A Tribute to Those In Our Military

No, I know it’s not Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, or even Flag Day, but I want to express my feelings toward those presently serving or those who have served in the military for our country. Howdy’s post,  Howdy’s Adventures in Thailand - The Hero, made me think about the men and women in uniform fighting for our freedom, our safety, our rights, and all that it encompasses for us to proudly say “I am an American.” These soldiers, whether they are/were in the Army, Navy, Marines, or Air Force, have given a part of themselves. All have given a segment of time from their lives for training and their tour of duty. Many have even re-enlisted. All have family and friends that they left behind while they were doing their “jobs”. Many wives/husbands and children are left with a void during the time their loved one is serving, and these people should also be recognized for their contribution to the cause. And there were other sacrifices made; the missing opportunities due to the separation. Sadly, exciting and happy events such as the birth of a baby, the child’s first step, the first word, the first day of school, ”the first anything” occurred in their absence and were missed by the service man (hopefully videos recorded those milestones to be viewed later). But when a permanent separation occurs it is heart-wrenching.

 

Down the road less than a mile from where I live is a modest house where a soldier once lived. Just as 2006 ended, so did his life. He was killed by a sniper in Felutia, Iraq, between Christmas and New Year’s Day and just days before his 23^rd birthday. He had been a classmate of one of my daughter’s. What a sad day! What a loss! The entire town came out to support the family and the funeral was held at the high school auditorium with a standing room only crowd flowing over into the cafeteria area. The service was very ceremonial, with the full military burial. And even though we are so proud of “our town hero”, there still exists a deep sadness. A sadness for a life cut short and a sadness as “our own incident” reminds us of the cruelty of war and of how many other military burials are taking place around the country.

 

My dad served four years in the Navy just as a war ended. He never saw combat, but the pride I have for his service is still there. I stand, applaud, and salute (figuratively speaking) anyone who has been a member of the Armed Forces. I end by agreeing with the thoughts, so well said by C. Douglas Sterner, a decorated hero himself, on his nationally recognized website.

 

 But defending freedom is not just a matter of facing a hostile enemy in time of war or conflict.  Every veteran, whether of combat duty or peace time service, is in some measure, a hero.  Heroism is as much a matter of attitude as one of action.  Every man or woman who has proudly worn the uniform of one of our military services, by that very action, demonstrated that they were WILLING to pay the price for freedom.  As a people we owe our respect and admiration to these DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM.

 An aside note: If you remember the gospel groups that used to make their rounds to the churches and would like to hear some of that music, check out the songs listed on the gospel album of C. Douglas Stern from 1979 when you get to that page.

Recognizing a Stroke

How often have we made a comment referring to time? “Time flies,” or “wish I had more time,” or “time is passing so quickly” are remarks we hear. But for the stroke victim, time is intensified and each passing minute is critical. Within the first three hours of the onset of a stroke the victim must be given drugs to bust up the clots formed. Recognizing a stroke is occurring can be a difficult task. Often the one suffering doesn’t even feel the seriousness of the situation. To help bring the symptoms to mind quickly, an acronym has been formed. Acronyms are great as a memory aid. You probably still remember from grade school what to do if your clothing catches fire. [Stop, Drop, and Roll]. For recognizing a stroke the acronym to remember is FAST. Which is what you have to remember:  TIME IS CRUCIAL.  Broken down we have:

    FACE:  Look at their face. Is there any visible drooping, particularly

                 around the mouth and eyes. Ask the person to smile or

                 show their teeth. This will determine if there is a facial

                 weakness on one-side, which is usually the case with a stroke.

   ARMS:  Ask the person to close their eyes and raise their arms straight

                  out in front of them. Stroke victims usually will have trouble

                  maintaining the same level with both arms.

SPEECH:  Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase, like a nursery rhyme,

                  The Lord’s Prayer, or the words to a song. Listen for slurred

                  speech, impaired speech, or difficulty understanding your

                  directions.

     TIME:  This is to remind you that if you suspect a stroke by the results

                  of the test (FAST) to call 911 immediately and get the

                  necessary help.

 This test should not be substituted for the appropriate medical advice and evaluation. It is possible it would also miss some types of strokes. Strokes are not selective and can affect any age. Other factors would be diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, and high blood pressure. But the key here is to be aware of FAST and what the letters represent and you could save your life or another’s.

Prescription Drug Help

The banner across the top of the website reads:

 As of Monday, July 30, 2007 we have helped 1,959,242 people find the benefits they deserve.  

The National Council on the Aging has created this website to provide a personalized report to you listing programs that make you eligible for lowering the money you spend on prescription drugs. If you are 55 years of age or older and need some help with the cost of your prescription drugs, spend some time at this site. Both brand-name and generic prescriptions are included in this cost reduction.   

HOWDY’S ADVENTURES IN THAILAND – The Hero

This is a true story, and was for sure not funny when it first took place – fortunately, I am able to have some fun with it now… 

It was 1974, toward the end of my tour of duty in Thailand. I was living off base in Ubon. It was a relatively small community of rental apartments; a pretty quiet place to live most of the time. My fiancé, JB, had been visiting, and was about ready to return to her home. It was around 10:00 p.m. and dark outside, with the exception of a few lights shining from some of the apartments. There were no streetlights and the roads there were made of dirt.

 As we waited outside on the edge of the road for a Samlor (three wheeler bicycle taxi) to arrive to give her a ride home, JB tugged the sleeve of my shirt to get my attention. I looked around in the direction of where JB’s finger was pointing about the same time five Thai nationals (men) turned and looked at us.  They were just almost to the front door of a black GI who lived in the building behind me. The guy in the lead by the front door had a gun and fired a couple of shots off in our direction

When the bullets hit the dirt just a few feet from us, I realized this guy was shooting at us (pretty smart assumption on my part, don’t you think?). I turned and began to run in the direction of my apartment. Oh yeah, JB was running, too!

 “He’s shooting at us!?” 

Now, JB is well known for being about the slowest woman God ever put on the face on this earth and I have told her so, many, many times, but that night she dang-near beat me to the front door of my apartment! Not quite, but just almost – I got there first, but only so I could open it for her, of course, [uh] being the gentleman I was raised to be. (whew)

We waited quite some time until we were pretty sure they had left before we went out to wait for the Samlor again… (or did she wait by herself this time? Hmmm, I really cannot rightly recall) Anyhow, we both were still around to tell our story the next day!

We found out in the next couple of days that there was a ‘hit’ out on the black GI and he probably would have been murdered had we not foiled their attempt that night. Yeah, it was really uncanny how I distracted their attention toward me to help that guy out! Go figure – Me, a hero… Oh yeah, JB helped some, too -  ~Howdy

Working at/from Home – Series 1

Unemployment rates are up in many states. This means there are more people looking and competing for the jobs that are out there. So resumes that are submitted for the limited number of jobs have to be top-notch. If the “searcher” even makes it to the interview process he should consider it as his time to shine. He must leave the interviewer suitably impressed. But things don’t always work out as we plan and hope they will. Therefore, more and more “searchers” are looking for other means of getting income. One option to consider is working from home. There are pros and cons to making this move. A few words to the wise: DO YOUR RESEARCH. KEEP DETAILED AND ACCURATE RECORDS. In this post and some to follow, we thought we would write about “working at/from home issues”, offering our suggestions and ideas. Keep in mind that there are two sides to working from home: working at home for yourself or working from home for another individual or company. 

In this post we will be discussing the first steps in working at home. We will be adding additional posts to this series.

The first, and some say the hardest, step is to determine what you want to do – what kind of business, working full or part-time, sales or service industry, working alone or hiring others? It might be helpful to make a list of any interests or hobbies you have. This might be easy for some and harder for others. If you are having troubles, browse the hobby section in the library or flip through some job search brochures or books to get ideas.

If you can find a real passion in a particular area, it reduces the feeling of drudgery and you find you are working hard but enjoying it. If you are still at a total loss for choosing a line of business, check your unemployment offices or your local colleges for tests that are offered. These tests have no right or wrong answers but are scored through your likes and dislikes. They are vocational inventory tests and will give you some idea of what type of field you should enter. For example: if you score more as a person who likes to read and work alone, the test would suggest working in perhaps the research field. It’s interesting to see what professions are out there that suit your personality in terms of interests, likes, and dislikes.

Another idea is to ask family and friends what they see as your strong and/or weak points. Possibly this will put a different slant on how you see yourself. Sometimes we are good at things we don’t even realize and this might just jar some thoughts and options available. Perhaps you are a good listener, problem solver, cook, or have a green thumb.

But remember, keep moving forward. Good luck in your search.

Credit Card Talk or Need Free Consumer Advice?

Lately, my paper shredder seems to be getting a good work-out. Most of the shredded papers are blank checks that come in credit card envelopes and the applications for the credit cards themselves. Whether it’s Discover, Visa, Master Card or American Express, I have the information in my mailbox continually. Now I want to make it clear, I do use credit cards and I like the ones I have. But, I only use the ones that have CASH REWARDS and I am NEVER LATE in paying the ENTIRE BALANCE each month.

The competition between credit card providers to get your business has produced various “perks” for the holders of the cards. Some include:  Frequent Flier points that add up to help with air travel expenses, General Motors Discounts that help with purchasing a GM vehicle and of course there is the standard cash rewards that can be used toward products at a reduced cost, cash, or a donation to charity.

However, you must ALWAYS KNOW all the details accompanying each card: the interest rate, the grace period, the late fees, the date due, and your credit amount. Read the fine print. Some cards that offer 0% interest for transfers have clauses that specify you must use the card every month or the regular rate for the card becomes effective.

If you have any questions, call the customer service number. Generally, credit cards do have a very high rate of interest and if you don’t continually monitor your balance, check the monthly statement thoroughly to make sure you made all the purchases and watch your spending it could become a financial disaster. Another point to consider, if your interest rate is way up there, you might want to call the credit card company and see if they can lower it. If they feel they will be losing you as a customer, they often lower the rate. (The best plan is to have some “bartering weight” with another card that offers you a lower interest rate for transferring your balance. Have this information in line before you make the call.)

I am not pushing the use of a credit card here, but it can work in your favor if you do the research and always pay off the balance on time. Technically, you are not using their credit, but their time since you are billed monthly. If you can’t pay the entire amount, then pay off as much as you can on the balance so you don’t financially sink deeper with the high interest. If you find yourself approaching debts you can’t handle, immediately cut up the card and work toward paying the balance off as quickly as possible. Your credit report will score higher if you don’t actually close out the account after you have paid the balance in full.

P.S. It is recommended for fool-proof shredding of paper and documents to choose a cross cut paper shredder as opposed to a strip cut paper shredder.

P.P.S. If you get a chance, listen to the Clark Howard Show on Cox Radio or check out his website:  www.clarkhoward.com (take a little time to look at the list of topics under Clark Smarts)

This is also from his site and can benefit those in need of FREE CONSUMER ADVICE.

Need Consumer Help?

Call the Consumer Action Center
Staffed with over 100 volunteers, the Consumer Action Center is here to help you Monday through Friday 10am-7pm. Get free consumer advice and resources, help with customer no-service complaints and more. Call (404) 892-8227. Outside Atlanta, Email your question to us. We’ll call you back.

Attention: SunRocket Customers!
Clark has some advice and options for you.

CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF) – PLEASE GIVE TO HELP FIND A CURE

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a devastating genetic disease that affects tens of thousands of children and young adults in the United States. Research and care supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is making a huge difference in extending the quality of life for those with CF. However, we continue to lose precious lives to CF every day. That’s why your help is needed now more than ever to ensure that a cure is found sooner – rather than later. To learn more about CF and the CF Foundation, visit www.cff.org.

Making donations online to Cystic Fibrosis is safe and secure! Just click the “Click to Donate” button on this page to go to make a donation. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated! Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF! Thank you for supporting the mission of the CF Foundation and GREAT STRIDES! Thanks!  ~Howdy

 

Side Note:  Thank you for this post, Howdy. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is an organization that deserves recognition. My nine year old, great niece, Reagan, has Cystic Fibrosis so we are very familiar with what this Foundation does for those with this disease. We also have been involved in many fund-raising events and from personal experience I can say that “everyone” I have met connected in any way with these efforts has been helpful, courteous, and just genuinely a good person. Thank you for your help and all our prayers are for a cure.

BUSH, AMERICA, THE WAR IN IRAQ & TERRORISM

I left this comment on another blog site today for some who were kicking Bush around for his actions since his Presidency. I thought perhaps it might make a thought-provoking article of interest for some… please let me know your thoughts…

I am not an expert on the war and the correct tactics to use. Thus, I leave it to those who are.
I don’t like the blood that has been shed, though it has been much less than in many wars we have been involved in. However, those who serve in our military are proud men and women and are willing to die just to prevent one act of terrorism that has been detered from taking place here on our soil. I am proud of them all, and, I believe their presence there in Iraq, as well as other vulnerable places around the world has slowed the acts of terrorism here in the U.S. down quite considerably.
We don’t need someone in the White House who cannot make necessary decisions to defend our country.
I sure would like to see all those who have jumped on the band wagon to belittle Bush join together in prayer for him, our troops and our country. Hmmm…  ~Howdy

SMOKE DETECTOR/ALARMS – PLEASE GET ONE NOW!

Yesterday, on a local news channel, it was announced that two young children lost their lives in an apartment fire. The apartment had no smoke alarms installed. These are very inexpensive items, many costing around $7.00 and no one should be without one. Around 3,000 lives are lost every year due to house fires. So many of these deaths are senseless. It only takes a few minutes to install one.

We are checking with some online companies at this time to be able to purchase (at cost) them for everyone who needs a smoke detector/alarm. This will be announced as soon as we hear back from them and are able to get the best prices. We will also take donations from anyone willing to give to those who cannot afford them. 100% of this money will go to the purchase of these smoke detectors and your name (with your permission, of course) will be listed as a contributor. Just e-mail us and let us know of your intentions. Any amount is helpful and will not be listed unless you ask it to be. We thank you ahead of time!

Please click on the link below to be able to learn more from the CPSC on how to take care of your smoke detector to keep it in tip top condition at all times just in case it should ever be needed to save a family member(s). I believe a battery-operated detector is best just in case the fire causes the electricity to go out. Please take this seriously; we do!  ~Howdy

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

We are searching for the lowest prices, but, for the time being, here are some smoke detectors as low as $9.00.

Howdy, I just wanted to add here:  Check with your local fire departments. Sometimes they will help you obtain a smoke detector to protect your family and home.

OSHA AND SAFETY IN AMERICA’S WORKPLACE

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit

www.osha.gov 

 

There is a sign that hangs overhead as you enter the plant that states, “We are committed to a zero-accident workplace, and to every employee being 100% responsible for safety in their own work area.”

Sound unique? The problem is, it is the truth… The company will not address the real safety concerns. They will not make any changes that cost any money. The employee is virtually on his own when it comes to safety at many workplaces in America.

On Neil’s first day at the plant, they had a safety meeting. It was brought out that fork lifts were traveling too fast throughout the plant. Everyone looked at each other and said nothing. Neil wondered what was going on.
After the meeting was over, he asked someone about it and was told that production comes first before safety. If safety means slowing production down, then forget it! If it seems this way at your workplace, please comment or e-mail us about it.

Neil asked the safety manager at his plant about having backup mirrors put on the lift trucks so the drivers could see the blindspots behind them while backing up. But Ron, the safety man, just pointed out a statement in the company manual which said that nothing shall be added to the lift trucks that does not come standard from the manufacturer. However, windshields were added… This tells me that the manual should state that the company will add only items it wants to. This is a five-billion dollar operation and they refuse to add mirrors to any lift trucks in any of their plants due to a company (we are cheap) policy. OSHA does not enforce that mirrors be mounted on fork lifts, but they should.
I realize it would be somewhat costly for all their lift trucks, but how little can they value a human life?

The safety program there asked for safety suggestions. Many employees turned their suggestions in and were paid money for the suggestions the company deemed good ones. However, the company did not make the changes that were suggested in the cases where it would have been a larger expense, in spite of the possibility of preventing an injury or saving a life.

Also, there are only three lift trucks in this plant that are considered ‘halfway decent!’ Neil tells us that he went through three other lift trucks in one shift after the one he used on a regular basis went down. They are used daily around many people and there is the possiblity of parts falling off them and/or the lift truck jerking and jumping out of gear and injuring someone at any moment. The steering mechanisms literally wobble on a couple of them.

An inspection is (supposedly) done daily on each shift by each driver, and if work is needed, the employees are given literally junk to do their job with; therefore, nothing is said unless the lift truck breaks completely down.

The employees at this plant see the safety program as a means to lower the company’s insurance premiums, but they are afraid of getting in trouble if they don’t play along with the employer’s safety program.

Is this really what OSHA calls safety? Hmmm…    

Safety First, or expect the worst! (even if the company has to get involved and spend a little of the profits)…  ~Howdy