Eclectic Musings

Canon A75 on fritz, need to get a hard drive, off to get T’s football gear.

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:18:26 -0400

Canon A75 on fritz, need to get a hard drive, off to get T’s football gear.

house cleaning, running revo uninstaller and doublekiller, need to get things tidy

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:20:10 -0400

house cleaning, running revo uninstaller and doublekiller, need to get things tidy

Creative ZEN X-Fi Wireless MP3 Player - Experience X-Fi Sound in Creative ZEN MP3 Player

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:57:32 -0400

Creative ZEN X-Fi Wireless MP3 Player - Experience X-Fi Sound in Creative ZEN MP3 Player:

Wow, I had no idea this was in the pipeline. I have been a big creative fan over the years and I like the way they have matured to the Zen V and Zen. Now this. Great price point.

“

True mobility
You can now stream music and photos wirelessly from your PC to your wireless MP3 player within a home network. With the Creative ZEN X-Fi, experience the sound of perfection wherever you go. Stay in touch on the go
Stay connected with friends on Yahoo Messenger or Windows Live Messenger on your wireless MP3 player¹.

“

ARE WE COMMUNICATING???

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:17:01 -0400

A man spoke frantically into the phone: ‘My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart’. ‘Is this her first child?’ the doctor asked. ‘No!’ the man shouted, ‘This is her husband!’

installed itunes 7.7 (didnt crash this time) checking out app store

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:44:47 -0400

installed itunes 7.7 (didnt crash this time) checking out app store

Reverent returns for our fallen soldiers - USA Today

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:21:26 -0400

I thought this was nicely done. I was pleasantly surprised to see the author lives not to far from me. - Brian

By Madeleine Tavares

As I pulled on the body armor vest over my shoulders and donned the helmet, I could only imagine how difficult it must be to carry around these 60 pounds or so in 120-degree heat, every day in Iraq or Afghanistan. I wondered how these soldiers and Marines managed the weight, along with their weapons and ammunition.

On a recent visit to see my daughter in Washington, D.C., I went with her as part of her work to a meeting at the Armed Forces Medical Examiners Systems in Rockville, Md. A chance encounter with a remarkable woman, medical examiner Penny Rodriguez, churned my emotions.

Our tour of the facility included a stop in the morgue area. A stack of body armor vests and helmets caught my eye. Rodriguez told us that they belonged to military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. She said they perform autopsies on all those killed after they arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Her team also examines the body armor and suggests improvements. This stack of vests — each one representing a young life snuffed out in seconds — made the personal loss powerful and real.

Rodriguez, a tiny and compact woman, said she had spent 20 years in the Army’s 82nd Airborne. When I mentioned that my son is serving in Iraq, her professional demeanor became personal. She told me that each soldier and Marine was a hero, as they put their lives on the line without complaint. Then she urged me to try on the armor and helmet.

Rodriguez wanted me to know how respectfully those returning home were treated, and that each body was accompanied throughout the process by a servicemember. She wanted me to know about “the big old sergeant” who carefully presses the white T-shirts worn under the uniform jacket and how he meticulously tailors each jacket to fit the remains. “He wants them to look as good as they possibly can when they are returned home to their families,” she said.

I asked Rodriguez how she copes with performing the autopsies. She said that she talks to the fallen as she works, but that the procedure is always the same: “The first thing I do when I unzip the bag is put my hand in, rest it on their shoulder and say, ‘Welcome home.’ “

I regret that the public can’t see the unloading of the flag-draped caskets at the base. (bolded and italicized by Brian) But I am grateful that people such as Penny Rodriguez do the difficult job of bringing our returning heroes, our lost sons and daughters, home in a personal and reverent way.

As the mother of a soldier, there is comfort in that.

Madeleine Tavares is a leadership and training consultant in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Video

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:44:23 -0400

day 2 of radio silence, wait, did I just break it?

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:07:30 -0400

day 2 of radio silence, wait, did I just break it?

TypoBuddy Blog » 10 Misspelled and Bizarre eBay Auctions

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:16:43 -0400

TypoBuddy Blog » 10 Misspelled and Bizarre eBay Auctions

Gaming: Netflix Takes Center Stage on Xbox

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:12:32 -0400

Gaming: Netflix Takes Center Stage on Xbox

finally chilling watching dltv 238

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 21:50:09 -0400

finally chilling watching dltv 238

How nuke info off touch? How late thing apple store open tomorrow?

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:39:04 -0400

How nuke info off touch? How late thing apple store open tomorrow?

What the….. Outback is mobbed at 430! Ugh. Dinner out part deux

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:27:58 -0400

What the….. Outback is mobbed at 430! Ugh. Dinner out part deux

Y doesn’t anyone goto OP ale house?

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:27:58 -0400

Y doesn’t anyone goto OP ale house?

running gear essentials: Notes to come this afternoon.

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:38:48 -0400

running gear essentials: Notes to come this afternoon.

2.52mi 22:42 5/1 interval

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 10:54:50 -0400

2.52mi 22:42 5/1 interval

home, catching up on life. trying to clean off my harddrive and not sucumb to...

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:54:10 -0400

home, catching up on life. trying to clean off my harddrive and not sucumb to http://tinyurl.com/26ep5j

While the Medicare bill passed, the results of the survey prove, more than ever, that input from...

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:42:43 -0400

While the Medicare bill passed, the results of the survey prove, more than ever, that input from physicians has been sorely missed in the public debate. Among the alarming findings are that 70% of physicians believe they would have to consider switching to a “cash-only” practice if Medicare payments are reduced, and 60% of the physicians went as far to say they would consider changing their careers.

In search of vanilla iced coffee at McD’s

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:58:52 -0400

In search of vanilla iced coffee at McD’s

Photo

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:28:47 -0400