BlackFive

I had a post back in the fall where I discussed the virtues of being a Cubs fan. Recently, somebody posted a comment there calling me a racist for saying the following:

"Comiskey Park - home of the White Sox - is in a bad neighborhood and Sox fans tend to be a little rough...more like Detroit Red Wing hockey fans on bad mescaline. There is nowhere to go by Comiskey after the game to have a good time. And to all the Sox fans that are going to send me hatemail for calling it Comiskey Park - shut up. I won't ever call it by it's corporate, digital plantation name."

Well, a friend of mine just sent me this gem describing the difference between Cubs Fans and Sox Fans - Northsiders and Southsiders. ROFLMAO!

Northsiders vs. Southsiders

Note: I dedicate this post to one of the hotest Cubs Fans around - the lovely Jennifer.

Update: Roger, a White Sox fan, sent this story about Ronnie Woo-Woo and his new chompers. For those not in the know, Ronnie Woo-Woo wears a Cubs uniform and runs around Wrigley Field yelling "Cubbies, Cubbies, Woo-Woo!"

Via Reuters:

...Army Special Forces Command said Tillman led the lead section of a platoon when the platoon's trailing team came under enemy fire.

It said that while his part of the platoon was out of danger, Tillman maneuvered his team back toward the fray in order to protect the rest of the platoon, and directed gunfire at the enemy. It said he lost his life, but his efforts helped prevent the rest of the platoon from suffering any casualties.

If you haven't read the piece on Viet Nam from the Wall Street Journal (1995), you should go read it now. It's an interview with the Vietnamese Politico who accepted the surrender of South Vietnam. Here are some things from it:

Question: How did Hanoi intend to defeat the Americans?

Answer: By fighting a long war which would break their will to help South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh said, "We don't need to win military victories, we only need to hit them until they give up and get out."

Q: Was the American antiwar movement important to Hanoi's victory?

A: It was essential to our strategy. Support of the war from our rear was completely secure while the American rear was vulnerable. Every day our leadership would listen to world news over the radio at 9 a.m. to follow the growth of the American antiwar movement. Visits to Hanoi by people like Jane Fonda, and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and ministers gave us confidence that we should hold on in the face of battlefield reverses. We were elated when Jane Fonda, wearing a red Vietnamese dress, said at a press conference that she was ashamed of American actions in the war and that she would struggle along with us.

The extreme left gave hope to the NVA. The result was more dead - on both sides.

They won Viet Nam. We must not let them win this one.

Received lots of emails asking what I think about Nightline announcing the names of our fallen heroes (with their pictures).

A few things:

1. If you are not claiming to speak for the dead, then I don't have a problem with showing the names and faces of our heroes. I have big problems with people who use my friends for political statements that are contrary to their beliefs. I have lost three good friends who all supported the War on Terror, the Invasion of Iraq, and President Bush.

2. I have a problem with Nightline because they are only going to read the names of those Killed in Action and will leave out the other 200 or so that died in accidents. That's pretty damn weak if you ask me. I think those killed in action for their country would assert that those other individuals also deserve recognition for making the ultimate sacrifice. Update: I just read that they might expand the broadcast by ten minutes to include the 200 or so that died in accidents.

3. It's a sweeps move. Why now? Because we have forgotten the fallen? Maybe Nightline did, but not me. I put it in line with the B.S. 20/20 adoption piece.

4. I have a choice here. I won't be watching it. I'll be playing HALO or making a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. Or doing anything but watch. Maybe a rerun of Dr. Who will be on...

The point is that someone could do one hell of a show about the sacrifices our troops make. They could show where these Americans came from, what they believed in, and why they were making a difference in the world.

I understand that they have limited time to air this, so do it over a week or create another show to produce it.

Instead, we get a freaking list? Nice job, Ted. Really. It must have taken you guys about five minutes to put this one together.

Our troops, and especially our fallen Americans, deserve more than this.

They deserve to have their sacrifices count for something important. Not made in vain - not discounted and thrown away as we run from the fight.

That's why Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd, and others are the problem, not Nightline.

I just wanted to say "thanks!" to all of you who made donations to Spirit of America this week. We raised $50,000 from the blogosphere! You people ROCK!!!!

Here is an update from SOA's founder, Jim Hake:

Greetings,

Today we delivered to Marines at Camp Pendleton, CA the equipment that will be used to equip Iraqi-owned and operated television stations in Al Anbar province. On Saturday, May 1 the Marines will fly the equipment from March Air Force Base to Iraq. This initiative and the original request is described here. We try hard to provide rapid response to requests we receive. Here is the timeline of this project:

April 8: SoA receives Marines request for television equipment.
April 14: SoA posts the request on our Web site and begins fundraising.
April 29: SoA delivers $82,687 of TV studio equipment to Camp Pendleton.
April 29: Marines pack donated equipment and prepare for shipment to Iraq.
May 1: Marines fly equipment to Iraq.

This rapid turnaround makes a difference in Iraq.

Here is one photo from the event of Col. Robert Knapp, Commanding Officer of the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, and yours truly with a small amount of the gear we provided.

Please check Friday's Wall St. Journal, Dan Henninger talks about Spirit of America in his column on the editorial. You can find it online here.

We have received $1,532,931 in donations in the last two weeks. Contributions from 7,438 donors have been made to every request and every area of Spirit of America's operations. I can't begin to describe the effects this generosity will have on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan - both in helping the people of those countries and in supporting the hard work of those serving there.

As encouraging as the last 14 days have been, I believe we are just at the beginning of seeing homefront support for America's efforts in Iraq. We're fortunate to receive emails, letters and handwritten notes from our donors that thank us for finally getting the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution. Since 9/11 many have felt helpless. That no longer need be the case.

You can find more on what's happened and what next at Spirit of America. As promised, we have an accounting there of how the money was spent on the first phase of the Marines TV request.

All the best,
Jim Hake

And a big thanks to John and Beth Donovan who took me into the Fighting Fusileers despite my poor record on obeying orders...it's been a pleasure to serve your Command.

Update: Smash has more and has links to more.

American Digest has the run down of the event.

Update 2: I am making a bid of $25 for Smash's tie to burn. There is no excuse for a guy, even a Navy man (an Annapolis grad, too!), to be wearing something that heinous.

I think he raided Uday's wardrobe when he was over there...evidently, we didn't use the same extra-crispy recipe on the clothes as we did the scumbag.

So I bid $25 to see that thing burn (or melt). Anyone do better? Go to the link and make a bid. Help the Marines and Help Smash!

Via Chicago Tribune: A religious rite of passage on the battlefield - Marine Sgt. Andrew Jones, 25, of Sullivan, Ind., is baptized Wednesday in Fallujah, Iraq, by Lt. Scott Radetski, a Navy chaplain, in an improvised pool of cardboard boxes containing Meals Ready to Eat. Jones and three others asked for the rite after three comrades died, including two in the courtyard--"the middle of hell," as one of the GIs called it--where the ceremony took place. (Los Angeles Times photo by Rick Loomis)

Okay. So you've been here before...maybe Taking Chance Home was your first time here. You saw lots of plugs to help the Marines. Our Blog-a-thon for the Marines is over...for now. Of course, you can still support Spirit of America (I know I will).

A lot of you, and I mean A LOT, have emailed me for information about sending care packages to the troops. Some of you may not have really considered "taking care" of an unknown military person before so here's your chance to help.

Soldiers' Angels is a wonderful non-for-profit run by some of the best Americans around - military moms! There, you can adopt soldiers or whole platoons of soldiers, send care packages, emails. You name it. You can even help the wounded soldiers as they come back from overseas.

Soldiers' Angels and Spirit of America are not the only organizations out there that help our military.

Look into donating money to these two charities:

A. The Special Operations Warrior Foundation

The SOWF provides scholarships for the children of Special Operations soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who have lost their lives (in training or combat). A few dollars would go a long way in providing for the children of those who have died defending America.

B. United Warrior Survivor Foundation

UWSF offers scholarship grants to surviving spouses, along with educational counseling, financial guidance, investment planning, and other programs.

Think about donating your unused frequent flyer miles for a soldier to visit his or her family. Check out Operation Hero Miles.

Operation Gratitude - another site where you can help send care packages to troops in Iraq.

Books For Soldiers - it's one more way to show troops that you care.

Operation AC - Commenter Retread reminds me to include this charity which sends 110v single phase air conditioners to our troops in Iraq. They also send medical supplies to the Combat Support Hospitals for both injured American Soldiers and for the staff, as well as care packages to our troops overseas.

Keystone Soldiers also takes care of soldiers by adoption, matching pen pals, or sending care packages.

And Adopt a Platoon - another source for adopting soldiers who don't have someone on the homefront.

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is a nonprofit, charitable organization that provides financial, educational, and other assistance to members of the Naval Services of the United States, and their eligible family members and survivors, when in need. To do this, counseling, loans, grants, various services, and referral to other community resources are available. There are no fees for such help. The Society, operating in partnership with the Navy and Marine Corps, administers nearly 250 offices ashore and afloat at Navy and Marine Corps bases around the world.

Whatever steps that you take to take care of our troops - no matter how large or small - will resonate beyond just one American soldier.

Someone that was referred by this site to Soldiers Angels also was responsible for donating their extra frequent flyer miles to bring a family to see their wounded soldier at Walter Reed. Just some simple actions made all the difference in the world.

So please think about supporting our troops. You can show that you care about their lives while they defend yours.

This morning, I was in a cab and caught part of this short interview on NPR. Anne Garrels talks to some of our snipers in Iraq. Listen to what they have to say about what they are doing and what they are not doing...and what the perfect target is. One sniper (Papyrus) that she talks to has 25 confirmed kills.

Seriously, NPR did a decent job of covering this topic and showing what kind of soldiers we have serving our nation.

US Marines seek to equip seven (7) television stations serving local communities within Al Anbar Province, Iraq. The Province includes the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi. These stations will offer information that is more accurate and balanced than existing alternatives. The goal is to improve understanding between Americans and Iraqis, build trust and reduce tensions. Current TV news in Iraq often carries negative, highly-biased accounts of the U.S. presence. Unanswered, its effect is to stoke resentment and encourage conflict. The Marines seek to ensure the Iraqi people have access to better, more balanced information. By equipping local television stations and providing the ability to generate news and programming, the Marines will create a viable news alternative - one owned and operated by local Iraqi citizens. Please donate now!

Here are what our bloggers and friends are auctioning for this great cause:

Frank J.'s IMAO T-Shirt Babe Contest is up and winner to be announced on Monday (I believe). I don't know what living gods he found to judge the contest but they must be the absolute kings of the blogosphere....

...

I have met some of the contestants and others I've been reading for a long time. They are brilliant and hilarious, and some are even brilliantly hilarious. Go check out the contestants and be sure to visit their sites.

Note to SarahK: I have an esophagus protector.

Update 1PM CST: I just cast my votes. You can stop emailing me with suggestions and bribes. Well, the bribes are appreciated (I do live in Chicago where bribes are a way of life).