http://www.aimag.com/forums/ Discussion of items not related to motorcycles en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:46:22 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.aimag.com/forums/images/redbar/misc/rss.jpg http://www.aimag.com/forums/ http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7495-new-stamp.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:56:59 GMT I got this e-mail and thought I'd pass it on. Be alert, if you go to the post office for just a few stamps, and you don't ask for the forever stamps, they have been instructed(threatened) to push the new stamps that supposedly honor a Muslim holiday. The stamps are blue background with gold swirls and the words "Greeting" and "EID"
If you have any patriotism for your country, tell the clerk what they can do with those stamps and asked for replacements.
My wife, Donna, went and just took what they gave her. Came home and saw these weird stamps, called the PO and asked what they were. They feigned surprise and didn't act like they knew what they were either. She insisted they find out and tell her. The clerk came back on the line and confirmed that they were the Muslim stamps. She took them back and asked for a replacement. Got some Bob Hope stamps and now we are both happier. ]]> Off Topic shovelmike http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7495-new-stamp.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7493-socialism-vs-freedom.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:03:26 GMT Here folks we have a living, first hand testament to country going from being a "free" country to a socialized "communist" country:

Survivor of Socialism Has Warning for America

The South Dakota Family Policy Council sponsored a speech tonight at First Assembly of God in Rapid City by Kitty Werthmann of Eagle Forum in South Dakota.

The presentation was entitled “Socialism vs Freedom” and was a part of the SDFPC “Heritage Under Attack” series.

Werthmann is the head of the South Dakota chapter of Eagle Forum, and was born in Austria. Werthmann lived for seven years under the Nazi rule of Austria, eventually coming to the United States in 1950 to become a naturalized citizen in 1962.

She said conditions in 1930’s Austria were very difficult. Unemployment was high, food was short, and many businesses were going bankrupt.

Austrians were looking to Germany where they saw prosperity and law and order, while they had near anarchy in their own country. With only a border between them, speaking the same language and having a similar culture, they believed the promise of prosperity from Adolf Hitler. Politically in their country, on one side was the National Socialist Party (Nazi) and the other was the Communist Party.

The communists were growing stronger as a party because of their promises, as well. When the country had to decide between Nazis and Communists, most of the people came to the realization they were a country with a Christian background and could not bring themselves to vote for the atheistic communists. Austria voted the Nazi Party in to power.

Once the Nazis took control, the people no longer voted for government positions anymore; all positions down to the local level were filled by appointment.

In the interest of a supposedly more efficient government, the Nazis decided to centralize all government between Germany and Austria.

Hitler nationalized (socialized) the banks, health care, automobile production, education, and more.

Werthmann said they had prayer in school and religious instruction, but “this all stopped overnight” once the Nazis took over. Instead of praying, they started singing praise songs about the state.

Children were instructed to report to state education on Sunday morning instead of church. If parents failed to comply with this political education on Sunday, they received a stern warning first, followed by a stiff fine for a second offense.

Children were told to listen only to Hitler and not to listen to their parents. The children were allowed to play sports after political education and the boys could do things like ride motorcycles and learn to fly gliders. This resulted in the children enjoying this time, and if their parents didn’t like it, the children would argue with their parents because the state had told them they had many rights beyond what their parents allowed them.

Werthmann said her mother eventually took her out of the public school system and enrolled her in a private school. She said at the time she almost hated her mother for doing this, but her mother told her that she hoped someday she would understand. Werthmann said now she thanked her mother 1,000 times over for doing this.

Werthmann said Hitler expanded “equal rights” for women, which resulted in far more women going out into the work force. The government created state-run child care and began molding the minds of children at a very young age.

Austria had private health care prior to the Nazis, and the quality was good. But the government took over the health care system, and when health care became “free” the doctors quickly became overloaded by frivolous use of the system. Surgeries of a more important nature, however, had waiting lists of about 18 months because of all the “hypochondriacs” abusing the system.

Werthmann said that if a doctor prescribed a medicine not on the government-approved list, the government would take the cost of the medicine out of the doctor’s salary.

Welfare became a “huge apparatus,” said Werthmann. Everyone had access to subsidized housing, food stamps, heating subsidies and many other benefits until everyone–regardless of salary–reached the prescribed standard of living.

“That’s called socialism,” she said. Werthmann cited the exchange between Joe the Plumber and Presidential Candidate Obama about “spreading the wealth” as a sign that it’s already begun here.

They also had what was called the “Planning Agency.” This dealt primarily with the agricultural system, telling farmers what they had to plant and how much of it they must plant. Livestock could not be butchered for the farmer and his family; everything had to be accounted for and turned over to the state.

Abortion was illegal under Hitler’s regime because Hitler wanted a lot of children to fuel the economic engine of his state. But if a child was conceived of a union that was not considered racially pure Aryans, they were selected to have an abortion.

Austria also had euthanasia. She said that when she was doing student teaching in the Alps, she went to a village where there were a number of residents who were mentally handicapped. The government announced a program where these people would be taken away to a facility where they would be taught useful skills including reading. In about six months, their families started receiving letters that these people had supposedly died a natural “merciful” death. They were being euthanized.

Austria also received gun control. Many people in Austria hunted, but the government said there were too many hunting and other types of gun-related accidents, and too much crime. So the people were forced to register their guns. The government then said the accident and crime problem didn’t improve, so the people would have to give up their guns.

“Keep your guns,” said Werthmann. “And buy more guns. And make sure you have plenty of ammunition.”

Even the churches were nationalized under Hitler. The government said the churches needed repairs, so a “church tax” was created. This led to the silencing of pastors because they feared they would lose their funding if they spoke out.

Werthmann cited the frog-in-the-pot analogy, and said the Austrian people were slowly boiled alive by the Nazis.

She said Hitler gave the people free radios so they could listen to him, and the newspapers were being censored by the state. The people didn’t have any information and didn’t know anything that the government didn’t want them to know.

Within about five years, Austria had gone from a free country to an absolute dictatorship.
Audience listens to Kitty Werthmann

Audience listens to Kitty Werthmann

In examining the attacks from socialists that have come against America, Werthmann recalled an incident in1985 she was invited by President Ronald Reagan to attend the summit between himself and Soviet President Gorbachev in Switzerland.

While there, she infiltrated the “peace movement,” which was there just to support Gorbachev. She marched with Bella Abzug, Barbara Boxer and Jesse Jackson while dressed “like a hippie.” She said Abzug greeted a woman who was in the German Parliament and told her there was a private meeting the next day with Gorbachev and she was invited.

Werthmann said she talked to a woman there who told her she and her fellow communists were working their way against the U.S. starting in Nicaragua, Honduras, and eventually with an eye to attack the U.S. through Mexico. The woman told her they would do this by getting massive numbers of illegals into the U.S. and pushing the sanctuary movement. Werthmann said when she saw illegal immigrant marches in California carrying the Mexican flag and trampling the American flag, she knew this was actually happening.

She said America is the greatest country in the world…if we can keep it. Werthmann said she is an optimist, that we are still a Christian nation, and God is still on his throne. She encouraged Americans to fight for this great country and to not lose our freedoms.

Werthmann said that when the people fear the government, that’s tyranny, but when the government fears the people, that’s liberty. ]]> Off Topic unfknblvbl http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7493-socialism-vs-freedom.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7435-weapons.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:56:51 GMT Wondering what kind of weapons you all carry while riding, if any? Wondering what kind of weapons you all carry while riding, if any? ]]> Off Topic joeknez http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7435-weapons.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7426-remind-you-anyone.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:09:27 GMT National Juggernaut: This Cartoon Seemed Far-Fetched In 1948... National Juggernaut: This Cartoon Seemed Far-Fetched In 1948

Who does this remind you of?:cool: ]]> Off Topic grampadac http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7426-remind-you-anyone.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7425-kazakhstans-radioactive-legacy.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:58:50 GMT Check this out. Its heart wrenching.

Makes you really think how foolish we are when we complaign about having a bad day.

Kazakhstan's radioactive legacy - The Big Picture - Boston.com ]]> Off Topic Gas Man http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7425-kazakhstans-radioactive-legacy.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7424-put-scale.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:56:24 GMT I don't understand the measurement.. BUT WOW!

Cell Size and Scale ]]> Off Topic Gas Man http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7424-put-scale.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7423-fastest-engine-belt-change.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:55:49 GMT WOW Fastest Engine Belt ChangeVideo (http://break.com/index/fastest-engine-belt-change.html?matchid=) WOW

Fastest Engine Belt ChangeVideo ]]> Off Topic Gas Man http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7423-fastest-engine-belt-change.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7409-im-tired.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:37:18 GMT

I'm Tired" by Robert A. Hall

I'll be 63 soon. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce, and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am.. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth around" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy or stupid to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money.

I'm tired of being told how bad America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros, and Hollywood entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of Zimbabwe , the freedom of the press of China , the crime and violence of Mexico , the tolerance for Christian people of Iran , and the freedom of speech of Venezuela . Won't multiculturalism be beautiful?

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I believe "a man should be judged by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin." I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of US Senators from Illinois.

I think it's very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation. I just wish the black president was Condi Rice, or someone who believes more in freedom and the individual and less arrogantly of an all-knowing government.

I'm tired of a news media that thinks Bush's fundraising and inaugural expenses were obscene, but that think Obama's, at triple the cost, were wonderful; that thinks Bush exercising daily was a waste of presidential time, but Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress; that picked over every line of Bush's military records, but never demanded that Kerry release his; that slammed Palin, with two years as governor, for being too inexperienced for VP, but touted Obama with three years as senator as potentially the best president ever. Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? Get a clue. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000, but the media and Kerry drove me to his camp in 2004.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America , while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue, or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global` warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.

I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next? Calling drug dealers "Undocumented Pharmacists"? And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion. I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military... Those are the citizens we need.

I'm tired of latte liberals and journalists, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, trashing our military. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth better people than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years and still are? Not even close. So here's the deal.. I'll let myself be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo, and the critics can let themselves be subject to captivity by the Muslims who tortured and beheaded Daniel Pearl in Pakistan , or the Muslims who tortured and murdered Marine Lt. Col. William Higgins in Lebanon , or the Muslims who ran the blood-spattered Al Qaeda torture rooms our troops found in Iraq , or the Muslims who cut off the heads of schoolgirls in Indonesia , because the girls were Christian. Then we'll compare notes. British and American soldiers are the only troops in history that civilians came to for help and handouts, instead of hiding from in fear.

I'm tired of people telling me that their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. Read the papers; bums are bipartisan. And I'm tired of people telling me we need bipartisanship. I live in Illinois , where the " Illinois Combine" of Democrats has worked to loot the public for years. Not to mention the tax cheats in Obama's cabinet as well.

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers, and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called "poor". The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.


Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.





]]> Off Topic evoKENevo http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7409-im-tired.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7407-thank-you.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:21:23 GMT I am feeling humbled today. Putting on this uniform on this day reminds me that I am standing in the shadow of giants... folks that have sacrificed... I am feeling humbled today. Putting on this uniform on this day reminds me that I am standing in the shadow of giants... folks that have sacrificed far more than I in defense of liberty. Some of those folks are on this forum...

So thank you. Thank you for my unfettered right to speak my mind. Thank you for my right to pray to the Lord my God. Thank you for my right to complain. Thank you for my right to protect me and mine. Thank you for my right to worship how, when, and where I choose.

Thank you for your commitment and sacrifice to something greater than yourself so that I and my loved ones can live free.

Thank you, veterans... and may God bless you. ]]> Off Topic BlueBob http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7407-thank-you.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7405-cool-new-wiki-metalworking-welding-etc.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:45:29 GMT There is a new encyclopedia (or "wiki") of welding and gases terms online sponsored by the Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA). It's called GAWDAwiki.
The wiki is interactive, which means you can use it as a reference, add new terms and definitions, or add more information to existing terms. Please take a look at it and see what you think. It's a great tool for beginners and pros! ]]> Off Topic weldmeister http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7405-cool-new-wiki-metalworking-welding-etc.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7397-thats-alright-obama.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:59:38 GMT Here's a parody about our present condition done by Bowser and Blue, Canadians. The whole world knows the story of the colonists severing ties with England in 1776 and many respect what we've stood for. They see our present dilemma and are watching to see if we will stand proud or crawl, let us stand and do whatever is requPlay the Bowser and Blue selected You Tubeired. ]]> Off Topic shovelmike http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7397-thats-alright-obama.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7374-fort-hood-attack-terrorism.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:57:42 GMT FT. HOOD ATTACK WAS TERRORISM

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published on DickMorris.com on November 8, 2009

Printer-Friendly Version

In his nationally televised remarks following the horrendous killings at Ft. Hood, President Obama never mentioned the T word. The attack was an act "of violence." No mention of terrorism.

In fact, the Ft. Hood shooting is the first terror attack on American soil since 9-11. But Obama, reluctant to take the rap for inadequate protections against such attacks, is doing everything he can to make it look like an adult version of the Columbine school shootings. We are treated to stories about the killer's dread of being sent back to Afghanistan and his deformed personality.

But, the fact is that Major Nidal Malik Hasan jumped on a table, yelled "Alah Hu Akhbar" and began the shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 more.

Ilana Freedman, CEO and Senior Analyst for the Gerard Group International, which provides intelligence analysis for business and homeland security, describes Hasan as a "lone wolf terrorist" who acts without apparent coordination with any other person or organization. But that does not make him any less of a terrorist.

The dividing line, of course, between a terrorist and a psychopathic killer is political motivation. His statements right before opening fire would indicate that Hasan was motivated by fanaticism and a commitment to Islamic fascism, even though President Obama bends over backwards to avoid saying so.

Obama's refusal to call the attack terrorism, and to heed the warning signs about the porous nature of our security system that allowed it to happen on a military base, recalls President Clinton's deliberate decision to downplay the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. He did not visit the site of the attack and treated it as a crime, promising to find those guilty and punish them, rather than to attack the international groups that funded and enabled them.

There may be no groups behind Major Hasan's attack, but the fact that he was an officer in the Army, with full access to a military base and its arsenal of weapons, while holding the views he did, is the first indication of a laxity in security under President Obama. This attack did not take place in a shopping mall or a school, where security procedures are, understandably, relaxed. It happened on the highest security place of all - a military base! That the military failed to spot the possibility of an attack and had no measures in place to prevent it must be laid at the feet of the commander-in-chief of that military: President Barack Obama.

Many commentators have warned that the diminution of security and the weakening of our anti-terrorist protections would leave us vulnerable to be hit again. Now it has happened. And the president is doing everything he can to blur the distinction between murder and terrorism.

It was his failure to understand the difference between an act of war and a crime that undermined President Clinton's administration's anti-terror efforts and led directly to 9-11. It would appear that President Obama is going down the same road of denial and minimization of political harm. There may be casualties at Ft. Hood, but Obama is determined ]]> Off Topic shovelmike http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7374-fort-hood-attack-terrorism.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7371-better-watch-quick.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:36:57 GMT before big brother starts controlling what we can have, see, watch on the internet.

And he says that he's not a muslim:

YouTube - Obama Admits He Is A Muslim ]]> Off Topic unfknblvbl http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7371-better-watch-quick.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7360-woodruff-appear-car-crazy-television.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:49 GMT Rod Woodruff, owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip and purveyor of many Sturgis memories, will be featured on an episode of Car Crazy Television to... Rod Woodruff, owner of the Legendary Buffalo Chip and purveyor of many Sturgis memories, will be featured on an episode of Car Crazy Television to air November 9. Car Crazy Television, the leading worldwide automotive enthusiast television show, visited Sturgis Bike Week this past August to get a behind-the-scenes peak of the yearly festival's inner-workings.

Host of Car Crazy TV, Barry Meguiar, took a moment from the high-caliber good times to speak with Woodruff regarding the role of the Legendary Buffalo Chip in the success of Sturgis Bike Week and how it has become synonymous with the true Sturgis experience.

"The Legendary Buffalo Chip provides its visitors an array of entertainment, art, vendors, food, amenities, charitable efforts, and countless memories," explains Woodruff. "The Chip has truly earned its reputation as the best party anywhere."

Entitled "Sturgis Motorcycle Rally" this episode is expected to be a standout Car Crazy hit this season. Meguiar travels to the annual gathering to check out some of the amazing bikes that motor heads and car guys from across the county bring to Sturgis. This can't-miss episode, airing on November 9 on SPEED TV at 8:00 p.m. PST/11:00 p.m. EST, also includes a rare peek inside the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

In addition to speaking with Woodruff, Meguiar chats with a number of exciting motorcycle celebrities that made it out to Sturgis this past year as well as the passionate guys and gals who flood the streets of Sturgis every year to see what emotionally connects them to their bikes. With over 500,000 attendees annually, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the best place to see extraordinary bikes of the past as well as cutting edge designs of the future.

For more than sixty nine years, passionate bikers from all corners of the globe have made their way to Sturgis in celebration of their need for speed. And anybody that has attended Sturgis in the past knows that the Legendary Buffalo Chip is an essential element of what makes Sturgis Bike Week the ultimate biker experience. Offering guests the complete and preeminent motorcycle rally scene for over 28 years, bikers converge on the Chip and camp on it's over 500 acres of campground. They also enjoy the best food, vendors, and facilities that Sturgis has to offer. It is the epicenter of the yearly rally and provides bikers with the high-octane revelry that is expected of Rally Week.

Check out Car Crazy TV on November 9. Now in High Definition, new episodes of Car Crazy TV will air on SPEED TV on Mondays at 8:00PM PST and Sunday mornings at 7:00AM PST. Check local listings to confirm airtimes. Also make sure to visit HYPERLINK "http://www.buffalochip.com" Sturgis Rally 2010 Buffalo Chip Campground information including Campgrounds, Concerts and Events. and make your reservations for Sturgis 2010. ]]> Off Topic joeknez http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7360-woodruff-appear-car-crazy-television.html http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7348-red-friday.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:32:48 GMT Red Shirt If the red shirt thing is new to you, read below how it went for a man... Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I... Red Shirt

If the red shirt thing is new to you, read below how it went for a man...

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together..

After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.

No, he responded.
Heading out I asked?

No. I'm escorting a soldier home.

Going to pick him up?

No... He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq , I'm taking him home to his family.

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days.

I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do...

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.

So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do.

Red Fridays.

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of Americans support our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that ... Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women a far, will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red - much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is "We need your support and your prayers." Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday ]]> Off Topic Mr. Big http://www.aimag.com/forums/off-topic/7348-red-friday.html