As some of you may know, I publish articles about a range of things on a Forum called Hub Pages. I have, as of January first undertaken the 30 Hubs in 30 days Hub Challenge. Basically I have to write at least one article a day for the next month, I can take a day or two break but the 30/30 is the goal.
I will be writing on a host of subjects including “Big Boy Toys”, ‘on line’ money making opportunities (and scams), and continuing publication of The Cupboard Drawer Recipe Book. I will be updating my progress on this post weekly, but if you’d like to follow my progress you can receive email notification of new articles by signing up as a follower by following the any of the links in the widget, going to my profile and click on the “follow hmrjmr1” link.
If you get the writing bug you can sign up for Hub Pages as well, and join the over 120,000 writers. There is no cost to join; and who knows you may be able to establish some extra income. It is not a get rich quick scheme, It is an earn some income with a lot of hard work plan, that takes time to pay off. But is a great way to have your work read by thousands of people around the world (I already have over 200 followers in 65 counties and all 50 states). I will of course continue to post relevant content here but as I prefer to do original content on each site, I will not be doing as much repetition here as I have in the past.
Either way, I hope you’ll enjoy the posts and that each and all of you have a grand and Happy New Year!
As we finish up 2009 and face a coming year of a tough fight with the Terrorists. I though it might be a good idea to post up this reminder and a call to action for those who can (it’s not as hard to help as you might think)
Here is a video reminder of what the Global War on Terror is all about. Please take a moment and listen to this video lets before reading further
2009 was a difficult year in the Afghanistan Theater of Operations. The Taliban and Al Queada have made some gains, particularly in the first part of the year. The situation was bad enough to warrant President Obama replacing the Commander; he did so and sent over 20,000 reinforcements immediately. This helped stabilize things but did not reverse many of the gains made by the Taliban.
This does not speak ill of the US and NATO military, there were not enough assets on hand to prevent this. The regrouping of the Taliban and Al Queada was allowed both by our failure to prevent their retreat years earlier, and Pakistan’s willingness to harbor them in the tribal areas of their country. Both were significant errors and history will record them as such.
The Pakistanis are to a degree seeing the elements of their error though many there are trying to separate the Taliban’s of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is a fools error. The Taliban in Afghanistan persecuted their own people, through unrelenting sahira law, the atrocities on their women and children are well documented as are the more recent ones of the Pakistani Taliban. The blowing up of schools, whipping women in public, the suicide bombings throughout Pakistan, bear witness to the common brutality of all three organizations. They are no more or less evil and dangerous as the Nazis were. They are the same abomination wrapped in a false cloak of Islam.
We failed to stop the Nazi’s in the 1930’s when they could have been, we cannot afford to repeat this error in a Nuclear Age. They will not be limited to Afghanistan, Pakistan, or the other countries mentioned if they are successful. As an Old Soldier I understand this, and it is no surprise that our soldiers understand this as well. Not just the Officers, but PFC’s, SGT’s, and Civilian Contractors and DOD Civilian Employees all understand it as well. They are proud to be there at this time in history, making a difference by fighting this evil.
So here we are rolling in to 2010. Gen McChrystal asked for 40,000 more troops and between the US and our NATO Allies he will have them. We were recently reminded on Christmas Day that Al Queada is a determined Enemy and their reach in Yemen and throughout the northern countries in Africa, from Somalia to Nigeria to Egypt, Libya, Chad, and others. The war is not over yet and it is not confined to Afghanistan or Iraq. They continue to provide support and training to elements in the Philippines, Siri Lanka, and Malaysia as well.
We have had some recent successes in Yemen, and Pakistan, and challenges continue in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Now is the time America! This time in History we must continue with these operations and support these efforts. We must lay politics aside and be once a gain a United States of America, and when we roll on target we gotta roll in Jammin! We gotta a Roll in hot!
Here is your chance to make a difference! click the link above and email the POC at the bottom of the story and adopt one of our 3rd ID Heroes. Don’t wast any time do it now!
God Bless you and God Bless America!
As always, I hope this finds each of you and all of you in good health and cheer. Before I go on, a reminder, Today 4 Dec 2009 is the Priority and First Class Mail Deadline for stuff to reach the troops by Christmas.
Army Infantry Mom is a friend of mine on Hub Pages. She has a son in the Army that recently returned from Afghanistan, and is a real force for good on supporting our troops through her blogs and articles. I’ve put a link to one of her more recent posts on Hub Pages as she has done some thorough research on troop support organizations and she is a far better writer than I so, please follow the link below. I just wanted to add to that that it is never to late to show your support for these proud men and women serving us. So please give what you can be it a little or a lot, you will feel good and I can unequivocally guarantee that you will bring a smile.
Here is another site you may find of interest, It’s hosted by Xerox Corp and is a way to send a Thank You Card for free to a troop. You don’t pick who it goes to but whoever gets it will be certain to appreciate the sentiments. Take a minute (that’s truly all it takes) and send one now. GBY
A great new service has begun for our guys serving in Afghanistan. Hooah Mail is a program that originated with the British Armed Forces and was picked up by the Marines in 2004. It was recently contracted for the Army by the Military Postal Service (MPS) and is now available for most of our troops in Afghanistan; with more coming on line.
This is not an ‘Any Soldier’ service, you must register with the site, and mail can only be posted to an individual in a unit. So it is strictly for family and friends of service members deployed. It’s not an e-mail service either. You can think of it as electronically transported mail, your soldier will be delivered a sealed piece of mail, and the electronic system uses the same security as banks and financial institutions.
The site instructions are easy to follow, I would recommend that you compose your letter on a word processing document first and then cut and paste it into the form once you pull it up. The site has a 30 minute time out limit so if you are writing a long letter or you like to take your time composing your words. You could time out and lose your work. You might want to cruise through the FAQ before you write your first letter as the questions are right to the point and the answers easy to follow.
So follow the link and send your Huney, Son, Daughter, Mom, Dad, or Friend a Big Man Hug from Hammer Jammer 1! Hoooah!!
Recent events here in the US have led me to put this advice here in this format. Military families over seas are reminded on AFN that they must be aware of their surroundings and prepared to act when things don’t look right. The fact is that military families are a valued target of terrorists and setting all that and what it entails aside, while you could live in the cocoon of staying ‘On-Post’ most do not choose to and many work in surrounding communities here in the states. Some of those situational awareness tips included:
1. Do not keep to a routine; Vary your routes of travel to and from work and the times by 15-30 minutes. Do not make regular stops on the way to or from work.
2. Note and report vehicles that appear to be following you. Note the make and color of vehicles you see behind you both in the morning and afternoon. IF the same one pops up pay attention to details like the driver and license number if you can. Then report it to Military Police.
3. Note and report vehicles that are occupied and sitting in places they can observe the gates or fence line on Post. Especially if they are talking Pictures.
4. Stay out of dark places when you are alone. Most kidnappings, robberies and rapes are targets of opportunity as opposed to planned assaults.
5. Personal Defense: I only recommend arming ones self with lethal weapons to those who can regularly practice the use and get training before licensing. For most Military Families this is not practical in the States and certainly not overseas.
6. There are some personal defense items that may well be practical to carry and use in an emergency. Some of the better ones are in the widget below, but I again caution you that you must practice the ‘immediate action’ use of these regularly. Just putting it in your purse among all the other stuff will not do when you need it. If you fail to use it properly it could well be used against you, so weigh these options very carefully.
The Active Shooter Scenario –
You’re in the Mall, or your insurance office, or your stock brokers and suddenly you hear gunshots, The shots are close! What do you do? Where do I go? How do I get to Safety? Here are Homeland Security Guidelines on how to respond to an active shooter situation. The key element is to make an immediate assessment and follow a plan. In these times of terrorism, disgruntled employees, and sick individuals, along with plain old criminals it is wise to take a moment, read this article, and then as you travel and do chores, go to the mall, enter any confined space, take a couple seconds to make a quick plan for emergency exits. If you practice this it soon becomes routine and you will find that you always have a plan at hand.
Folks in Europe Africa and the Middle East have been dealing with this for even longer than we have here with the IRA in the 70’s and 80’s, the Bader Meinhoff Gang in the 80’s, and the Arab Israeli conflict since 1947 . The actions listed below have worked and saved lives, The key is have a plan, stay as calm as you can, and if you are in immanent danger, then fight like your life depends on it because it does.
HOW TO RESPOND
QUICKLY DETERMINE THE MOST REASONABLE WAY TO PROTECT YOUR OWN LIFE.
CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS ARE LIKELY TO FOLLOW THE LEAD OF EMPLOYEES AND MANAGERS DURING AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION.
Contact your building management or human resources department
for more information and training on active shooter response in your workplace.
WHEN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER IS IN YOUR VICINITY
HOW TO RESPOND
1. EVACUATE
• Have an escape route and plan in
mind
• Leave your belongings behind
• Keep your hands visible
2. HIDE OUT
• Hide in an area out of the active
shooter’s view.
• Block entry to your hiding place
and lock the doors
3. TAKE ACTION
• As a last resort and only when
your life is in imminent danger.
• Attempt to incapacitate the active
shooter
• Act with physical aggression and
throw items at the active shooter
WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES ON THE SCENE
1. HOW YOU SHOULD REACT WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES:
• Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions
• Immediately raise hands and spread fingers
• Keep hands visible at all times
• Avoid making quick movements toward officers such as
attempting to hold on to them for safety
• Avoid pointing, screaming and/or yelling
• Do not stop to ask officers for help or direction when
evacuating, just proceed in the direction from which
officers are entering the premises
CALL 911 WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO
2. INFORMATION YOU SHOULD PROVIDE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OR 911 OPERATOR:
• Location of the active shooter
• Number of shooters, if more than one
• Physical description of shooter/s
• Number and type of weapons held
by the shooter/s
• Number of potential victims at the location
RECOGNIZING SIGNS
OF POTENTIAL WORKPLACE VIOLENCE
AN ACTIVE SHOOTER MAY BE A CURRENT OR FORMER EMPLOYEE. ALERT YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT IF YOU BELIEVE AN EMPLOYEE EXHIBITS POTENTIALLY VIOLENT BEHAVIOR. INDICATORS OF
POTENTIALLY VIOLENT BEHAVIOR MAY INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING:
• Increased use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs
• Unexplained increase in absenteeism, and/or vague physical complaints
• Depression/Withdrawal
• Increased severe mood swings, and noticeably unstable or emotional responses
• Increasingly talks of problems at home
• Increase in unsolicited comments about violence, firearms, and other dangerous weapons and violent crimes
In the Military we always said “Failure to plan is planning to fail”. The above actions do work, they soon become second nature if you practice developing the plan everywhere you go and reconfirming it every time you go back.
Cyber Monday Shop for your Troopies Remember Friday Dec 4th is the Deadline for Priority Mail to Afghanistan/Iraq
Here are some great Karaoke Download Deals
Brigade Quartermasters is a great provider for stuff your troops can use.
Second Spin is a cost effective way to load your troop up on movies and games.
During the Holiday times (especially now between the mailing deadlines and early shopping) it is often times hard for you Warrior Princesses to keep the children focused and busy while you are doing some of the ‘Adult’ Chores, like wrapping presents. Here are some ideas for projects that you can easily download and have the kids personalize to send off to your soldier with his box of goodies. This is the kind of stuff that gets hung up in his sleeping area, or work space, and further is brought home and kept for the memories. When it’s personal from you and the kids it is treasured and the love is felt every time you huny lays eyes on it.
For Elementary School Teachers, or Church Group Leaders these are some great projects to use en-masse for Troop Support Ideas during the Holidays as it gets younger Children involved and contributing to sending a personal greeting to those who serve.
I’ve also included ‘Word Plays’ Hub page profile as this writer has many and varied project ideas like this so you might want to become a fan so you can receive emails when a new article is posted.
Good Day! As always, I hope this finds you in good health and cheer and your hubby and his mates doing well on deployment. This segment is full of information that will over a long period of time save you money, and more importantly help prevent those trying times when the car let’s you down.
Some you may have some fear of things mechanical, and that’s all right so long as you don’t let it control you’re actions. Some fear of you car engine is actually a bit helpful. If you keep it as a respect for what can be a dangerous part of the tool at hand. So before I start explaining the maintenance you need to do let me give you some important safety tips.
Do not open the hood of your car while the engine is running. Every engine compartment has at least a few unshielded moving parts, they are traps for jewelry, loose fitting clothes, long hair, and fingers. The result of getting something caught in these moving parts is usually what is referred to by Medical Professions is “Traumatic Amputation” of finger hand or other appendage. What it means in fact is having a finger cut off by and instrument with say the sharpness of a crowbar. Trust me on this one you can not wrap your mind around that sort of pain. Only trained professionals should be working on your engine while it is running.
2. Open the hood of your car only when children are safely in their car seats or buckled up inside the car, or safely in the house. Toddlers and Children under 10 have a tendency to put their hands on things they see then touch their mouths, eyes, or siblings; this can lead to burns on a hot engine, and transferring things like engine oil, or battery acid to whatever they touch. Keep the kids away and keep them safe.
Now that we have that done; here is a list of things that you can do to prolong the life of your car while hubby is away.
Check the oil at least once a month, more often (say every other fuel stop) if the oil is low but not low enough to add any.
Check your tire pressure weekly; don’t forget to check your spare tire too.
Check your windshield wipers at each use. Once they start streaking change them.
Check and add to your windshield washer fluid monthly.
Have the car serviced and oil changed when due. The way you find this information is in your owner’s manual. Usually in Chapter 4.
Keep your car clean, weekly washing at the drive through car wash is probably adequate. Give it a Wax every couple of months or at least when the seasons change. If you want to save some pennies do it in the drive way on a sunny Saturday or Sunday afternoon. This is one where you can get the kids involved and face it with suds, and a hose, the opportunity to have some fun as well.
These five steps can extend the life of your car by tens of thousands of miles; and think of the pride when your hubby gets back and you do one of these tasks out of habit when he’s around.
Now you’re asking yourself, OK how am I supposed to do all that stuff? I don’t know anything about it the engine compartment looks like a bunch of belts and spaghetti to me. Well I have posted a video link here to you tube that gives you the power. It is a series produced by AllState and it covers the territory well. This one is about checking your oil. Watch them all and learn, plus download them to your IPOD or I-phone or Blackberry and keep them with you. Review them just before you try it the first time and once in a while there after till you’re comfortable.
That covers it for today, I hope you are finding this useful and as always I encourage your feedback thru the comments. Tomorrow is the final in this series , Emergency Actions….
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