Go Army!

I never saw this...wonder why the media only reports the bad stuff...

The information below will help explain the commitment to democracy which is alive today in the hearts of our troops and most Americans. This commitment is what actually drives troop strength.

If you visit those places around the world which do have and those which do NOT have democratic governments, you will begin to understand why it often falls to the United States and our military to make a difference...... because we understand the difference.

Largest Re-enlistment Ceremony - Ever
I'm sure you already know about this. It was shown over and over on TV, right?
OK, so maybe it wasn't shown over and over, but surely it was shown on TV at least one time, wasn't it ?




This was the largest re-enlistment ceremony ever held in military history. The ceremony was held on the 4th of July, 2008 at Al Faw Palace, Baghdad , Iraq . General David Petraeus officiated. This amazing story was ignored by the 'mainstream' media.
For those who have been in the Al Faw Palace, you'll have a better appreciation of the number of people crammed around the rotunda supporting the re-enlisting soldiers.

American men and women volunteering to stay longer in Iraq, so that when we leave, the new democracy will have a chance of surviving, is the exact opposite of what the media wants you to think about Iraq. If only a bomb had killed 5 civilians in a marketplace - now that's the kind of news the media is eager to tell you about.

A pizzeria in Chicago donated 2000 pizzas that were made and shipped to Baghdad , and were delivered on the 4th.

The media did report that 2000 pizzas were sent to Iraq on July 4th... The only part they left out of the report was the event for which the pizzas were sent.
I can't help but wonder what would the opinion of Americans be if they weren't getting such obviously biased 'news?'

Pass this on and we will do the work for the Media.

Looking A Gift Horse in the Mouth!!

****Sourced from Yahoo New*********

Mon Jul 28, 2:31 PM ET

LAKE CITY, Ga. - More than 1,800 people showed up to help ABC's "Extreme Makeover" team demolish a family's decrepit home and replace it with a sparkling, four-bedroom mini-mansion in 2005.

Three years later, the reality TV show's most ambitious project at the time has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis.

After the Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 loan, it's set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5. The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but told WSB-TV they received the loan for a construction business that failed.

The house was built in January 2005, after Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA and ABC's "Extreme Makeover" demolished their old home and its faulty septic system. Within six days, construction crews and hoards of volunteers had completed work on the largest home that the television program had yet built.

The finished product was a four-bedroom house with decorative rock walls and a three-car garage that towered over ranch and split-level homes in their Clayton County neighborhood. The home's door opened into a lobby that featured four fireplaces, a solarium, a music room and a plush new office.

Materials and labor were donated for the home, which would have cost about $450,000 to build. Beazer Homes' employees and company partners also raised $250,000 in contributions for the family, including scholarships for the couple's three children and a home maintenance fund.

ABC said in a statement that it advises each family to consult a financial planner after they get their new home. "Ultimately, financial matters are personal, and we work to respect the privacy of the families," the network said.

Some of the volunteers who helped build the home were less than thrilled about the family's financial decisions.

"It's aggravating. It just makes you mad. You do that much work, and they just squander it," Lake City Mayor Willie Oswalt, who helped vault a massive beam into place in the Harper's living room, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Move America Forward

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Average American Joe

http://www.youtube.com/user/joeamericanus

JOB VACANCY; FUNDRAISE FOR MAINE ARTS

JOB VACANCY
UMVA's MAINE MASTERS video series is seeking a person interested in Selling sponsorship for underwriting the broadcast of the series on WPME-TV, the Portland/Auburn television station which is broadcasting the first Saturday of every month at 10:30PM on a new program called OPEN AIR for the next eight months. This is a fundraising position that will be paid on a commission basis. The person doing this job needs to be knowledgable about the arts in general and the MAINE MASTERS series in particular (a full set of the series will be part of the pay!), motivated, articulate, and a believer in the positive role the MAINE MASTERS series is playing in educating the public about the arts of Maine. Please call or write Dick Kane for more details. 207-359-2320, kanelewis@aol.com

"Knock off" Merchandise is NOT OK EVER!

OK, here is an eye opener and a good "vent" for me.

KNOCK OFF MERCHANDISE

An article to read: NYC CAMPAIGN SHOWS DARK SIDE OF COUNTERFEIT GOODS

It is just so wrong in every way.
1. The original designer/owner of this product OWNS it, it could be their livelihood, the way they feed their kids and support their family and it's NOT OK for someone to steal it and use it for their own selfish gain.
2. It supports child labor and abuse in third world countries.
3. The owner paid big $$ to copyright or patent their invention/idea and illegal copying violates these laws.

and so on!

I belong to a swap group that exchanges tangible goods for $$ value, but no money and a member has been offering knock off designer purses and I couldn't take it anymore so I contacted her, the group leader (who regularly enforces law-abiding practices), a few people who have grabbed them and told them that I felt it was bad practice to swap these items, it gives value to them and the industry is illegal etc. Here is her response:

Becky, these are purses my friend has given to me over the years and its not illegal...if i cant use all the purses i get i would rather have others enjoy them. If you have a problem and referring to me, you should be dealing with me. You are not obligated to grab anything like this and i have purchased from others also and paid the price that is much more affordable then the real things. I know many that have loved them

First, I can't believe that a friend would give another friend THAT many purses, she's listed like 30 of them, she has to be buying them for cheap and then trading them at a mark up. Second YES IT IS ILLEGAL. No matter which level you enter into the process of selling / buying / trading illegal goods, it is still ILLEGAL!! and "the price that is much more affordable then the real things." besides the improper English used there, because you WANT something and can't really afford it, doesn't make it OK to support this industry either! WAKE UP PEOPLE, you can't have everything and resorting to illegal ways to obtain it, doesn't make it right.

I may not be obligated to grab them, but I AM obligated to make people aware of what they are contributing to if they participate in this industry.

pay it forward.

OPPOSE ORPHAN WORKS ACTS

It doesn't get easier than this. Go here to put your opinion in and/or
send it to a friend.

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

Very well pre-written letters to choose from and submit to influence
the final bill. It only takes one minute and you don't have to look
up any contact info!