Thor’s Hall

Here’s an unusual twist on a classic teenage situation…

Okay folks we are running neck and neck with the ARMY for the lead here in the donation category.  Get over there and make a donation.  Give up that Starbuck’s today and instead put that money toward helping out this worthy cause.

The good folks over at The Art of Manliness have taken the “motivator” comcept in a most acceptable direction.  There are a wide variety of them on their site with various historical characters, as well as some other great daily articles.  Go see their work.  In the interim enjoy.

As I mentioned last night, we are into the fund raising cycle for Valour IT.  With the economy the way that it is, everyone is adjusting their spending to hold on to a little more of what they are earning.  Take a few minutes, to find a couple of schekels to toss in the Valour IT coffer.  If your company matches charitable funds – let’s leverage that as well.

Reuters has a nice article out today telling you a little bit more about the program, and how to donate.  If you choose to make your donation through the mail as opposed to online, be sure to mark it as part of the Team Marine efforts.  All of the funds go to the same worthy cause, but Marines have this little competitive streak, we do win.

Click on that thermometer over there on the left.  Step through the online process and donate what you can.   Donations for Valour-IT may also be made by sending checks or money orders to:

Soldiers’ Angels

Valour-IT Fund

1792 E. Washington Blvd.

Pasadena, CA 91104.

It’s that time again.  Soldier’s Angels has kicked off the annual fundraiser for Valor IT.  For those that have been reading this blog for awhile you know that this is one of the few programs that I actively support, and contribute to.

Being a tech geek, as well as a Marine this is a charity that is right in my wheel house.  Rarely do you find such a well suited use of technology.  All too often we are trying to force a technical solution into a slot where it might / sort of fit, and offer some benefits to the user.  In this case there is no doubt that this is the right solution, at the right time, for the right audience.  But, all those laptops and all that software does not come for free.

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.  Technology supplied includes:

Voice-controlled Laptops – Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems – Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).

Personal GPS – Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

The experience of Major Chuck Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered serious hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important these laptops and other technologies can be to a wounded service member’s recovery.

Dig, a bit.  Find what you can and drop it in the thermometer below, or over to the sidebar there.  We have until Veteran’s Day to raise a couple bucks.

This one is too funny not to post:

An Irishman is cleaning his rifle and accidentally shoots his wife. He
immediately dials 999.

Irishman: ”It’s my fooken wife! I’ve accidentally shot her, I’ve
fooken killed her!”

Operator: ”Please calm down Sir. Can you first make sure she is
actually dead!”

*click* … *BANG*

Irishman: ”Okay, I’ve fooken done that. What next?”

26 years ago.

Beirut

.

It was the bloodiest day in the Corps’ history since World War II, when Marines fought to secure Iwo Jima.

On October 23 1983, around 6:20 am, a yellow Mercedes-Benz truck drove to Beirut International Airport, where the 1st Battalion 8th Marines, under the U.S. 2nd Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps, had set up its local headquarters. The truck had been substituted for a hijacked water delivery truck. The truck turned onto an access road leading to the Marines’ compound and circled a parking lot. The driver then accelerated and crashed through a barbed wire fence around the parking lot, passed between two sentry posts, crashed through a gate and barreled into the lobby of the Marine headquarters. The Marine sentries at the gate were operating under their rules of engagement, which made it very difficult to respond quickly to the truck. By the time the two sentries had locked, loaded, and shouldered their weapons, the truck was already inside the building’s entry way.

The suicide bomber detonated his explosives, which were equivalent to 12,000 pounds (about 5,400 kg) of TNT. The force of the explosion collapsed the four-story cinder-block building into rubble, crushing many inside.

About 20 seconds later, an identical attack occurred against the barracks of the French 3rd Company of the 6th French Parachute Infantry Regiment. Another suicide bomber drove his truck down a ramp into the building’s underground parking garage and detonated his bomb, leveling the headquarters.

Do you remember where you were at the time? I was asleep in the Marine Barracks at Fort Bliss.

I remember my friends from bootcamp that were assigned to BLT 1.  I remember them and my other fallen brothers on this day.  Please do the same.

Semper Fidelis

first encounter with a NYC celeb rode the elevator with Katie Couric