GraniteGrok

One of the main themes of the Left is that our soldiers are either victims because of economics or culture and have not other choices.  And, once in theater and as that dirtbag Murtha said, the Left then  proceeds from victim to killer and baby murderer.  And they tie this to yanking all of our troops back home.

On that background, it was nice to see what some of our allies, who we have been led to believe that they hate our troops too, really think of our soldiers.  From Serendipitous Altruism comes this view of our troops in the eyes of French soldiers serving among them:

“We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing “ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events”. Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day ? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company.

[snip]

Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.

Here we discover America as it is often depicted : their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that : the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location : books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions : the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention.

And they are impressive warriors!

Continue reading "If you think our soldiers are vilified by our allies, think again" »

Posted by Skip at 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When a disaster occurs anywhere in the world, America is there.  Without a lot of fanfare, without a whole lot of chest-thumping, we just go and do the job.  And more times than not, the might of our military is there to do the grunt work and the logistics work.  And a lot of times, we get no thanks at all.

And when disasters happen here, many times we are on our own - not even a token display of help even from our closest "friends" (and if we did receive aid, I wish it was made more widely known).  So when I read this, there was a "thank you" to their "thank you" that passed by my lips.  From Op-For:

BESMAYA RANGE COMPLEX, Iraq, Nov. 20, 2008 – A group of Iraqi soldiers stepped up to help California residents victimized by recent wildfires raging throughout the state.

Iraqi army Col. Abbas Fadhil, Besmaya Range Complex commander, and his team of “Abbas’ Eagles” raised $500 for wildfire relief.

“We want to send a message to the American president and the American people,” Abbas said. “We feel that we are a family — one body. When one part of the body suffers, the other parts suffer, too.”

This is the fourth donation the soldiers of Besmaya have sent to the American people recently. In September, they raised $1,500 for victims of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Eagles also donated $500 to the National Sept. 11 Memorial.

Five hundred bucks in Iraq is a lot of money. Folks, this money came from people who can ill afford it, yet they gave anyway.

Shukran, brothers.

Not a lot of money to US.  But, as with the widow with two mites (Mark 12:41-44), it is the intent and follow through that counts.

Posted by Skip at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is no doubt that the Big Three automakers out of Detroit are hurting puppies right now.  Now, I'm no car maven and I'm no devotee to one particular kind of manufacturer.  That said, now that I am on my  third Saab (a 9-5 Aero) and the first two were each long term, I might fit that bill.  Given, however, that GM now owns Saab, I don't think it is the same car or company as when it was a standalone Swedish company).

And that does says, in part, why GM may well be in trouble.  This, to this driver, is another.

Chevy Volt - Concept car

Lots of potential, new technology, sexy and wonderful styling.  I would have bought this car an 8 to a 10.

Chevy Volt - Production car

New technology.  Pedestrian styling; boring.  A 6.

I know, I know - cost to manufacture, manufacture for efficient running.  Still doesn't mean that it isn't still boring.  

(H/T: Planet Gore)

Posted by Skip at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Often, we are confronted with superstar (and lesser beings) athletes acting badly.  They can be extremely self absorbed, selfish from being so pampared ("hey, it seems like the world revolves around me, so it must be true!").

THIS is a story of athletes upholding true sportsmanship even when it may cost them - big time:

With the game scoreless and two runners on base, Tucholsky had given Western Oregon the lead in an important game.

But as she rounded the bases, she collapsed with a knee injury.

For the home run to count, Tucholsky needed to make it to home plate and touch every base along the way. She also couldn't be assisted by players from her own team; otherwise, she would be considered out and the home run would not count.

Two players from Central Washington unexpectedly picked up Tucholsky and carried her around the bases, helping her touch each bag to complete the three-run homer.

The home run turned out to be the game winner.

"That game actually meant something. We're both trying to go regionals," Tucholsky said. "She basically gave me another run; otherwise, my home run wouldn't have counted. In a very close game like that, they did an amazing thing."

[snip]

She said she's glad Central Washington is receiving credit for helping with her home run trot. Her story has appeared in the New York Times and on ESPN.com.

"I'm glad to get this story out because it is an awesome thing they did for me," Tucholsky said.

And the 'Grok is happy to do so!   How often do you hear of people, when important things are on the line, work against their own self-interests?  Sometimes on an individual basis, but on a team?  The actions of those two players may have put their team's season on the line - there could be bad feelings amongst their team mates for them having possibly "thrown away the season".

Yet, the display of sportmanship shown by these two young ladies (and they have certainly earned that title) has to account for much in this time of "out for number one" style society.

Brava, ladies! 

Posted by Skip at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

In honor of the holiday, here is George Washington's magnificent first Thanksgiving proclamation.

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor— and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

 

Continue reading "Presidential Proclaimation for Thanksgiving" »

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We often take the day to day items of our lives for granted - we bumble from one thing to the next.  Most of the time, bumbling is fine....better than stumbling and doing a face plant, right?  The majority of us try our best to do our best (most of the time anyways) and attempt to "do the right thing". We take the good things in stride, believing that they are the norm...after all, life is good, right?  The little pebbles in our shoes?  Yeah, we all complain.  After all, there is that saying that states that people will find a way to get around, over, or under the big obstacles in life - we just sigh, shoulder the burden, and create solutions.  Small pebbles in the shoe of life?  A whole 'nother story - these we bitterly complain, honk, and mutter about them more often than the big things going wrong in life.

We lack (or lose) perspective and context in our busy lives.  And sometimes, events happen that jiggle everything back into a proper perspective - sweeping the pebbles aside and exposing the more important boulders in life for what they really are and how we should really prioritize the little from the big, from the silly to the important, from the important to the truly urgent.

Sometimes life does not go well...and sometimes not well at all.  The tragedy at Virginia Tech shows us that life is not fair, that bad things happen to good people.  We are so fortunate in our country that most of our lives are "good" - we pass from day to day almost without a care until such an event happens like this or 9/11.  These types of events shows us, too, that true Evil lurks in the world - and acts on whatever impulse it does and uses people to accomplish its goals.  Evil is real regardless of whether our philosophers or culture admits to that notion.  And when Evil strikes, it is them that have not the words or understanding that can speak to those events because they deny its existence.

And sometimes, "stuff just happens" to simple individuals too.  No, not just because of Evil, but just because stuff happens.  A good example is Captain Ed and the First Mate over at Captain's Quarters with the First Mate's trials and tribulations with her health - pray for them! And we all have experienced these kinds of problems, even here at the 'Grok - our relatives and friends are certainly not immune to "stuff" happening.

You know, I do feel sorry for folks that deny God's existence (just as they deny the existence of evil) .  I certainly disagree with that outlook, for I know that when things go wrong, there is a comfort in knowing that God is in control.  No, you haven't lost your way here on the 'Grok - while politics is high on the scale of things, we do acknowledge that there is a Higher Power in control of our lives and that He is concerned with all of us individually.  And when things go wrong, He is our Rock and our Refuge and that He listens to our prayers (and yes, sometimes we don't receive the answers for which we hope).

No, life is not fair - and we should never expect it to be such (otherwise, you are in for a world of hurt when things do go south).  We should, instead, rejoice and give thanks for when life does work according to our quaint notions of fairness. 

And give thanks to God in all things, big and small, good or not, for there is always a purpose in everything (note: yup - I've learned the hard way over the years that He just might not have clued me in on things yet - nor should I ever expect that He should). 

Posted by Skip at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We want to say thank you to the folks at both Anke Biting Pundits (Pat Hynes) and Right Wing News (John Hawkins) for their mentions of us as a "new blog" and as "web site of the day" (and apologies for not putting this up sooner - we ARE a new blog and the amazement that two of the "big dudes" would point us out (plain ordinary guys in central NH) made us forget our manners).

And Welcome to those that have come to visit!  

We hope you like what you see - have fun!

-Skip 

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