Remember the day

“Welcome home, soldier.”, three words that all to many soldiers never get to hear.

Memorial Day is a day to reflect and honor those that gave their lives to protect the United States of America. It’s about showing respect for the bravery and hard work those men and women, sons and daughters showed so that this country would be and stay free.

God speed, soldier. Your work and dedication does not go unappreciated.

For love of country they accepted death… – James A. Garfield

29.May.06 Holidays Comments (0)

Send mom an e-card

Ok cheap people. You know who you are. Sitting here, reading this site instead of out giving mom that gift you got her weeks ago. Oh, you didn’t get her a gift weeks ago? You are going right now? Yeah, ok.

Instead of wasting that $3/gallon gas, jump into the 21st century and send her an e-card from Hallmark.

She doesn’t have an email address? Go buy her a computer, sign her up on GMail and then send it to her. If she starts talking about how your brother sent her some big gift, just remind her that it’s the thought (not the money) that counts.

14.May.06 Holidays, Humor Comments (0)

Merry Christmas

It’s not obligatory. It’s tradition. Merry Christmas to you all.

25.Dec.05 Holidays Comments (0)

Track Santa

Want to watch Santa’s path as he makes his way across the globe? Check out the official NORAD Tracks Santa website. In case you don’t know what NORAD is:

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a binational military organization formally established in 1958 by Canada and the United States to monitor and defend North American airspace. Using data from satellites and ground base radar, NORAD monitors, validates and warns of attack against North America by aircraft, missiles or space vehicles. NORAD also provides surveillance and control of the airspace of Canada and the United States.

This year marks their 50th year of tracking the red suited burglar. Check out the How we do it! page for info on the technology they use. They also offer downloads for the kids to play games or color (after printing, not on the screen :)).

What started this?

The tradition began after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertisement for children to call Santa on a special “hotline” included an inadvertently misprinted telephone number. Instead of Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup, received the first “Santa” call on Christmas Eve 1955. Realizing what had happened, Colonel Shoup had his staff check radar data to see if there was any indication of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Indeed there were signs of Santa and children who called were given an update on Santa’s position. Thus, the tradition was born.

Excerpt taken from the NORAD Tracks Santa history page.

Merry Christmas everybody.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. – Burton Hillis

23.Dec.05 Government, Holidays Comment (1)

Politically correct seasons greetings

This is the card I’m sending out this year because I want to be sure I’m not offending anyone. I found it on this site.

Politically Correct Seasons Greetings
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, racticed within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all …

and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year _______, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only “AMERICA” in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

- DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTABILITY -

(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)

If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed. – Benjamin Franklin

04.Dec.05 Holidays, Humor Comment (1)