2004 | The Bull Speaks! - Part 2

Dear Readers,
If you stop by and find an odd layout it is because I’m actively tinkering on the site. I may at times revert back to the default WordPress layout. Keep in mind I’m self-taught and don’t know the “easy way” of doing these things, so I wallow along through the mire known as “Trial & Error”.
Oft times it is the better teacher.

Blessings!
Omar out.  End of Article

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The White House – 2005

One cool January morning in 2005, a man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he’d been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the Marine standing guard and said, “I would like to go in and meet with President Kerry.

The Marine replied, “Sir, Mr. Kerry is not President and doesn’t reside here.

The old man said, “Okay,” and walked away.

The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, “I would like to go in and meet with President Kerry

The Marine again told the man, “Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Kerry is not President and doesn’t reside here.

The man thanked him and again walked away.

The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same Marine, saying “I would like to go in and meet with President Kerry.

The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, “Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Kerry. I’ve told you already that Mr. Kerry is not the President and doesn’t reside here. Don’t you understand?

The old man answered, “Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it.

The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, “See you tomorrow, Sir!.”

Thanks, Pop!
Omar out.  End of Article

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I won’t claim to speak for any group or organization. Nor do I claim to speak for any individual other than myself. However, I believe the time has come for us, the United States of America to end the madness known as the United Nations.

The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of the other 46 signatories. It’s predicessor, the League of Nations, ceased to exist after failing to prevent World War Two.

Today the UN consist today of 191 member nations with permanent missions to the UN from 17 entities and Intergovernmental Organizations, and 1 non-member State: Holy See (Vatican City). Todays UN headquarters sits on 18 acres of some of the most valuable real estate on the planet, located on First Avenue between 42nd Street and 48th Street in New York. The Headquarters consist of four main buildings: the General Assembly building, the Conference Building, the 39-floor Secretariat building, and the Dag Hammarskjold Library. And every square inch of real estate and improvements could be put to better use than it currently serves.

The Preamble of the UN Charter reads as follows:
WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, AND FOR THESE ENDS to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS. Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

I propose to you, Dear Readers, that the UN has, like the League of Nations before it, failed in its root purpose just as it has failed in every endeavor it has so far undertaken. May I remind you that:
~War is still rampant upon the Earth.

~Human rights are still non-existant in many places, and free speech earns you a bullet in the head and a bill for the bullet sent to your relatives, (China: Charter Member of the UN and member of the Security Council.)

~Treaties and International Law, and UN resolutions are routinely dismissed by tyrants the world over, forcing armed confict to resolve the issues. (i.e. Saddam and Iraq, North Korea and Iran concerning nuclear proliferation.)

~Social development and standards of living are stagnant in many member countries and are actually falling rapidly in others. (Sudan sound familiar?)

~Failure to address hunger and disease in the poorer nations other than to point at the United States and tell us to feed and heal them.

~Religious and racial “cleansing” is the order of the day in hot-spots across the globe.

~UN sanctions historically fail to accomplish the intended goals. (Again, may I point out Iraq, North Korea, et al.)

~Failure of UN “Peace Keeping” forces to ever once succeed in a mission. Anywhere. Ever. Currently there are 16 such missions underway. Several of these have been in place for years. (Many of my Dear Readers are too young to have ever heard of the “Peace Keeping” mission to Cyprus in 1964. The UN still has forces there as the root causes of conflict have yet to be resolved by the UN.) I hear many complain of the loss of soldiers in action in Iraq, where a nation will soon vote in a free election. The same people screame at the loss of US soldiers in Afganistan, where democracy has won out and a people have successfully had their election. Yet, as of todays numbers, the UN admits to the loss of 1953 peacekeepers for no gain what-so-ever.
It was recently said, and I wish I could remember the source so to give proper credit, that: “If a person should see the United Nations arrive and say they are there to help, that person would be well advised to leave the country. Failing that, to procure a weapon and ammunition as quickly as possible for their own protection.

~And no matter what is going on, and no matter how long the UN balks, talks, & whines about an issue, if the United States acts then we are condemned as “wrong”. The UN, if allowed to have its way, regularly allows the murder of tens of thousands of innocents rather than take any direct action. It is true: To wear the sky-blue cap is to condone the death of innocents and to brand yourself a coward.

And yet we continue to align ourselves with this organization. An organization that resembles some cartoon version of an in-ept Mofia every day that goes by. Come to think of it, the Mafia probably would do a better job than the UN at dealing with these world problems. At least it would have some internal discipline and accountability, two things that the current UN is sorely lacking. Every day that goes by there is something else hitting the news…. Sexual harassment, financial scandals, firing of whistle-blowers, votes for sale, etc. Where does it end?

Perhaps it should end for us right now.

It’s tough to run down exact numbers, but at last word we, the United States tax-payers, supplied 22% of the UN’s annual budget, as well as allowing it to exist on our soil. And all the while the UN is becoming more and more hostile to the United States as a country, and us her citizens. Perhaps it is time to see to it that since the UN is so opposed to Americans that Americans withdraw from that organization completely. They will then be free to find that 22% elsewhere – and a new home. Something tells me there would be plenty of people and companies lining up for a shot at that land in NYC. Let the UN deal with world hunger and the rampant AIDS epidemic with French, German , and Russian technologies and money for a while.

I, for one, would love to see the faces of the General Assembly as they are being told they have 24 hours to evacuate the building and leave our shores, or face being evicted and deported.
Omar out.  End of Article

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Are you in the market for a new Web Host for your blog?

Well, if you are, quit looking all over the place and talk to Verve!
Finally, I have made a good move! Too often I’ve looked into hosting for a website or blog only to be horribly disappointed by some part of the service or the pricing. But here at Verve I have all that I could ask for, and more. They have a package to fit everyone as well. From the wee starter package like mine to all the space and bandwidth you will ever need – at prices even I could live with. (Lady Beth will tell you, I’m a bit tight with what little money I have.) Best of all, everything is backed by the finest tech support in the industry. Example: Just this morning my blogs graphics went down for no apparent reason. I quickly dropped a support ticket and within 10 minutes I had a reply. Turns out the problem was on my end, (a corrupted file), but Verve’s tech stayed with me until *I* was completely satisfied.
Simply wonderful!

Nope. This is not a paid endorsement. Just a happy customer trying to be heard. Go ahead, try them. You won’t regret it.
Omar out.  End of Article

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This is a follow-up to the Time for Questions post.

This morning I was dozing in my chair following an extremely bad night of pain. Kids were with their grandmother and Lady Beth was at work so I could use more Wiccan “mind tricks” to get some peace and rest without neglecting anyone. (I don’t dare nod off when the children are here. They are good kids, but as a Daddy I’m supposed to be watching over them. And when Lady Beth is home I can’t stand being unable to talk with her. We’re at a year and a half now and I still relish every moment of conversation, every chance to hold her hand.) I was startled back to reality by a ringing phone, and you won’t believe who it was!

I was being called, personally, by the Chief Medical Officer at the Pensacola DoVA Medical Clinic. Turns out that a letter I had sent to Senator Shelby a few days ago had caught the Senator’s eye and he made a couple of phone calls to DoVA people. They, in turn – you know how this goes – called the CMO in Pensacola who called me. (whew!) Anyhoo, the Doctor, (name withheld cuz I forgot to ask permission to use it and he’s not on my crap-list), wanted to check in with me and clear up any concerns I had about my care under the VA Medical System. During our call he pulled up my medical records so that we could discuss the issues in detail. After hearing my concerns he said he was going to call my primary care doctor in Mobile and then call me back.

As you will recall, I had been told that I would have to go to the nearest surviving pain clinic should my pain meds need changing. That pain clinic being a 16 hour round trip drive from here once every month. Totally out of the question for my back. I also wondered why my doctor refused to sign the Social Security Disability forms.

I figured he’d get back to me in a coouple of hours. Wrong! Try 10 minutes.
Not bad, eh?
This guy was the real deal. He had answers to my concerns, assuring me that the trip to Tampa was NOT going to happen as my pain meds would be handled right here in Mobile. He also filled me in on the reason for the cutting of the Pain Clinic in Biloxi. Turns out that there is a shortage of personnel within the system in many fields. One of these is neurology. The doctor in charge of the pain clinic is a neurologist and as such was needed there. Priorities caused that closing. This man, the Chief Medical Officer no less, gave me his phone number in the event that I should have any further difficulties in the future. The man, an Army combat veteran, impressed me.

During our phonecall I also had the opportunity to speak with the CMO of my concerns with the VAMedical System, such as the mistreatment of Veterans by VA Clinic personnel. I gave to him the example of the pharmacy folks at Biloxi. He was not in the least amused and promised me that the matter would be resolved. I was pleased.

Now, while the system worked for me in this case – and the issues I have with certain VA practices and personnel are being looked into – let me tell all my Dear Readers that we must not let up. It seems that the major problem remains, as always, funding from Washington. Contact the President and Vice President. Call or write your Senators and Representatives. Tell all of these elected officials that we Veterans – the people that kept them Free – deserve and demand our fair share of the budget pie.

Oh yeah, it’s nice when your Senator returns your phone call. And he did.

By a Vet for Vets,
Omar out.  End of Article

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I’ve been trying for three hours to contact anyone at Ft. Hood to confirm or deny the story about Spc. Robert Loria who lost a limb in Iraq and was stuck at Ft. Hood for lack of funds to get home. As of this time, 11:48 AM Central, I’ve been unable to get a single living soul on the phone. I did get through to the Public Affairs office, but the answering machine is apparently either full or broken.

I’ll continue until I get something to post. Let me know if any of you out there gets an answer or finds further links to info on the web.

By a Vet for Vets!
Omar out.  End of Article

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Have you heard the joke about a woman who was convicted for drowning her kids getting her conviction overturned because of 19 supposed errors in her trial?


I’m saddened to say that it is no joke.

Andrea Yates‘ murder convictions for drowning her children should be overturned because the state’s expert witness gave false testimony about working on a nonexistent episode of “Law and Order”, her attorneys told a state appeals court Tuesday.

According to an Associated News story, Yates’ attorney Troy McKinney focused on expert witness Park Dietz, who McKinney said “told a whopper of a falsehood” when he said he consulted on an episode of the TV show “Law and Order” involving a woman found innocent by reason of insanity for drowning her children. Dietz testified the episode aired shortly before the drownings, and testimony during the trial indicated Yates was a viewer of the series.
After jurors found Yates guilty, attorneys in the case and jurors learned that no such “Law and Order” episode existed.

And, if that wasn’t sickenig enough….

Yates’ attorneys also claim the Texas insanity standard, which required the defendant prove she did not know her actions were wrong, is unconstitutional because it does not define the words “know” and “wrong.”

“Know”? “Wrong”? Duh?
Look, if you are a speaker, even a poor speaker, of the English language – even the extreme form spoken in Texas – and need a court to define “know” and “wrong” for you, then we need to see about those genes there, Bub. You apparently are not human.

Never let it be said that The Bull refused to help the Judicial System! Here…
[digs out a dictionary]

know
v. tr.

1. To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty.
2. To regard as true beyond doubt: I know she won’t fail.
3. To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in: knows how to cook.
4. To have fixed in the mind: knows her Latin verbs.
5. To have experience of: “a black stubble that had known no razor�? (William Faulkner).
6.
a. To perceive as familiar; recognize: I know that face.
b. To be acquainted with: He doesn’t know his neighbors.
7. To be able to distinguish; recognize as distinct: knows right from wrong.
8. To discern the character or nature of: knew him for a liar.
9. (Archaic.) To have sexual intercourse with.

v. intr.

1. To possess knowledge, understanding, or information.
2. To be cognizant or aware.

wrong
adj.

1. Not in conformity with fact or truth; incorrect or erroneous.
2.
a. Contrary to conscience, morality, or law; immoral or wicked.
b. Unfair; unjust.
3. Not required, intended, or wanted: took a wrong turn.
4. Not fitting or suitable; inappropriate or improper: said the wrong thing.
5. Not in accord with established usage, method, or procedure: the wrong way to shuck clams.
6. Not functioning properly; out of order.
7. Unacceptable or undesirable according to social convention.
8. Designating the side, as of a garment, that is less finished and not intended to show: socks worn wrong side out.

adv.

1. In a wrong manner; mistakenly or erroneously.
2. In a wrong course or direction.
3. Immorally or unjustly: She acted wrong to lie.
4. In an unfavorable way. See Synonyms at amiss.

n.

1.
a. An unjust or injurious act.
b. Something contrary to ethics or morality.
2.
a. An invasion or a violation of another’s legal rights.
b. Law. A tort. See Synonyms at injustice.
3. The condition of being in error or at fault: in the wrong.

There you go, Troy McKinney. Now both words are defined for you, and it seems that the application in this case was correct. Even if the sentence was too light.
Omar out.  End of Article

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If you’ve got even one drop of red, American blood in your body, this story is going to piss you off to no end. I did not learn of this until after 6PM Central time so I couldn’t call the base. But bet your bottom dollar that I will at 9AM sharp tomorrow morning. If no good answer comes of it, I’ll be right on the phone to the offices of various Senators and Congressmen.

Oh, there is a chance this story is a hoax. I intend to find out though. I’ll tell you this though, there is NO WAY any soldier should be treated like this – ever!
Omar out.

Spc. Robert Loria is stuck at Fort Hood, Texas

Middletown – He lost his arm serving his country in Iraq.
Now this wounded soldier is being discharged from his company in Fort Hood,
Texas, without enough gas money to get home. In fact, the Army says
27-year-old Spc. Robert Loria owes it close to $2,000, and confiscated his last
paycheck.

“There’s people in my unit right now – one of my team leaders [who was] over
in Iraq with me, is doing everything he can to help me …. but it’s looking
bleak,” Loria said by telephone from Fort Hood yesterday. “It’s coming up on
Christmas and I have no way of getting home.”

Loria’s expected discharge yesterday came a day after the public got a rare
view of disgruntled soldiers in Kuwait peppering Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld with questions about their lack of adequate armor in Iraq.

Like many soldiers wounded in Iraq, Loria’s injuries were caused by a
roadside bombing. It happened in February when his team from the 588th Battalion’s
Bravo Company was going to help evacuate an area in Baqubah, a town 40 miles
north of Baghdad. A bomb had just ripped off another soldier’s arm. Loria’s
Humvee drove into an ambush.

When the second bomb exploded, it tore Loria’s left hand and forearm off,
split his femur in two and shot shrapnel through the left side of his body.

Months later, he was still recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in
Washington, D.C., and just beginning to adjust to life without a hand, when he
was released back to Fort Hood.

After several more months, the Army is releasing Loria. But “clearing Fort
Hood,” as the troops say, takes paperwork. Lots of it.

Loria thought he’d done it all, and was getting ready to collect $4,486 in
final Army pay.

Then he was hit with another bomb. The Army had another tally – of money it
says Loria owed to his government.

A Separation Pay Worksheet given to Loria showed the numbers: $2,408.33 for
10 months of family separation pay that the Army erroneously paid Loria after
he’d returned stateside, as a patient at Walter Reed; $2,204.25 that Loria
received for travel expenses from Fort Hood back to Walter Reed for a
follow-up visit, after the travel paperwork submitted by Loria never reached the
correct desk. And $310 for missing items on his returned equipment inventory
list.

“There was stuff lost in transportation, others damaged in the accident,”
Loria said of the day he lost his hand. “When it went up the chain of command,
the military denied coverage.”

Including taxes, the amount Loria owed totaled $6,255.50. The last line on
the worksheet subtracted that total from his final Army payout and found
$1,768.81 “due us.”

“It’s nerve-racking,” Loria said. “After everything I have done, it’s almost
like I am being abandoned, like, you did your job for us and now you are no
use. That’s how it feels.”

At home in Middletown, yesterday, Loria’s wife, Christine, was beside
herself.

“They want us to sacrifice more,” she said, her voice quavering. “My husband
has already sacrificed more than he should have to.”

For weeks now, Christine has been telling her 3-year-old son, Jonathan, that
Robbie, who is not his birth father, will be coming home any day now.
But the Army has delayed Loria’s release at least five times already, she
said, leaving a little boy confused and angry.

“Rob was supposed to be here on Saturday,” she said. “Now [Jonathan] is mad
at me. How do you explain something you yourself don’t understand?”
Christine said the Department of Veterans Affairs has been helpful in giving
Loria guidance about how to get his life back on track, offering vocation
rehabilitation to “teach them to go back out in the world with the limitations
they have.”

But the Army brass has been unreceptive, she said.
The Lorias also contacted the offices of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.,
and Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Saugerties. Hinchey’s office responded.
“There’s enough to go on here to call the Army on it and see if it can get
worked out,” said Hinchey aide Dan Ahouse. “We are expressing to the Pentagon
that based on what we see here, we don’t see that Mr. Loria is being treated
the way we think our veterans returning from Iraq should be treated.”

Army officials at Fort Hood could not be reached for comment yesterday.
“I don’t want this to happen to another family,” Christine Loria said. “Him
being blown up was supposed to be the worst thing, but it wasn’t. That the
military doesn’t care was the worst.”

The end of her rope

Christine Loria was at the end of her rope earlier this week when she called
her wounded husband’s commanders at Fort Hood, Texas, and gave them a piece
of her mind.

The Army was discharging her husband, Robert, after he lost his arm and
suffered other severe injuries in Iraq, without even gas money to drive his car
home.

“I am up here and he’s there. That’s 1,800 miles away,” she said. “I had to
call his chain of command and scream at them.”

Their reaction she said, was “very mature.”

“If he feels that way, why is his wife talking for him? Why doesn’t he come
talk to us himself?” she remembers them asking her.

“Because on some level, he still respects you,” she answered. “I don’t have
that problem.”

Who to call to help

Outraged about Army Spc. Robert Loria’s plight? Speak your mind. Below are
contact numbers for federal legislators and defense officials.

Your Senator or Representative. Find them at: (http://www.senate.gov) and (http://www.house.gov) respectively.

Also these folks:
U.S. Senate:
Charles Schumer (mailto:senator@schumer.senate.gov) : 212-486-4430
U.S. House of Representatives:
Maurice Hinchey (mailto:mhinchey@mail.house.gov) : 845-344-3211
Sue Kelly (mailto:dearsue@mail.house.gov) : 845-897-5200
Secretary of Defense: Donald Rumsfeld (http://www.defenselink.mil/osd/topleaders.html) : 703-692-7100
Fort Hood: Major General James D. Thurman (http://www.hood.army.mil/4ID/news/content/archive/cg.asp) : 254-288-2255 or Fort Hood operator at
254-287-110
Public Information Officer Jim Whitmeyer: 254-287-0103

  End of Article

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SAN JOSE, Costa Rica â€??? Usama bin Laden take note: You wouldn’t be safe in Costa Rica. A startled taxi driver shot and wounded a jokester wearing a plastic mask of the Al Qaeda leader, police said Tuesday.

Leonel Arias, 47, told police he was playing a practical joke by donning the Bin Laden mask, toting his pellet rifle and jumping out to scare drivers on a narrow street in his hometown, Carrizal de Alajuela, about 20 miles north of San Jose.

Arias had startled several drivers that way on Monday afternoon. But when he jumped out in front of taxi driver Juan Pablo Sandoval, the motorist reached for a gun and shot him twice in the stomach. He was hospitalized in stable condition.

“For me and I think for anybody else at a time like that one thinks the worst and so I fired my gun,” Sandoval told Channel 7 television.

Police declined to detain Sandoval, saying he had believed he was acting in self-defense.

Wonder how funny that joke feels now. What an idiot!
Of course, I suppose he was lucky he was in Costa Rica. Had he done the same thing here in Alabama, by the time the gunfire ended there wouldn’t have even been enough left to identify.

….and rightly so.
  End of Article

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After my nearly 200 post to this blog at both this location and my previous URL it will come as to no surprise to you, Dear Reader, that I am running close to the edge of madness even at the best of times. Toss a few days without sleep on top, and I’m really teetering! So when I say here that I’m coming close to believing that my Shih Tzus, (especially “Max”), have a well developed nose for what ails me and knows how to best relieve my pain. On certain kinds of pain I suffer, Max is more effective than the meds I take.

LZIL: file not found:
/home/omar/public_html/wp-content/DrMax.jpg
So? Maybe I am going nutters. But when that fluffy little dog goes to work I get sleep and relief from chronic pain. Watching him during the day is even kind of nuts. You see, with all of the distractions around our house Max is hardly able to concentrate on much of anything for very long. Two cats, three other dogs, and three small children, and my dearest wife all vie for a bit of Max’s time. And he’s plenty enough dog for everyone! I just have to keep in mind that he’s not my personal fluffy doctor.

The way Max helps me is as follows:
On days when I’m having especially bad arthritic pains in my hands and hips, Max will usually start by giving me a “kiss” on the face then will immediately move to either my hands or hip – depending on which is hurting worse. I’d love to know how he knows which is worse. He has never made a mistake, though. If the pain is in my hands he will spend up to 45 minutes gently licking my knuckles. If it is in my hip, he will “dig” at my hip – like some dogs do to a rug before they kay down upon it – and then will lie down covering my hip and stay there for over an hour. In either case he never takes his eyes off my face. Strange? Yes. Effective? Darned skippy!

LZIL: file not found:
/home/omar/public_html/wp-content/DrRuby.jpg
That brings me to Ruby. She is the little female Shih Tzu we picked as an eventual mate for Max. She’s a real little powerhouse. While we’ve had her for months, she’s just now settling down from the “puppy stage”. She still spends much time chasing the cats or wrestling with the youngest cat. As for her being a future mommy, we think it’s a shoe-in. Max adores her, and where one is – the other is nearby. Indeed, often when they sleep you will find one using the other as a pillow. (I’m still trying to get a photo of that!)

Ruby has started to mimic Max’s behavior towards my joint pain. Slowly, she is learning about how to make me feel better. Today she hopped up into my lap, “dug” at my left hip, then settled herself down on the spot adding her body heat to my own at that point. And like Max when he is “helping”, she never stopped looking right at my face.

So? What do you think? Am I slipping off my toadstool? Starting to become a wee bit cracked? Well, if having pets that love me enough to care when I’m hurting and do their best to help is cracked, then let me crack completely apart! I think there really *is* something to this. I hurt less when under the Shih Tzus loving caresses and for quite a while afterwards. If only it was something they would do upon command…

Omar out.  End of Article

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PHOENIX â€??? U.S. Sen. John McCain said Monday that he has “no confidence” in Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, citing Rumsfeld’s handling of the war in Iraq and the failure to send more troops.

McCain, speaking to The Associated Press in an hourlong interview, said his comments were not a call for Rumsfeld’s resignation, explaining that President Bush “can have the team that he wants around him.”

“I have strenuously argued for larger troop numbers in Iraq, including the right kind of troops – linguists, special forces, civil affairs, etc.,” said McCain, R-Ariz. “There are very strong differences of opinion between myself and Secretary Rumsfeld on that issue.”

When asked if Rumsfeld was a liability to the Bush administration, McCain responded: “The president can decide that, not me.”

McCain, a decorated Navy veteran and former Vietnam prisoner of war, is a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which has oversight of military operations and considerable influence over the Pentagon budget.

Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita said McCain “has frequently expressed his views regarding troop levels in Iraq, and he is an important member” of the committee.

Rumsfeld has “relied upon the judgment of the military commanders to determine what force levels are appropriate for the situation at hand,” Di Rita said.

The Bull has only one thing to say to Senator John McCain
OK, make that two things.
Senator, if you in any way think you can do a better job, go to the President and tell him – point blank – that you will take Rumsfeld’s job if it is offered. Further, sir, take your war record, your medals, and more importantly – your personality, your strength of will, and your history of public service, and do what you are destined to do – become the next President of the United States.
Omar out.  End of Article

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The following post is extremely important. Get this to as many Vets as is humanly possible.
Many thanks.
Omar out.

EL PASO, Tx – A Beaumont Army Hospital staff member contracts Hepatitis “C” and now several patients are also infected. Up to 5% of all the patients tested so far have tested positive for Hepatitis “C”, it’s a disease that can destroy the liver.

Just after 3 o’clock today the public received confirmation that a staff member at William Beaumont Army Medical Center had tested positive for Hepatitis “C”. A hospital spokesperson said this person will no longer have contact with patients.

The hospital identified two cases of exposure to Hepatitis “C” two months ago, which prompted an extensive review of health records between July and October of this year. The investigation led to the testing of 155 surgical patients, 8 of which were found to be positive.

There are several ways to transmit Hepatitis “c”: by sharing needles or other drug injection equipment, through unsterile tattooing or body piercing equipment, any blood-to-blood contact through a tooth brush, razor blade, or other hygenic tools.

The disease is rarely transmitted through sexual contact, but is possible when infected blood is present. Hepatitis “c “can also be passed from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth.

However, there are some misconceptions about the disease. It can not be transmitted by kissing, coughing, sneezing, or other social contact. The only way to check for Hepatitis “C” is with a blood test.

If you were a patient at William Beaumont anytime this year, from July to October and think you may have been infected call, officials as that you call 915-569-4444.   End of Article

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MIA REMAINS FROM THREE WARS RETURNING TO AMERICAN SOIL

HICKAM AFB, HAWAII — Remains believed to be associated with missing Americans from three wars will be honored in a ceremony Dec. 17, 9 a.m. outside the 15th Airlift Wing Base Operations Building, Hickam Air Force Base.

A joint honor guard will memorialize the arrival of the remains. Following the arrival ceremony, the remains will be transported to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s Central Identification Laboratory where the forensic identification process begins.

The remains are associated with the South East Asia and Vietnam Wars and World War II. JPAC teams recovered the remains from Laos, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

The U.S. government, the Department of Defense, and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command are committed to scientific excellence and the fullest possible accounting of all Americans still missing as a result of our nation’s conflicts. JPAC continues to fulfill our nation’s promise to the POW/MIA families and those Americans still waiting to come home.

Today, there is one American still missing from the Gulf War, more than 1,800 from the Vietnam War, 120 from the Cold War, more than 8,100 from the Korean War, and more than 78,000 from World War II.

Kindest Regards,
MARK W. BROWN, Lt Col, USAF

Director of Public Affairs

Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command

310 Worchester Ave. Bldg 45

Hickam AFB, HI 96853-5530

Tel: (808) 448-1935

E-mail: mark.brown@jpac.pacom.mil

JPAC Web Site: www.jpac.pacom.mil

UNTIL THEY ARE HOME!  End of Article

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