Well, it's because of crap like this:

From MoveAmericaForward.org
Last night Cindy Sheehan brought her anti-war "Peace Mom" book tour to Fresno, California.

Outside of Cindy's appearance stood a group of pro-troop supporters, fully decked out in red, white & blue and carrying "Support Our Troops" signs. One of them was Robin Butterfield who lost her son in the war on
terrorism.

Sheehan's supporters began to verbally attack the patriotic group, culminating in an outburst by one Sheehan supporter who screamed at the woman that her son died protecting other Marines who, "Kill, rape and
sodomize children."

Think I'm making this up? I'm not. You can watch it for yourself here on KMPH TV:

Please help me tell the story of the heroism of Casey Sheehan, Justin Johnson and the men and women of the United States military who are fighting for this nation with honor, dignity and bravery. Pick up a copy
of "American Mourning" and share it with a friend, loved one or co-worker who doesn't understand how wonderful our military men and women are.

Thank you!

Melanie

Same crap, different war. "Peace Mom," my eye!

Atlantic Ocean (Oct. 24, 2006) - A Landing Craft Unit (LCU) transports eleven humvees from 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Shreveport (LPD 12). The Sailors and embarked Marines are conducting Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), an exercise designed to prepare the crew for their upcoming deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Recruit Chad R. Erdmann

Friday, October 27, 2006

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Coalition naval forces in the Gulf are on watch for possible terror threats to oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, a British navy official said Friday.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, said an Al Qaeda threat last month to target Gulf oil terminals had resulted in stepped-up security and vigilance at Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura terminal, as well as a refinery in Bahrain....

Read the Rest, at Fox News

by Tech. Sgt. Michele A. Desrochers
October 26, 2006
Olivia, a military working dog, sleeps beside her trainer inside a Stryker vehicle after a mission in Mosul, Iraq. US Army photo

Wow...what a difference a day makes!

Since my post yesterday about Camp Lejeune's ballerinas, a number of you - fellow Soldiers' Angels, bloggers, and readers, have responded to help these families (other bloggers have been posting on their own, as well). I never cease to be amazed at how those who really support our troops come through when needed. You all are awesome.

Lauren told me that:

...this afternoon, I called all the parents into the classroom and told them about what you all had done. Their jaws dropped. Some of the moms got all choked up that people who didn't know them wanted to help them out. So it has been awesome that you all have done that!...

...today, I showed the little girls the pictures of the costumes for the recital. They were saying things like, "Ooooh Miss Lauren, these are beautiful! We'll be movie stars!" I was just laughing so hard. Then when it got time to get down and rehearse, they were all so serious about doing well, now that they were going to have costumes!

We still have some work to do, so...

I'm challenging my readers, fellow bloggers, and all those who support our military families to ensure that not only the holiday recital, but the Spring recital as well, will be taken care of. If you can, please donate - even a dollar will help.

If you're a blogger, or if you have a mailing list, please feel free to swipe my post and put it on your blog, or forward it to your list.

If you know a business that isn't "financially committed for the year," and really wants to support our military families, let them know about this need.

With a total need of under $4,000 to ensure that both of these recitals go off in style, the goal is well within reach.

These little girls are going to dance their hearts out for their deploying parents. Let's make sure they can do it with all of the flash and glamor these little princesses deserve.


Other bloggers posting about Lejeune's Ballerinas:
The Tanker Brothers
Yikes! - Kat's Blog
Yankee Mom
Noble Duty Milblogger Coalition - A Soldier’s Perspective
The Thunder Run
YankeeMom
Incoherent Ramblings
(Please trackback or email me to let me know about your post!)

Nellis rescue team saves hiker
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFPN) -- A combat search and rescue team stationed here rescued a hiker missing in Zion National Park, Utah, on Oct. 23.
More

This is one you don't want to miss...

Major Louis Cukela
Leatherneck
Maj Allan C. Bevilacqua
October 25, 2006

Do you have a dictionary handy? You do? Good. Pull it down from the
shelf and look up the word eccentric. Don’t be surprised if you find a
photograph of Louis Cukela right alongside.

Cukela [pronounced coo-KAY-la] was the living embodiment of the
word, the prime meridian from which any and all things eccentric are measured, a
man who could leave observers shaking their heads in bewilderment at the same
time they were doubled over in laughter. If there ever was a man who did things
his way, even if that way might have seemed odd, a man blunt as a bullet and
direct as an avalanche, that man was Louis Cukela. And he always ... always ...
had the last word.

Read the Rest, at Military.com

OVER AFGHANISTAN — A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter departs on a transportation mission from Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, Oct. 19, 2006. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Dexter D. Clouden

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraqi PM sees peace in 6 months - if U.S. cooperates - Video
Iraqi Police Battle Al-Sadr Militia - VIDEO
Rumsfeld sees Iraq benchmark dispute as politics
Rumsfeld tells war critics to 'back off'
U.S. death toll in Iraq worst in a year
Rumsfeld Pledges More Help for Iraqis

Operation Enduring Freedom
Report: NATO Operation Kills 60 Afghan Civilians
German embassies tighten security over skull photos - Video

Homeland Security / War on Terror
Some 200 human remains found at NY Ground Zero

Welcome Home!!
Marines return home from Iraq
Troops return from Iraq to warm embrace

Troops on Trial
Marine Pleads Guilty to Assault
Deserter will not be charged, lawyer says

Other Military News
Largest Veterans Job Board in the World

Mid-East Ceasefire / Hamas Rising / Israel at War
Indian UN vet treats animal victims of Lebanon war
Progress on Israel-Palestinian prisoner swap: Hamas - Video

Religion of Peace??
Danish paper wins Mohammad cartoon libel case
France boosts security on buses after arson attacks - Video

Immigration / Border Control
Bush Signs U.S.- Mexican Border Fence Bill

NSA / CIA
Prosecutor Dissects Witness in CIA Leak Case

Worldwide Wackos
S.Korea takes first step in sanctions on North

Politics / Government
Poll: Dems Take Double-Digit Lead
Democrats lead in U.S. election: Reuters poll
Patricia Heaton: Not Everyone Loves Michael J. Fox
Celebs Set to Air TV Ads in Response to Fox's Controversial Stem Cell Campaign
Fox: I wasn't off meds in political ads
New Jersey seen stopping short of gay marriage
Bush helps raise cash for GOP candidates

In the Courts
Judge won't dismiss "Grand Theft Auto" claims

U.N. News
Sudan says expelled U.N. envoy is "history"
U.N. panel backs new treaty on global arms trade

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News
Group Fires Blogger Who Exposed Foley E-mails

Mother Nature
Storm Blasts Colorado With Over 2 Feet of Snow
Study: Lake Tahoe landslide made tsunami
'This Is Murder'
Arson blamed in Southern Calif. wildfire thatkilled 4 firefighters; FBI joins investigation - VIDEO
Photo Essay: Deadly Wildfire in Southern California

Oddities
School Ousts New York Teen Dressed as Capt. Underpants
Vampyre club seeks new recruits
Want to diary your death? Ask online
Parents in court in bride-napping case

Other News of Note
Fed Worker Who Hired Hookers Pleads Guilty

Fox News
Wild Pigs May Have Sparked Spinach Illnesses
Plastic Surgery Death Blamed on Ex-Classmate
Russian Supply Ship Docks at Space Station
Study: Viking Landers May Have Missed Signs of Martian Life
Kentucky Man Says He Killed Social Worker to Kidnap Baby
Naomi Campbell Back at Police Station After Alleged Attack
New Home Prices Plunge as Sales Pick Up

Reuters: Top News
NASA launches twin spacecraft to monitor sun
Russian rocket docks successfully with ISS
Microsoft 2006 video game console target holds
Israeli bedside manner helps Ethiopian AIDS doctors
Obesity pill may treat diabetes
Look after my boy, Malawi father tells Madonna
Liz Taylor denies plans for 9th marriage
Stocks gain on strong profits, Microsoft up late
McAfee quarterly profit rises, shares up 6 pct
Hannover Re drops Scottish Re bid, source says
ICBC's A-shares open up 9 pct in Shanghai listing
Clear Channel shares surge, two groups interested
The housing script
Greenspan positive on growth outlook
Beijing Capital buys parent assets for $2 billion
Microsoft profit up 11 percent
Bank of America upbeat on commercial borrowers
Sun Micro posts narrower loss
Analysts sound note of caution on GM cash burn

AP World News
N.C. nurse charged in patient's death
Microsoft earnings rise, beating views
Jones disappointed with switch to Romo
Science bites myth of vampires, ghosts
Dad: Boyfriend, Shakira wait on marriage
Ore. church set on fire during service
Evans, husband agree on cash, visitation
Exxon posts $10.49B profit; shares up
Tigers, Cards will try to play Game 4
Father still worried by Madonna adoption
Wal-Mart adds 12 states to drug plan
Hong Kong Mariah Carey concert canceled
Oracle takes aim at Red Hat
Kansas sheriff shot; suspect killed

Military.com
What's Next? Life After the Military
Podcast: History of the Pollard Spy Case
Blog: Back to Sadr City

CENTCOM: News Releases
IRAQI FORCES RAID ILLEGAL ARMED GROUP IN DIYALA PROVINCE

IRAQI FORCES DISRUPT MURDER, KIDNAPPING CELL OPERATIONS

IRAQI ARMY FORCES CONDUCT RAID TO DETAIN SUSPECTED DEATH SQUAD LEADER

VEHICLE BLAST CLAIMS LIVES IN HUSAYBAH, IRAQ

IRAQI ARMY RAID TO CAPTURE DEATH SQUAD COMMANDER

USJFCOM
Urban warfare experiment draws many players
USJFCOM, USTRANSCOM commanders sign joint vision statement
Command's experiment bringing focus to urban challenges
Command leadership assisted as Navy transforms officer training
USJFCOM exhibits Joint Force Projection ACTD- podcast

Department of Defense
NEWS UPDATES
Iraqis Take On More Responsibility - Story - Video
For Top News Visit DefenseLink

ON THE GROUND
Iraqi Army Non-commissioned Officers Graduate - Story
Engineers Help Fortify Iraqi Police Headquarters - Story
Soldiers Set Up Medical Ops in Rushdi Mullah - Story
Center Gives Iraqis Place to Voice Concerns - Story

IN IRAQ
Iraqi Army Training Centers Prepare for Influx
Navy Leader Visits with Sailors in Iraq
Austin Officials Aim to Help Iraqi Public Services
Outlaw Pursues Flight in Skies Over Iraq

IN AFGHANISTAN
Specialist Delivers Supplies, Hope to Students
Agha Jon School Reopens After Taliban Torching
Navy Leader Talks with Sailors in Afghanistan

IN KUWAIT
Navy Leader Visits with Sailors in Kuwait

BACKGROUND
IRAQ
Renewal In Iraq
Iraq: Security, Stability
Fact Sheet: Progress and Work Ahead
Report: Strategy for Victory in Iraq
Iraq Daily Update
This Week in Iraq
Multinational Force Iraq
State Dept. Weekly Iraq Report (PDF)
'Boots on the Ground' Audio Archive
Weekly Reconstruction Report (PDF)
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Fact Sheet: Budget Request
Fact Sheet: War on Terror
Fact Sheet: Terror Plots Disrupted
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Army Casualty - Story

Weather
Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Gitmo

National Hurricane Center

Today in History
1775 - The U.S. Navy is established.
1787 - Federalist letters start appearing in NY newspapers.
1795 - The Treaty of San Lorenzo provides free navigation of the Mississippi.
1810 - The U.S. annexes West Florida (from Spain).
1871 - Boss Tweed (William Macy Tweed), the Democratic leader of Tammany Hall, is arrested after the NY Times exposes his corruption.
1893 - A hurricane hits the coast between Savannah, GA, and Charleston, SC.
1896 - The first Pali Road is completed in Hawaii (winds are so strong there that streams flow UP!)
1904 - The IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit), the world's first subway, opens in NYC (fare is five cents)
1920 - The League of Nations moves its headquarters in Geneva.
1922 - For the first time, Navy Day is commemorated.
1924 - The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic is formed.
1925 - Fred Waller patents water skis.
1941 - The Chicago Daily Tribune editorializes that there will not be a war with Japan. (Oops).
1948 - Israel recaptures Nizzanim in the Negev.
1954 - B.O. Davis, Jr., becomes the first Black USAF General.
1959 - A rare Pacific hurricane kills 2,000 in Western Mexico.
1961 - The first Saturn launch vehicle makes an unmanned flight test; Outer Mongolia and Mauritania become the the 102nd and 103rd members of the U.N.
1967 - Four people from Baltimore pour blood on selective service records.
1969 - St. Vincent and the Grenadines gain associated status with Britain.
1971 - The Republic of the Congo becomes the Republic of Zaire.
1972 - Golden Gate National Recreation Area is created.
1977 - NASA launches the S-200 space vehicle.
1978 - Begin and Sadat win the Nobel Peace prize; President Carter signs the Hawkins-Humphrey full employment bill.
1981 - Andrew Young, former U.N. Ambassador, is elected mayor of Atlanta, GA.
1982 - China announces its population has reached more than one billion.
1985 - Thieves steal nine paintings, including five Monets and two Renoirs.
1987 - South Korean voters overwhelmingly approve a new constitution.

Birthdays
1728 - James Cook, captain/explorer, discoverer of the Sandwich Islands
1811 - Issac Merrit Singer, inventor (first practical home sewing machine)
1844 - Klas Arnoldson, Swedish politician/pacifist, Nobel Prize winner (1908)
1858 - Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President (1901-09), Nobel Prize winner (1906)
1872 - Emily Post, social behavior maven, writer (Etiquette)
1917 - Oliver Tambo, leader of the African National Congress
1926 - H.R. Haldeman, former White House Chief of Staff, Watergate figure
1946 - Steven R. Nagel, USAF/astronaut (STS 51-G, STS 61-A, STS 37); Terry J. Hart, astronaut (STS 41C)
1947 - Terry Anderson, AP correspondent/U.S. hostage held in Lebanon (1984-1991)
1953 - Michael A. Baker, Lt. Commander USN/astronaut (STS 43)
1968 - Kata Karkkainen, Playboy playmate (Dec, 1988)

Passings
1449 - Ulugh Beg, U.S.S.R. astronomer
1553 - Michael Servetus, Spanish physician, burnt at the stake for heresy

Reported Missing in Action
1965
Moore, Dennis A., USN (CO); F8E shot down, released by DRV February, 1973 - retired as a Commander - alive as of 1998

1966
Johnson, Dale A., USAF (IN); aircraft caught fire, broke up during bombing run, Killed, body not recovered

1967
Black, Jon D., USAF (TN); F4D shot down (w/Conner) - released February, 1968

Conner, Lorenza, USAF (GA); F4D shot down (w/Black)

Flynn, John P., USAF (OH); F105D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. General - deceased March, 1997
*** Also flew with the US Air Corps in WWII (P-51 bomber escort missions in Italy), and with the USAF in Korea (F-80, 118 missions) - learn more here ***

Stirm, Robert L., USAF (CA); F105D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

Temperly, Russell E., USAF (MA); F105D shot down, released by DRV March, 1973 - retired as a Lt. Colonel - alive and well as of 1998

1968
Edmunds, Robert Clifton, Jr., USAF (VA); F105D shot down - remains returned June, 1988

1969
Herrick, James W., USAF (IA); A1H went down during reconnaissance mission; declared KIA in 1977

1972
Anderson, Evelyn, Civilian missionary (MI); not on official DIA list, reportedly executed by the North Vietnamese (burned alive) - remains returned November, 1972

Kosin, Beatrice, Civilian missionary (WY); not on official DIA list, reportedly executed by the North Vietnamese (burned alive)

Mattix, Samuel A., Civilian missionary (WA); released March, 1973

Oppel, Lloyd D., Civilian missionary (Canada); released March, 1973 - alive as of 1999