1915 – The poem In Flanders Fields is written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Simple, short and exactly what you need to know about how someone living in a combat situation feels about his dead mates and if you open up your heart, how he feels about his own death, should it come on the field of battle.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day-- Stick It, A-Rod
What a good story. I like when good things, finally happen to good people. A-Rod may have a lot of money but this guy has character and love in his life that makes him richer on a level that A-rod will never get too.
Braden’s Mother’s Day gift is perfect
By Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports
The 19th perfect game in major league history was for Jodie Atwood. She died May 20, 2001, of melanoma. She was 39 years old. She left behind a teenage son.
It was also for Peggy Lindsey. She took in the boy, a wild scamp. Lindsey was his grandmother. She refused to abandon him, to let the streets of Stockton, Calif., take his soul. She’s 68 now, and she was at Oakland Coliseum on Sunday to watch him do the thing that saved him from himself.
Most of all, it was for Dallas Braden, faithful son and grandson, who threw a perfect game on the perfect day. He thought of Atwood as he retired 27 consecutive Tampa Bay Rays, and he hugged Lindsey as he basked in the afterglow, and he celebrated a 4-0 victory on Mother’s Day with tears in his eyes and accomplishment in his heart.
The indelible image of Sunday will not be any of the 109 pitches Braden threw or any of the plays made by his Oakland Athletics teammates. It will be of the postgame embrace between Braden and Lindsey, the goateed grandson and the peace sign-earring-wearing grandma, both swollen with pride.
It is a characteristic that courses through Braden and, in the last two weeks, thrust him from anonymity to a feud with the highest-paid player in sports history. Alex Rodriguez(notes) jogged across the mound during a game Braden was pitching, and so began a war of words started – and won – by the 26-year-old left-hander.
He accused A-Rod of “tasting himself too long to apologize” for breaking an unwritten rule. A-Rod said “a guy that has a handful of wins in his career” shouldn’t be talking. Braden said: “I was always told if you give a fool enough rope, he’ll hang himself. And with those comments, he had all the rope he needed.” A-Rod said: “I don’t want to extend Braden’s 15 minutes of fame.”
Braden responded by giving himself at least several hours more. He joined a list larded more with greats (Randy Johnson(notes), Sandy Koufax, Cy Young and Catfish Hunter, the last A’s pitcher to toss one, on May 8, 1968) than flukes (Len Barker, Charlie Robertson, Lee Richmond). He threw the second perfect game against the Rays in 10 months – Chicago White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle(notes) did it July 23 last year – and prompted A-Rod, of all people, to say before the Yankees’ game at Boston: “Good for him.”
All the attention was on Braden afterward, but he wouldn't take all the credit. "This is ours," he said. "Not just mine."
Lindsey wasn’t quite as gracious. This was her day, after all – “She deserves it,” Braden said – and she had a message for reporters to pass along to the $300 million man who dared tromp on her grandson’s mound: “Stick it, A-Rod.”
This Mother’s Day turned out much better than last year’s, when Braden took a Vernon Wells(notes) line drive, clocked at 109 mph, off his pitching hand in the first inning. He stayed in the game, threw six innings, left with the ball’s seams still imprinted across his hand and returned to the stadium with a splint.
“I’m just kind of happy to be putting on the costume a year later,” Braden said.
He is the sort who neither takes crap from opponents nor takes his standing for granted. There isn’t a lot of room in the major leagues for pitchers who throw 87 mph, one of the 10 slowest fastballs in the game. Braden’s equalizer is baseball’s slowest changeup, which comes in at an average of 72.9 mph and keeps hitters honest enough to make his fastball seem fast.
The Rays, before Sunday the highest-scoring team in the major leagues, flailed at it all afternoon. They struck out six times with the pink bats used on Mother’s Day, when the sport attempts to raise breast cancer awareness. Slugger Evan Longoria(notes) tried to bunt in the fifth inning. The best they mustered was Gabe Kapler’s(notes) 12-pitch at-bat in the sixth inning. And it was Kapler who came up with two outs in the ninth, the paltry crowd of 12,228 ready to witness history.
“I was thinking it was going to be a knuckleball or gyroball,” Braden said. “Anything to get him out.”
He fell behind 3-1 before inducing a groundout to shortstop Cliff Pennington, which set off an on-field carnival. Braden hugged first baseman Daric Barton, then catcher Landon Powell, who was replacing the injured Kurt Suzuki. He made his way from teammate to teammate, each happier than the previous.
“I thought he was a great pitcher before the perfect game,” Powell said.
Maybe not great, though certainly better than A-Rod imagined. Braden was the A’s opening day starter this year. He lowered his ERA to 3.33 on Sunday. The victory was the 18th of his career. And in case Rodriguez is wondering, fewer men have thrown perfect games than hit 500 home runs in a career or 50 in a season.
And as much as Braden tried to shrug it off, to play the no-fuss guy who still lives in Stockton and makes the 67-mile commute daily to the Coliseum, he couldn’t keep up the ruse. This was the first game the A’s sold half-priced seats in Section 209 to Braden’s start – Stockton’s area code is 209 – and while it wasn’t overflowing, it was more populated than the rest of the stadium.
“This is ours,” Braden said. “Not just mine. Ours.”
His and his teammates’ and the 209’s and Oakland’s. And especially Jodie Atwood’s and Peggy Lindsey’s. During the A-Rod dustup, Braden was asked how he’d treat someone else who encroached on his territory. He replied: “If my grandmother ran across the mound, she’d hear the same thing he heard.”
On Mother’s Day, she heard something wholly different. It sounded – and was – perfect.
Braden’s Mother’s Day gift is perfect
By Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports
The 19th perfect game in major league history was for Jodie Atwood. She died May 20, 2001, of melanoma. She was 39 years old. She left behind a teenage son.
It was also for Peggy Lindsey. She took in the boy, a wild scamp. Lindsey was his grandmother. She refused to abandon him, to let the streets of Stockton, Calif., take his soul. She’s 68 now, and she was at Oakland Coliseum on Sunday to watch him do the thing that saved him from himself.
Most of all, it was for Dallas Braden, faithful son and grandson, who threw a perfect game on the perfect day. He thought of Atwood as he retired 27 consecutive Tampa Bay Rays, and he hugged Lindsey as he basked in the afterglow, and he celebrated a 4-0 victory on Mother’s Day with tears in his eyes and accomplishment in his heart.
The indelible image of Sunday will not be any of the 109 pitches Braden threw or any of the plays made by his Oakland Athletics teammates. It will be of the postgame embrace between Braden and Lindsey, the goateed grandson and the peace sign-earring-wearing grandma, both swollen with pride.
It is a characteristic that courses through Braden and, in the last two weeks, thrust him from anonymity to a feud with the highest-paid player in sports history. Alex Rodriguez(notes) jogged across the mound during a game Braden was pitching, and so began a war of words started – and won – by the 26-year-old left-hander.
He accused A-Rod of “tasting himself too long to apologize” for breaking an unwritten rule. A-Rod said “a guy that has a handful of wins in his career” shouldn’t be talking. Braden said: “I was always told if you give a fool enough rope, he’ll hang himself. And with those comments, he had all the rope he needed.” A-Rod said: “I don’t want to extend Braden’s 15 minutes of fame.”
Braden responded by giving himself at least several hours more. He joined a list larded more with greats (Randy Johnson(notes), Sandy Koufax, Cy Young and Catfish Hunter, the last A’s pitcher to toss one, on May 8, 1968) than flukes (Len Barker, Charlie Robertson, Lee Richmond). He threw the second perfect game against the Rays in 10 months – Chicago White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle(notes) did it July 23 last year – and prompted A-Rod, of all people, to say before the Yankees’ game at Boston: “Good for him.”
All the attention was on Braden afterward, but he wouldn't take all the credit. "This is ours," he said. "Not just mine."
Lindsey wasn’t quite as gracious. This was her day, after all – “She deserves it,” Braden said – and she had a message for reporters to pass along to the $300 million man who dared tromp on her grandson’s mound: “Stick it, A-Rod.”
This Mother’s Day turned out much better than last year’s, when Braden took a Vernon Wells(notes) line drive, clocked at 109 mph, off his pitching hand in the first inning. He stayed in the game, threw six innings, left with the ball’s seams still imprinted across his hand and returned to the stadium with a splint.
“I’m just kind of happy to be putting on the costume a year later,” Braden said.
He is the sort who neither takes crap from opponents nor takes his standing for granted. There isn’t a lot of room in the major leagues for pitchers who throw 87 mph, one of the 10 slowest fastballs in the game. Braden’s equalizer is baseball’s slowest changeup, which comes in at an average of 72.9 mph and keeps hitters honest enough to make his fastball seem fast.
The Rays, before Sunday the highest-scoring team in the major leagues, flailed at it all afternoon. They struck out six times with the pink bats used on Mother’s Day, when the sport attempts to raise breast cancer awareness. Slugger Evan Longoria(notes) tried to bunt in the fifth inning. The best they mustered was Gabe Kapler’s(notes) 12-pitch at-bat in the sixth inning. And it was Kapler who came up with two outs in the ninth, the paltry crowd of 12,228 ready to witness history.
“I was thinking it was going to be a knuckleball or gyroball,” Braden said. “Anything to get him out.”
He fell behind 3-1 before inducing a groundout to shortstop Cliff Pennington, which set off an on-field carnival. Braden hugged first baseman Daric Barton, then catcher Landon Powell, who was replacing the injured Kurt Suzuki. He made his way from teammate to teammate, each happier than the previous.
“I thought he was a great pitcher before the perfect game,” Powell said.
Maybe not great, though certainly better than A-Rod imagined. Braden was the A’s opening day starter this year. He lowered his ERA to 3.33 on Sunday. The victory was the 18th of his career. And in case Rodriguez is wondering, fewer men have thrown perfect games than hit 500 home runs in a career or 50 in a season.
And as much as Braden tried to shrug it off, to play the no-fuss guy who still lives in Stockton and makes the 67-mile commute daily to the Coliseum, he couldn’t keep up the ruse. This was the first game the A’s sold half-priced seats in Section 209 to Braden’s start – Stockton’s area code is 209 – and while it wasn’t overflowing, it was more populated than the rest of the stadium.
“This is ours,” Braden said. “Not just mine. Ours.”
His and his teammates’ and the 209’s and Oakland’s. And especially Jodie Atwood’s and Peggy Lindsey’s. During the A-Rod dustup, Braden was asked how he’d treat someone else who encroached on his territory. He replied: “If my grandmother ran across the mound, she’d hear the same thing he heard.”
On Mother’s Day, she heard something wholly different. It sounded – and was – perfect.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Navy SEAL McCabe Found Not Guilty
Yeah baby. 3 for 3 NOT GUILTY!
Navy SEAL McCabe Found Not Guilty
May 7, 2010 - 1:04 AM |
By Steve Centanni, Pat Summers and Gretchen Gailey
NORFOLK – It only took a 7-member jury one hour and 40 minutes Thursday afternoon to find Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe not guilty on all counts. McCabe had been charged with assault for allegedly roughing up Ahmed Hashim Abed, the accused terrorist who allegedly masterminded the grisly killings six years ago of four American contractors in Iraq.
In closing arguments, prosecution attorney Lt. Jason Grover said, “This is a simple case, but not an easy one. Nobody wants to believe a decorated Navy SEAL would assault a detainee.” Grover also argued that a key prosecution witness, Petty Officer Kevin Demartino, had no reason to lie when he testified that he saw McCabe punch the prisoner in the stomach.
“What’s Dimartino’s motive to blame his shipmates?” asked Grover. “If he was looking for an explanation for something that happened on his watch, he had an easy one right in front of him,” the prosecutor argued. “He could just say the terrorist did it to himself.”
Which is exactly what the defense argued in this case. Defense attorney Haytham Faraj, in his closing argument, insists McCabe acted honorably. Faraj asked the jury, “Why didn’t McCabe just shoot Abed in the first place?”
“These SEALs,” he continues, referring to McCabe and two other SEALs charged in the case, “had motives, they had opportunities, but they’re professionals.” Faraj insists, “Everyone has to be lying for the government’s case to be believed.”
The jury of six men and one woman received the case at 4:15 Thursday afternoon.
This follows four days of pre-trial motions, jury selection and testimony before a Judge Advocate General, Captain Moira Modelewski, at the Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia.
Another of the Navy SEALs charged in connection with the Abed case, Petty Officer First Class Julio Huertas, took the stand for the defense Thursday morning.
He said that he and the other two Navy SEALs, McCabe and Jonathan Keefe, did visit the detention facility where Abed was being held on the night of the alleged incident.
But, he insists, there was no assault. He says they only dropped by to see if Dimartino, who was in charge of the holding facility, needed anything. Huertas and Keefe were found not guilty last month in separate trials in Baghdad.
The defense called an oral surgeon Thursday who testified by phone from Baghdad. He said Abed might have bitten an ulcer on his lip, causing it to bleed. Defense attorneys said this validated their position that no assault occurred and that Al Qaeda detainees are trained to injure themselves then claim abuse.
Earlier, after the prosecution and defense both rested their cases, prosecutors Thursday announced they needed time to present a rebuttal. They were basically trying to rehabilitate their key witness, Demartino, whose character and credibility had been questioned by a string of defense witnesses Wednesday, many of them Navy SEALs. One of Demartino’s former superior officers, testifying as a rebuttal witness, called Demartino “one of my top sailors—I can depend on him for anything.”
Defense witnesses on Wednesday had painted a picture of Demartino as unstable, unreliable and, after the incident with Abed, “distraught.” According to testimony, Demartino was worried his career would be ruined because a prisoner claimed abuse on his watch, and that he would no longer have a chance for his dream job with the California Highway Patrol. This, the defense claimed, gave Demartino a motive to lie. Demartino did not immediately report the alleged assault to his superiors and admits to dereliction of duty. The defense suggested that since Demartino initially said nothing about an assault, he’s an unreliable witness.
The defense also continued throughout the trial to cast doubt on the English translation of Abed’s audio-taped testimony, claiming it was unreliable, which creates an element of doubt. As in civilian courts, a defendant—in this case McCabe--must be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Four of the seven jurors would have had to vote to convict for McCabe to have been found guilty.
Thursday afternoon, prosecutors suffered an apparent setback when a witness they called supported the defense position on disputed statements submitted in writing by two Navy SEALs in Iraq shortly after the alleged assault. The prosecution claimed the two SEALs, Jonathan Keefe and Matthew McCabe, colluded to get their stories straight, because their statements appeared to be identical. But this witness acknowledged the statements of two SEALs on the same mission often coincide.
Abed was captured in a surprise raid by the Navy SEALs in Fallujah, Iraq, in September of last year. The murders he’s accused of masterminding were a turning point in the Iraq war, galvanizing the U.S. military to launch a major offensive against the insurgents in Fallujah. The bodies of the four Americans were burned and dragged through the streets, and two of them were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River.
Ever since charges were brought against the Navy SEALs last year, there has been a huge outpouring of popular support for the defendants. Rallies were held at which the men were described as heroes rather than criminals. Websites helped raise defense funds and at least 20 members of Congress called for the charges against them to be dropped. The military, however, insists it has a zero tolerance for detainee abuse and that all members of the services are duty-bound to follow the law.
Navy SEAL McCabe Found Not Guilty
May 7, 2010 - 1:04 AM |
By Steve Centanni, Pat Summers and Gretchen Gailey
NORFOLK – It only took a 7-member jury one hour and 40 minutes Thursday afternoon to find Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe not guilty on all counts. McCabe had been charged with assault for allegedly roughing up Ahmed Hashim Abed, the accused terrorist who allegedly masterminded the grisly killings six years ago of four American contractors in Iraq.
In closing arguments, prosecution attorney Lt. Jason Grover said, “This is a simple case, but not an easy one. Nobody wants to believe a decorated Navy SEAL would assault a detainee.” Grover also argued that a key prosecution witness, Petty Officer Kevin Demartino, had no reason to lie when he testified that he saw McCabe punch the prisoner in the stomach.
“What’s Dimartino’s motive to blame his shipmates?” asked Grover. “If he was looking for an explanation for something that happened on his watch, he had an easy one right in front of him,” the prosecutor argued. “He could just say the terrorist did it to himself.”
Which is exactly what the defense argued in this case. Defense attorney Haytham Faraj, in his closing argument, insists McCabe acted honorably. Faraj asked the jury, “Why didn’t McCabe just shoot Abed in the first place?”
“These SEALs,” he continues, referring to McCabe and two other SEALs charged in the case, “had motives, they had opportunities, but they’re professionals.” Faraj insists, “Everyone has to be lying for the government’s case to be believed.”
The jury of six men and one woman received the case at 4:15 Thursday afternoon.
This follows four days of pre-trial motions, jury selection and testimony before a Judge Advocate General, Captain Moira Modelewski, at the Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia.
Another of the Navy SEALs charged in connection with the Abed case, Petty Officer First Class Julio Huertas, took the stand for the defense Thursday morning.
He said that he and the other two Navy SEALs, McCabe and Jonathan Keefe, did visit the detention facility where Abed was being held on the night of the alleged incident.
But, he insists, there was no assault. He says they only dropped by to see if Dimartino, who was in charge of the holding facility, needed anything. Huertas and Keefe were found not guilty last month in separate trials in Baghdad.
The defense called an oral surgeon Thursday who testified by phone from Baghdad. He said Abed might have bitten an ulcer on his lip, causing it to bleed. Defense attorneys said this validated their position that no assault occurred and that Al Qaeda detainees are trained to injure themselves then claim abuse.
Earlier, after the prosecution and defense both rested their cases, prosecutors Thursday announced they needed time to present a rebuttal. They were basically trying to rehabilitate their key witness, Demartino, whose character and credibility had been questioned by a string of defense witnesses Wednesday, many of them Navy SEALs. One of Demartino’s former superior officers, testifying as a rebuttal witness, called Demartino “one of my top sailors—I can depend on him for anything.”
Defense witnesses on Wednesday had painted a picture of Demartino as unstable, unreliable and, after the incident with Abed, “distraught.” According to testimony, Demartino was worried his career would be ruined because a prisoner claimed abuse on his watch, and that he would no longer have a chance for his dream job with the California Highway Patrol. This, the defense claimed, gave Demartino a motive to lie. Demartino did not immediately report the alleged assault to his superiors and admits to dereliction of duty. The defense suggested that since Demartino initially said nothing about an assault, he’s an unreliable witness.
The defense also continued throughout the trial to cast doubt on the English translation of Abed’s audio-taped testimony, claiming it was unreliable, which creates an element of doubt. As in civilian courts, a defendant—in this case McCabe--must be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Four of the seven jurors would have had to vote to convict for McCabe to have been found guilty.
Thursday afternoon, prosecutors suffered an apparent setback when a witness they called supported the defense position on disputed statements submitted in writing by two Navy SEALs in Iraq shortly after the alleged assault. The prosecution claimed the two SEALs, Jonathan Keefe and Matthew McCabe, colluded to get their stories straight, because their statements appeared to be identical. But this witness acknowledged the statements of two SEALs on the same mission often coincide.
Abed was captured in a surprise raid by the Navy SEALs in Fallujah, Iraq, in September of last year. The murders he’s accused of masterminding were a turning point in the Iraq war, galvanizing the U.S. military to launch a major offensive against the insurgents in Fallujah. The bodies of the four Americans were burned and dragged through the streets, and two of them were hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River.
Ever since charges were brought against the Navy SEALs last year, there has been a huge outpouring of popular support for the defendants. Rallies were held at which the men were described as heroes rather than criminals. Websites helped raise defense funds and at least 20 members of Congress called for the charges against them to be dropped. The military, however, insists it has a zero tolerance for detainee abuse and that all members of the services are duty-bound to follow the law.
Cinco de WTF?!?
Riots in California over Arizona's immigration policy. Riots in Greece because free loaders want more blood from the taxpayer's stone. Just understand that these two incidents are not that far apart. If we allow our open borders to continue unabated there will not be any money for American freeloaders. Especially these days where we American citizens have no rights anymore. Now understand that I am not anti-immigrant, hello grandson of immigrants but my people did it the right way, the legal way Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty and all that. What we have now is people walking across an unguarded border demanding full rights as a U.S. citizen, sorry Pedro you are late to the party we have enough fruit pickers and landscapers here already. Go get a visa and do all the things required by the U.S. government to gain entry into the U.S. It is a very simple process all you need will be provided to you but it does take time so keep what ever job you have in your home country until you can get here. Do not give me the we were there first bullshit either. Santa Ana was a pussy and you lost the war, we got the territory of course if your government is feeling froggy I say take a leap at the border and fight for "your" land. Didn't think so. Now I do not want you to think I hate you because I do not, I just know that you are here illegally so I hope no one give you a job, or loans you money and you are denied a place to stay because you have no job and no money. Eventually you will leave on your own or you will commit a crime and get apprehended or better yet killed in the act of committing said crime. Poetic justice, love it.
Now lets talk about the stupidity of the citizens of this country. Los Suns give me fucking break that is insulting on both sides of the border and you should not have been in orange but in red the preferred color of that hispanic hero Che Guevara a murdering commie terrorist. How about those kids in California who were sent home from school for wearing American, yes I said American Flag apparel on the most holy of hispanic American days Cinco de Mayo. Ah it is not a holiday in Mexico but is here that is okay though because we tend to do that here i.e. St. Patrick's Day. But in all honesty how can someone who thinks that wearing an American flag on their visible person is offensive. Do you understand why the liberals in this country must be stopped at every and all turns? Their ideas about America are killing the American way of life, liberty and prosperity. They just want to give everything to everybody in the name of equality. Which brings us to Greece and riots. these union and government workers will not conceded anything to help with the financial crisis. They only want more and will riot to get it. When an unsusstainable situation is artificially kept going eventually the situation can no longer be sustained, in other words when you get something for nothing eventually the something will run out. Then the riots will start and the most anti-American president ever will find someone to blame. Probably someone or everyone with a job.
Now lets talk about the stupidity of the citizens of this country. Los Suns give me fucking break that is insulting on both sides of the border and you should not have been in orange but in red the preferred color of that hispanic hero Che Guevara a murdering commie terrorist. How about those kids in California who were sent home from school for wearing American, yes I said American Flag apparel on the most holy of hispanic American days Cinco de Mayo. Ah it is not a holiday in Mexico but is here that is okay though because we tend to do that here i.e. St. Patrick's Day. But in all honesty how can someone who thinks that wearing an American flag on their visible person is offensive. Do you understand why the liberals in this country must be stopped at every and all turns? Their ideas about America are killing the American way of life, liberty and prosperity. They just want to give everything to everybody in the name of equality. Which brings us to Greece and riots. these union and government workers will not conceded anything to help with the financial crisis. They only want more and will riot to get it. When an unsusstainable situation is artificially kept going eventually the situation can no longer be sustained, in other words when you get something for nothing eventually the something will run out. Then the riots will start and the most anti-American president ever will find someone to blame. Probably someone or everyone with a job.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
