God bless this airline captain

This was forwarded to me by a friend who is a Marine veteran. Get a tissue.
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An airline captain writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, “We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.)

"Are they military?" I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

”Is there an escort?” I asked.

”Yes, I already assigned him a seat.”

”Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck? You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

”My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,” he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. “I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board,” she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and two-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. “I'm on it,” I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved
the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text: “Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.”

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, “You have no idea how much this will mean to them.”

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft,” we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, “Take your time.”

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, “Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.”

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of God Bless You, I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of America.

Foot note: As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they were treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.

I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Prayer for our soldiers:
Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.

Preparedness 101 - #10

One of the things I've started doing whenever I hit a thrift store is look for fabrics that might make suitable clothing. Flannel and cotton sheets (in acceptable colors and patterns, of course) are excellent choices. I recently also found some small fleece lap blankets that will make warm dresses or slacks in a pinch. I'm a pretty lousy seamstress (compounded by the fact that I hate sewing) but I can sew if I have to. And with growing kids, I may have to.

Here I've washed some fabrics and hung them to dry.


But take a gander at this find! This is a pure wool blanket, probably about 75 years old or older. I know this because it's nearly identical to a solid wool blanket I inherited from my grandparents, and that they received when they were married. I found it at Goodwill for - drum roll please - $12.50. When I showed the blanket to my father, he nearly jumped because it so closely resembles the blankets he grew up with.

Preparedness 101 - #9

Here's a handy list to keep in mind when working on preparedness efforts.
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100 Items to Disappear First

1. Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy...target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6 - 12 months to become dried, for home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce, stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food burns/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
14. Mini Heater head (Propane) (Without this item, propane won't heat a room.)
15. Grain Grinder (Non-electric)
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula. ointments/aspirin, etc.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cookstoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Haircare/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets, Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Tuna Fish (in oil)
36. Fire Extinguishers (or..large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in Wintertime.)
45. Workboots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffel Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, etc.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
65. Sleeping Bags & blankets/pillows/mats
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Rain gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soysauce, vinegar, bullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels, Trail mix/Jerky
83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattress's
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Cigarettes
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, etc,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens

From a Sarajevo War Survivor:
Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war - death of parents and
friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper attacks.

1. Stockpiling helps. but you never no how long trouble will last, so locate
near renewable food sources.
2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.
3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in war
quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold's.
4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity - it's the easiest to
do without (unless you're in a very nice climate with no need for heat.)
5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without
heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy - it makes a lot of
the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible. Only needs
enough heat to "warm", not to cook. It's cheap too, especially if you buy it in
bulk.
6. Bring some books - escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more
valuable as the war continues. Sure, it's great to have a lot of survival
guides, but you'll figure most of that out on your own anyway - trust me, you'll
have a lot of time on your hands.
7. The feeling that you're human can fade pretty fast. I can't tell you how many
people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a little bit of
toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in fighting if you have to
lose your humanity. These things are morale-builders like nothing else.
8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches

Unemployment rate by county

Here's a cheerful little schematic showing the unemployment rate by county over the last 2 1/2 years.

Giving homeschooling a bad name

As everyone knows, homeschoolers are commonly dismissed by detractors [(waving) Hi Robert!] as crackpots and religious fanatics who (presumably) keep their children locked up in boxes in the basement and only trot them out long enough to memorize pi to the 30th decimal place and spout history dates to impress visiting CPS workers.

But it is a myth that all homeschooling is the same. And it's also untrue that homeschoolers uniformly approve and support all homeschooling techniques.

One of the controversial techniques is "unschooling," and ABC recently wrote a piece about it.

While I applaud parents' efforts to tailor children's education toward their specific needs, aptitudes, and abilities, there is a difference between tailoring and laziness. I have never met any unschoolers so I can't vouch for its long-term efficacy (unlike the long-term efficacy of homeschooling, which is well documented)... but if this article is anything to go by, I cannot praise unschooling.

Some of the red flags I saw in this article included:

Her [the mother] hands-off approach extends to other areas of the children's lives. The kids are allowed to eat whatever they want -- even pasta with peanut butter sauce -- as long as it is in the house... What's more, they make their own decisions, and don't have chores or rules. "Because we don't punish, we don't use the term rules," Martin said.

Sounds like the kids rule the roost and the parents just want to be "friends."

Martin said she has "such a present-based mind-set" that she doesn't think about her kids' futures, and that she just wants them to be happy.

Uh, as difficult a concept as it is to grasp, there is a future. Having a "present-based mind-set" and admitting you don't want to think about your kids' futures sounds like the old Grass Roots song, "Let's Live for Today." And just wanting your kids to "be happy" in no way prepares them for instances where they're not happy. Duh.

"Algebra is not something that everybody needs to know. This life is about honoring the fact that we are not all put on the earth to do the same thing in life. ... It is such an individualized education as opposed to a cookie cutter education where kids are kind of, this bucket of knowledge that you pour into kids and they may or may not learn it."

Obviously we are not all put on the earth to do the same thing, but to presume that such basic knowledge as algebra is unnecessary is wrong. That's kind of like saying it's not necessary to teach your child how to calculate the area of a triangle or to memorize the multiplication tables.

In the kitchen, a sticky issue came up: What to do when your child wants to eat the whole bag of cookies. Martin encouraged Berg to let her kids have it their way... "When you set up things with limits, you're setting up a scenario of kids sneaking things," Martin said.

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. Children need boundaries to learn respect, self-control, manners, and to realize the whole world doesn't center around them.

Martin said her children have picked up adequate reading and math skills without formal instruction. But when we asked Devin [her son] a basic multiplication question, he stumbled.

Okay, I admit it irks me when strangers spring quizzes on my homeschooled kids to prove how unejikated they are. Kids learn things at different paces, and what they're learning in 6th grade in public school may not correlate to what my 6th grader is learning at home. Nor do I know what "basic multiplication question" the interviewer asked Devon (age 11).

But the attitude presented by these unschooling parents do not - repeat, do not - represent the attitudes of all homeschooling parents. I am hoping not all "unschoolers" fall into this line of thinking, because I've seen too many instances where parents with a "hippie" mentality and who impose no boundaries or discipline on their children end up raising out-of-control thugs. Children need to learn respect, discipline, and self-control in order to become stable functioning adults.

This opinion is not necessarily shared by the Home School Legal Defense Association, who is willing to give unschoolers the benefit of the doubt until such time as unschoolers are proven wrong.

But to my way of thinking, these types of "unschoolers" give homeschoolers a black eye. Just my $0.02.

Roll call for cows

On Monday we had a sunny break from the cold nasty spring weather we've been having, so I went out to check the beasties.

Matilda nursing Pearly.


Peaceable kingdom...


I decided to check on our newest calf, Nebuchadnezzar. Peekaboo...


Mama Jet is being watchful. (With good reason. We lassoed Nebuchadnezzar today with the help of a neighbor, and castrated him using an emasculator which slips a tight rubber band over the testicles. Jet was not amused. Neither, I suspect, was Nebuchadnezzar.)


I thought this picture turned out quite well.


Lunch time!


Here's Smokey, Ruby's calf.


Pearly, Matilda's calf...


Nix, who belongs to Ebony...


And here's the culprit behind all the calves being born lately.

(My neighbor calls this "farm yard porn.")

Strawberries again...

We seemed destined to be thwarted with our strawberries.

We've had a nasty cold spring like you wouldn't believe. Rain was anticipated in the upcoming week, so on Monday we figured we'd dash out, crank up the tractor, and get the strawberry bed filled with dirt.

Specifically we wanted to fill the bed with dirt from the corral, which is a beautiful mixture of churned-up soil and manure from over the winter. This is our dirt of preference when we want a nice rich potting soil - or in this case, soil for the strawberry bed.

So I brought out an armful of newspapers (and anchored them against the wind with the block end) which I planned to lay across the bottom of the bed to keep down weeds.


Meanwhile Don hopped on the tractor and cranked it. And cranked it and cranked it. We thought a snowstorm must be coming (the usual time the tractor decides not to work) because, well, it wouldn't work. He determined the carburetor must be in need of a good cleaning.

So the plans to plant in the bed were thwarted. But I had to get those bare root strawberries planted or they would die. We have several days of heavy rain predicted (as I write this, we've had a very soggy day) and the strawberries wouldn't survive for another week in their dark box.

So I chose an unfertilized section of bare dirt next to the strawberry boat and planted there. It won't be permanent, but it will keep the plants alive until such time as we can nest them in their nice dedicated strawberry bed. Needs must when the devil drives.

A SERIOUS WARNING

It's unbelievable, what some people will do. This is about bottle bombs and is confirmed by Snopes. The Snopes link has a short video demonstrating the bomb's destructive potential.
_____________________________

If you see something like this, call the police; DO NOT PICK IT UP. Don't pick up any plastic bottles that may be laying in your yards or in the gutter, etc.

Bottle bombs are made with:

1. A ----- [here was included a list of ingredients that seemed a little too much like "instructions," which I removed so certain teenage boys of my acquaintance wouldn't decide to experiment and lose yet more fingers]
2. A little -----
3. A little -----
4. A small -----
5. Disturb it by moving it; and BOOM!!
6. No fingers left and other serious effects to your face, eyes, etc..

People are finding these bombs in mailboxes and in their yards, just waiting for you to pick it up intending to put it in the trash. But you'll never make it. It takes about thirty seconds to blow up after you move the thing.

Farming for Dummies

I have a new article up at RegularGuy.com! Come on over to see my perspective of the online game FarmVille in a column entitled "Farming for Dummies."

Snark of the week

I just love it when people prove my point.

This fellow took exception to last weekend's WorldNetDaily column, Artistic Parasites. So he took it upon himself to write this long missive which, inadvertently, proves my point since he is clearly an artist (or musician, in this case) who couldn't make it on his own without government subsidies.

He left his full contact info which I could have included, but I don't want to (a) encourage anyone to visit his website or (b) encourage anyone to send him snarks. Let him think he "won" the round.

Enjoy!
_________________________________


Dear Ms. Patrice Lewis,

Every couple of years or so I happen across an opinionated editorial of such extraordinarily striking pungency that I just have to respond in kind. Your recent World Net Daily piece, "Artistic Parasites," is just such a one. Naturally, I passed it along to numerous arts contacts across the continent so they could share in your thoughts. So, as one rural ragged redneck to another, let me say I found your content and terminology extremely offensive and derogatory.

To some, God gives the insight to create art.
To some, God gives the skill to draw pictures, write prose or verse, or make songs.
And to some, God gives the mentality to call such people "artistic parasites," "creatives" and "artsy-farts."

Lately, it seems that teabaggers and a certain brand of creepy christians (small case deliberate) work overtime to make the latter a traditional family value. They have helped me to become a believer in evolution--theirs!

We artist types have had quite enough of some 30 years of that type of hate speech from self-appointed manure spreaders determined to dumb down and destroy every attempt to raise some arts above the lowest common denominator commercial level that pervades so much of our lives.

While I do not approve of urine as a means of photographic enhancement, I do not condemn all artists and funding sources just because one such controversy got through. Furthermore, that example is over 20 years out of date as are the congress folks and religious moralizers who still cling to it as the highest point of their artistic experience. I had thought we had finally neutralized most of those derogatory group names like "japs," "krauts," "spics," "wops," "kikes," "niggers," and "fags." But we still seem to have to contend with derogatory artist terms. Too bad. We still intend to sit at your lunch counter. And one day we will eat your lunch.

Yes, I'm happy to be a "creative." I've received a few grants. Some of my works have failed while a few have done well. I'm not wealthy but I do a little better than minimum wage. I'm happy to be able to have health insurance. I know of no real artists who will immediately quit their jobs just because they have health insurance. I'm a victim of Hurricane Katrina and the insurance aftermath. Like most everyone else down here, I listened to neighbors swear they were going to burn down insurance companies and eat the agents' children. Inefficient as the government and FEMA were, it was still the government that made the grants that made going on with life possible for me and many others. What insurance companies provided was stonewalling, lies, cheap payoffs and a 200% increase in home insurance rates. Now, with a relative in the medical field, I've seen similar stuff on the health insurance plate. I have no empathy for that kind of free market extortion and the blind and vicious people who espouse it. Freedom with a balance of social safeguards might be a good thing. It worked pretty well for King David's Israel.

Meanwhile, from my Mississippi coastal home, I remain in humble awe of what spiritual values our best selling, free market, wealthy, brilliant, important, talented and subsidized oil executives and Wall Street banksters have just contributed to the Gulf of Mexico. Our local residents should be ashamed of themselves for calling on the government for help in containing BP and the oil spill. They should just suck up and pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, muck and gravity notwithstanding. After all, the free market can fix it. Like Grover Norquist said, government should be small enough to be able to drown it in a Gulf of Mexico, er...bathtub.

Now, if I have not sufficiently insulted and offended you, please advise. I would be willing to try again.

Most cordially,

Ken D-----
Artistic Parasite and Arts Advocate

Want to see a truly spellbinding performance?

This is a gymnastic group called Spellbound which performed on Britain's Got Talent. Their name is apt - it is a truly astounding performance.

Dramatic photos of a dust storm

Whatever issues you're facing in life, count your lucky stars you don't live here.



These are photos of a dust storm approaching a Chinese city on the edge of the Gobi desert.

Go look at the photos in the news article - they're much more impressive because they're larger.

Ah choo!