Browser Benchmark

In order to make a fair assessment the Peacekeeper benchmark will take a few more days. It's amazing to see some of the hoops you have to jump through that result in turning off accelerators and extensions. This is an interesting project and more than just speed has been & will be discovered. Before you start emailing I am very aware that you can find reviews that will support most any browser out there and they go to great lengths to tell you why their choice is best. So, the results found here will be an opinion, a fair one.

So far I will use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Sea Monkey, Safari and Flock. Am I missing an important one? Let me know.

"There are 5,000 great people for every jerk on Usenet. But that still is a lot of jerks. Proceed with caution and eyes wide open."
~Don Rittner

Photo Software

A question that comes up often is, "What software is good to manage photos?" I use Picasa which is a Google property. If you have ever used the Adobe Photoshop program, you'll probably love Picasa. It's straightforward and you don't need to be a witchdoctor specializing in voodoo to make it work. Pause for thought: Is Adobe's main headquarters deep in the jungle? (Now they will probably snatch Flash away from my computer, lol). With Picasa I've eliminated ALL camera software which can be clunky and resource intense. One of my least favorite software products on the planet is anything written by Kodak. Hey, they make wonderful cameras, but their software is terrible.

Got a really good software for photos? Share it with us! Use the comments and help a fellow net traveler out!

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer."
~Ansel Adams

A "Must Have" Purchase

Thanks out to Red Dragon for a super link!

"Middle age: When you're sitting at home on Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you."
~Ogden Nash

Random Thursday - Browser Benchmark

My fellow tech Ashy did a quick look at the top 3 browsers. Here are his results - you can click on the image for a larger frame and just close it to return here:



I know for a fact that Ashy is a fan of IE9, but uses Chrome for checking GMail and some other things. Needless to say the initial look once again proves Chrome is about double the speed of Firefox or IE9. I might also mention I've NEVER had Chrome crash.

This weekend while I am finishing up Red Dragon's uber PC I'll setup another benchmark which may include Opera, Safari, Sea Monkey, Flock and more. Here's my theory about all this; use what you favor. This is not something that is major. If you like Firefox then use Firefox. Still, factual information does not lie. Chrome is the fastest. Personally I use most all the browsers mentioned. I will have to download Opera.

Thanks out to Ashy for the help!

"Optimism doesn't wait on facts. It deals with prospects. Pessimism is a waste of time."
~Norman Cousins

Ah Yes, Opinions

My last comment about yesterday's post far exceeded the word limit. First, I don't think that Vista is, or ever really was a debacle. Good Lord knows it was a train wreck in the beginning. We all know that. Yet, my #1 workstation is still running Vista Ultimate which is up to date and doing an outstanding job after the good work of Microsoft to right a wrong. This machine will NOT be upgraded to Win7 in the near future. Since all the improvements most people think this workstation is running Win7 since I use the Aero Theme or Interface or Transparency in Vista (backronym meaning Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, Open theme according to Microsoft). Pick your definition, lol! People, if you have Vista update it and and use it. The service packs really help. Need further verification? Go to Microsoft's Knowledge Base and take a look at their opinion. Differences between Vista and Win7? Not so much. Please, if you argue this diatribe, include links.

Browsers. Hmmmmmmmm. There are really 3 families. They are Trident, WebKit and Gecko. After the Peacekeeper analysis of different browser benchmarks there may be much ado about nothing. IE9, Chrome and Firefox are all outstanding. Variations such as Opera, Sea Monkey, Flock, etc., are also good. Preliminary tests by a fellow tech (an uber tech, won't call his name, but the initials JC come to mind) indicate smashing performances by the major three browsers. (BTW speed does rock!) Sidebar: Chrome bees jamming. Anyway, we will try to take a realistic look at the benefits of each. When these browsers are benched I will do my dead level best not to prejudice things. Remember, I am a human making best efforts. Any input will be appreciated.

So, there we have it in a convoluted nutshell. If you have a long explanation please email me at cybersouth@gmail.com. I certainly welcome input. This is fun to see all the different opinions. Keep it up!

"The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away."
~Linus Pauling

Yes, Firefox 4 Runs in XP and is Now Available for Download

For those of you that are miffed and thoroughly disgusted with Microsoft's IE9 recent snub of XP users, rest assured you now have a strong advocate in your corner. Today's release of Firefox 4 will definitely work with XP machines. Read more at ComputerWorld. This article also walks you through the procedure to download Firefox 4. Good to see Mozilla embrace the most popular operating system on planet earth - Microsoft XP. Good marketing ploy for the people at Mozilla, Firefox's parent company. This is an awesome browser that has great flexibility and extension libaries that makes it easily custom tailored to an individual's use. Fast too. Once again white hats off to people caring about their fellow internet users. Good job Mozilla and keep up the great work!

Let the dust settle and I'll bench Chrome, Firefox, Safari (Apple's onboard Browser) and Internet Explorer 9 then post the results for your use. We will find out who has the speed o' light portal to things Internet.

"The Internet is the most important single development in the history of human communication since the invention of call waiting."
~Dave Barry

Music Monday - Dave Mason

The 1st version is from 1977 and the 2nd from 2007. Which is best?






Beautiful tune. Great sentiments concerning relationships. Rather sad, yet inspiring in a strange way.

"The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go."
~Henry Rollins

Fleeting Demise

Even though this was made before many of you were born, it's Monty Python in great form. If you don't like silly then don't watch. I am sure the grinch is about to pick you up for a dinner date:



It's just stunned!!! ROFLMAO

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place."
~Mark Twain

Unbelievable!

Try to use at least 720p on the video. Don't worry about the audio it's awesome period. Take a few minutes and enjoy some eye and ear candy. You'll be better because of it:



Thanks out to Fel for a great link!

Almost NOT Published

It amazes me that Frank Herbert was rejected by publishers 38 times before the greatest science fiction space opera, Dune, was put together and made available for sale. Margaret Mead only published one book in her life and it was rejected 21 times before meeting the press. The book? A little ditty titled Gone with the Wind. This also happens to be etched in the southern belle's handbook as the absolute 'stay at home, make popcorn and watch a movie' night selection. If she testifies that she doesn't own this movie then beware. She's a Yankee that's doing some dangerous role playing! But, if she swoons while Clark Gable kisses Vivian Leigh give her credit for great effort. Oh yeah, this one and only book published by Margaret Mead won a Pulitizer Prize! Hooker's take on the Korean War misadventures of the M*A*S*H troop was rejected 22 times before it hit the stands and shelves. Want more? Take a peek at the How Stuff Works site. Fascinating.

"The solution to adult problems tomorrow depends on large measure upon how our children grow up today."
~Margaret Mead

Random Thursday - Irish Beatles?

I am still laughing!
















"Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck."
~Hilton D. Murphy

TYVM

Short note to let everyone know that in spite of my inability to post for a while y'all didn't throw in the towel. Traffic is almost back to normal and it does my heart good to know that I've that many friends and readers. Posting is still spotty due to excessive backlog and trying to make my financial situation liveable. Getting there, slowly, but getting there. If anyone has ideas for posts it'd sure be nice to hear about them. My email is cybersouth@gmail.com.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tech Update and IE9

On 3/8/2011 the post was about Speed Tests. We found a broken link in the post that was supposed to take you to a different speed test instead of the one that has a button in the right hand column of this page. Well, the link has been repaired and will take you to a different speed test. Check it out.

Internet Explorer 9 is now available in the final form. You must run Vista or Windows 7 to use this browser. Sorry XP users. It can be downloaded at Microsoft. I have used it for several weeks and it is a vast improvement over IE8. The speed is awesome. Running Vista or Win7? Take a look, you might want to give it a try.

"Blogs seem to have two magnetic poles, one attracting friends, the other repulsing relatives."
~Robert Brault

Music Monday - Hot Child in the City

When Nick Gilder moved from Canada to Los Angeles he was amazed at the underage girls roaming the streets making money in unspeakable ways. He was also not too impressed with the nonchalant attitude of the times. So he stirred up some controversy with this song. He also stayed #1 on the charts for while too. Pimps that take advantage of the distressed and downtrodden have a special place reserved in the bowels of Hell.



All in all, a catchy tune that has seen a lot of airplay in movies recently.

"You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again."
~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762

Another Sign of the Apocalypse: AT&T Being Nice

Surfing around and found this somewhat interesting Engadget tidbit: Free Japan calls thru March 31st, via AT&T. Downright scary, I tell ya! Yet, credit where credit is due, it will help many people in many ways. If I had a relative or friend in Japan I'd sure ring the phone off the hook. So (I can't believe I am going to say this), kudos and props out to AT&T! Maybe MaBell does have a soul after all. Now if they stop telling outright lies about their horrible coverage and even worse customer service, it might freak us smooth out! Still, this gesture is a very positive step.

"The Lord loveth a cheerful giver. He also accepteth from a grouch."
~Catherine Hall

Spyware Sucks

Just over reviewing some info at the HowToGeek site. Do you realize the number of sites that are infected with malware (most of the time intentionally) has doubled during the past year?!?!?!?!? If you have a site that uses this garbage and they won't stop, either email them or, better yet, stop visiting the site. If they use malware, spyware, adware, garbageware, dungware, thiefware, etc., then I don't need to visit their site for ANY reason. I have stopped using some download sites because of this problem and absolutely will not use Yahoo under any circumstances. I wish Microsoft could have gotten past the anti-trust problems and bought Yahoo. It would probably be a good site again. Yahoo has a history of promising to stop the charade and clean up their act. Greed seems to have lured them back time and time again. It is amazing that a number of people I consider to be intelligent persist in using this garbage.

But hey, it's your computer, do whatever you desire as far as that is concerned. But DON'T complain when you receive a bill for the extensive work it takes to disinfect a PC. The soap box is now back in the closet.

"Common sense is not so common."
~Voltaire

Nippon Anguish

Prayers out to all those in Japan and the USA that have suffered due to the recent tsunami. Huge prayer out to the victims of the 8.9 earthquake in Japan. It's time for America to help one of our staunch allies recover from horrible devastation. The people of Japan recovered from the plight of WW II and became a leader. They truly changed from being an imperialist nation of cruel war lords into a polite, responsible society. Their drive to perfect manufacturing in a very positive way has changed the world. The nation recovered after nuclear bombing and embraced new technology to rise to the top of free trade. This freak act of nature will take many years of hard work to set right.

It was mind boggling to watch scene after scene on the news about the terrible results of this mega-quake. Please keep praying.

"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field."
~Niels Bohr

Random Thursday - Not Bad, Eh?

IMHO, every politician in in the USA should be required to watch AND LISTEN to this video before they start every day! Be sure and watch all the way to the end. This is an impressive woman!



Thanks EdC for another great link. God Bless the United States and our tremendous 'cousins' to the north in Canada. Thanks out to Rick Mercer of Canada for sharing a great piece of journalism.

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been."
~Mark Twain, Following the Equator (One of my all time favorite books)

Speed Tests

Since the server in Atlanta comes and goes when using the speed test button on this page, I have started using Speakeasy Speed Test too. The below graphic is to show my current speed. It is not a link. Click on the link in this paragraph and then bookmark it. Later I will include this speed test in the links list and may replace the button too. Just this week Metrocast has upped their download speed from 10 to 20. When they were adjusting settings yesterday this PC actually got a return of 34.49 down and 1.07 up. That's fast. Heck, that's the fastest download speed I've ever seen! Now if they will just increase the upload, lol.



Hats off to Metrocast for this enormous increase in speed. Take that, COMCAST!!!


"In college, Yuppies major in business administration. If to meet certain requirements they have to take a liberal arts course, they take Business Poetry."
~Dave Barry

Thin Raft

You have to get through the free verse poetry in the beginning to hear a great version of a classic Doors song. Stick with it. The video is okay, but the audio is outstanding, especially with the recording date in mind. Hey I really like a lot of their music. Morrison was a weird cat...God rest his soul.





"The scratches in Yoko Ono records are moments of relief."
~S.A. Sachs

Another GW 2 Spoiler

Here is an update on yesterday's post. This is a better quality preview of the Thief Profession about to be released. This is the sixth Profession revealed in Guild Wars 2. Not a lot of action, but some detail about character development. Guild Wars players that plan on obtaining Guild Wars 2 will be interested even if they are not planning on using the Thief Profession.




"Our whole life is solving puzzles."
~Erno Rubik

I Shall Come As...

Spoiler alert: This has not been posted on the Guild Wars 2 site, but since it originated at ArenaNet there is most likely substance to this preview. New Character - Thief. The Profession seems to be an Assassin with guns. The video quality is not that great in full screen, but the content is certainly interesting. You can tell the guy talking was one of the people stolen from Blizzard (WoW) back in the day since he calls the character a 'toon' - I really, really, really, hate the word 'toon' Yuck!




"It's a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you into hot water."
~Franklin P. Jones

Das Phone Ya?

OK, I am bad about not answering the phone because of my sleep weirdness - due to legal drugs and other junk. I am imposing a moratorium on calling anyone that doesn't answer the phone after three return calls. At least try to return it. What's up with Alcorn County? Y'all lose mainstream phone patterns? Good Lord knows I miss stuff from Red Dragon, the Murf, Mother n many others. Hell, none of them live in Alcorn or Tishomingo or Prentiss or Itawamba so on n so forth. Might be good. Maybe I don't need to talk, lol! Notice I said "I", lol!

Random Thursday - Guild Wars

Check out updates in Guild Wars. Go read the developer updates on the official guildwiki or the GW site. Read all of them. This is a great day for the game. Be sure and check out Embark Beach. Do we play an awesome game or what?!?!?!?!?!? Rock on!

Ten Ways at Once

As is apparent, my wait to resume posting here should have been extended for a few more weeks. Many projects going on and it's hard to do some things entirely by myself. Every once in a while an extra set of hands will help prevent back pains, etc.

Cooperation in the workplace is almost non existent. Just not many jobs available. Certainly my age has something to do with it. Anyway, I've whined about that and just need to let all you good folks know the situation.

Trying to overcome health problems, scatterbrained thinking and living, and lack of work isn't helping my self organization either. I will certainly testify that worrying won't help! With an election in less than two years, we can vote the baboon regime out and put some decent people back in office. Then federal spending and availability of jobs should both improve. Just vote wisely!!!



Now a cup of coffee. Mello Joy is so awesome. TYVM JK! BTW the King Cake was to die for! Wish they sold both locally. Later.


"Caffeine isn't a drug, it's a vitamin!"
~J. Couch

Tip Tuesday!?!?

Here's a great tip for Guild Wars: Hold down you control and shift key while dragging multiple consumables into the Xunlai Chest. A window will open letting you choose how many you want to put into the chest. This great for those that want to distribute Honeycombs, Rock Candies, Summoner Stones, etc., among several different characters on the same account. Thanks for the info Cyndane Eloize. Meanwhile back at the Guild Hall - anyone that has a really good tip please email it to cybersouth@gmail.com. As Red Green says, "We're all in this together." Help fellow players out and pass along some flashing jewels of information.

The idea is being tossed around for Tuesdays to be exclusive for various tips. You know, like the latest Windows Updates, Guild Wars stuff, useful shortcuts in office, where to find free .pdf manipulation software. Please include a link in the email about your idea if it is appropriate. Please refrain from making comments a place to link unless it is uber important (new malware, virus infections, emergency 'fixes' and such). It is very easy for me to keep the link permanently in GMail where comments are not as reliable, nor do they always show up. Opinions? Let me know. Comments are great for that! LOL.

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light."
~Norman B. Rice

YES, that's Rick Wakeman at the Piano

Weird

Of course they are sadly mistaken, but it was too much of an ego thangy not to publish this analysis. It's a free app from Chrome and I analyzed my last article about Celtic Woman (Joyce is/was from Ireland). Hmmmmm, maybe all that struggling through Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Finnegans Wake left residual cobwebs in my feeble brain. Gosh, reading those tomes is almost ancient history. Thanks out to JimC for the link. There is a link included in the graphic. Try it out. Share your results in the comments!

I write like
James Joyce

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

"I try to leave out the parts that people skip."
~Elmore Leonard

Music Monday - Marching to a Different "Drummer"

My apologies for not posting. Seems I needed another week to finish the "sort and organize." This Music Monday is a tune sent by my friend EdC. Beautiful tune sung with a beautiful voice. Take a listen:



Inspiring...

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base."
~Dave Barry

Songs From the Heart

In the past I've often been asked, "Who is the best group in a live performance?" My answer, "That's a hard choice since I've seen YES four times, Jimmy Buffett on three occasions, and Clapton twice." Well folks, earlier tonight that answer changed. Beyond a shadow of any doubt Celtic Woman is so far in front it's almost pathetic. Why? Several aspects come into play. Everyone is stunning. They are even prettier live than on DVDs - by far! They seem genuine. It shows in their music, manners and gratitude. Talent! Sitting there with goosebumps, tears rolling down my cheeks, barely able to speak, they became Sirens to my Odysseus.

They DO NOT make mistakes. This live performance blew away everything I have seen to date. They have such beautiful voices it's hard to choose who is best. They are far more animated than anything seen on PBS or DVD. Mairead, the Violinist, is just not satisfied standing in one place. Chloe ended a song on a high note that was powerfully sustained and got screams of glee as everyone rose to show respect. Lisa Lambe wooed the audience with a bright smile, wonderful Irish accent and a short tale about her fantastic solo performance sung in Gaelic. As we stood and cheered Lisa Kelly's rendition of The Moon's a Harsh Mistress I turned to MJ and said, "Okay, now I can die." Kudos to all the great musicians, pipes a piping and drums a drumming, instruments strumming while the support singers created a majestic background. Props to the sound engineers and lighting effects crew as well. A grand evening with fantastic musicians and a beautiful program. As the Bagpiper entered from the rear of the audience playing Amazing Grace God worked some magic and the audience became whole, steeped in the spirituality of this well known moving song.

Life has been rough of late. I've constantly shored up my vessel and prayed a lot. Family and friends have kept me from sinking in the water. Last night God gave me a chance to count my blessings. I did. MJ and Joe thank you. Thank you. Brandon, I am glad you enjoyed it. Good to see young people being appreciative of real music and real talent. What a great evening. My dreams will fair better now. Many thanks to my family and friends. I am sincere when I say, "I am not worthy."

"Once again I am mesmerized by the pure ease and beauty by which 'Celtic Woman' perform. A true talent that is a joy to behold and be a part of..."
~Daryn Crosbie, Stage Director

Blogger or User?

Hmmmm, Blogger is still not responding. Will try another browser. Have been posting in Chrome and made some extension changes just a few days ago. Might be the 'person-in-chair' syndrome causing the problem. [EDIT: Just checked other browsers and they are all not letting stuff push up.] Oh well, they are probably working on it. Posting tomorrow night will be late. Going to a local concert and want to let everyone know how Celtic Woman performs live. Huge gratitude hug out to MJ and Joe for the wonderful gift. Really looking forward to it!

Internet Explorer 9

You can now download the release candidate of Internet Explorer 9. Be sure and know what version of Windows is on your PC. It's important information. Looks like Microsoft has delivered and the first thing I noticed was browsing approaching light speed. So far so good. Very smooth and if you use Chrome some of the new tweaks will be familiar. At first glance it seems stoic, but you have enormous ability to tailor it for personal preferences. For some reason Blogger is not linking at this time. I will put it in the perma links list whenever Blogger acts right. It's easy enough to find in Google.

Check it and and let me know what you think.

Random Thursday - Paris

WARNING: Even though this has been on TV many times it may not be appropriate for some younger children. That said, People this woman rocks!!!!! And she's actually a keyboard player who uses a Hammond/Leslie setup most of the time. The whole band is talented!!!!!

Weather Outside? Delightful, Frightful?

Once again North Mississippi residents are under a winter weather warning. There are several web articles speculating this unusual weather may be due to a shift in the magnetic poles. Stay inside, stay warm and emerge on Friday. Tomorrow is supposed to be extremely cold and the roads are predicted to be treacherous. Now it's time for some hot chocolate. Later.

"Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so."
~Stanley Crawford

I Am Humbled

Thanks EdC for sharing an inspiring message. Folks, this is somewhat long, but should be REQUIRED reading for every human being in the USA. God Bless you Ed and God Bless this brave Colonel.

Even if some specifics are skewed, this is strong medicine. It brings home just some of the unimaginable sacrifices that have been made since the birth of our nation to keep us free and to preserve the America that we all grew up in and love so much. This striking example of American patriotism and sacrifice reminds us of the tremendous price paid to be the great America that we have been and yet appear to be in the process of turning away from. I don’t care about your politics…I care about my kids and grandkids, and the nation they are set to inherit. I hope they never forget what made this a great nation and a great people. I’m afraid too many today don’t understand. This is devoted to anyone who has worn the uniform. Good luck and God bless you all.

Burial at Sea
by Lt. Col. George Goodson, USMC (Ret)

In my 76th year, the events of my life appear to me, from time to time, as a series of vignettes. Some were significant; most were trivial.

War is the seminal event in the life of everyone that has endured it. Though I fought in Korea and the Dominican Republic and was wounded there, Vietnam was my war. Now 42 years have passed and, thankfully, I rarely think of those days in Cambodia, Laos, and the panhandle of North Vietnam where small teams of Americans and Montangards fought much larger elements of the North Vietnamese Army. Instead I see vignettes: some exotic, some mundane:

*The smell of Nuc Mam.
*The heat, dust, and humidity.
*The blue exhaust of cycles clogging the streets.
*Elephants moving silently through the tall grass.
*Hard eyes behind the servile smiles of the villagers.
*Standing on a mountain in Laos and hearing a tiger roar.
*A young girl squeezing my hand as my medic delivered her baby.
*The flowing Ao Dais of the young women biking down Tran Hung Dao.
*My two years as Casualty Notification Officer in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.

It was late 1967. I had just returned after 18 months in Vietnam. Casualties were increasing. I moved my family from Indianapolis to Norfolk, rented a house, enrolled my children in their fifth or sixth new school, and bought a second car.

A week later, I put on my uniform and drove 10 miles to Little Creek, Virginia. I hesitated before entering my new office. Appearance is important to career Marines. I was no longer, if ever, a poster Marine. I had returned from my third tour in Vietnam only 30 days before. At 5'9", I now weighed 128 pounds - 37 pounds below my normal weight. My uniforms fit ludicrously, my skin was yellow from malaria medication, and I think I had a twitch or two.

I straightened my shoulders, walked into the office, looked at the nameplate on a Staff Sergeant's desk and said, "Sergeant Jolly, I'm Lieutenant Colonel Goodson. Here are my orders and my Qualification Jacket."

Sergeant Jolly stood, looked carefully at me, took my orders, stuck out his hand; we shook and he asked, "How long were you there, Colonel?" I replied "18 months this time." Jolly breathed, "You must be a slow learner, Colonel." I smiled.

Jolly said, "Colonel, I'll show you to your office and bring in the Sergeant Major. I said, "No, let's just go straight to his office." Jolly nodded, hesitated, and lowered his voice, "Colonel, the Sergeant Major. He's been in this job two years. He's packed pretty tight. I'm worried about him." I nodded.

Jolly escorted me into the Sergeant Major's office. "Sergeant Major, this is Colonel Goodson, the new Commanding Officer." The Sergeant Major stood, extended his hand and said, "Good to see you again, Colonel." I responded, "Hello Walt, how are you?" Jolly looked at me, raised an eyebrow, walked out, and closed the door.

I sat down with the Sergeant Major. We had the obligatory cup of coffee and talked about mutual acquaintances. Walt's stress was palpable. Finally, I said, "Walt, what the hell's wrong?" He turned his chair, looked out the window and said, "George, you're going to wish you were back in Nam before you leave here. I've been in the Marine Corps since 1939. I was in the Pacific 36 months, Korea for 14 months, and Vietnam for 12 months. Now I come here to bury these kids. I'm putting my letter in. I can't take it anymore." I said, "OK Walt. If that's what you want, I'll endorse your request for retirement and do what I can to push it through Headquarters Marine Corps."

Sergeant Major Walt Xxxxx retired 12 weeks later. He had been a good Marine for 28 years, but he had seen too much death and too much suffering. He was used up.

Over the next 16 months, I made 28 death notifications, conducted 28 military funerals, and made 30 notifications to the families of Marines that were severely wounded or missing in action. Most of the details of those casualty notifications have now, thankfully, faded from memory. Four, however, remain.

MY FIRST NOTIFICATION
My third or fourth day in Norfolk, I was notified of the death of a 19 year old Marine. This notification came by telephone from Headquarters Marine Corps. The information detailed:
*Name, rank, and serial number.
*Name, address, and phone number of next of kin.
*Date of and limited details about the Marine's death.
*Approximate date the body would arrive at the Norfolk Naval Air Station.
*A strong recommendation on whether the casket should be opened or closed.

The boy's family lived over the border in North Carolina, about 60 miles away. I drove there in a Marine Corps staff car. Crossing the state line into North Carolina, I stopped at a small country store/service station/Post Office. I went in to ask directions.

Three people were in the store. A man and woman approached the small Post Office window. The man held a package. The store owner walked up and addressed them by name, "Hello John. Good morning Mrs. Cooper."

I was stunned. My casualty's next-of-kin's name was John Cooper!

I hesitated, then stepped forward and said, "I beg your pardon. Are you Mr. and Mrs. John Cooper of (address)?

The father looked at me - I was in uniform - and then, shaking, bent at the waist, he vomited. His wife looked horrified at him and then at me. Understanding came into her eyes and she collapsed in slow motion. I think I caught her before she hit the floor.

The owner took a bottle of whiskey out of a drawer and handed it to Mr. Cooper who drank. I answered their questions for a few minutes. Then I drove them home in my staff car. The store owner locked the store
and followed in their truck. We stayed an hour or so until the family began arriving.

I returned the store owner to his business. He thanked me and said, "Mister, I wouldn't have your job for a million dollars." I shook his hand and said; "Neither would I."

I vaguely remember the drive back to Norfolk. Violating about five Marine Corps regulations, I drove the staff car straight to my house. I sat with my family while they ate dinner, went into the den, closed the door, and sat there all night, alone. My Marines steered clear of me for days. I had made my first death notification.

THE FUNERALS
Weeks passed with more notifications and more funerals. I borrowed Marines from the local Marine Corps Reserve and taught them to conduct a military funeral: how to carry a casket, how to fire the volleys and how to fold the flag.

When I presented the flag to the mother, wife, or father, I always said, "All Marines share in your grief." I had been instructed to say, "On behalf of a grateful nation...." I didn't think the nation was grateful, so I didn't say that.

Sometimes, my emotions got the best of me and I couldn't speak. When that happened, I just handed them the flag and touched a shoulder. They would look at me and nod. Once a mother said to me, "I'm so sorry you have this terrible job." My eyes filled with tears and I leaned over and kissed her.

ANOTHER NOTIFICATION
Six weeks after my first notification, I had another. This was a young PFC. I drove to his mother's house. As always, I was in uniform and driving a Marine Corps staff car. I parked in front of the house, took a deep breath, and walked towards the house. Suddenly the door flew open, a middle-aged woman rushed out. She looked at me and ran across the yard, screaming "NO! NO! NO! NO!"

I hesitated. Neighbors came out. I ran to her, grabbed her, and whispered stupid things to reassure her. She collapsed. I picked her up and carried her into the house. Eight or nine neighbors followed. Ten or fifteen minutes later, the father came in followed by ambulance personnel. I have no recollection of leaving.

The funeral took place about two weeks later. We went through the drill. The mother never looked at me. The father looked at me once and shook his head sadly.


ANOTHER NOTIFICATION
One morning, as I walked in the office, the phone was ringing. Sergeant Jolly held the phone up and said, "You've got another one, Colonel." I nodded, walked into my office, picked up the phone, took notes, thanked the officer making the call, I have no idea why, and hung up. Jolly, who had listened, came in with a special Telephone
Directory that translates telephone numbers into the person's address and place of employment.

The father of this casualty was a Longshoreman. He lived a mile from my office. I called the Longshoreman's Union Office and asked for the Business Manager. He answered the phone, I told him who I was, and asked for the father's schedule.

The Business Manager asked, "Is it his son?" I said nothing. After a moment, he said, in a low voice, "Tom is at home today." I said, "Don't call him. I'll take care of that." The Business Manager said, "Aye, Aye Sir," and then explained, "Tom and I were Marines in WWII."

I got in my staff car and drove to the house. I was in uniform. I knocked and a woman in her early forties answered the door. I saw instantly that she was clueless. I asked, "Is Mr. Smith home?" She smiled pleasantly and responded, "Yes, but he's eating breakfast now. Can you come back later?" I said, "I'm sorry. It's important. I need to see him now." She nodded, stepped back into the beach house and said, "Tom, it's for you."

A moment later, a ruddy man in his late forties, appeared at the door. He looked at me, turned absolutely pale, steadied himself, and said, "Jesus Christ man, he's only been there three weeks!"


Months passed. More notifications and more funerals. Then one day while I was running, Sergeant Jolly stepped outside the building and gave a loud whistle, two fingers in his mouth....... I never could do that..... and held an imaginary phone to his ear. Another call from Headquarters Marine Corps. I took notes, said, "Got it." and hung up. I had stopped saying "Thank You" long ago.

Jolly, "Where?"

Me, "Eastern Shore of Maryland. The father is a retired Chief Petty Officer. His brother will accompany the body back from Vietnam ...."

Jolly shook his head slowly, straightened, and then said, "This time of day, it'll take three hours to get there and back. I'll call the Naval Air Station and borrow a helicopter. And I'll have Captain Tolliver get one of his men to meet you and drive you to the Chief's home."

He did, and 40 minutes later, I was knocking on the father's door. He opened the door, looked at me, then looked at the Marine standing at parade rest beside the car, and asked, "Which one of my boys was it, Colonel?"

I stayed a couple of hours, gave him all the information, my office and home phone number and told him to call me, anytime.

He called me that evening about 2300 (11:00PM). "I've gone through my boy's papers and found his will. He asked to be buried at sea. Can you make that happen?" I said, "Yes I can, Chief. I can and I will."

My wife who had been listening said, "Can you do that?" I told her, "I have no idea. But I'm going to break my ass trying."

I called Lieutenant General Alpha Bowser, Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, at home about 2330, explained the situation, and asked, "General, can you get me a quick appointment with the Admiral at Atlantic Fleet Headquarters?" General Bowser said, "George, you be there tomorrow at 0900. He will see you."

I was and the Admiral did. He said coldly, "How can the Navy help the Marine Corps, Colonel." I told him the story. He turned to his Chief of Staff and said, "Which is the sharpest destroyer in port?" The Chief of Staff responded with a name.

The Admiral called the ship, "Captain, you're going to do a burial at sea. You'll report to a Marine Lieutenant Colonel Goodson until this mission is completed..."

He hung up, looked at me, and said, "The next time you need a ship, Colonel, call me. You don't have to sic Al Bowser on my ass." I responded, "Aye Aye, Sir" and got the hell out of his office.

I went to the ship and met with the Captain, Executive Officer, and the Senior Chief. Sergeant Jolly and I trained the ship's crew for four days. Then Jolly raised a question none of us had thought of. He said, "These government caskets are air tight. How do we keep it from floating?"

All the high priced help including me sat there looking dumb. Then the Senior Chief stood and said, "Come on Jolly. I know a bar where the retired guys from World War II hang out."

They returned a couple of hours later, slightly the worse for wear, and said, "It's simple; we cut four 12" holes in the outer shell of the casket on each side and insert 300 lbs of lead in the foot end of the casket. We can handle that, no sweat."

The day arrived. The ship and the sailors looked razor sharp. General Bowser, the Admiral, a US Senator, and a Navy Band were on board. The sealed casket was brought aboard and taken below for modification. The ship got underway to the 12-fathom depth.

The sun was hot. The ocean flat. The casket was brought aft and placed on a catafalque. The Chaplain spoke. The volleys were fired. The flag was removed, folded, and I gave it to the father. The band played "Eternal Father Strong to Save." The casket was raised slightly at the head and it slid into the sea.

The heavy casket plunged straight down about six feet. The incoming water collided with the air pockets in the outer shell. The casket stopped abruptly, rose straight out of the water about three feet, stopped, and slowly slipped back into the sea. The air bubbles rising from the sinking casket sparkled in the sunlight as the casket disappeared from sight forever....

The next morning I called a personal friend, Lieutenant General Oscar Peatross, at Headquarters Marine Corps and said, "General, get me out of here. I can't take this anymore." I was transferred two weeks later.

I was a good Marine but, after 17 years, I had seen too much death and too much suffering. I was used up.

Vacating the house, my family and I drove to the office in a two-car convoy. I said my goodbyes. Sergeant Jolly walked out with me. He waved at my family, looked at me with tears in his eyes, came to attention, saluted, and said, "Well Done, Colonel. Well Done."

I felt as if I had received the Medal of Honor!

'A veteran is someone who, at one point, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including their life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

I am honored to pass this on and I hope you feel that way too. I want to say "Thank you" for your service to every Veteran who reads this.
God bless you.

Semper Fi...

Semper Fi

"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
~Thomas Jefferson

Music Monday - Two of My Favorites and Sheryl Crow Isn't Too Shabby Either!

Nice to see Clapton and Sanborn rock! Smiles abound!




"Music is a safe kind of high."
~Jimi Hendrix

The Return

Posting will resume February 7, 2011. Of course, it's Music Monday. You will rock. Instead of lotsa whining the theme will be casual tech help and an occasional blurb about Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. Appreciate all the support and tolerance of my sabbatical...

Cybersouth

Please include me in your prayers.

Mike

This a Grand Idea!

Read carefully and think about how much this concept can be a great asset to repairing our butchered economy made worse by the present administration. Did anyone else see the passing of gavel in the house? I thought they'd have to pry it from Pelosi's hands. She just wouldn't shut up!





Congressional Reform Act of 2010



1. Term Limits.

12 years only, one of the possible options below..

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1. Term Limits.

12 years only, one of the possible options below..

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. Congressional Reform Act of 2010

1. Term Limits.

12 years only, one of the possible options below..

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.


Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

Thanks Greg for a great email!

New Year's Note

Still catching up on projects. Look for regular postings to start next Monday. Thanks for your patience.