it to the other side when she died that day in 1982, she died alone with none of her children being by her side, that will always haunt me I guess, but on the other hand, I know Maxine knew I loved her, I loved her for being crazy, for her out of no where laugh and most of all, because she kept me and I appriecate the values she gave me, good.. bad or indifferent, it was all she had to give and I am glad I was the recipient of her few treasures in life, she was my Mother and I have no problem in whispering on a summer day, Mom I love you.

Just Another RA Day

2010-01-28T02:14:00.001-08:00

It is late again and I am wide awake because my RA came into a flare and it has turned into a all night slumber party, just me and the RA, if I fall asleep I know the RA will pull a prank on me, like knot my knees up or maybe even knurl my hands into two fist of pain, so I will wait out the flare and sleep later.

I have come to believe change is the only constant in this life. We who live with chronic pain, from a multitude of reasons, are relentlessly faced with change. We experience it in our relationships as we are hemmed in by our boundaries, limitations and restrictions. Sometimes, it’s just too much for others as their lives are changed due to ours changing.

At other times the people we love are affected by our inability to travel or to perform some other act of daily life that others perform without thought.

When the buoy of life floats you to the top of a RA flare, you find all you can do is float, adjust and wait it out. So that is what I am doing at 310 in the morning, not the best way to spend the evening, but sure beats trying to fight off the pain or sleep it away.

You have little choice but to lie there as the stars and birds buzz around your head, waiting for life to resume some semblance of order. It takes time. It takes patience and it, most of all, requires good medical care. Unfortunately while the adventure is playing out in your life, you still have to perform the basics; you need food, you require shelter and you need care. And me, I just want to sleep and wake up to the good news, that the medical people are going to pay attention to the pain people have to deal with everyday without just tossing a handful of pills at us and say see you in a month.

Just a Moment,I hope to catch up to me, Viesta

Just a day

2010-01-19T21:41:00.001-08:00

I’m not in contact day to day with another person who has a chronic condition like I have (at least not to my knowledge), so I don’t know what it’s like dealing with a person with an autoimmune disease like Rheumatoid Arthritis. My only point of view is from the side of the sufferer (the sufferer with RA), living with people who don’t have RA.
Most people are either one way or the other; treating me like a child who can’t cross the street without holding hands or not realizing how much pain and fatigue I feel during a major flare-up. There doesn’t seem to be too much of a happy medium, and trying to explain how you feel over and over gets old after a while.
I’m sure that every Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer feels the same at one point or another. When people first learn that I have RA I’m treated with kid gloves, like I’m going to break into pieces if I do anything more strenuous than sitting down
Being able to be independent is certainly important to me, but I’m also not a martyr. When the pain, aches and fatigue are too much for me handle without a grimace, I am usually able to put my stubbornness aside and ask for help, and most of the time help is given.
My RA is like having a dog chewing on every joint-hands, feet, knees, shoulders and elbows, hips, and lower back.
I’ve discovered that I can handle more than I thought, it’s made me a stronger person, and I’m much more empathetic to other people’s pain.
I know that in my heart, I will make this diease my own, I will walk and carry RA within my life and do the best I can, one day at a time....... hugs to all- we will battle this together

Always Waiting....

2009-12-30T18:00:00.000-08:00

Always Waiting.........

Ten years gone, by the wayside
I walked into the season, eyes opened wide,
I sat waiting for what, where, why- by the side

Of the road for what was to come
What was to be done,
With each rising and setting sun
Waiting on mankind’s kingdom come

And what logic was wasted on the prospect
That last look at the side glance
Of my last stance
My last dance
To linger in
my last trance
My last moment for romance
Ten long years waiting
For who
For what
For where
Just to question myself in the long run
WHY????????????????

In the Shadows of My RA

2009-12-30T00:26:00.000-08:00

For those of us with painful hands, a simple handshake can be a terrifying experience, one that has the potential to bring us great pain.

I learned a trick that helped me a lot. In a normal handshake you present your hand out to the person you are meeting. For myself, I put my hand out with the palm facing the ground, allowing the person about to shake my hand an opportunity to see the top of my hand, and on bad days, the inflammation in the joints. It always causes the person shaking my hand to look and think before taking my hand because this is an unusual way to offer my hand.

Since using this method of handshake, I have never had anyone give me a firm handshake that would potentially bring tears to my eyes.

GETTING OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND

Since we are on the topic of dealing with others, another big issue is how other people react to someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis. There is a lack of understanding from people who don’t suffer this disease because you just don’t look any different than before you suffered or were diagnosed with RA.

The best article I have read on this can be found is called The Spoon Theory This article describes better than I ever could how difficult it is living each day with Rheumatoid Arthritis and how our day is filled with decisions on how to conserve energy to last through the day. The article was actually written about Lupus, but it relates very well. I recommend you share this story with people who care about you to enable these people to better understand the challenges you face each day.

We have to learn to be tolerant of others, understanding that, until you suffer this challenging disease, it is impossible to understand just how difficult it can be living with chronic pain, exhaustion and fear.

When we learn tolerance, then we will not be affected by the judgments of others, remembering those judgments come from ignorance. i AM VIESTA I AM OUT

Christmas Reflections

2009-12-21T07:10:00.001-08:00

Christmas Reflections:

It is a fact of human life that, from time to time, we grow distant from those who we love. There are several reasons for this. Things happen in our life that take us to different places, and we cannot cover so much ground. Many of us have a number of friends and acquaintances and cannot be in contact with all of them at the same time. Christmas can be useful in repairing some of the damage that this does, and this is a major reason why it is seen as being a time of togetherness.
Whatever we may think at a given time, no friendship or relationship needs to be considered completely broken if one or both parts of it feel that there is a chance of reconnection. There may be a lot of hurt there, but Christmas allows a focus on things that we thought were lost. It is a time when many people feel that there is a chance for forgiveness, for apologies and acceptance. Whatever we feel may have been lost, we can focus on bringing back the good times.
Of course, Christmas is only here for a month, or a few weeks, and then we have to refocus on the world without Christmas in it. This is when the true test of what has been rebuilt comes, and if we are not truly committed to making it happen then it can still fall away again. But if you feel that you would like to reconnect with someone you had lost contact with, Christmas is the time to make it happen.

Just sharing

2009-12-10T04:27:00.001-08:00

Sometimes the world just keeps gyrating, the day continues on as any other day, people come, people go, children can’t wait to grow up so grownups can’t tell them what to do, while grownups wish they were children again so they would have less responsibilities.

And with this, some of us find that we have time our on hands, time to think of days ahead or days left behind, maybe we are just thinking of a loved one we miss or a family member we are no longer in touch with, we don’t always realize or understand why we do not have that person in our life, but it never wavers, the constant knowing that person is out there in the world and we cannot touch them, or talk to them or even know what they are up to; makes us sad or mourn the loss of whatever it is we once had with that person, relative, or just a friend.

I was chatting with my sister on the phone the other night; she called to tell me she was missing one of our family members that she has lost contact with, her voice sounded sad, hurt by whatever foolishness has kept it where they are not in contact with each other. Family can tug on your heartstrings in the middle of the night, slowly as November is closing in, winter’s cold air becoming brisk and with it memories can be stirred like the embers on a fire log burning within the a fireplace, it just needs a little nudge to keep the cinders burning. After I spoke to my sister, I started thinking about days goneby , my youth, a war that took place so long ago called Vietnam. I recalled a bracelet I had worn for year, it was a MIA bracelet, a 19 year old boy named Stephen, I always wondered what happen to him, was he killed in action or did he just put down his gun one day and wander off into the jungles of Nam, never to be seen again, never to contact his family, his family never knowing what happen to him, always holding out hope in the back of their mind that Stephen could walk through the door and his family would quietly pick up from where they left off.......... You see, I got all of this just from having a conversation with my sister, who is missing a family member who is not talking to her and I thought to myself, whoa, Family members decide one day they don’t want anything to do with us, no particular reason, they have just put us aside as if we were never a part of their being and move on with their life, to me, that makes that family member a real M.I.A.- missing in action, only not the action of a war, or the missing of a loved one that you have no idea where they are or what could have happened to them, but a family member who is within miles of your home, a family member who could pick of a phone and just start a conversation and move on from there. But that would be too difficult for some, cause it means they would have to change their routine, or it might inconvenient their day to day lifestyle to take the time to say “Hi, I just wanted you to know I am thinking about you and hope you are doing okay”, No, these family members would rather live the existence of a M.I.A. leaving you wondering in the middle of the night why they don’t want to be a part of your life, to share family time or even a quiet whisper of conversation late into the night to say, hey........... thinking about you!

2009-12-08T02:49:00.000-08:00

Family

2009-12-02T01:13:00.001-08:00

What is the meaning of family today in 2009?

In the year 2009, the family structure has changed; the dynamics have changed as well. The family today is not the Leave it To Beaver setting it was some fifty years ago. Some of us thought when we had a family; we hoped for the most part that it would be a Rockwell Setting, treasured by everyone who saw us as a family. But mostly what we see is life unfolding, quietly, gracefully, one moment at a time.

I am discouraged by the stories I have heard in 2009 that reflect our unwillingness to extend to our men, the same emotional support we so desperately want filled by “our man.” Our men need us as they transition from provider to “househusband” until they can figure out what’s next. For some househusband may become a permanent answer while their wife earns the higher salary. Despite what you may or may not think of men (and girl I understand) they generally do have their family’s best interests at heart. They want us to have the house in a great neighborhood, good schools, support your passion, vacations, and pretty things whatever it is in the lifestyle you and your children want.

In previous blogs I have decisively stated my full support of real housewives and the importance of their hard work at home and raising their children. That being said, for some women, there is no broadmindedness for their husband’s emotional breakdown in watching their business, long-career or job in a specific area (which often does not translate easily to another field of work) fail. Men from mid to early 40’s through 65 are suddenly faced with completely starting over, in the real estate market, car business, factory assembly, corporate careers, textile…the list is long and may not be pretty.
However, in the first six months of unemployment we see them struggle and feeling overwhelmed by the job market in their own fields. Some take any job, while looking for another. By the second six months we are dissatisfied, appalled by their being at home and need for them to start doing the chores that you no longer have the time to complete. I whole hardly agree whoever is home takes care of the home.
Unhappily they are fraught with depression and concerned as the job market is bleak and funds have all about run out. They are not proud of sitting on the couch overwhelmed and feeling defunct, they do not know the symptoms of depression. We begin to believe they have become lazy, taking advantage of the situation as a temporary vacation while we scramble to keep it all going
The man you thought you married is still there but he needs a chance to recover. His inner life, his self-image as he knows it has been crushed. You don’t have to understand the way a man thinks to support him as one human being to another. He needs to know you still value and appreciate him. He needs your acknowledgement that he has been a “good” man and you will be there to catch him when he falls.
During these unsympathetic financial times we all need to pull together during the hard times. It is easy to be happy when all is well. Now is the time to remember why you are together and what is the most important things in your lives are.
Children yearn for time with parents. It makes them feel special. Parents are encouraged to find time to spend playing with their kids on a regular basis. This should include one to one with each child and group time with all of the adults and kids in the home. If you are a single parent or have an only child, occasionally invite family or friends over to play.
Playing with kids builds a bond that will last forever. It lets the child know he or she is loved and pleasing. It opens the door for sharing problems and concerns when the need arises. It helps the parent get to know and under the uniqueness of each child. This also improves parent-child communication and reduces behaviour problems. It is also great stress reducer for overworked parents.

Child Psychology information to help build parenting skills that help to provide structure and encouragement for children of all ages from toddlers to teens. These positive parenting tips build self-esteem, self-discipline and create kids that are winners. Parents learn useful techniques to improve specific behavior problems.

Whatever your style of parenting is, remembering a family is a team of people working together, to get into the same direction that performs as a family with love, thoughtful and compassion for once another, family means work, a work that has outstanding results when we work together as one unit with love, as a family, always in the name of love.

I am Viesta, I am out~

Face of a Child

2009-11-28T01:02:00.000-08:00

With less than 5 weeks to go until Christmas, I’m finding myself incredibly far behind in both my cards I need to write and my read-set-go to get away for a few days during Christmas.
I know a few of us getting a little down over the holidays, but I would like to think that we know Christmas Spirit is alive and well, just look into the faces of kids everywhere, they are always hopeful, always in awe of the Christmas lights, trees, the long line to whisper to Santa what they want for gifts....... It does not matter the times, the days, the media news, if you really want to share or feel the spirit of the holidays, look into the face of a hopeful child. I wish more of us could remember that feeling, that excitement, that loyalty to imagination.
How about you? Are you done with your holiday shopping yet? Do you think you’ll be ready in time?

The Monster RA

2009-11-13T01:28:00.001-08:00

My RA has made life hard, sometimes even debilitating, but has also created a spirit within me that I never knew existed. I know this will sound a bit bizarre, but what I’ve learned because of it, I would never want to lose. If ever the genius who could remove all signs of my RA, I would still ask don’t take away what arthritis has done to my soul”. RA in many ways has shown me I am a kind person, a person that can understand and listen to others who share this journey of RA, it has made me patient and I revel in the days when my pain is low. I wouldn’t want to give away the perception it has thought me. It’s invaluable and essential to who I am and who I hope to be, along with my enduring husband who has been there for me every step of the way.

Don’t get me wrong, I do mourn the healthy person I once was, but I swear to all that is beyond our thinking, even with a disease like RA, we can learn a lot about ourselves and others. I still get irritated and think “why me” every now and then. That is inevitable. When I am down, I get really dark. But now, when I find myself in those moments of despair, I talk myself out of it and take on the monsters of RA. I know it is okay to allow yourself to be unhappy occasionally.

Thanks for letting me sound off ..... Blessings, Ves

Death is What It Is~ Mankind Have Become Vampires~

2009-11-06T00:33:00.001-08:00

7 dead, 12 injured in Fort Hood shooting The World is a Vampire

His name appears on radical Internet postings. A fellow officer says he fought his deployment to Iraq and argued with soldiers who supported U.S. wars." He was a man of science, a Psychiatrist, a man that was there to help others who were suffering from the effects of this situation, a place called Iraq...... need more be said? His name is Dr Maj Hasan- he was American born, a faithful man to his religion of Muslim, he has been quoted as saying such things as Muslims should stand up and fight the aggressor and that we should not be in the war in the first place." He said that eHasan said he was "happy" when a US soldier was killed in an attack on a military recruitment centre in Arkansas in June. An American convert to Islam was accused of the shootings.

Dr Maj Hasan was a devout Muslim and had sought for several years to be discharged from the military, the Washington Post reported, citing his aunt. Noel Hasan told the newspaper her nephew had endured name-calling and harassment about his faith for years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the Pentagon.

But in scope, no matter his religion, what he felt or did not feel, he took the lives of innocence today- he murdered, why, we do not know, but does it matter, even in the knowing of why, that won’t bring back the dead. War is hell, men’s war games are hell. It does not make a man bigger, or a bad ass or more important to pick up a weapon and kill, to me, it makes him a coward hiding behind a loaded gun. Men are boys and they will never learn that war is not the answer.

The magnitude of what happened is mind boggling, even for those familiar with unexpected acts of violence. "
Quite an ironic day to commit a treasonous act against your country.

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.

The world makes less and less sense to me, the world is a vampire and we are just the food that the wars will continue to feed upon, until we are no more~~~

I am Viesta and I am Out~

Hazy Days of Poems

2009-11-05T03:06:00.000-08:00

Breach
Free of the untruths we recite,
Beholding reality for what is right,
Rise high your glass, in praise of man
understand his nature while you can.
Delicious in appearance, beware the cost,
for it shall bitter in taste with innocence lost.
Freeing my bonds to explore his night.
In this I find you will not like.
From in this depth you cannot fight.
No truth or lessons for me be taught,
It guides me in this soul I rot.
Soiled and raw with stench of death,
screaming, illusive, foul, be my breath.
In my solemned disillusion I lurch and writhe,
I am his grief, have no doubt,
a dispirited life, now cast me out.
In these wounds I will feel no more,
the scalding sun upon this tasteless sore.
Man hides behind his faceless disguise
always to parish in truth, as I live his lies.
Remove his harmony for I have become his past,
Thinking I could hold on to love, never to last,
Giving way to blackness, I belong to the night,
Down here in the shadows seeing the last of my light~
Viesta Morrison ~

The Two Sons

2009-10-21T03:06:00.000-07:00

Older and Younger brother
Once, not to long ago, their was a family in the world. They lived peacefully, and happily and life was good. They live with there Mother and Father, one was called Older brother who had been around for a very long time and was very wise in the ways of spirit. Older brother had a sibling, called Younger brother who was very young and still learning the ways of the world and Spirit. A day came when Younger brother wanted to go out and learn on his own, and too like Older brother become wise in his ways. He told Older brother, whose ways were always gentle and letting. Older brother agreed, for if Younger brother wanted to make his own way, then it was not Older brothers way to stop him.

Younger brother went far away. Though he learned much, he was often foolish, and without the guidance of Older brothers advice he often learned things backwards and forgot many of the ways of spirit. The farther and farther Younger brother went, the more different and backwards he became. Then one day he had traveled so far, he traveled to the same place he had left. Many many years had passed, but Older brother, whose memory is as great as he is wise remembered and welcomed Younger brother. Younger brother, whose memory was as great as he was wise, did not recognize Older brother.

It became clear that Younger brother had indeed found his own way, if walking backwards can be called a way. Younger brother spent a lot of time growing food. He made many tools and spent a lot of time making sure that he would have enough to eat, and spent much time making sure he could have his favorite foods. Yet the more he worked on the land, the more the land demanded more work. And the larger the harvests, so to the larger Younger brothers population until Younger brother had to spend more time working even more land to secure larger harvests. Older brother did not do things so. He spent only a little time each week gathering food, took only what was needed, and took what was available. He often wandered too with the food, and so never spent much time working the land. Younger brother saw this and thought it foolish. He made fun of Older brother, who confused replied, "Trust in Spirit for your daily needs, and be content with what is given." Indeed, Older brother was quite content, even though he did not spend time working land. Younger brother, who had forgotten the ways of Spirit was perplexed for he had a lot of all his favorite foods but never seemed to be content with what he had and always wanted more. For some reason Younger brother grew angry that Older brother was so content to have so little and be so lazy, while he was working hard and had so much!

Younger brother had learned to make many tools, and spent countless hours making, repairing, and using them. Tools that did all kinds of things, in countless ways. He was very proud of his tools, and was fairly haughty when he showed them to Older brother. But Older brother only replied "Spirit is very diverse and will always provide you with what you need within your own ability. A healthy man who uses a crutch will eventually grow dependent on it and go lame." This made Younger brother very angry, he thought Older brother very foolish, could he not see how accomplished Younger brother was?

Both brother daily led different lives indeed it seemed. Older brother lived very freely and regally and was content with very little. He spent much time playing games, making simple art, dancing, and lived a very relaxed and slow paced life that Younger brother thought was lazy. Yet Older brother was very content, and wise in the ways leading a happy life. Younger brother was always very busy like the ants, but unlike the ants he often only thought of himself as miserable men tend to do. He spent much time working, most of his time infact, either on the land or his tools. And though he had many things and favorite foods, knowledge and facts, he had forgotten how to live a happy life content with what he had.

One day Father Spirit came to visit the two brothers. Both brothers were happy, and Younger brother thought "At last, truly Father will recognize the supperiority of my ways!" But as Father came to them, he looked deeply into there hearts and saw what was there. He loved and acknowledged both, but feeling the fear and pompous in Younger brother said little to him and completely ignored his tools and feilds of crops. Yet when he looked into Older brother whose heart was light and content with life, he took him aside. At this Younger brother grew enraged! How many hours he worked and slaved to establish himself, and for no recognition! He vowed that he would MAKE Older brother serve him and his ways, and then Spirit would have to talk to him. He vowed this without the knowledge that it was the heaviness of his heart, created by his ways that kept Spirit from him.

Spirit walked with Older brother and saw many many years ahead. Spirit asked "How is it you live so happily?" Older brother replied "I trust in you, and every day i am given what i need." Spirit asked then, "And how do you decide what paths to follow?" Older brother replied, "When a path makes me heavy, i must set it down. When a path makes my heart lift, i must follow." Spirit saw the Older brother was indeed wise from his years and told him of things to come.

"There will come a day when Younger brother forces his ways on you, and will make you forget your own. His heart is heavy, and he cannot stand to see yours so light. You remember that he is your brother, but Younger brother does not remember you. There will come a time when there is very little Older brother, and many many Younger brother and the earth will suffer from the heaviness of his ways and heart, and many of the wise will have the ways of the foolish taught and thrust upon them. There will be a time when all seems lost. But i have many children from many stars, who are wise and live as you. They may be different, but they remember the ways of living contentedly with what they have from a lifestyle of a light heart. Though Younger brothers ways may be heavily ingrained in you, my children of the stars will not be used to such heavy hearts. I will send them in your time of need, and they will remind you of the ways you are already wise in. Younger brother will not recognize them, but you will. He may call you lazy, or a drifter, but in your heart you will see and know them to be true. Younger brother takes pride in his heaviness, even though it drags him down and makes him unhappy. You will remember the ways of a content and happy heart when you see it, and you shall follow step. Younger brother will continue going backwards until he can no longer go backwards. Some will follow you when they see your lightness, other will take there heaviness to the next planet with calamity following them. When you you see the light of heart, unlike Younger brother, you will set your heaviness down and change your ways. By doing so you will teach Younger brother and save him."

Viesta 2009

Wall Space

2009-10-21T02:43:00.000-07:00

The Spaces between walls
Compromising a situation will flow on by but compromising your self for a situation can never be given back. Accepting realities twists and turns or pulls and pushes allows awareness to see clearly and the tracks dont have to be derailed from the trains path. Group behavior can be simplified in this canalization. But i have no PHD, only threw lifes experiences do i have the realist grasp on these truths.
Only thing this knowledge is good for is answering those who ask the questions, seems that the separation of the generations is a strong one to break. Fear mostly controls the silence in these youthful minds, i guess the main concept will i be accepted for who i am who should i be so that i will fit in. These seem to be some of the basics for young white minded people.

So an opportunity has finally knocked at my motivation gear. the rush of new and unexplored territory makes my heart race, Hands shake in acceleration as the engine kicks over, this being loves to live for others, just spreading the love and showing actions of awareness and how they can help improve most gardens in heart and mind. To each their own, my mom always said mother said lifes bullshit. My thoughts wonder, if only the feeling of what i say could be felt before its heard, cause then there is no need to wonder and explain so much that seems like a puzzle with in words and phrazes.

I'm very impulsive if it sparks synapses in my brain and releases endorphins i chase the high, cause i love the feeling of flying. Its the same feeling as a great song just makes me wanna dance, body starts moving. Doesn't take me much to brighten up, Cause i know where ever i am its cause i wanted to be there, Experience the feeling of being known not really having to explain your self for my character complexity. Like being in a movie where every one knows every one been good friends for 10 or more years so there arent many tricks that havent been pulled out on the table. They are not the prettiest or nicest or richest or well behaved bundle of characters but there is heart, cause this is are created family. I cant speak for all of them but al ot of broken hearts, and mis trust., some got more of a home others got more side effects, together when we unite CAPTAIN PLANET... drifting again..

2009-08-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

Tell Me About Your Journey……

I want to tell the story of one person over the age of 75 male or female once a week- I think for too long we have ignored the older generation, yeah it is true, we treat them like they just that, old? I want to gather stories of people who want to talk about what they did with their life, the path they chose to walk down, how they got where they are today, if they have regrets, what secrets to living a good/long life that they have to share! I want the stories to be funny, heartbreaking, even serious?

And I will need some pictures to go along with each story each week, not of the person I am writing about always, just pictures that would suit the theme of that person that week

My Father In Law Joe Still Going Strong at 96!

2009-08-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

My Father in Law, Joe at age 96!

I am from the US, living the last ten years of my life in Canada, married and blessed. I have met many the extraordinary people in my lifetime, living from Texas to Alaska to Washington down to Louisiana, but never have I met anyone like my 96 year old Father In Law, Joe Morrison.

It is not enough to point out this man’s lifetime of devotion to family, WW2, a decorated hero, father of 7 children, loving husband to his wife Shirley Morrison of over 63 years of marriage, but one living incident, one constant factor of love and devotion by this mighty man, stands out in his every day life.

Last week Joe went down to the DMV to get his license renewed- many the person would wonder why a 96 year old man has the need to still be behind the wheel of a car, but Joe Morrison is no ordinary man of his age, or any age for that fact. Twenty one years ago, Joe’s son Danny, known to the family as Bags, was in a very serious car accident, one that he would never recover from, one that would leave Danny in a semi-coma state for the rest of his life, Danny was only 32 at the time of his accident. He was working in the gas fields of Alberta at the time of his car accident. Within days, living so many miles from his home in Nova Scotia, Joe who was 75 at the time, took a flight out to be with his son in the hospital. The news on Danny was grim; the doctors reported he would never come out of it. That he would never walk, talk, or ever understand what was going on around him. That small detail never entered Joe’s mind. No, this astonishing man sat at his son’s beside, until he was flown back to Nova Scotia, where Danny would be for the remainder of his life. Without fail, Joe has attended to the needs of his son, everyday, 7 days a week, every year, year in and year out. Winter months, with icy roads, Joe drives to be with his son, Spring rolls around, he will load Danny into the special needs van to bring Danny home for a Sunday afternoon to be with family that always seems to be either coming or going to this very tiny home in a place called Chester Basin Nova Scotia. He drives out to the Nursing home where Danny lives, he makes sure Danny is fed, that the nurses keep a eye on things and he drives home every evening to his wife of over 60s years.
The only break that Joe took during his years attending to his son Danny, was 10 days to recuperate from a open heart triple bypass he had at age 80.
Over the years, Joe will tell you, there is always hope, always a dim light at the end of the tunnel, which Danny could come out of it any day. Some would say Joe has tunnel vision; I would have to say, Joe has a heart, a heart mightier than most men receive or live within any lifetime.

I could tell you all the wonderful things about Joe Morrison, who would never complain about one day of his living. He would never tell you how at age 3, his lost his parents, how he was raised by his grandparents, how he survived alone during the Great Depression of the 1930s, or even how he joined the war in WW2 to serve his country.
No, I could go on and on, I can tell you how it is not just America who has such mighty heroes, I could point out that we are North America, one country, one mind, one need, to find the good in proud people who we should honor for living and sharing the life they have given to all of us, people like my 96 year old Father In Law, who deserves to be presented with Person of the Week, for just one moment, is his lifetime of service to everyone. Thanks for reading me.

2009-08-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

People are out of control, no one practices limits, the world keeps spinning and mankind grows less intelligent everyday, as technology steps forward, I can't sleep and the random thoughts on life are beyond my control.

Those of us who seek to intervene in policy debates in favor of economic justice and environmentally sustainability are regularly assured by the world's power brokers that they are fully committed to these goals so long as economic growth and the expansion of free trade are not compromised by governmental restraints on the market. So sacred have growth and free trade become in our modern culture that only rarely do we find the courage to ask why they should be given precedence over the needs of people and nature. Indeed, why should we consider accelerating growth and trade to be of any importance at all except to the extent that they serve people and nature?

When the proponents of growth, market deregulation, and free trade tout their benefits, it is well to bear in mind what some of the most outspoken of these proponents really have in mind.

Old Movies & Saturday Nights!

2009-07-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

Old Movies & Saturday Nights!
Mike and I have been getting one good old movie a week, usually on Saturday night, to watch, sometimes it is better to see a movie years later, than dead on the spot, so last night was “Field of Dreams, perfect for a mid-summer movie, yeah, we both cried and awwwed over some of the scenes we had forgotten.
Ever get that feeling of nostalgia during different months, like summer? I usually have a lot (I repeat, a LOT) of free time on my hands during the summer months, so I tend to catch up on a lot of things (games, movies, TV shows, etc) that I was too busy to enjoy earlier. And this last year, it has been great doing all that catching up with Mike home, we have grown in new ways, closer somehow, new to us and each other, better, more grounded, centered, for summer months bring out the best in me, I like that.
Kind of a random way I wanted to end this month’s posts by pointing out that with the nice weather, comes lots of nostalgia. I never realized this until I pointed it out to my husband a while ago, but during the summer, I get this nostalgic feeling, and I want to go back, view old movies, sit to talk about our childhoods, another aspect of us getting to know each other better after ten years. It didn’t really hit me this summer, and today, here is Alberta , is was a surprisingly nice day. And something about it just made me…happy, and as I said, nostalgic.

I like that feeling that overcomes me from random thoughts, good conversations, old books, a good movie….. Life is blessed and I am really enjoying it, living it and loving each day as it comes.

I am Viesta, I am out

I search the internet and found old verses of me

2009-07-27T01:17:00.000-07:00

Mimesis of face

I met a woman in a field
Sunshine teasing through thin fabrics
as long spnindles of rays hit under her
flowing skirt, she was slapping me as she
spun in the gold gleam of her inhibited smile,
she made love to the sun in that field, with the
warm rays that followed her, the shadows made
way for her as she was the idle of all that was,
with regard to her foot steps, I viewed her, watching
her in the sun, playing with the freedom of all she
was, I stayed in watch for I became entrenched with
her semblance, not seeing me, she was barefoot, passing
the time with her hand made songs, trampling down on
weeds, the tiny blades of grass, her footsteps soon became
leaps, as she made her way to the edge of waters winding
along the fields, my eyes followed, all too soon, her form
departed my sight behind the bushes of the water's banks,
making my way to the water, I searched the scene, playing it
again in my head, where had she gone, I wondered, then looking
into the smooth liquds, I found her again, looking down into the
mirror of the river, she smiled back at me, She was me~

Viesta

Untitled

I always said it was the perfect end,
the only way to go,
never fade away,
no, I'lll never fade away,
I said I will just burn out,
and that's just what I'll do one day soon,
no one will miss what I was after a time,
I'll be stored in memeory, with time and
the passing seemly easier for those that live on,
for I always said it was the perfect way to go,
to die with pride,
to die so good about who I was, what I left,
to live it up fast, not wasting a minute,
to then make my escape,
from the urgency of too many faces,
save myself the grief,
everything else can go to hell,
it doesn't matter anyway,
I'll go out with a bang,"
and that's what just I will do one day soon~

Viesta

Raft

In my moonlit dreams I swam across the crystal mirror
To a sad country beyond
Made of rain and silence and
Empty fields of broken shades
Where dark trees arcade the stars
As comets discard the black night's reveries.
Toward the harbor of shadows
The curling sky arches over faded statues
At the end of the sea.
Here our pulses slow, mesmerized by beautiful collapse,
And the lonely outlines of an isolated home,
An island of ghosts and unwritten request,
and in this island of love I see, I feel,
a new beginning, stray from the past,
as the twilight of our days together,
re-fresh us, we begin in *Us* anew,
our eyes excelled the morning sun
Your smile laden my breast with flame
I'll boast upon that lilting sun
Your beauty worthy of a name
O what shall I give but a song
A song to sing my love for you
A song to time and space belong
Until the world is born anew

Viesta

Oh the Man and His Pleasures

Push apart your white legs.
Let my eyes see
those rapacious followings of
roaming aisles
of the world's
best candy shop,
and creep,
a little guilty,
up to the gumdrop counter
past where your stockings end.

Let me ponder
the shape of paradise,
a philosopher
discovering anew,
the sleek truth,
that the universe
is made of water.

I want to marvel
at the soft hair
that frames
your hemmed mouth--
mouse-brown moss
from a marble cave.

Part further,
and I'll watch breathless
how your lily opens,
greeting warm rain
and my nectar-seeking look.

And please, crest
of vanilla skin,
show me that small, smooth
stone of pleasure
that hides
your overwhelming secret--
the reflex arc of heaven.

Viesta

Fragments of a Woman's Disorder~

Abiding in a lonely reality
towers of flesh mount on me,
fill the shimmer of praise for a woman,
with her pumping blood.

And I quake at the need of a man~
See in me this land of fools

that heat my soul, with touch of a hand,
bleeding gums swell in my mouth's own juice,
I, the slave to a fragile requisite of pledges

And I shake at the want of man's touch~

Patheic, be the name of a woman,
who longs for love when only lust
exsist in the heart, it is not destiny in a hauntued
face to feel that glorious momentum of climax

And I break knowing I am a fugitive in man's dark night~

Viesta
'

Feather in Me

Feather of my yearning for life,
feather of my vain desire
to grind the mist with frivolous laughter at the sun,
feather of my longing for embraces
that fill the night with hushed tones,
feather of peace that listens to star-lit whispers
and echos them back to a tender heart of need,

I am the feather that will float in a breeze, carried
away to awaken in your slow decay
and return to the place of dreams,
to the skies of no boundaries or recalling of time,
by silently absorbing the impacts of harsh expressions
As I, the feather will find other meaningless destinations
to abide, weightless, waiting to be carried away in a
current

Viesta

On Jeremy Scahill & Why I Admire Him

2009-06-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Obama is just a sneak Bush administration with other words, don’t be fooled, as quoted by Jeremy Scahill, [ tell the truth people, for the truth will set you free, quoted by Viesta ]

I have been reading on this Jeremy Scahill, he is one the smartest people in the new generation of journalist. Honest, to the point, his words carry both valor and bluntness, something I had always which to achieve. He is the truth in a world setting of journalist that are does not bow before the government gods that dictate how and what we are to write. If you get the chance and earnestly want to be informed of what is going on, read Jeremy.

Jeremy Scahill (born c. 1974) is an American investigative journalist with expertise on a number of global issues, most notably the recent rise of private military companies (PMCs).[citation needed] He is the author of the international best-seller Blackwater:The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army. The book won the George Polk Book Award. He serves as a correspondent for the U.S. radio and TV program Democracy Now!. He is also a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute and a frequent contributor to The Nation.[1] Scahill and colleague Amy Goodman were co-recipients of the 1998 Polk Award for their radio documentary "Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship", which investigated the Chevron Corporation's role in the killing of two Nigerian environmental activists.[2] Scahill's work appears frequently on Alternet, Commondreams, Counterpunch, Truthout, Antiwar.com, Huffington Post and many other independent news sites.

Scahill has reported from post-invasion Iraq; the former Yugoslavia, where he covered the 1999 NATO bombing;[3] and from post-Katrina Louisiana.[4] He has been a vocal critic of private military contractors, particularly Blackwater Worldwide, the subject of his book, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army.[5] The book was the focus of a two-part interview and discussion with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! in March 2007.[6] The book received numerous accolades, including the Alternet Best Book of the Year Award, a spot on the Barnes & Noble and Amazon lists of the Best Nonfiction Books of 2007, and another Polk Award. Scahill has appeared on ABC World News, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, CNN, MSNBC, PBS’s The NewsHour, Bill Moyers Journal and is a frequent guest on other radio and TV programs nationwide. Scahill also served as an election correspondent for HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. Scahill has twice testified before Congress on the U.S. government's use of mercenary forces. On 19 April 2007, Scahill was a guest on The Daily Show where Jon Stewart was critical of Scahill's book.[7] On 3 Oct 2007 Stewart then expressed some remorse for his attitude during his interview with Scahill.[8]

Up until 1998, he was a regular contributor to the Catholic Worker. He campaigned vigorously against US policy towards Cuba, arguing that the Helms-Burton Act "discards ... sovereignty ... and attempts to supersede International law with US law" and "creates a legal framework authorizing financial and military support for armed subversion of a sovereign nation".[9]

[edit]

Men of Victory Become Men of Waste! ! !

2009-05-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

Men of Victory Become Men of Waste! ! !
I was surfing the channels here on Canadian Television, when I came upon a the I_Channel, one of the many I pause on, then continue on with my searching for something to watch- when a story caught my eye, one of a war hero named George *Buzz* Beurling. At first it appeared to be a story on a WW2 war hero, not that different from many of the stories I had seen while growing up, war heroes, war zeros, they had all become a blur over the years, but this Beurling character was different, he was awarded at the start of the documentary, with parades, people saluting him, only to be ridiculed later by his own country that had once welcomed him home with open arms.
George Frederick Beurling was born in December, 1921 in Verdun, Quebec, in a very firm Brethren Christian’s family. He never took on smoking or drinking. He was a loner, a poor student and definitely not a team player. Almost everything associated with his childhood had one common denominator: desire to fly. He manifested this by haunting the nearby Carterville airport and making airplane models, which he tried to sell to get money for flying lessons. He started to learn how to fly at the age of fourteen. At sixteen he soloed in Gravenhurst, Ontario, where he went after quitting High School.
In spring 1940 the RAF was recruiting experienced pilots in Britain. That spurred Beurling. In May he boarded Swedish ship Valparaiso, loaded with explosives and destined for England. After a few "close calls" in convoy, ship arrived in Galsgow. Once there - within hours - Beurling presented himself at nearest RAF station. He was ecstatic to hear that he more then qualified. All he needed was a proof of age, and he did not have any! Young Canadian received another mighty blow. Frustrated and very angry he boarded another ship and returned, by convoy, to Montreal. With birth certificate stored as a treasure, he returns to Scotland in September, again traveling as a seaman. He enlisted in RAF Volunteer Reserve. Full year later, he was recommended for a commission. Beurling turned it down, and was posted to line squadron No. 403, as a Sergeant-Pilot. Four months later, he was transferred to No.41 Squadron, refusing a commission at the same time. On his third mission, a sweep over Calais, Beurling shot down a Fw-190. This happened while he separated himself from his flight, where he flew "tail-end-Charlie".* Two days later he did exactly the same thing. On any given opportunity to jump an enemy aircraft - which he always saw first - he promptly abandoned his formation. Discipline flying was not his style. For this he was scolded, reprimanded and then removed from almost all combat flying. His comrades treated him like a leper. His only solace was flying squadron's liaison Tiger Moth; which he did with a fury. Eventually, he asked for relocation.
He joined Squadron No.249, with S/L Stanley Grant as commanding officer and F/L P.B. "Laddie" Lucas his flight commander. Canadian Robert McNair (who was the other flight commander) did not want Beurling in his flight. He had a very firm, negative opinion about him. Other pilots described him to Lucas:

"...the chap's a loner. Can't be relied on. He will either shoot some down or 'buy it'."

After a straight talk with Beurling, Lucas decided to give him a chance. Later he recalled:

"I felt I was in the presence of a very unusual young man. He didn't give a damn for me. A youngster really, who was champing at the bit to get to it, to get an airplane and have a go."

Beurling was assigned to fly with Lucas' good friend: Raoul Daddo-Langlois. When asked his opinion about Beurling after couple of flights, the latter replied:

"God Almighty, he's quick and he's got the most marvelous eyes but, he's a hell of a chap at being able to keep with us."

After nearly a month on the island, Beurling had almost nothing to show for. In one of the six patrols he flew at that period, he shot down one Bf-109, which got its whole empennage blown off from a single burst of his guns. Since no one saw it crash; he was credited with only a damage.

The big day came on July 6th. Beurling flew in one of the eight Spitfires, intercepting three Cant bombers and thirty Macchi 202's escorting them. Spitfires dived on them from 22,000 feet, with sun in the back. Beurling sprayed one Italian bomber with bullets and went after the fighter, which plunged down trying to escape. Beurling caught up with it at 5,000 feet, and with two short bursts of fire scored a perfect hit. At Takali, he found his Spit full of bullets holes. Since it was his flying day, for next sortie he took off in another aircraft. On his third fly that day - a patrol with three other pilots - he split the formation of two Ju-88 and twenty Bf-109F's. Typically for him, he "yahooed" through the opposition and went after the lonely prey. During this lone-wolf performance, he easily finished one Bf-109. Thus, he achieved a status of an ace. However, he was snubbed by his fellow pilots for individualistic performance, and celebrated alone.

After every successful sortie, Beurling promptly recorded all the data of his victories in his black notebook. He analyzed it and invented a set of formulas and graphs, which involved speed of aircrafts and angles. This served him to become (in opinion of many of his contemporaries) the best "deflection shooter can be." These mathematical calculations, together with lizard-practice-shooting, showed his great devotion to the science of killing. He was a zealot when it came to aircraft's guns, and had stuck to his armourers rather than his squadron mates. Since he did not drink and constantly talked about shooting and killing - occasionally adorning it with the Bible verse - the other pilots withdrew from him. When waiting for combat flying, he always checked all the guns in aircraft designated to him. He was obsessive about it. The same time George was completely unconcerned about his tidiness and exceptionally imprecise in his discipline. He was also very eager to fly missions. Unlike many others, he never complained about having to sit in the cockpit while being in readiness. He seemed to be indifferent to scourging sun and foul smell of cordite, glycol, and grease, sometimes even vomit and urine.

Around that time he got his first nickname: "Screwball." In his book Malta, Laddie Lucas recalled: "He possessed a penchant for calling everything and everyone - the Maltese, the Bf-109s, the flies - those goddamn screwballs.... His desire to exterminate was first made manifest in a curious way. One morning, we were on readiness at Takali, sitting in our dispersal hut in the southeast corner of the airfield. The remains of a slice of bully-beef which had been left over from breakfast lay on the floor. Flies by the dozen were settling on it ... Beurling pulled up a chair. He sat there, bent over this moving mass of activity, his eyes riveted on it, preparing for the kill.
Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in July 1942, Sergeant George Beurling had destroyed nine enemy aircraft, bringing his total victories to seventeen. One of his exploits was the destruction of four enemy fighters in one day. During his brief combats he also damaged another two unfriendly aircraft. His courage and determination were source of inspiration to all of the Canadian people, the narrator announced, then, the story took a downward spiral, one of distain and immense dislike.
Beurling became a darling of ruling party and protégé of Prime Minister, Mackenzie King. During the tour to help sell the war bonds, he took pleasure of being a star. He also scored a lot - this time with the ladies. In Vancouver, before a large audience - many of whom were RCAF aircrew - Buzz all fired-up, vividly portrayed the moment when one of his fellow pilots burned in crashed Spitfire. He was talking with glee using very inappropriate words. Almost everybody just got-up and left.

After short flirt with sales, Beurling was sent back to England and became an instructor. His reputation proceeded him, and RAF was disinclined to send him to the front. He was desperate to go back to fighting, and constantly requested to be posted to an operational squadron. RAF constantly refused. Finally, in September, 1943 he was transferred to RCAF , and No.403 Squadron,(127Wing) which flew Spitfires IX. His main job there, was to teach young pilots how to shoot. But he also flew missions - and continued to be himself. During one mission over France, thanks to his supervision, he spotted enemy aircraft, peeled off, shot it down and returned to the airfield with the squadron. When he reported one enemy plane destroyed, his commandeur, Hugh Godefroy was stunned. Beurling not only did not inform his flight about the spotted plane, but also abandoned his position, exposing others to greater risk. His gun camera, when checked, showed clearly one Fw-190 exploding in mid-air.

Beurling continued to be rebellious and obstinate. He could not accept his place in a back row, where he wasn't greatly appreciated. Thus, he showed-off. Beurling accepted a promotion to Flight-Lieutenant just because it made him responsible for the squadron's Tiger Moth, and Godefroy became main target of his hostilities. He violated direct orders and using this trainer, he performed a lot of stunt flying. In result he was put under open arrest. Still, there were people willing to put-up with him. In November, "Buzz" got transferred to 412 Squadron, stationing in Biggin Hill. Massive fighter sweeps which the squadron flew did not "turn his crank" and he continued to play a lone-wolf. In December he got his last (32?) victory; a Fw-190. Then he came up with a plan to form his own circus of long-range Mustangs. Idea was, to gather few desperadoes like him, go over to the continent, and shoot the living hell out of anything that moves. Although he lobbied quite hard for it, his project did not got any support. Only days before D-Day, Beurling was granted an honorable discharge from RCAF and returned to Canada.

After-the-war Beurling was a very mixed-up guy; unsteady and unconventional; with bizarre and sometimes suspicious behavior. When the news of Jews looking for former fighter-pilots reached him, George went nuts. Although initially wasn't wanted, he got drafted by Israelis to fight for their new, independent state. His way to Palestine led through Italy, as part of the clandestine operation. He sojourned mainly at Urbe Airport in Rome.

There were a few Norduuyn Norseman, which loaded with arms were supposed to be flown to Palestine by volunteer pilots. On May 20th, 1948, Beurling died in one of those Norseman, which crashed at Urbe during a training (?) flight.

Absolutely nothing is clear about this crash. The plane was probably sabotaged. Investigation never really happened. Also, there are few different versions about who died with Beurling in that crush. Sometimes it is American pilot, sometimes British, and one source mentioned three ex-Luftwaffe pilots being in that plane."

George Beurling treated like war excrement in the end, a need to his country when deemed him necessary, a embarrassment when he did not live up to hype of what a hero should stand for.
War does a funny thing to people, it pulls the masses together as a country, begging on lean times, asking people to provide support for a cause that no one of sure of, but everyone is sure they should stand behind, no matter the outcome, no matter the toll on human nature, no matter the tears of families left behind to bury what remains of their memories.

Diner Nights and Classic Cars

2009-05-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

Diner Nights and Old Cars

Alrighty then, still living in Canada, middle of May upon us and things are still slow on the growth front of economics, so there are few means of entertaining ourselves, outside of the TV, computers, WII games, you get the drift. I am still one of those dying breeds that hangs on to the blurred hopes that social gatherings and family get togethers will make a comeback.

So being that I am also one of *those* people that is hanging on to few hopes and objects, like a few classic cars, we, ( me and the Mr.) were invited out to a friend’s new diner car restaurant. You know, one of those old railways looking car diners. Actually a dining car (American English) or restaurant car (British English), also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant. Very cool really, hamburgers, fries, milkshake, all the goods that makes a diner what it use to be. With that said, we loaded up in our 75 Dodge Dart, drove the few miles down the winding road to a fun filled evening with people who are looking a social get-together. Lo and behold, the music was playing, the waitress was taking orders, people were all talking at once, in their separate booths and a good time was to be held by all.

Before actually sitting down to enjoy the good food, beverage and people, one could walk about the large parking lot of the diner, with ewwwwws and awwwwws of others classic cars, a Viper, 1970 Chevy short box truck, a 1963 Corvette, 1930 Ford Roadster, 1933 Anglia, the list was endless over the chatter of energized voices of trading stories of restoration of this bumper, or that chrome, or the 75 Dodge Dart that remains in prima condition, like is just rolled off the assembly line.
It is a good feeling in these down days of spiral trends, Fox worthy news always seeming more depressed than the day before, that people can find a reason to gather, to visit and to just get together, to enjoy a old way of being, just getting together without a whole lot of reasons, other than to just enjoy being with other people who share a common bond, the need to be with others.

I am Viesta and I am out

About this swine flu pandemic!

2009-04-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a lot about this swine flu, it never hurts one to be prepared, here are a few interesting facts!
It's an old story scare people make lots of money. The Tamiflu the governments bought a few years ago is at the end of the shelf life. It needs to be replaced. Certain bio companies have profits from 26 to close to 400%. Not too shabby. The WHO chick will probably get a job with one or sit on a few of their boards. TIME CAPSULE 1976: A FEW CONGRESSMEN BLAST THE SWINE FLU HOAX Not all of our Congressmen are hopeless. Some are actually on our side. Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is also a doctor and is able to see both sides of the swine flu question. Most doctors have tunnel vision and see only one side — the side with the dollar mark. Congressman Paul, in an interview with the Enquirer (Dec. 21, 76) said: "I am outraged by this program. It has been a shocking misuse of funds ... and an evil political maneuver. There are people whose careers are in question because of this program. And I predict these blatant advertising efforts to panic the people into taking swine flu shots will fail. "I think Congress has wasted more than one hundred million dollars. The swine flu program should be brought back to Congress and discontinued at once. The program should be stopped, and those who were responsible should be held morally accountable to the American public." Congressman Larry McDonald of Georgia, also a medical doctor, said: "I think the swine flu program is a tailor-made hoax that finds its roots in frightening the American people . . . I believe that a full investigation of those in charge should be launched . . . and if it turns out to be a dishonest promotion, everyone responsible should be removed from their jobs." It’s heartening to find that all our Congressmen are not corrupt. But where were they, the good ones, when the vote was being taken to endorse and finance this mass poisoning program? http://www.whale.to/a/mcbean2.html

TOO FUNNY, sent to me by a freind, Carly THANKS

2009-04-25T01:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this happened to me too!!!!!!!!

You've heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves.

My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. It was just that quick. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? I spent the entire summer looking for my thighs. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans.

And then the thieves struck again.

My bum was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear-end to the thighs they had stuck me with earlier. But my new bum was attached at least three inches lower than my original! I realized I'd have to give up my jeans in favour of long skirts.

Two years ago I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was drying my hair and was horrified to see the flesh of my upper arm swing to and fro with the motion of the hairbrush. This was really getting scary - my body was being replaced one section at a time.

What could they do to me next?

When my poor neck suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a turkey neck, I decided to tell my story. Women of the world wake up and smell the coffee! Those 'plastic' surgeons are using REAL replacement body parts -stolen from you and me! The next time someone you know has something 'lifted', look again - was it lifted from you?

THIS IS NOT A HOAX. This is happening to women everywhere every night.

WARN YOUR FRIENDS!

P.S. Last
year I thought some one had stolen my Boobs. I was lyingin bed and they were gone! But when I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept. Now I keep them hidden in my waistband.

Thought this was too 'important' not to pass on! BTW - These same thieves come in my wardrobe and shrank my clothes!

How do they do it???

Border Crossings

2009-04-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

All this chat of borders not being safe, the need for American, Canadian and Mexico to tighten their borders, there may be not import or export with our neighbors. We are buying into the hype, swallowing the propaganda and being forced fed a new regiment of hate for those same people we have lived in peace with for all these years. What is wrong with us as a human race, if we don’t have someone to point a finger at, a religion to tear apart, a country to invade, what are we now days? This makes us less of a nation, a lesser form of human being? What has happen to us as a whole since that fatal day in 2001? We have lost our compassion; we have become bolder in our speech and 1000% less supportive of one another. There is no loyalty left among us, no compassion left in us towards one another. Instead of healing, we find more and more reasons to become embittered with one another, more hateful, we linger in our human waste of words and abandon one another by the wayside. It is not Americans or Canadian or Mexicans, we are one people, one North America, we are all beings who have lost our humanity for one another, our logic, our reasons to rally around one another in a time of need, heartfelt attempts and just a meager word of logical reasoning. If logic were to rule, we would become people without borders and find stronger reasons to support one another and fewer reasons to beat each other up with words over the medium known as the net. Yeah, just another bleeding heart liberal, Viesta

Commented on what I read today

Janet Napolitano

A suggestion by the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary that terrorists have routinely entered the United States through Canada — including the perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — caused a kerfuffle in Washington Tuesday.

Janet Napolitano made the comment in an interview Monday with CBC's Washington correspondent, Neil Macdonald.

In the interview, Macdonald asked Napolitano to clarify comments she made last month that the Canadian and Mexican borders must be treated equally.

THIS IS THE BEST BAILOUT EVER

2009-04-20T11:14:00.001-07:00

Dear Mr.President Obama,

Patriotic retirement Act

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force;

pay them $1 million a piece severance with stipulations:

1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.

3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage- Housing Crisis fixed.

All this and it's still cheaper than the "bailout".

What are you doing for your own people Obama and Harper

2009-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

I read this article today with total disgust, we give money, help and aid to anyone that does not live in our country! Why is it so damn hard to help our own people who can't get out from under a home that is being taken away, people from middle class are now having to visit food banks for the fist time ever.... no health, the list is endless, yet we can give money away as in the article below:

Harper, Obama pledge to boost credit in Americas
Source: CBC News
Posted: 04/18/09 5:25PM
Filed Under: Top News

Canada will double its funding of an institution that lends money to developing countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Saturday at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

He pledged $4 billion to bolster the Inter-American Development Bank during a meeting with leaders at the 34-nation summit in Port-of-Spain.

"I emphasized Canada's role in successfully urging the G20 to provide more resources for international financial institutions so that they can provide smaller, more vulnerable nations in our hemisphere access to credit, the credit they need to stimulate and sustain economic activity at these times," Harper later told reporters.

He also announced that Canada will provide up to 1,600 scholarships for Caribbean students and researchers to develop their knowledge and skills in Canada for the future benefit of their home countries.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the creation of a $100-million US microfinance growth fund to help small entrepreneurs in the Western Hemisphere.

The White House said the new fund would loosen credit from banks and get money moving to small businesses. Such loans have proved successful in other developing regions.

Turning to Cuba and recent moves by the U.S. administration to overcome what Obama is calling "decades of mistrust," Harper said Canada has historically maintained diplomatic relations and "economic interaction" with the island.

However, he said Canada has not "turned a blind eye to the fact that Cuba is a communist dictatorship," adding that his government wants to see progress made on freedom, democracy and human rights, as well as economic matters.

Harper and Obama met informally for 10 minutes at the summit on Saturday.

When Obama was later asked whether had was taking any tips from Canada on his administration's Cuba policy, he quipped: "I take tips from Canada on a lot of things."

Earlier in the week, Obama lifted some travel and telecommunications restrictions on Cuba. Officials at the White House have openly wished that Cuba would not become the centre of attention at the 34-nation summit.

All the countries of the Americas are taking part except Cuba, which was excluded because it does not have a democratically elected leader.

South American leaders have praised the U.S. president for taking steps to restore some ties with Cuba, but they've pushed him to do even more lift the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against the nation.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs has said the U.S. will "continue to evaluate and watch what happens."

Somedays when you look for answers....

2009-04-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

I was given this by a friend who seems to have worded it perfectly on the feelings of their being no god or gods...Thanks PJ... You can read more of PJ at

http://www.myspace.com/jesussmokescrack2

God is an illusion.. an idea created by primitive man to explain the things he had no understanding of. This creation of man in mans image has morphed into the creator of the cosmos, the angry father who drowned his kids, the warrior who helped his people slaughter innocents on their way to the promised land, and then into a gentle preacher who turns the other cheek and gives away his goods to the poor. There are countless ideas of god and what his plan for the world are. However what started out as an idea to explain the unknown quickly turned into a means to grab power and wealth, to exploit the populace into doing their lords work at the expense of their lives at times. Religion evolved into the source of power for governments and empires. The populace was given gods to worship, tributes to pay and the priests got richer and more powerful as time marched on. There is no proof of god and yet billions of people have refused to look into the origins of their faith..to question it in even the smallest ways. They defend their faith in the face of evidence that tears away the ground beneath them. They stand on the edge of an eroding cliff called faith.. they claim it is all that is needed. Religion has long been the enemy of science, they have killed the men and women who, through the acquisition of knowledge have shoveled the ground from beneath their feet. They have fought to hold on to their power over the masses, the source of their wealth. They will do almost anything to keep it Slowly over the ages, reason, and logic have drawn men out of the dark of faith and into the sometimes almost blinding light of rational thought... where do you stand? on solid ground or on that eroding ledge...watching as the ground beneath you falls away? ..

Is Anyone Listening?

2009-04-15T23:28:00.001-07:00

I think I could go mad….. Ever hear that or think about it? It is a phrase, a thought, perhaps maybe even a generation gone by. Live today, don’t look to past, I was raised on that thinking.. but then again I was also raised to think that the youth that came after our generation would give way to hope, progress and a bright future!
I know our parents worried for our future, just as I sit worrying about the generation of today. Never, I mean, never before, has a youth had so much power within their grasp and so little desire to utilize it. Technology today is amazing, finger stroke away; you are on the internet, sending messages, your thoughts, whatever is on your mind. And here we sit with people, who can’t form a thought, that could become an idea, maybe even a brilliant event, a way to change the measures of today, to make a difference in the days to come.

I know I have very few answers to the questions I consider, but I still find myself able to ask….. is anyone out there?

इफ यू आस्क में, ओबामा इस आउट ऑफ़ कंट्रोल!

2009-04-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today thousand of people poured out onto the streets to protest our higher taxes in the US, along with the idea of Obama and his overspending in the white house. It reminds us of our forefathers who would, if they could, see the out of control spending in the White House. I pity the USA, we are losing ground fast on the hungry, what the American family stands and above all, no one can get their head around this economy, that only seems to be getting worse with each and every day.

Was Obama ever really the right choice for the USA? I don't think so!

Republicans and conservatives alike should be shoving the economic mess created by the Obama regime right back down their throats.

Obama tells us that we can spend our way out of debt. He tells us that even though the government had control over the banks and did nothing to stop the bad that's going on, if we give them more control over more other bank-like things, then they can make sure bad stuff doesn't happen ever again. He says we can get out of all those big wars President Bush caused by sending more troops into Afghanistan. I really don't know.

I held out hope in the beginning and yeah, a lot of people are going to say I am not giving him a real chance, a go with it sort of attitude! But, of course I am watching the daily news, the headlines, the stimulus ideas, the people who are standing in food line growing by the day, people losing homes, wondering how hot the summer will turn out for people ahead, wondering how much more (as a people) can we stand.

People swear if you are patient, that Obama will pull the USA out of it. That Obama said he has a plan. But have you noticed, Obama is a great speaker, I will give him that, but it stops there, the man can talk, but what actions has he taken, why are we in a worsen state? I feel at this point he is only looking to make a place for himself in history, another attempt at a new Camelot!

President Obama is very intelligent. He's trustworthy. If I believed in God and Obama was standing on the pulpit, looking down at me, telling me to believe, then I might have such faith in him, that I would fall on the ground, twist my body and start speaking in tongues. But, that is where it ends for me... Obama is not the answer to the crisis we see before us. He is just another man in a dark suit, pretending to have the answers, while he reaches into one pocket taking our money and reaches into our other pocket taking what is left of our pride.

We are on a fool's ride and Obama is leading the fools over the cliff. I have such worry in my bones for the roads ahead. Move over people, 8 years of Bush and now Obama!

थे परफेक्ट bags

2009-04-14T01:42:00.000-07:00

Ok Im adding some new stuff worthy of endorsement... mostly food related this time..

- Glad steam bags... they sound sketchy I know but they are in fact quite genius and dirty dish-preventing. They even cook sweet potatoes! holla!

-Corn on the cob is so perfect in these bags! Just to add, they are the perfect way to add a quick veggie to a balanced meal!

That's it for now but add anything you think is worthy!!

फेयर टैक्स Act

2009-04-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

I found this site, very interesting, very good reading!

http://givemeliberty.org/

Solution: Fair Tax
J I saw two men discussing the possible dissolve of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Income Tax. They were talking about a "fair tax" on consumption, which is simply a sales tax. So, for everything you buy, the sales tax would be higher, MUCH higher, something like an additional 20-25%.

Here in Canada we have a national sales tax of 5%, and an additional provincial tax of 5%. That's an 10% tax on everything we buy. However, the highest income tax rate for Canada is 29% on everything over $120,887. Funny, that seems a lot lower when you're not writing a check to the Government for 5-figures. Regardless, it means that the Government takes 39% of every dollar I make.

Moreover, the talking heads on CNN indicated that the consumption in the US is approx 9 trillion dollars per year (If I remember correctly) while income tax is significantly lower than that ($4 Trillion?)

The benfit to a switching to the "Fair Tax" is simplicity. There is no more IRS. There is no more chasing people to pay their taxes. Everyone pays their tax when they buy an item. Simple.

But does anyone really want to pay 30% tax on a toaster? Not really. But, those who save money and don't spend like crazy would accumulate a fortune without income taxes.

It might be a great idea to instead of switching 100%, increase the sales tax and decrease the income tax accordingly, and see how it goes. If it works well, then scrap the income tax. Afterall, income tax is illegal, right?

Originally posted Nov 30, 2007
Revised May 29, 2008
with content adapted from givemeliberty.org

Children Belong to No Man!

2009-04-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

I try not to get disgusted by the news anymore, but, there always has to be that one headline that grabs my attention, that I have to comment on.

The county of Islam, the men of Muslim faith, on the low scale of thinking, are fraught with indignities towards young girls, girls who have only started to feel alive, then the when their first breath of childhood is inhaled, it is briskly taken away by a man who thinks it is his right to make this child as his bride. The thought of an old man becoming aroused by a child is one of the most disturbing thoughts that makes us cringe as it reminds us of pedophilia and the most despicable people. It is difficult to accept that the Holy Prophet married Aisha when she was 6-years-old and consummated his marriage with her when she was 9. He was then, 54 years old.

READ the STORY BELOW that caught my attention, you can decided for yourself, ill or not not, right or wrong .......

Source: CNN

By Mohammed Jamjoom

A Saudi mother is expected to appeal a judge's ruling after he once again refused to let her 8-year-old daughter divorce a 47-year-old man, a relative said. Sheikh Habib Al-Habib made the ruling Saturday in the Saudi city of Onaiza. Late last year, he rejected a petition to annul the marriage.

The case, which has drawn criticism from local and international rights groups, came to light in December when Al-Habib declined to annul the marriage on a legal technicality. His dismissal of the mother's petition sparked outrage and made headlines around the world.

The judge said the mother, who is separated from the girl's father, was not the legal guardian and therefore could not represent her daughter, the mother's lawyer, Abdullah al-Jutaili, said at the time.

The girl's husband pledged not to consummate the marriage until the girl reaches puberty, according to al-Jutaili, who added that the girl's father arranged the marriage to settle his debts with the man, who is considered "a close friend."

In this life we live.......

2009-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Is there a life after all of this living? Do you think there is a God?
Okay, take a good look around, look as far as the eyes can see, tell yourself, what do you see? Take it all in, soak it up, close your eyes, open them again, look again, do you see what you saw before at first glance. My rationale for asking is what you see is Life, as good as it gets and good as you want it to be. It is your choice, state of existence, your being, your world, make good of it as you can while you can.. Like the songs says, We are not here for a long time, but for a short time, so breath it all in and live. No second chances, no dress rehearsals, now and the days to come.
The fear of the unfamiliar drives people to try and create something, which can be known, to them, and they feel comfort that other people join them in this human created perception of the unknowable. This joining together in common illusion validates said human creation called “God” in its various forms, and distracts from the fear of the unknown and accepting the reality that there is the Unknowable.
I figure it’s a better chance of existing in this life, based on the evidence I have on hand and the living I have done. Obviously the theoretical premises as laid out in any religious texts for establishing the existence of god are flawed, but there are no rock solid counter-arguments that eliminate the theoretical possibility of the existence of "god", or for that matter many "gods", could be coexisting for all any of us know, or are we free willing this adventure called life out here alone?
A lot depends I guess on how you define "god", but even then, my discussion point is basically unproven and therefore moot. I don’t believe in any god or gods, I live and preach, Life! We all live the life we are given, take advantage of it, abuse it, or yield to the real message in life, living, loving, giving and sharing. I think that is the key in the real meaning in life, the legacy we leave behind in who we are and what we gave in our living!

Just thinking on a Sunday!

2009-04-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

No two moments are the same in life, even with déjà-vu, so I might as well try to enjoy the things around me before they change. I expect things to change, not always for the best but change is necessary none the less.

I am happy that in this age of reality TV and 24 hour news channels that the little picture box still is able to get my hamster running every once in awhile. I spend my days trying to understand why leaders of the world don't get what is going on around them, how easy it is to mend the means and move on..... Then again, sometimes I need to do the same damn thing.

I am just bored!

2009-04-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have a piece of advice for you. Of course I must give the warning I give all pieces of advice. You are a fool to listen me.....anyways.....

Take time out of your busy life and do something you suck at. I mean it. Go frustrate the shit out of yourself on purpose. So this does not count the commute to and from work, work itself....or marriage. Why would I give this piece of advice? Because....we all need to be really bad at something to help balance out the things we are good at. I choose golf as my tool of torture. A simple premise to the game...hit a ball into a hole in a certain amount of shots. Simple.....like playing the piano.....push your fingers down on keys at a certain time to create notes. Of course I can't play the piano. But I continue to torture myself because life should not be about doing things that just come easy to us.

And now for those of you that say, "I suck at everything in life.....so I already that covered." I would debate that fact. If you really sucked at life you would be dead. Think about that!

As Read and Commented from the Village Voice

2009-04-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

This is just ludicrous. This is part of the reason mankind does not feel responsible to help anyone on the streets now days. We are nothing more than animals on the streets and byways of the USA- no one is accountable for their own actions - so why should we have to be of help to another human being. Well, I hope Justice Kevin Kerrigan never has a daughter, son, grandchild or anyone that may have to travel alone one day or depend on another human being to help them or lend them a helping hand ........ one never knows! The world of today lacks social interaction, moral, justice, caring. The world is too bold and too big, there are more people walking on the face of the earth than ever before, and with it, comes the era lacking in rules, morality or just the desire to care for one another. Truly sad!

Court: MTA Employees Not Required to Stop Rape
By Emily Brady in Crime, Featured, Legal
Thursday, Apr. 2 2009 @ 4:21PM

To all the ladies who stand alone on a subway platform late at night, hoping that being within eyeshot of a station agent will make you somewhat safer from harm: You're wrong.
MTA employees have no responsibly to intervene if you happen to be attacked and raped right in front of them, a Queens judge effectively ruled on Tuesday when he threw out a lawsuit brought against the MTA, and a station agent and train conductor who witnessed a rape in the 21st St. G train station in June 2005.
Justice Kevin Kerrigan ruled that the conductor, Harmodio Cruz, and station agent, John Koort, took "prompt and decisive action" in summoning the police. The police did not arrive in time, however, to prevent the then-21-year-old victim from being raped twice after being dragged kicking and screaming past the station agent's booth as he watched. Her attacker escaped and has never been caught.
The victim called the decision "deplorable" today, and her lawyer Marc Albert told the Voice that they planned to appeal.
Here's the MTA's statement: "It is important to note that while NYC Transit workers are trained to the highest degree of professionalism in their assigned jobs, they are not and should not be expected to perform in the capacity of law enforcement officers." They added that "incidents of crime in the subways remain at historic lows." Photo (cc) wka.

A Very Proud Mom!

2009-04-02T01:43:00.000-07:00

I am so very blessed to have the kids I have and all them being so different from one another. But at the this time, I am talking about Cole, my daughter, who has 10 weeks left until she earns her Masters in Sociology.. the study of society! Then following her ten weeks to finish school, then she is on to complete her thesis on fandom. What is fandom you might ask? Fandom can be defined or explained as the state of being a fan or all that encompasses fan culture and fan behavior in general, or the study of fans and fan behavior. An enthusiastic follower of a sport or entertainment or
2) an enthusiastic admirer (as of a celebrity). My daughter is writing this paper on fandom from users she has interviewed from the internet... so very proud of you Cole, you are a wonderful person and everything you do in life sparks and captures the mind!
Love you tons, MoM

Sad Newscast

2009-03-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Fox News Host Mocks Canadian Forces
Source: The Canadian Press
Posted: 03/23/09 3:16PM
Filed Under: Canada

TV Personality Apologizes for Insulting Comments

OTTAWA - A Fox News host is apologizing to Canadians in the face of widespread outrage over comments he and his guests made on a late-night talk show.
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A group of pundits took turns trashing Canada and its reliability as an ally in fighting terrorism last week on a Fox News program as four more Canadian soldiers were killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan. Defence Minister Peter MacKay requested an apology just before leaving for Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where he was to attend a repatriation ceremony with the families of the latest soldiers killed.
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Red Eye host Greg Gutfeld says his comments “may have been misunderstood” and in no way were meant to disrespect “the brave men, women and families of the Canadian military.”

So my reply was!

Greg Gutfeld, Sir, I understand to get ratings, plugs, advertisers, etc, these days, a talk show host, columnist, all have to stoop to new levels, for shock values, opinions, just in general to find out if they even have a viable audience. Allow me to state, I am offended, then again, I am sure most who have watched the video with you smirking all the while are offended in general. But this I am sure, is your way of getting ratings? I am an American, living in Canada, married to a Canadian. Canadians are people of pride and honor, just as Americans USE to be. I have in my own words showed my shame over American politics, the Iraq invasion, (not a war mind you) Americans invaded Iraq- so it was never termed a war. Then we have people such as you Greg, low balling and insulting. YAAAA I am sure you care not what others have to say or how many post you get from this unintelligent broadcast of yours, but one can only wish you had your facts straight. Canadian troops are bravely dying for a hopeless cause in Afghanistan, this is a fact in my opinion. That sad truth can only be extremely painful for the families of all those soldiers killed on our Canada’s behalf, for they fought believing their contribution would help Afghanistan. But the reality is that eight years later, Canada's military began its mission Afghanistan is farther away from being a democracy, the Taliban are stronger than ever and the evil opium poppy trade that produces most of the world's heroin is bigger than ever. But on the bigger picture- boys are in a country where they are fighting for what they believe in, freedom of others and you have the gall to ridicule that measure! Pompous broadcast such as yours are cowardice to state the least. All I can say is, way to go Greg, one more reason to make another American living aboard to feel ashamed- very little pride left in being American. Thank you for the ignorance, thanks for the support and most of all, thank you for the yellow journalism- in the name of bloggers, advertisers and looking for an audience, from any prospect!

Teen Girls Dating Brutal Boys!

2009-03-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Teen Girls With Brutal Boys!

A teen girl stands in the corner of a sports shoe store with her hoodie pulled down over her head, tied loosely at the chin, looking down. At first sight, a person would think, “Oh she is just another emo” (label given to teens that wear a more melodic and less chaotic style of dress.) But at a second glance, you can see out of the corner of your eye, the girl has a cut lip, slight bruising above her lip ring. A boy not much older than she is, comes from around the table in the store, grabs her hand assertively and walks off. I could have followed them and asked her if she was alright, but I watched them walk, thinking what good would my questioning do! Girls today, (1 out of 3) will be abused by a boy and that boy will get away with it. The girl will make excuses for him, saying it is not that bad, that it will get better and wait for change. Sometimes that change comes too late! If pushed to get away from the boy in question, the girl will more likely return to the relationship, thinking you are trying to control her as an adult. Most will not admit it, but until the girl herself wants change, there will be nothing altered.

Teens are reluctant to talk to their parents about this subject, the logic goes, and they turn to their peers instead. So what parents can do to help is make sure those peers are educated and informed- and hope for a sort of salvation by people their own age.
What I taught my daughters when they were growing up is mainly self respect. Through self respect a lot of things follow. I told them that there are good men out there, that no one has to put up with fear or abuse in their relationship. The first sign of disrespect be it verbal abuse or physical abuse is a sign to leave that relationship behind. There's always "I'm sorry" and "it wont happen again" but it will happen again. I am a low maintenance laid back person. I take most things with a grain of salt. I had enough respect for myself to know that I would not accept that kind of reaction/response. I'd drop anyone in a minute that didn't treat me as I treat them. That is the basis I live by and I try and pass that on to my daughters. No one deserves to be verbally or physically attacked in a relationship. It seems to be a power trip for some, a calculating issue, to do those things. My mentality is "see how much control or power you have after I'm gone". You get one chance, you abuse that option, and you become another statistic in my opinion. I would want every girl out there to understand, never give up your power as a human being, no one has the right to treat you any other way, then a equal, with respect and admiration!
But it's all about the girls knowing that they are strong enough to stand alone to take up for themselves. That they have enough self respect to know they are above it and deserve better. It is important for girls to have a support group within their circle of friends that can help them through any given situation and show them another route.
Boys at an early age, need to be taught respect, how to treat girls, women and one another. It starts with words that are taught as a life lesson and it becomes habitual to treat others with love, reverence and understanding. Girls are a boy’s equal on every level, and when a person grows up with that thinking, the ground becomes even, a stronger foundation is leveled and we become better people by the lessons we are both taught and educated.

If you are a teenage girl, feeling you are ready to move on from an abusive relationship, you can visit www.loveisrespect.org or call the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline (1-866-331-9474, or TTY 1-866-331-8453.) Love is never suppose to hurt! ! ! !

Doing a blog just for the Carmen LOL

2009-03-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

1. Name something you use in the shower?
shampoo.

2. Name a product for men?
axe.

3. Name something people hate to find on their windshield?
a crack.

4. Name something a man might buy before a date?
flowers.

5. What is another word for blemish?
pimple.

6. Something you cook in the microwave?
popcorn.

7. Name a piece of furniture people need help moving?
beds.

8. Name a reason a younger man might like an older woman?
hmm, i dont know.

9. Name something a dog does that embarrasses it's owner?
bark non stop.

10. Name a kind of test you cannot study for?
pregnancy test.

11. Name something a boy scout gets a badge for?
making a fire.

12. Name a phrase with the word home in it?
home improvement.

13. Name a sport where players lose teeth?
boxing.

14. Name something a teacher can do to ruin a student's day?
ask them to read in front of the class ? haha

15. What is a way you can tell someone has been crying?
their eyes are red and sqinted.

16. Name a bird you wouldn't want to eat?
flamingo.

17. Name something someone would wear with a hole in it?
socks.

18. Name something that gets smaller the more you use it?
food

Nice Guys???

2009-03-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Do you think that nice people are boring? I mean people who always try to be nice and polite, they never joke around with you, always try to calm you. Whenever you tell them something, they accept it. It's you most of the time who decides what to do now, where to go, when to meet and things of that sort. Even if you did something wrong, they say you weren't so guilty about that...because you are just a nice person. It seems that most of people respect this type a lot but they usually don't enjoy spending time with them for any long length periods. I’ve read somewhere that women prefer jerks. Personally I don't agree with this a lot, but when you look around, for some it is true. I mean women like men who have a good sense of humor and are joking most of time even if what they're saying, hurt your feeling a little here and there. (In case you don't have anything to say in order to pay them back)But of course I'm not talking about people who try unsuccessfully to be funny or are jerks?
I am just asking…. What do you think? Do nice guys finish last?

Just a Bad Read

2009-03-10T01:09:00.000-07:00

It is winter, I don’t mean, just a wintery day or a day in winter, I mean it is damn cold outside. Here I sit in March, with the last 4 months being cold and mean, cabin fever, right? When it is this cold out, there is little to nothing to do. So I take care of the house, fix meals there are out of my element and spend time on the internet. Boring? Yes, very boring, but amusing all at the same time.
You get to know a bit about people when you are in the net, the WWW if you will. I seldom admit to the fact that I spend time on a chat room, I won’t say which one, but I drop into a chat off and on throughout my cabin fever filled days.
Last night I dropped on to see who was logged in! Some days it is like opening a really boring book, one that you want to put down, but have hopes that it might get better. It was not what I viewed that bothered me, but rather, what I understood in the reading. You can learn a lot about human nature in words on a blank screen, all read from the living room setting on a lap top. Two people were logged on, (nicks are not important) but the nature of their being human was. It was a he said/she said sling of words gathering. People can be merciless, not just spiteful, but deep down I have to make you hurt kind of mean. She had to attack his manhood, his health issues and his past ladies. He on the other hand showed a weaker view point, he attacked her children, I mean really verbally assault her children, their background, their fathers and who she was as a woman. It was a train wreck of words. Here were two people who obviously have met each other off line at one time or another could have been friends even, and for whatever reason, they no longer care each other. And that brings me to the crust of my conversation about people and words.
People can become so dislocated on a winter’s day, just cruel, mean, harsh to each other. It makes me think of the saying, “If you have nothing nice to say to a person, than say anything at all” But that really is impossible in the world today, is it not? People do not mess around when it comes to hiding behind a glass partition called a monitor, to lash out at each other and thrust such hateful things about, without a thought in the world, people slam their fingers down on a keyboard, and become so damn bold! (Even bigger than life.) We use words to show how we are feeling in one brief moment, and then the moment is gone. And we lash out, to see who can become bigger and badder than the other person hiding behind their glass partition. Yes, I know the saying, most of the people we chat to are not real, chances are, and they will never be real friend to us, so why should we treat them as if they matter? With morals and social matters becoming an antiquity, mankind has found a new way to reach out and slam other human being, by means of the internet chat rooms. None of this is news to me, I have read it many times, have studied it even, done profiles on people to examine the nature on our being human. With all that is going on in the world today, a fallen economy, people in a state of despair, the media reporting news that becomes more grim with each newscast, it would be nice to find a place where lowering our standards and being brash with words was not part of the chat experience.
But it is winter, cabin fever and I suppose we as humans are showing the ugly side of who we are with a great deal more ease these days……. The internet!

Mr Obama

2009-01-25T12:54:00.001-08:00

Dear Mr. Obama

When I look back at our American history, I think of how we have has grown and changed since the time our first leaders, leading our nation now is nothing short of a miraculous task. But, like those men that have come before you, you claim to be a roll-up-your sleeves, 'Let's get it done!' kind of human being. To me, that is the spirit of a great man, good leader.

In writing this letter, I would like to take the moment to say welcome Sir, to not only Washington, but expectantly, a new era for everyone, every member living in this world as a whole, all of us, as human beings, separate, individual, with great hope! As a leader, I, along with others, want you to lead the great nation of America, with intelligence, nobility, grace and compassion. I think you truly have our country in your best interests. I am a particularly opinionated person, and I have some suggestions on goals, but that is not my place or purpose in writing you. Eight years of an regal Bush/Cheney administration that ignored laws and offered explanations to no one has resulted in grave injustices to millions of people. It has virtually destroyed America's long-standing world image of decency and fairness and that of course is the opinion of one woman, myself.

I know there are many dissatisfied people in our country. It seems that they are looking to you to bring change and fix everything. This will not be a easy task, you are just a man, not a super hero. I know that the last 8 years have been very hard on a great many of us, that in itself, will become a huge undertaking. People throughout the country have become frantic. The crashing stock market has become a big issue, and many people feel that the economy is unstable. The mortgage crisis is also another problem that we all see on the news everyday. Many families are being force to leave their homes, and I believe this is a big cause of people's financial insecurity. The United States is a country with so many opportunities that people shouldn't have to wear themselves thin in order to provide for their family. With the amount of lost jobs in the last 2 years, many families have been left with little to survive on and more are holding on with little hope.

Another major issue in our nation is how costly health care is. As president, Mr Obama, I hope you can help make health care more affordable for the average American. Many health insurance companies limit the amount of doctor's visits and hospital days, which can become very costly for people. Everyone needs health coverage, but there are people who have little or no health coverage. It is believed by many Americans that you will help make health care more affordable for everyone. If you can accomplish this, Americans will have good health care program and it will make life easier for them. Again, we can hope……

I look forward to your bringing the United States' presence in Iraq to an honorable and lasting end, to your undertaking a plan to revitalize an aching spirit of young men and women‘s loss, to your opening up new and improved trade relations with foreign nations and effecting global peace on new frontiers.

I think our nations need help., not just the USA, but the world, all nations. I feel that we are killing our planet by all of our pollutants. The goals that we expect to be reached are the same goals that have been expected from every new president we elect. So I don't know how we can expect you to have all the answers, but we do have hope. All we can strive for is that during your duration in office, you will be able to stay on the nation's good side and improve the economy.

Mr. Obama, you clearly possess the articulate aptitude and the wisdom to help restore our reputation and respect. Please do it in an open, honest and candid way to include all Americans and all the citizens of the world. I do not refer to you as Mr. President as of yet Mr. Obama, for that is a title, one that is earned and I hope in time, I will find it a with grace to call you such.

Sincerely Yours,
Viesta P. Morrison
American and Honored Being of this World

Mr Feel Good! ! !

2009-01-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Chasing Mr. Feel Good?

What are we doing in this generation of feeling good, I mean trying to feel good 100% of the time? What are we in search of? We are either living in a cesspool of frustration over what we think we need or just a downward spiral of what we don’t have!!! What inexpressible desires are we chasing?

At no other time in history, have we had so much as we do at this very moment….. In technology, communications, easy access to gaming, gambling, email, desires are just a stroke and stoke away.. We can watch virtual reality channel surfing, talk to family, friends, “hell” even people we don’t know, by striking a few keys from our laptops, keyboards, any means of communications. Drop a dollar in a machine, for a few quick moments; we surge with new found endorphins, flooding our brain with a new fuelled energy, only to be let down within seconds. We are looking for that first high, that first feel good moment that we experienced years before… only problem with that today is, we have not found our shut off valve. We are seeking what we think we have lost, but why? What is it about having all this new technology and we are never satisfied? I mean really satisfied, that deep down in the gut satisfied feeling we once had in the burn of our bellies? We are forever in search of Mr. Feel Good. We can implant our brains with electrodes if we so wished to do so, at differing spots, just to make us feel good, chances are this new means that medical science has come up with will be abused. We would have the transplant to feel exceptional and find we are on overload….. That is how we operate as human beings. You know, the folks at the head of the food chain? The ones that preach in one hand we have to feel good all the time, rouse emotions we did not even know we had, strive for perfection in a fatigued world. And then there are the others ones, who come across our televised screens squealing about our economy, our downward trends, our over published bad news of current affairs…so where to we find balance?
If you have a itch, we have a cure, if you have a moment when you are down, we have a pill for that, if you bored, try TV, satellite radio, “sex” (both traditional and out there in the deepest seeded desires of mankind where half of the populist would seldom dare to even venture) If you have an imagination, then we have the creation to help you fulfill that need. And that gets me back to what I am speaking of, what are we chasing? What is this urgency we are in constant need of fulfilling? Why are we in such denial over what we want and not taking a breath to think before we act? Why are we so bored? Is it because we have so much or because we have so many means of living out in the moment….
We crave constantly, do not fill up that void and find we are lost.. We talk about spending more time with family, social interactions, walking in the simple pleasures, but it ends there, with just talking about it, seldom is any action taken. {Recall actions speak louder than words} Rather, we find excuses for what we don’t do over what we should do. It is easier that way…. It was not that long ago, people were told to stop hiding their anger, frustrations, futile emotion, so we started talking, non-stop, we never shut up. AND when we grew weary of the endless chatter, we found being medicated easier than dealing. So that brings us back to never filling our bellies, never erupting into that volcano of moments we swear by, the one we say and never do. Expressions are easy now days, you can write a shit load and never say a damn thing? Sort of like I am doing here, get my drift? We say we are so busy, but are we? Are we instead searching out Mr Feel Good for that escape we talk about never getting, that first high we all seem to be chasing, that moment we want to recapture? Who are we, where do we go from here? How many of us really know what it is to LIVE?

Peace - Viesta

Odie Dedication!

2008-10-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

Odie’s Dedication!

How do I begin to explain a friend like Odie? I guess at the start of what was to be a healing process for me and a new best friend called Odie.
Let me start briefly with a little opening, in late Autumn of 2005, I was diagnosed with chronic rheumatoid arthritis. There were days when I could not bring myself to even walk down the hallway without feeling I would tumble over, all this set me off into a depressed state and I was only 50.
On one of my better days in March of 2006, I wondered into the Petland, here in Red Deer Alberta, not really looking for a pet, much less a dog, and there he was on the other side of a glass partition, a black face with brown eyes- playing by himself and peering out from the store window at passersby’s. I have no idea what possessed me, but I asked an attendant to let me see the pup. As soon as Odie was placed in my arms, I was smitten. The story behind Odie was, he was 3 months old- had been purchased a week before, only to be returned within 8 days, allergies the people claimed. He instantly became mine.
As the first days came and went with Odie, I found myself in a whole routine, getting up early in the morning to sit on the kitchen floor to feed him, then put on his leash and go for a walk. Odie in those first months loved warm rice with peas for a start to his day. He would venture in the back yard for an hour in the morning after our walk, then find his way to my chair and find a reason for me to get up. He soon learned to play ball, fetch it over and over- tug-of-war with a stuffed animal, a long stuffed toy duck was his favourite. From the beginning it was apparent of Odie’s intelligence. If I said *squeak* he would run for the duck, squeaking it over and over again in amusement. He would race from my chair around the room, getting me up to chase him, barking and rolling at the same time. In the late afternoon after picking up the house, fighting Odie over getting the towels out of the dryer, (Jack Russell’s’ are a very busy breed). He would sit in my lap for a good hour getting me to stretch him, work over his back with a massage, getting to work out my own pained hands. As hyper as people have made the Jack Russell out to be, most have no clue at what a loving and thoughtful pet & best friend they can be.
As the months went by, the more I found myself telling people what a wonderful dog Odie was. I am sure I bored people with my consistent chatter about my friend, but he had become my best companion and therapy without my ever knowing it.
Odie did all the usual tricks, sit, lay, shake... but he did more, there was not a day that went by that he did not have my husband and myself cracking up laughing. If I went in for a bath, Odie was behind me, on my heel catching up, always looking to say “What are we up to now?” If I was on my way downstairs, he was with me, right by my side. When I talked to Odie, he never took his eyes off mine, he was intense. He became my constant companion, from everyday events around the house, to car rides to town. Over time, Odie left me feeling anew. I had energy and found myself always on the move, hardly thinking of any pain, I was better and it was because of the best medicine in the world, Odie. I have never had a dog that could amuse me the way he can, the eyes always on me, following me, the soft warning barks he would give, showing me he had an eye out for house and home. If I said bath time, he would clear the top of the tub and stand, ready to be bathed. When we were heading down the hallway for bed, he was ahead of us, standing at the door, waiting to go in, flying onto the bed and under the covers. He knew he had a bed of his own on the floor by ours, but he was in with us, snoozing before the lights were out.
Without knowing it, Odie saved my life that day when I found him at the local pet store, he took care of me and never allowed me to feel sorry for myself, he gave me a reason to get off my butt and move. There never has been or will ever be a friend like Odie. How does one explain a 21 pound muscle friend who saw himself’ to be larger than life and more fierce than any creature on earth, Odie was protective, he was concerned, he was loving, he was bold.
I speak now of my best friend Odie, in a past tense. One morning, this past September, my husband and I left for breakfast, leaving Odie in charge of the house, to await a painter that was coming to redo our living room. I don’t know of Odie’s last moments that morning, but he must have confused by someone entering the house, for when the painter was bringing the ladder in the house, Odie ran out the front door. We looked for him day, called the local radio stations to leave run a broadcast on his being lost. We got the call every owner dreads, he had been run over a mile from our house. We claimed his small body that same day and he lays to rest now forever, knowing he was my smallest hero on earth. He saved me from pitying myself and still gives me a reason today to keep going, I have the best memories my a best friend anyone could person could ask for. Odie deserves a Hero’s praise, because he gave so very much in his short life, an unconditional love packed into a huge spirit with soft brown eyes!

My Son Sailor of the Year !

2008-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

MILLINGTON, Tenn. -- Some Sailors are destined for greatness. If you were to ask the headquarters staff of Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC) to name an example, many would point you to Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class (SW/AW) William Barker, CNRC’s Sailor of the Year.
“I’m still trying to figure out why I won this award,” said Barker. “I think a lot of it has to do with my success at such a junior level. I came to this command as a junior E5 not knowing really what to expect. I got some good mentorship and talked to everyone I could for guidance on what I need to do to succeed and put on 1st class.”
The guidance certainly helped this hard charging Sailor. Barker put on a third chevron soon after arriving at CNRC. “When I put on 1st class I was ready. It felt comfortable.”
Even before that, Barker’s ability and leadership were apparent. As an IC2, he won Junior Sailor of the Quarter (JSOQ) for CNRC and also for the entire
Command’s
Gabriel Owens, Navy Recruiting Command Public Affairs
different areas, needing their voice mail set up,” said Barker. “I manage and audit all the telecommunication calls around the command and I pay the phone bills. But the main thing is customer service.”
This hard work is just one of the reasons Barker found himself in front of SOQ and SOY boards time and time again. But it doesn’t rattle him. “I never get nervous for the boards, I get excited,” he said. “I grew up in choir and band and such, so I’m used to being in front of people. Confidence is important. Step back and listen and learn so you can better tell them what they’re looking for. Keep your packages strong, have your chain of command constantly looking at them, and stay heavily involved.”
In addition, Barker has several collateral duties both in the command and around NSA Mid-South. But to Barker, it’s not the quantity of collaterals, it’s the effort you put into them.
“It’s not about having a ton of collateral duties,” he said. “It’s what you do with the ones you have. Too many people have the idea that a key to success is being involved in every collateral duty they can get their hands on. I think oftentimes you end up not doing a whole lot with those duties other than having them as a bullet on an eval.
“You need to really work your collateral duties and make a difference in them,” said Barker. “I’m on the command training team and we’re very proactive in making sure the training gets done. I’m also a member of the American heritage diversity team for the base.”
He is equally proactive in his role as a mentor. “You can say ‘oh, I’m so and so’s mentor, but if you don’t do anything with that Sailor it’s a meaningless title. You have to get involved with that Sailor’s career and really help them build success.”
He cites the mentorship he received from around the command as helping him to achieve his goals. “I can think of several people who helped me, like Electronics Technician Senior Chief(SS) Rodney Mackey, Hospital Corpsman Chief Ginger Roganti and Ret. HMC(AW/FMF) Monica) Bairos. These people are among my ‘unofficial’ mentors.
“If I thought of everyone here who’s helped me I’d be up all night,” said Barker. “The trick is taking notes from everybody and learning. Not just from khakis but from your fellow blue shirts.”
Mentors like Mackey are quick to praise Barker. “I nicknamed him ‘Action Jackson,’ because ever since I met him, he’s been a go-getter,” said Mackey. “You ask him to do something and he gets it done, he makes it happen. I’m not surprised he’s the Sailor of
of the Year!
See SOY, pg. 17
Left: IC1(SW/AW) William Barker troubleshoots a phone line at Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC) Headquarters in Millington, Tenn. Above: Barker checks his trouble call log for action items.
12
SUFFOLK, Va. – At approximately 4:30 pm April 28, Navy Recruiting Station Suffolk in Suffolk, Va. was destroyed by a tornado. The station was in the Freedom Plaza Mall, which was also destroyed. There were no injuries reported of the three recruiters assigned to the station.
Boatswain’s Mate First Class (EXW/SW) Joe Cantu and Culinary Specialist First Class (SW) Malcolm Gardner, recruiters assigned to the station, were in the building during the tornado and sought shelter under desks as the tornado hit. Both were not injured.
After the tornado hit, Cantu, Gardner and Gunner’s Mate First Class (SW) Paul Denton, the third recruiter assigned to the station, assisted emergency officials with evacuating other victims from the wreckage in the Plaza, as well as from the Sentara Obici Hospital, which was nearby the recruiting station. All three Sailors assisted with the recovery efforts and also helped search nearby homes for other victims.
The recruiters were not aware of the tornado
before it hit.
“It rained off and on all morning, there were clouds overhead, but we didn’t know there was a tornado
Navy Sailors
the Year, or millennium, which they haven’t invented yet but I just did,” laughed Mackey.
“He’s that good. He’s an outstanding Sailor. You’d never know he has a wife and five kids with the way he works,” said Mackey. “You’d think the guy’s single. They need to excuse the requirement for service time and just go ahead and put khakis on him.”
Barker’s department head, Kevin Sullivan, feels the same way. “IC1 Barker’s total commitment to mission success and unselfish dedication to his shipmates are what sets him apart. His broad job scope and professional responsibilities far exceed that of most Sailors in his rank, yet his performance across-the-board has been consistently outstanding. He serves as a mentor to junior personnel and a trusted advisor to senior leadership.
“IC1 Barker always appeals to the ‘greater good’ of the team,” said Sullivan. “He readily subordinates his personal desires, recognitions, and accolades to that of the overall unit. There are no limits to his potential in the senior enlisted or officer ranks.”
But it isn’t just senior leadership Barker learns from. “I work together with several other junior E6s and we help each other out in our careers,” said Barker. “You learn from everybody. My ‘mentee’ is (Yeoman Third Class David) Norman, I learn from him. It’s not just a one-way mentorship.”
His unselfishness is obvious. “Now that I’ve made my mark, I’m stepping back and letting other people in my shop become more visible,” Barker said. “2008 is not about me, it’s now about bringing up the people I work with to a similar level and letting them shine. I’m not greedy. I don’t keep secrets.”
His large family keeps him busy when he’s not at work. His wife Danielle recently gave birth to their second set of twin boys in addition to another son.
“While she was pregnant, I had to step up household duties as well as balancing it with work,” he said. “It’s hectic. I wake up in the morning, get all the kids up, dressed and fed, get Ethan (the oldest son) on the bus. Then I go to work. Come home for lunch, put the twins down for a nap. Come home from work, wash, rinse, repeat.
“I contribute a lot of my success to Danielle,” said Barker. “She’s a former Sailor herself and we met in the Navy. She knows what Navy life is about, and that helps a lot. A lot of what I do I couldn’t have done without her.”
Despite all of his work and household duties, the former choir and band member still loves to be involved in the community. “I sing the national anthem for a slew of events around town. I’m also member of the Parent-Teacher Association at Ethan’s school and help kids at the school after hours with reading.”
This leaves little time for personal hobbies, but when the occasional down time presents itself, Barker loves playing video games and board games with his wife.
Overall, Barker is extremely pleased in his decision to come to CNRC after two sea tours. “I’m glad I could come here and see this side of the Navy. I hope I made everyone at HQ proud,” he said. “This is the first time in a long time HQ won SOY for CNRC. We do important work, and I think a lot of the NRDs don’t get a chance to see that. It’s not just me that won, it’s all of us.”
Perhaps CNRC’s Force Master Chief (SW/AW) Christopher Penton sums up Barker the best. “IC1 is the BEST Sailor I’ve run into in 27 years in the Navy. And I’ve been the Command Master Chief on many different platforms and many different commands, but this guy is the future of what the Navy is going to be.”
“Outstanding as an E5, outstanding as an E6,” said Penton. “If we had an assembly line where we could clone IC1, I’d happily set it up because he’s the kind of Sailor the Navy needs. He’s one of those guys who energizes me. Every once in a while in a long career, you come across someone who reminds you why you serve ... it’s working

Vets

2008-06-08T23:22:00.001-07:00

Vets against the Actions
and Attack of Iraq...

Iraq Veterans against the War

by Viesta Morrison

When it comes to man creating wars, or young people joining the military right out of high school, I am the first to state, war has no place in the world of today, freedom is the first victim of any war or war mongering and young people who joined the service hopefully read every clause, pause and just because of the contract they made with the US Military. It states clearly, at anytime during your service with the military, you may be asked to go aboard during wartime or war mongering. In other words, when a young man or woman signs on the dotted line to join the Military of the good ole US of A, they own your ass, lock, stock and barrel. It is not a fool’s paradise, so be prepared young person, wherever and whoever you may be! ! ! ! !

The US-led war against Iraq did not begin in March 2003, as many Americans believe. In fact the US and Britain had been waging an undeclared war against Iraq for twelve years, ever since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.( Although to this day I stand by the term Gulf Slaughter!) The aim has been the destruction of Iraqi society enabling the US to gain control of Iraq's huge oil reserves.

As a result of economic sanctions against Iraq, the prevention of the delivery of much-needed medical and other supplies because of US vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, and the carcinogenic effects of depleted uranium left over from the 1991 Gulf Slaughter, over a million people (two-thirds of them children) have died (this figure is over and above the death rate which would have been expected without sanctions). This policy by the US has been in reality genocidal and no amount of hypocritical moral posturing on the part of George W. Bush can disguise this.

Within hours of the attacks of September 11th, 2001, on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which killed over 3000 people, the Bush administration was blaming Osama bin Laden and his alleged Al-Qaeda network, and declaring a so-called war on terrorism Immediately the Pentagon put into effect its already-prepared plans for massive bombing raids against Afghanistan (with the purpose of furthering American plans for an oil pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan).

At that time no suggestion was made that Iraq was in any way connected with the September 11th attacks. But in September 2002 a US government and US media disinformation campaign was launched to persuade the American people that it was really Iraq which was behind these attacks.

The propaganda campaign to make people believe that Saddam Hussein was behind the September 11th attacks was so successful that in mid-2003 the believers had grown to 70%. But in September 2003 George W. Bush admitted that there was no evidence linking Saddam to 9/11 in a televised newscast. So the attack on Iraq changed names, to sway the American populace, we started calling it Freedom Iraq, showing how much we cared about the people of Iraq, forcing our so called freedoms and brave democracy down their throats. A Democracy I might add these people never enlisted in the first place, but forge ahead, we did!

In the weeks leading up to the attack on Iraq George W. Bush was to be seen almost nightly on television earnestly declaring in his brain-dead zombie-like emotionless cartoon-Western-sheriff manner that Iraq possessed "weapons of mass destruction" which it was sure either to use directly against the US (a ridiculous suggestion) or to give to "terrorists" to produce more September 11ths on US soil

And everyday that we become closer to seeing GW out of office, out of our hair and out of the White House, we see clearly how wrong the attack on Iraq was. We see with eyes wide open how wrong our being there has been all along. People wake up everyday to new facts, slapping their heads with the knowledge that we should have never forced ourselves in the country of Iraq, destroying a country, a people and yes, even their way of life.

I use to think I stood alone with the disgust of my country, the helplessness I felt over how wrong our being in Iraq was, the underlying threat we have become to ourselves and the world. A world of people that do not trust the USA, the government that has led us thus far and a general dislike by so many countries from around the world. At one time the US had many allies, today those same allies look on at us in dismay as we continue our occupation in Iraq. An occupation that is wrong in not just the eyes of the everyday man that lives in America, but even by the eyes of people who have been sent over there to fight a war, only to return, knowing, stating, feeling and hitting the streets in demonstrations saying our being in Iraq serves no purpose! Why are we still there? This very question is even now being asked by our own men and women who are returning to the USA from active duty in Iraq.

Each of the these young people have a story to tell, an action they saw and a military command they executed, even if they thought it wrong or right, they did so, for the honor to their country. Their country being the USA- America, a country they believe in and would lay down their lives to defend. But even as I write this, these mere words can not capture what some of our own brave young people have seen, so in writing this, I am going to ask each and every one of you reading to please click onto the site

http://ivaw.org/node/3564 Read the stories of men and women who have served in Iraq, read their own words, feel their calamity and then write to me in telling me once again how I am a trader to my country of America and how wrong I have been for 8 years. Tell these young people if you dare or if you can, that they betrayed their country by using their voice to express the truth as to what they saw while in Iraq. I mean really, who better to understand or believe than the very soldiers sent to Iraq in the first place! ! !

{The world should astonish me, but instead it just seasons me to another day of breathing, living and loving, this I know I do well & and I do it with zest} VPM

http://www.vaiw.org/vet/index.php

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/03/16/iraq-veterans-against-the-war-winter-soldier-2008/

I am Viesta and America is running out of time and truths! ! !

Iraq Vets against the Actions and Attack of Iraq...

2008-06-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Iraq Veterans against the War
When it comes to man creating wars, or young people joining the military right out of high school, I am the first to state, war has no place in the world of today, freedom is the first victim of any war or war mongering and young people who joined the service hopefully read every clause, pause and just because of the contract they made with the US Military. It states clearly, at anytime during your service with the military, you may be asked to go aboard during wartime or war actions. In other words, when a young man or woman signs on the dotted line to join the Military of the good ole US of A, they own your ass, lock, stock and barrel. It is not a fool’s paradise, so be prepared young person, wherever and whoever you may be! ! ! ! !

The US-led war against Iraq did not begin in March 2003, as many Americans believe. In fact the US and Britain had been waging an undeclared war against Iraq for twelve years, ever since the end of the Gulf War in 1991.( Although to this day I stand by the term Gulf Slaughter!) The aim has been the destruction of Iraqi society enabling the US to gain control of Iraq's huge oil reserves. As a result of economic sanctions against Iraq, the prevention of the delivery of much-needed medical and other supplies because of US vetoes in the U.N. Security Council, and the carcinogenic effects of depleted uranium left over from the 1991 Gulf Slaughter, over a million people (two-thirds of them children) have died (this figure is over and above the death rate which would have been expected without sanctions). This policy by the US has been in reality genocidal and no amount of hypocritical moral posturing on the part of George W. Bush can disguise this.

Within hours of the attacks of September 11th, 2001, on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which killed over 3000 people, the Bush administration was blaming Osama bin Laden and his alleged Al-Qaeda network, and declaring a so-called war on terrorism Immediately the Pentagon put into effect its already-prepared plans for massive bombing raids against Afghanistan (with the purpose of furthering American plans for an oil pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan).
At that time no suggestion was made that Iraq was in any way connected with the September 11th attacks. But in September 2002 a US government and US media disinformation campaign was launched to persuade the American people that it was really Iraq which was behind these attacks.
The propaganda campaign to make people believe that Saddam Hussein was behind the September 11th attacks was so successful that in mid-2003 the believers had grown to 70%. But in September 2003 George W. Bush admitted that there was no evidence linking Saddam to 9/11 in a televised newscast. So the attack on Iraq changed names, to sway the American populace, we started calling it Freedom Iraq, showing how much we cared about the people of Iraq, forcing our so called freedoms and brave democracy down their throats. A Democracy I might add these people never enlisted in the first place, but forge ahead, we did!
In the weeks leading up to the attack on Iraq George W. Bush was to be seen almost nightly on television earnestly declaring in his brain-dead zombie-like emotionless cartoon-Western-sheriff manner that Iraq possessed "weapons of mass destruction" which it was sure either to use directly against the US (a ridiculous suggestion) or to give to "terrorists" to produce more September 11ths on US soil.

And everyday that we become closer to seeing GW out of office, out of our hair and out of the White House, we see clearly how wrong the attack on Iraq was. We see with eyes wide open how wrong our being there has been all along. People wake up everyday to new facts, slapping their heads with the knowledge that we should have never forced ourselves in the country of Iraq, destroying a country, a people and yes, even their way of life.
I use to think I stood alone with the disgust of my country, the helplessness I felt over how wrong our being in Iraq was, the underlying threat we have become to ourselves and the world. A world of people that do not trust the USA, the government that has led us thus far and a general dislike by so many countries from around the world. At one time the US had many allies, today those same allies look on at us in dismay as we continue our occupation in Iraq. An occupation that is wrong in not just the eyes of the everyday man that lives in America, but even by the eyes of people who have been sent over there to fight a war, only to return, knowing, stating, feeling and hitting the streets in demonstrations saying our being in Iraq serves no purpose! Why are we still there? This very question is even now being asked by our own men and women who are returning to the USA from active duty in Iraq.
Each of the these young people have a story to tell, an action they saw and a military command they executed, even if they thought it wrong or right, they did so, for the honor to their country. Their country being the USA- America, a country they believe in and would lay down their lives to defend. But even as I write this, these mere words can not capture what some of our own brave young people have seen, so in writing this, I am going to ask each and every one of you reading to please click onto the site
http://ivaw.org/node/3564 Read the stories of men and women who have served in Iraq, read their own words, feel their calamity and then write to me in telling me once again how I am a trader to my country of America and how wrong I have been for 8 years. Tell these young people if you dare or if you can, that they betrayed their country by using their voice to express the truth as to what they saw while in Iraq. I mean really, who better to understand or believe than the very soldiers sent to Iraq in the first place! ! !
{The world should astonish me, but instead it just seasons me to another day of breathing, living and loving, this I know I do well & and I do it with zest} VPM

http://www.vaiw.org/vet/index.php
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/03/16/iraq-veterans-against-the-war-winter-soldier-2008/

I am Viesta and America is running out of time and truths! ! !

Good Bye GW!

2008-05-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

“No More Ring Around The Moronic Bush”

Good Bye Bush..... The Words Just Roll Off My Tongue, See Ya GW!!!

Will I miss you? Not in the least, not even a tiny bit, not one iota. Will I be one of the people celebrating your leaving? Oh hell yeah, with jubilee. You blurred the vision of the American people GW, here’s hoping we can regain our sight and insight to the future ahead.

As the summer months start off here in good ole Canada, I as an American have one consistent revenant thought that hangs with me like a sunny day with not a cloud in sight. That sunny thought being, Bush is out, gone, finite, done as stick a fork in it already.

After two weeks on the road, staying in a military base in Millington TN, I had the chance to see part of the country that I had never seen before. Though the country side from North Dakota to Tennessee was beautiful, I came across the same story from people I chatted with working in hospitality services along the way. People are barely getting by on the earnings they take home, some moving to other states in order to gain employment and others are not sure what the future holds for them, their families or even their old age. I spoke with one woman who was in her early seventies, our waitress at a place we had stopped to eat. She said she had to keep working just to make ends meet; they were not able to survive on their combined retirement funds. She said she had never seen North Dakota in as bad of shape as it is now. She had lived there her whole life, raised her family there and her son had to move away just to find a job to support his family. I asked her if she knew who she wanted to be voted in for this upcoming term. She nodded her head saying “She was not sure who she wanted to see in office, but felt none of them could have been as bad as GW Bush”
George W. Bush believed in the corn fed crap he fed Americans for the last eight years. Bush’s policies have never resulted in progress towards democracy in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the Middle East. He spoke to us in one of his speeches of how the elections under occupation in Iraq were an example of democracy. People in Iraq voted for their religious or tribal leaders. They did not have access to any information about issues or candidates. They now face Shia control and internal competition for power. The chaos continues, the deaths continue, and the insurgency is stronger than ever. (So much for GW’s idea of success.) Democratic elections were held long before George Bush came to office in both Lebanon and among the Palestinians. The Saudi election – which excluded women, was a farce. Democracy cannot be ordered by the White House. Blurring the truth creates an illusion that it can. And that truly is what Bush fed the populace of the American people for eight years, a blurred version of his truth.
GW believed that he alone could determine which nations could possess nuclear weapons, while continuing his arrogant disdain for global cooperation. Bush continued nuclear weapon development in the US, and ignored the possession of similar weapons in countries he needs for his own purposes (such as Pakistan and Israel), or those he will not challenge for fear of confrontation (such as China and North Korea). At the same time, George Bush believed he could work outside the United Nations to disarm nations he arbitrarily accuses of supporting terrorist.
Once George W. Bush is finally out of office, and a full examination is done on his presidency, what do you expect will be discovered?
Here’s hoping, the truth will come out about, the history books will not lead future generations to believing that Bush was some sort of hero, but write him down as the war monger he is and the devastation he and his administration left behind. The truth will come out, proof that the president deceived America, and all the lies of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney Ronald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice will lay before future generations as the one of the saddest times in our history and with hope for no repeats of the same.
I have not been able to really concentrate on who I want to see as our next American Leader, I have been far too enthralled on the idea that Bush will be out soon.
At this point I don't care if it's a Democrat or Republican or some trained monkey replacing him (which would be an improvement)...I just can't wait until he's out of office.

There will never be a time in US history that will be more historic than when Bush leaves office. May the bells of freedom once again sound across this great nation? May we once again be proud to be Americans? My one wish is for the people who have caused us these troubled times come to know true freedom from Tierney and Oppression. Once again America will have risen from pain and sorrow to become strong once more. May your god, or goddess, bless you, and the American Way in which we truly live -Find Freedom in the rights of all conscious beings.

Judith, A Hero of Sorts!

2008-04-30T01:19:00.000-07:00

Judith, A Different Kind of Hero - In a Different Kind of World we live in today!

I want to tell you about a woman I have come to know here in Canada. Her name is Jude, I will leave out her last name. Jude had a real upbeat personality, but she is larger than life when it comes to showing you how grand life is, not that she lives a too grand life, rather she just lives a easy going, outstanding life.

At the core of her existence, Jude has her family. Three boys and one daughter, and this lady could not be more proud her kids. They grew up, according to Jude just turning out to be great people, she acts as though she had very little to do with it. She has 3 sons, all doing separate things, but succeeding well on their way in life and one daughter who is away at University.

Jude goes to work everyday with her husband Scot and heads home with him every night. Let me tell you people, it is not easy for people to always work together, live together and be married all at the same time, but Jude does it and she does it well. Like I mention, she has a lot of heart and soul in her family, they are the biggest part of her life.

Oh Jude like other women has her outside hobbies! One year she was making crystal bracelets, I have to admit they were very lovely, I own several. Then Jude got into selling Mary Kay products, this woman is a damn fine salesperson, I still have samples of bath oil and facial products that I have not used, but I bought them, because Jude could sell oil back to the oil companies, she is real personality.

I admire Jude as a woman, she is politically correct when the rest of us are just running our mouth or not caring about what comes out of our verbiage. Some days when you are talking with Jude, you can tell she is thinking faster than her lips are moving, this woman is always thinking, always working on bettering herself, from some new small diet she heard about, studying a new language, or just getting a few sunrays in the summers by attending one of her son’s baseballs games! I can’t say Jude was ever crazy about attending those games or sitting in the hot Vancouver sun in the summer to watch the games, but Jude was there supporting her boys, this lady loves her kids a great deal, ,she is what you would call a devoted parent. We don’t see a lot of that these days, so it is nice to be able to point it out.

One year, not that long ago, Jude’s 3 oldest child went to Africa, to make his mark on Mother Earth, to help the people out who live in this improvised country. Jude worried every day that he was gone, but she was so proud his achievememts on taking on a trip such as this one, to help out others. Or to read the pride in Jude’s words when she talks about her oldest son, his long term relationship with his same lady since late in school. She speaks of her second oldest, he excels in academic work, or how hard it was to see her only daughter, her baby go away to college. Sure Jude is looking forward to spending some quality time with her husband Scot and their get always, no matter what Jude does in life for herself or her family, she does it with a touch of class, one that most are in awe of, but never have I felt that Jude is putting on an air of superiority , Jude just is Jude, a lady, a good citizen, a person that cares about this earth and the people the dwell in it.

Recently Jude lost her father, a well known operatic singer in Alberta Canada. Jude was there with her Mom, sister, supporting her father in his last weeks. Jude was there until the very end. What a blessing she is to her Mother. Her father lost his battle with cancer, but he leaves behind a daughter like Jude, a daughter that has made him proud to be a father, leaving a legacy in grandchildren that Jude brought into the world that are all different in personality, but very close when it comes to be a family. Jude claims she does not know how her kids turned out so well, but I can answer that for her, our kids do as we do, and what Jude did for her family, was show pride, social graces, and a eye for perfection in everyday little things, like how to articulate, speak well and above all, spell words correctly, one of her pet peeves.

Jude is a Totally Modern Millie, she reminds me in so many ways of the actress Shirley McClain. She is up on people’s rights, she believes in mankind, thinking the world is basically a good place and that no person should go without being treated equal. If you ever debate with Jude on society, you will find she makes many the fine points on how life would be improved for all and why we all should be treated equal. She works everyday, she attends social outings, dinners, time away with her husband or in the not too distant past would laugh and share how many kids were hanging out her house, watching movies. Good kids sharing fun times with a good family, Jude’s family. It seemed kids were always welcome in Jude’s home and I know that has not changed in the least.

Jude is from Canada, but she reminds me of the women in Steel Magnolias, a sort of southern woman, deeply feeling, but born and living in Canada instead!!!!! I guess if we looked really deep, we could find a bit of that southern charm in all women all over the world.

Honestly in the world we live in today, it is not always easy to find good people, but I know one that lives out in BC, one that would never take the credit for the person I have come to know her to be. Kind, helpful, caring, understanding, patient, and loving are some of the words that come to mind when asked to list the qualities of a good person. One usually knows a person is good by what they do, such as performing thoughtful deeds. Jude you know is real, cause she is never acting on being someone other than who you see!

I guess to sum it all up, Jude asked me one afternoon shortly after her Father died, did I want to see a picture of her husband and grown children. She remarked with pride “ Don’t my boys look good dressed up in suits?” And all I could think to myself was, Jude you are a super Mom, the very fact that all of your grown children took time out from their busy lives to attend your father’s funeral, speaks volumes to me, volumes about what a good family you have and girl it is time you stood up, took a bow and say, “Yeah, I guess I did have a hand in how they turned out and they tuned out just fine” Least, but last to be said, you and Scot of course did a good job, you two are a good team, good parents, a good fit! ! ! ! !

I am Viesta and I am out! ! !

2008-04-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

Conspiracy Theory or Conspiracy Nut?
by Viesta Morrison

When I was a kid, a million years ago, I can remember sitting in my elementary catholic school class, they announced over the loud speaker that our President JFK had just been shot in downtown Dallas; we needed to bow our head in prayer. Of course, by the time I was 14, I had long stopped praying and had started looking for answers to questions that did not seem to get answered! I wondered, were the adults that spoke about rumors just gossiping, or was John Kennedy actually murdered, was he out of control with his affairs with other women, did the CIA decide enough was too much, and they were in fact on that grassy knoll that day in Dallas. No one ever proved this theory of course, so it will forever be running amuck in the rumor mill!

But there have been other questions I have asked over the years as I got older. I found it just too convenient that Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison all died within months of one another. Not wanting it to be what I was reading and hearing at the time, I once again turned to what the underground of the time was saying.

That our government, the USA had taken them out, a small group of vocal youth of the times, in fact, my heroes! Those of us who remember the late 1960s and early 1970s well know that the period was marked by more than the Vietnam War, peace protests, and the rock and drug culture (although the last phenomenon listed partially contributed to the trend I am about to discuss). For those of us who were in adolescence it was our introduction to the shock of seeing celebrities we had grown to love, emulate, or simply had grown up with suddenly topple over one by one like a gruesome row of dominoes.

My personal hero was Janis, I could not listen to her music enough. I heard her voice and I was there, standing beside her on the beaches of Padre Island Texas, wanting to escape, pack up and be free. Her voice gave me a freedom I had never felt before, I believed and felt in every word she sang. For me that summer came and began fading to autumn.

Like two shots echoing in the night Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin were no more, their music and voices stilled, leaving their brief legacy behind in short stacks of vinyl and a few reels of film.

Then 1971 came and crawled slowly along in the manner that years tend to pass for the very young. I was out with friends every night, enjoying the beach, the long days of surfing, yeah, even the drugs we did, the generation that had so much to live for and so little time to live it. The noise of graduation parties and post-graduation parties filled the air, competing with the sound of private fireworks displays. Not long after, like a disturbing flash of de ja vu, the news was reported: Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, was found dead in a bathtub by his girlfriend -- a drug overdose victim (friends insist it was a heart attack) at the incredibly young age of 27. Morrison, originally a poet before being persuaded to join his famed rock band, was the most prolific of the three rock superstars who had died in the space of only ten months. I was in shock, I was really depressed. I did not know these people in person, yet they were with me every day in my head.

So again, a new conspiracy theory grew in my mind and one that became aware of and lived everyday, I would grow to understand, I would not put anything pass my own American Government. People asked me with stern discontent, when I asked. Was it possible the government killed Jim Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin ? And if so, why? I think the government had files on them just like they had on John Lennon.

It has never been news that the Government of the US is paranoid, even as paranoid as the very people they marked as being insane. It was said that Jim, Jimi and Janis all belong to a new group that has sprung up in the late 60s, a new political power that wanted to be more open, a form a new government.

During the 1960’s and into the early 70’s there was a change sweeping the nation and indeed the world. This change was both musical and cultural. People were protesting for equal civil rights, the women’s movement was taking hold and the musicians were advocating for a more peaceful and equal world. Among the musical icons of this time were Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison.

So influential and controversial was there music that their mysterious deaths all at the age of 27 are surrounded by conspiracy theories. One of these theories is that all three were killed by the CIA and FBI because of there connections and support of the New Left movement that was taking hold. So influential were these three artists that countless books have been written about them, nearly all of them making mention to the inconsistencies in their early deaths.

One book specifically outlining the theory that they were all killed by U.S. government agencies called The Covert War against Rock. The following sites explore the various conspiracies regarding these three rock and roll icons both in support of them and contradicting them.

So as rock & roll artist could have been taken out by our government, whose to say our same government could not have created 9/11, how do we know it is just not a lot of hype, propaganda? I have asked a lot of questions in the 6 plus years since it all happen. I get a lot of the same questions answered the same.

In the weeks before 9/11, the U.S. received warnings from all over the world that an event just like this was about to happen, but FBI investigations into suspected terrorists were suppressed and those warnings were deliberately disregarded.

The twin towers could not have collapsed as a result of burning jet fuel. Most of that fuel was consumed on impact. In the south tower, most of the fuel was spilled outside the building. Heat caused by burning jet fuel does not reach temperatures needed to melt steel. What does stand out as particularly suspicious and still unexplained is that fires raged out of control beneath THREE of the collapsed towers for ONE HUNDRED DAYS, clearly indicating the presence of some kind of substance utilized in the demolition of the structures. FBI Director Robert Mueller insisted officials had no idea this kind of attack could happen when in fact the FBI had been investigating the possibility of EXACTLY this kind of attack for almost TEN YEARS. Numerous previous attempts at using planes as weapons, intimate knowledge of terror plans called Project Bojinka, and knowledge of suspicious characters attending flight schools who were being monitored by the FBI make his utterance a clear lie on its face.

Consider just a few more of the other unanswered questions from among the thousands of unexplained loose ends that all point to 9/11 being an inside job.

Who benefited from the suspiciously high numbers of put options purchased prior to September 11 for shares in companies whose stock prices subsequently plummeted, on the supposition that whoever was behind the hijacking was also behind most of the purchases of these put options? And what was the role of the new executive director of the CIA, Buzzy Krongard, who handled these transactions?

Why was the debris from the collapsed Twin Towers removed from the site with no forensic examination? Why was almost all of it sold to scrap merchants and shipped abroad where it would not be available for scientific examination?

Why does the government refuse to release any transcripts of communications or any records at all relating to signals of any form transmitted by those jets?

Why did so many people, from San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to many employees of companies in the World Trade Center who failed to come to work that day, know in advance that something bad was going to happen on Sept. 11, 2001?

Why do all the major U.S. media continue to act as if none of these questions is legitimate or relevant?

Today, millions of people around the world are protesting the criminal destruction of the nation of Iraq. But these protests won't change the number of minds necessary to stop America's criminal madmen from continuing with their genocide aim of enslaving the entire world.

What WILL stop them is spreading the realization that President George W. Bush and his billionaire accomplices in the oil industry perpetrated 9/11 as an excuse to begin the militarization of America for the purpose of world conquest. By telling the truth when the history is written, not the way they want us to believe their version of lies. To make sure that people who want to be seen as heroes, are in fact seen as the villains they are. Do not allow history to be written of how everyone wanted us taken down for they were jealous of our freedom, when in fact it was the USA that hungered for more power, more oil resources and just more.

Would I put anything pass my government in the USA? Not for a one bent second!

I am Viesta, I am out

How TO Create a Hero!

2008-04-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

How Do We Create a Hero-much less a superhero today?
I wanted to be a superhero when I grew up!!! I look down now at the paunch I carry where my once slim stomach was and wonder, what happen to the kid in me that wanted to be a hero when I grew up. My eyes peeled like grapes when I would watch, (cough inserted) the 1950 something episodes of the Superman. I would envision myself saving all kids from having to do homework on the weekends, or from having a bedtime at anytime. My list was endless on how I would make my life and all lives of all kids everywhere better. I wanted swoop down on villains and render them paralyzed, of course when I was daydreaming about being doing in bad guys, my own Mother topped the list in my eyes. But what did I know then, I was a kid and Mom; well she was just being a Mom. I read comic books, Saturday Morning cartoons, Disney, Yeah, even Batman and Robin

All the cartoons I see on television today as per heroes, are animated Japanese art. I can’t grasp a hero of a cartoon from Japan when all I can remember was Godzilla coming at me and stomping me to smithereens, leaving nothing but total destruction in his path.
I know real heroes are not made; they are created, invented and supersized by society. Or are they? There are so many heroes in every walk of life that we never take the time to commend or identify. You know the ones I speak of, the lady at the airport who chases you down because you left your travel ticket on the counter when you made out your baggage claim. Or how about the young man that works in the produce department where you shop, as you clamour passing by, he ask if you need any help finding anything. (You may say to yourself, that is the kid’s job?) Don’t be fooled, you are lucky if you walk into any sort of store these days and a younger person offers to help you. Yes, I know in reading my grumpier manner, you can age identify me. I don’t care, I am older, but I have discovered so much about human nature along these life’s travels. There are so many heroes in life that we never give credence to. That teacher that you have long forgotten about that opened up new doors of your mind over 20 years ago. And you know to this day, that teacher was doing more than a job, that person loved teaching children. Or what about that man that took a chance on you, giving you your first job when you were a teen just starting out in the work place? When I was growing up, we had heroes; we had self made heroes, like Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Mohandas Gandhi, just to name a few. All have gone down in history, for doing their part in making a better life for mankind everywhere. I can look to those people in the past, I can see history the way it was written, the way I lived it, I can see the amazing steps we have made. I can read Maya Angelou works again and again, I see a hero. Her poetry inspires me as a woman. Pick up a few of her works sometime, read for yourself, her book, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” Then there are women like Harriet Tubman, the granddaughter of an African, was born into slavery around 1820 in Dorchester County, Md. As a child, she suffered repeated whippings. At age 12, she tried to help a slave who had attempted an escape. In retaliation, a white overseer beat her with a 2-pound lead weight, causing a serious head injury. For the rest of her life, she suffered from brief blackouts.
At age 25, she married John Tubman, a free African American. Five years later, fearing she would be "sold south," she made her escape. White "conductors" on the Underground Railroad -- a secret network of safe houses -- moved Tubman by horse and wagon, covered from head to toe in a sack, from one home to another, until she safely reached Philadelphia.
It's what she did afterward that is so astonishing. She could have remained in the North, working for the abolitionist movement. Instead, she returned to the South 19 more times, rescuing members of her family, as well as 300 other slaves, for which she earned the nickname, "Moses of her people."

Yet I can step on a turn, look out over the sea of youth today and ask, where have all the heroes gone? Are they in the Nintendos or Wiis that our kids warp their minds with? At least that is in part, how I see it. Heroes are a unique group of people. They are people that stand up to bullies when they are found to be picking on the weaker kids out on the play ground. But I look around and I can’t find any playground heroes anymore. Kids today are better off when it comes to sports, technology, and school work. The world is before them at the touch of a few swipes on a keyboard, walla, instant words gleam before them on the internet. Young people of today, come across as being bolder, more daring, yes, even less intelligent when it comes to standards, manners and morals. They have no fear of anything, but on the other than, they appear to have no need for heroes. I see no level of quality or excellence attained by kids of today. I am not down on a generation of today as a whole, I still hold dear those moments when the young person ask me if I need anything, or even chases me down to return something I mislaid, that is a earnest hero in my book. But they are so far and few between.
I can’t say our boys fighting in Iraq are real heroes, because I have never understood why they were sent there or what faction their action being there has subdued or served. I am not even sure what portions of freedom we are serving to the country of Iraq one moment to the next, so that is a lost cause for heroes, in my opinion.
I know heroes have to exist out here somewhere for the younger and much younger generation coming up, I just am not sure what moral fibre these heroes will consist of. What has gone wrong? Where are the true heroes, the ones we trusted as children? The moral-minded man who stood for his beliefs when all were against him, or the ethical woman who refused to cheat despite the considerable gain it offered her?
And as for moral heroes, well they are just gone. Today's heroes are about talent or good looks, not principles but for the sake of the mighty dollar. Look to your sports for a kid’s hero, there are none, they all have a huge price tag attached and they care very little about the kids that want to look up to them!
So just how do we create a hero, much less a superhero for kids today? Easy by bringing back imagination. Have your kids put down those game boys, turn off the boob tube, enforce a new scope for the outdoors. Go outside, breath in some real outdoor air. Play with your kids, created games that use and spark imagination in your kids. Hell, get the kids on the block to come over and get involved. Try an old game of hind-go-seek. Sit on the green grass on a summer’s evening and tell your kids stories, stories that you make up as you go along. Lay on a blanket with your kids in the backyard, looking up in the stars, take turns pointing to a star, giving that star a name and encourage your kid to tell a story about that same star. Talk to your kids in the evening, tell them what it was like when you were a kid, the things you did for fun, what it was like when you grew up. Get them to talk about what is going on in their life, their feelings, their ups, the downs. And before you know it Mom and Dad, you have helped your kids to create heroes of today, YOU, you become their first hero, the very hero they know they can rely on each step of the way; for life! ! ! ! !

Today, My Mood Today!

2008-03-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

Janis Joplin sings it best..

"Summertime"

Summertime, time, time,
Child, the living’s easy.
Fish are jumping out
And the cotton, Lord,
Cotton’s high, Lord, so high.

Your daddy’s rich
And your ma is so good-looking, baby.
She’s looking good now,
Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby,
No, no, no, no, don’t you cry.
Don’t you cry!

One of these mornings
You’re gonna rise, rise up singing,
You’re gonna spread your wings,
Child, and take, take to the sky,
Lord, the sky.

But until that morning
Honey, n-n-nothing’s going to harm you now,
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
Don’t you cry,
Cry.

Heroes, Soul Mates and Moments!

2008-03-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

I don’t know where I am going to start this, or what the body of what I have to say will be, or the outcome. I don’t, I can’t make anyone other than myself think, really THINK!

Over the last year I have changed, I am not sure what defining event took place that helped me to change, but there is a difference nonetheless. I know in part, some of the change came with the death of my 17 year old neighbour Taylor, he passed away last Spring, it stunned me. But then again, it is hard to watch a child grow up before you, change from a boy to a young man, then see the horrid things life can bring that same child’s way, then he is gone. His life ended, as with any young person, all too soon, all too sudden and without so much as a moment to say good bye, or ask where he was going or what he was thinking. All I know is Taylor is gone, I am left with the friendship of his parents Kim and Mike (who by the way are wonderful people) and I am left with that one more reminder, none of us get, I mean really come to terms with, Life is fragile and it happens in moments.... and then what.
So over the last year, I made, no, I mean, I really pulled my head out to make myself sits standards that I use to abuse with such ease. I started to think with girth on being positive. Taking those old adages and applying them to my own being. You know the ones I speak of? The ones that apply to us but we leave them like common words by the wayside. Sayings like, “No matter how bad I have it, I know there is always someone out there that has it just that much worse” Damn is that every true, no matter who we are or what phase of life we are in, there is always room for positive change. I like that, my husband Mike uses that phrase a lot these days, “Phases”, we all seem to go through so many, so many stages, and with each we are a different person at every turn. There is a lot of wisdom in that husband of mine, more then he ever gives himself credit for. So, therein brings me to my subject, heroes, soul mates, and star crossed lovers.
Who are they in our life? Are we allowed to proclaim more than one in a lifetime? Or is there just that one person who stands out in our lifetime that means everything to our one small equated life? That’s what the last year has done for me, since Taylor’s passing, since I found myself feeling sorry for me and me alone. Sorry for what you might ask? Does it matter? It could be my RA or the pain of missing my children so much or so often, or my missing Mike when he has to be away, but those are excuses in reality. We feel sorry for our self at any given time for we do feel justified, due to a sense of entitlement. But it is when we have taken that sense of being in a state of pity or piety for far too long that we need to examine what it is that is making us feel *sorry* for our self and look to the heroes in life.
I don’t have just one hero, or one star crossed lover or even just one soul mate. I know in my heart, that I have many many many ..... I take these brain breaks every once in a while to think about all the people who come into my life everyday life and over the years.
I find Heroes in my moments, like when when my sister sends me that one small present at Christmas with the card that reads, I love you baby sister and think of you often. My sister otherwise, never acknowledges her siblings any other time of the year, but it is that one moment when I get that card, read those words, that Patricia becomes my hero for that moment. Are you with me so far people? Yes, I have many orgasmic moments! I get a surge when I see a Dave standing in front of a stove making breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, for family members he hardly knows but has welcomed into his home for a summer vacation. Or I see how that same Dave was just working on top of a roof, replacing shingles with his step son, Wade and brother in law Roger, for in laws that he never has to tell over and over again how much he loves them, he shows it in volumes by his standards in life and the amazing everyday feats that heroes like himself, Roger the brother in law and Wade the nephew do all the time for family without questioning why they are doing it, they just do. Or you hear Wade say, “Oh people can move out west if that is what they want, to get jobs, but I don’t care cause I would rather be a little poor than missing my family all the time” These men, these people become my heroes in these little earthquakes of moments in my life. I can feel like Scarlet in Gone With the Wind, when I hear a deep voiced Bruce say, “Come on in, my house is your house. If you need to make a phone call there is the phone, there is food in the fridge, make yourself comfortable in the back bed room and relax” Or I hear the same Bruce say “ Lin and I are going to the Dominican” he just loves it down there and adores getting away with Lin. Oh, Oh these little moments. They are what create days in a maze of me thinking, remembering. Star crossed lovers; they come in so many forms and meanings. I see Debbie move like a tornado through a house that belongs to her parents, she is all fussy and twirperpated about making things better for them, more comfortable, just easier for them as they get older. I look at Debbie and sense what she must see between her parents, all the years, all the children, all the ups, the downs, the love. I see Debbie ask her Mom with concern, are you okay Mom, be it Shirley’s leg that may be bothering her or Deb just checking in with her Mom’s emotions. You come home for a holiday, to see decorations placed with such loving hands, small lights twinkling by a window sill, all prepared for your coming, your visit for a Christmas, moments that make me shine forever in my heart. You hear the eager voice of a child in Debbie when she speaks with pride of her son Wade, her grandchildren, her planned trips with them, when she gets them all to herself. Or even the look on Debbie’s face when stands up, to ask her Dave where is he going, and when will he come back. The answer is not half as important as the concern with love in her voice when she is asking. You don’t have to hear a lot of “I love you” between two people to really feel it, it just is, existing there like a peaceful stream, always flowing, wet with desire and sparking, sunny, Mmmmmmmmmm Star crossed moments, there are so many of them, yet we never take the time to say “Thanks” for what they do, but they do need to know they are so appreciated, so admired, heroic in my eyes.
Or what can I tell you about my hours, minutes, feeling in touch with my soul, her soul, of a Lin, who opens her doors to you, invites you in for a stay, sitting about her table, just chatting away, in her eyes there is such wisdom, such a mighty heart for all the world, the woman does not have a crass bone in her body when it comes to other humans, or human rights, or how people should be treated with equality. She makes you feel the soul mate within, the kindred spirit. Lin who has a very wise soul, who thinks a great deal about the world and how it is has come to be in the shape it is in. Lin, whose laughter and humor could carry you away over Nova Scotia’s mountain tops. Think I am exasperating my feelings or words? Spend an afternoon with Lin, feel what I have felt, see the love that comes from this woman, for her family, her parents, her Michele, her days. Lin can shine on you with a smile, letting you in for a moment, on how much she appreciates life. Lin can be ecstatic with a little trip to a second hand store, but it is in the adventure she took to get there and the booty she shows you with such pride that she purchased. Lin is ease, she is the inhalation of a warm breath, she is comfort, the concept of an afternoon on a porch swing with a glass of wisdom and a counterpart for any conversation that one might enter into. Lin, who makes you think after you have conversed with her, brings new moments and thoughts to my being. Lin who speaks of generations of her family, her children, her grands. She has a kind word for every person she talks about, a reason, a bit of humour. She is special, a one of a kind lady, Lin is always bright, like summer days.
There is the Wendy Lady, who I have come to know over the last few months, who I celebrated a holiday with, a sleigh ride, dinners out, conversations over the phone, we both run into a gush of words to share thoughts, blessings, new beginnings, we often say, “How come we never gave each other the chance to know each other before”, then laugh. She is a brave hero in my eyes, she moved out here to start a new life with her husband, for work, for the future, for a new stage in life... and she is love, she speaks of her own kids with honesty, pride and hopes for their life, as it begins... Wendy is strong while taking on change everyday, making everyday something new, for herself, for those around. Wendy is a Sunday Morning, at home, baked goods scenting the air and an earnest invitation with love attached.

There is my Michael, who came into my life when I least expected happiness to search me out. He is that morning sunrise over the ocean, and the evening sunset over my mountains. He is my life support when I think I am at the end of my ropes and that urge when I need a hand up over the cliff that I fell off of. Michael is my worry lines when I am not sure of what life is bringing me and my smile when it all comes together. He is my every moment of my life, soul mate, my true better half! He is that orgasmic notion I had as a young girl and thrive with deep inside when I see him first thing at the start of my day. Michael is me, finishing my sentences, laughter from deep inside, he is the echo in my soul and the footsteps of where his Father Joe ends and Michael continues to walk.....
My children each know what they mean to me, I have made sure of that, I remind them and thank them everyday for being my heros, my best friends, my ups and downs. Tiphani is my care bear, Sarha my shadow, Colleen my very best friend in life, my son William becoming the man I would hope every man could aspire to be.
I am blessed with Life, Living, Love, Hope, Soul Mates and Everyday Heroes!!!!
Metaphor