jesse_ewiak

Mike wanted the statement backed up. I er, did.

Too bad Bush is still OVERWHELMINGLY supported by the military. They KNOW what they're signing up for. The people bitching aren't the soldiers, by and large. The soldiers KNOW that their death is a real possibility --- albeit a miniscule one (you do realize that less than 1% of soldiers are dying, right?). THEY, by and large, don't bemoan their fate. They, by and large, support the mission. except for the 1/3rd that didn't bother to show up when called back up. Of course, you can back it up, right? -=Mike From the evil liberal Army Times... http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-ARMYPAPER-359116.php 1 in 3 IRR soldiers fail to report for mobilization By Jane McHugh, Army Times, September 27, 2004 Many troops claim 'family situations' About 30 percent of the 3,664 Individual Ready Reserve soldiers who have been called to active duty failed to report for mobilization, an Army Reserve official said. The soldiers submitted papers for a "delay and exemption" process, claiming personal and professional matters that prevent them from showing up. "Mainly it's family situations, such as someone's a sole parent or is taking care of someone in the family with a severe medical condition, or even they themselves have a serious illness," said Lt. Col. Burt Masters, a spokesman for the Army Human Resources Command in St. Louis. The IRR members were supposed to report at staggered times from late August through late October to five mobilization stations nationwide, he said. The stations are Fort Jackson, S.C.; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; Fort Sill, Okla.; Fort Knox, Ky.,; and Fort Benning, Ga. A total of 1,085 IRR members submitted "delay and exemption" packets containing written documentation verifying their situation, Masters said. Written records from courts, physicians, businesses and government agencies are included in these packets, which are reviewed by a special board comprised of officers. Final approval comes from Col. Debra A. Cook, who heads the Human Resources Command in St. Louis, Masters said. IRR soldiers who disagree with Cook's findings can appeal to the adjutant general of the Army, he said. Several reasons cited According to Masters, the leading reasons that IRR soldiers request delays and exemptions are: medical causes or disabilities; ;administrative mix-ups; ;financial hardship; being the sole caretakers for children or elderly parents,; and completing higher education. the Army announced June 30 that it would activate up to 5,600 civilians on the IRR list between July 6 and early 2005 for the global war on terrorism. Whether there will be more call-ups is anyone's guess. "We have not been told by the Department of the Army to cut more orders," Masters said. Those who have not filed for exemptions, and who don't show up within seven days of their reporting date will be considered AWOL, and possibly will be charged as deserters. So far, 14 IRR people have been confirmed AWOL, Masters said. As inactive reservists, IRR members don't drill, and ;are not assigned to a unit. Those who recently reported for duty are in-processing, playing catch-up with common task training and going through refresher courses. "We all do PT at our own pace," said Spc. Shavonda Bivens, 27, an Army transportation management coordinator who recently arrived at Fort Jackson, S.C. A guard at her local jail in Tifton, Ga., Bivens is a single mother who left the Army in May 2002 and didn't give a thought to the IRR until the end of July. "I got orders saying I was being activated back into the Army," Bivens said. "I never thought they'd call the IRR." Bivens' 3-year-old son is being cared for by her sister and her mother. In the beginning, the IRR adventure is quite different from the Regular Army, Bivens said. "You're not with a unit. You meet a lot of new people. And you have command sergeants major and colonels living in the same building," Bevins said. Another Fort Jackson IRR soldier, Master Sgt. Lisa Turner, 45, is a former Marine and Army Reservist. Her family, including parents, husband and two oldest daughters, is in the military. Turner and her husband, a retired Marine, have three children living at home. But no one in the family minded the IRR call-up notice, she said, even though her husband had to quit his state government job in Maine as a wildlife biologist because it was too far from their home. Earlier, Turner was called up by the Marine Corps Reserve for the first Persian Gulf War. "That time, I had five days to get ready and four children under 12. This time I had 30 days," she said. IRR soldiers are given 30 days of advance notice to report to their mobilization station. Mailgrams returned But some - aside from those who have applied for delays and exemptions - haven't shown up because the mailgrams ordering them to report for duty were returned to the Army because they had outdated addresses, Masters said. Of the 3,664 call-ups, 464 mailgrams were returned, but 367 of those were "resolved," Masters said, and the proper addresses were determined. The Army is in the process of tracking down the remaining 97, he said.

Sophmore Slump, plus it seems I'm injury prone as hell.

Actually, to be brutally honest, run an election with everyone allowed to run, and Sadr wins, Hussien is probably in 4th or 5th.

Mike, you're country needs you. This isn't the 5000 they called up THIS year, it's a NEW 5000 they're recalling for 2005. "Every time I try to get out, they pull me back in!" -Michael Corleone Army to Call Up 5,000 More Ex-Soldiers in 2005 Reuters Friday 01 October 2004 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army, now mobilizing 5,600 former soldiers from a rarely used personnel pool to go to Iraq and Afghanistan, plans to summon a similar number next year for duty in those war zones, a senior official said on Friday. The Army also said it plans to step up recruitment efforts to try to meet goals to sign up 80,000 new soldiers for the regular Army and 22,000 for the Army Reserve in the fiscal year that began on Friday. The Army recruiting command's chief acknowledged the wars were deterring some potential recruits. To plug shortfalls in certain skills in units being deployed, the Army has tapped the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), made up of 111,000 people who have completed voluntary military commitments and have returned to civilian life but remain eligible to be mobilized in a national emergency. The Army said about 3,900 of the 5,600 IRR soldiers scheduled to be summoned to active duty already have received orders to report. The mobilization, which began in July, is intended to yield about 4,400 soldiers for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan in the coming weeks and months after the Army provides service exemptions for medical problems and other hardships. Robert Smiley, a senior Army official involved in personnel mobilization, said the Army also expected in mid-2005 to begin mobilizing about another 5,600 from the IRR. "It will be a one-for-one swap, essentially," Smiley told reporters, with the 5,600 IRR soldiers being mobilized next year, replacing the current IRR soldiers after they complete 12-month combat tours. "It will be a one-for-one swap, essentially," for the IRR soldiers currently being mobilized after they complete 12-month combat tours, Smiley told reporters. Critics have cited the Army's reliance on the IRR as evidence that it has too few soldiers to sustain force levels in Iraq and Afghanistan. 'A NATION AT WAR' "We're a nation at war. And we need these people to come on active duty," said Brig. Gen. Sean Byrne, the Army's director of personnel policy. Of the IRR members whose date to report for duty has already arrived, roughly one-third have not shown up on time, with most of those requesting service exemptions or a delay in reporting, Byrne said. Lt. Col. Pamela Hart, an Army spokeswoman at the Pentagon, said the Army has identified six IRR members who have not reported by the date ordered, and have not requested an exemption from service or a delay in reporting. These six people potentially could face future criminal charges if deemed absent without leave, or AWOL, although Hart said charges were unlikely and noted that commanders have a great deal of discretion in how to handle these cases. A spokeswoman for the Army Human Resources Command had said on Tuesday that eight IRR members had been listed as AWOL. Byrne said the Human Resources Command was mistaken, adding, "No one is considered in an AWOL status right now." Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Michael Rochelle, head of the Army Recruiting Command, said the Army is adding 1,000 recruiters and $12 million in advertising money to boost efforts to sign up fresh soldiers. In the fiscal year that ended Thursday, the regular Army and Army Reserve met recruiting goals, while the Army National Guard fell short. "Obviously there's a war going on. No one would deny that. And for some people, for some of our prospects for our target age, young men and women, that is in fact a drawback. And it will deter some of them," Rochelle told reporters. "Many of them, once presented with the facts, can be convinced otherwise."

These guys are in the military the same way John Paxson is still on the Bull's roster. In theory, as GM, he could play, but it'd take an emergency. After all the article says these IRR guys should only be called up in case of a national emergency. I thought we were turning the corner?

CNS News? C'mon, Mike at least post from somewhere that isn't owned by wacky nutjobs that make the Washington Times looks liberal.

From those communist pinko lefties at the New York Post.... I guess they aren't used to a president with a memory: http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/31273.htm October 4, 2004 -- Was John Kerry trying to pull something at the debate last week? That question was burning up the Internet yesterday after a slo-mo review of the footage showed the Massachusetts senator taking an object out of his right pocket before the first question. <snip> But the mystery was solved when The Post reviewed a Fox News Channel feed from Thursday's debate: Kerry pulled out . . . a black pen. Kerry campaign spokesman David Wade remained angry at the bloggers' guilt-by-insinuation. "The right-wing attack machine will say anything to steal a debate do-over," he said. "We plead guilty to having a pen." The Bush campaign did not comment.

Football teams don't need stadiums that some colleges would be jealous of either. It's just not title IX, especially in Texas.

Of course, they're poor, black, and voting Democratic. It must be somehow corrupt right, Mike? It's not like half the population didn't vote last time around or something.

Also, realize 5% of polls even if you do everything else right, get the demograaphics exactly right, etc. are just going to be wacky because you only poll a certain number of people. The big thing with polling is that there is basically two schools of thought, either weighing by 2000 turnout, or just calling 1000 people straight shot. The first group has the race either tied, or Bush up by a couple of points. The other way is why you see the Bush up by 7-10 points. If the race is close and/or Kerry wins, the first group will be justified. If it's a blowout, then the 2nd group will be.

Yup, can't have any of those darn Indies voting in the GOP primary. Why should they think they have a voice in the matter of choosing the nominee for President?

Well, he's being deported so America is now safe from the terror overlord that is Cat Stevens! http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...lane_diverted_9

Batters: Contact Hitting - 4 Power Hitting - 8 Strike Zone Judgment - 6 Defense - 2

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=703&e=... snip- By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer WASHINGTON - The Navy's chief investigator concluded Friday that procedures were followed properly in the approval of Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites)'s Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals, according to an internal Navy memo. ... "Our examination found that existing documentation regarding the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals indicates the awards approval process was properly followed," Route wrote in the memo sent Friday to Navy Secretary Gordon England. snip- more..

6,400 something.

Well, there is the fact Chelsea was 12 when Clinton entered the office and the Bush twins were both in college. But, I mean, it didn't stop ole' Rushie from attacking Chelsea, right?

So, you guys are saying I need a gun that fires 30 times in one clip to defend myself. Jesus, go shoot some target practice if you're that bad. After all, it's not like the semi-auto's that are now legal can't be easily turned into full automatics or anything. Also, it doesn't matter that you have an Uzi...the military has an F-16.

SPOILERS......... Summary: Columbus pulls an Atlantaafter leading 3-1, including the worst Game 7 EVAH~ and Edward decides to put the team on his back to win his ring.

To sort of keep throw a little levity into things, here's a little poll/opinion thing... Year First Woman Is Nominated For President: Who is She?: Year First Woman Wins Presidency: Who is It?: Year First African-American to Be Nominated: Who is It?: Year First African-American Wins: Who is It?: Year First Hispanic Is Nominated: Who is It?: Year First Hispanic Wins?: Who is It?: First Election Where Nobody on either ticket had military service: First Election Where There are no White Men on the ticket: Assuming Bush wins, who's the GOP nominee in 2008? How about if he loses? Who's the nominee in 2008 for the Democrat's if Kerry loses? Final question, Kerry v. Bush, Who Wins and By How Much?:

That's odd, I didn't think Jimmy Carter was President the last three and a half years.

From the same poll. (PDF File) TODAY IT'S KERRY 49%, BUSH 47%. 5 WKS AGO, AFTER DNC, BEFORE SWIFT BOATS & RNC, KERRY LED BY 12, NOW 2. BUSH LEADS BY 4 IN MILITARY HH'S; KERRY LEADS BY 12 IN NON-MILITARY HH'S. BUSH UP IN WESTERN PA, NE PA & 'THE T'. KERRY ONLY UP IN SE PA, BUT BY 27 PTS." Phillie love its Democrat's.

Not for nothing but the Globe weighs in. More in the link. Authenticity backed on Bush documents By Francie Latour and Michael Rezendes, Globe Staff | September 11, 2004 After CBS News on Wednesday trumpeted newly discovered documents that referred to a 1973 effort to ''sugar coat" President Bush's service record in the Texas Air National Guard, the network almost immediately faced charges that the documents were forgeries, with typography that was not available on typewriters used at that time. ADVERTISEMENT But specialists interviewed by the Globe and some other news organizations say the specialized characters used in the documents, and the type format, were common to electric typewriters in wide use in the early 1970s, when Bush was a first lieutenant. Philip D. Bouffard, a forensic document examiner in Ohio who has analyzed typewritten samples for 30 years, had expressed suspicions about the documents in an interview with the New York Times published Thursday, one in a wave of similar media reports. But Bouffard told the Globe yesterday that after further study, he now believes the documents could have been prepared on an IBM Selectric Composer typewriter available at the time. Analysts who have examined the documents focus on several facets of their typography, among them the use of a curved apostrophe, a raised, or superscript, ''th," and the proportional spacing between the characters -- spacing which varies with the width of the letters. In older typewriters, each letter was alloted the same space. Those who doubt the documents say those typographical elements would not have been commonly available at the time of Bush's service. But such characters were common features on electric typewriters of that era, the Globe determined through interviews with specialists and examination of documents from the period. In fact, one such raised ''th," used to describe a Guard unit, the 187th, appears in a document in Bush's official record that the White House made public earlier this year. Meanwhile, ''CBS Evening News" last night explained how it sought to authenticate the documents, focusing primarily on its examiner's conclusion that two of the records were signed by Bush's guard commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jerry B. Killian. CBS also said it had other sources -- among Killian's friends and colleagues -- who verified that the content of the documents reflected Killian's views at the time. One of them, Robert Strong, a Guard colleague, said the language in the documents was ''compatible with the way business was done at that time. They are compatible with the man I remember Jerry Killian being."

Um, I don't really care, but since I've had to read about this on blogs all day... * I've read multiple people saying they had IBM Selectic's in the late 50's to early 70's who could do everythnig in that later. From Atrios blog.. * Also, Okay. Times New Roman is (currently) an exact copy of Times Roman because one font studio owns the former trademark and another studio the latter trademark. US Copyright law does not protect font designs (although there's some legal murky area wrt computerized font files). Times Roman has existed since the 1930s. I'm not going to argue with you on the rest... Hmm...proportional spacing..."Curly" quotes...in 1954...hmm...

Um, OK...just go here guys...yes, it's all EVIL LIBURALS~, but it's also a whole bunch of typewriter knowledge...a lot more than I can summarize. But, again, it's not like this matters and when the questions of authenticity are coming from a site like cnsnews.com, whose owner's make Mike look fair and impartial...*shrug* http://www.haloscan.com/comments.php?user=...475978839443880