A few of FR's Finest....Every Day...05-06-03...A Lesson in Chinese

Billie; FreeTheHostages | Profile written by FreeTheHostages

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett.
MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick,Leroy S Mort, Mark17.
BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam,
dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony
BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang

TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx
MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law
BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68.
MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797
BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 1A: TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

GROUP 2A: TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

GROUP 3A: TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

GROUP 4A: TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

      

GROUP 9A: TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog. MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son. BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son. BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset); WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.

                     

A Lesson in Chinese by FreeTheHostages

Exit148 (Jo-Ann) has "just always been a conservative." Her life has been a series of these passionate adventures: China, the children, Freeping, the husband, pediatric nurse, campaign work. As Jo-Anne puts it, "I'm always doing something." Among her many passions, Jo-Ann has always had an interest in China, Chinese culture, and Chinese cooking. Come, let's learn a few lessons in Chinese with Exit148.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can you guess what this symbol means? Here's a hint: it's what Exit148 is speaking at the most recent White House Media Correspondents Freep when she holds up this sign.

This photo is also one of the few of photos anyone
has of her actually sitting down. That's the truth.

The above Chinese character means "Truth." Which is what Exit148 speaks when she attends many Freeps, both as a part of the Tri-State Chapter (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut), and also during her many "short four-and-a-half hour drives" to the DC area to join us DC Freepers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exit148 is an expert cook. She's taught all four of her children Chinese cooking and she's taught Chinese cooking for 35 years. But this multi-faceted lady also knows the recipes of the American Left. Can you guess which dish she is serving in this photograph?

What is Jo-Ann serving? Hint: Peter Arnett, Tim Robbins, Michael Moore and many others earned this well-deserved meal as recipients of the DC Chapter of Free Republic's Garafalo award.

Why yes, the Chinese character above means "Crow." Jo-Ann knows that the American Left eats crow. Quite regularly, in fact. Excellent, you're obviously getting the hang of this game. Let's try a harder one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jo-Ann's husband is a lawyer ("one of the honest ones") and her three sons and one daughter have all made her proud. Her husband and three of her four kids went to the University of Virginia. (The fourth studied "Marine Technology" at Florida Tech, a special school where he could learn what he had to help Dennis O'Connor regain the America's Cup from the Aussies! Cool.) But although Jo-Ann's a very cool person, that calligraphic doesn't mean "cool." It has to do with what you can learn not so much at the University of Virginia as in the School of Hard Knocks.

She joined Free Republic right after "Monica Lewinsky," finding it on the link off the Drudge report. She can remember exactly what happened. She yelled downstairs to her husband: "Jim, you should see this place!" It was like finding her "people" on line. Then and there, "the addiction started." For a while the computer remained upstairs, but the force of the Free Republic was great. Eventually she had to get a snazzy new computer and put it right near her kitchen, so if some news happens, she can "log on to Free Republic and read all the news details that will show up in the main stream press a few days later."

What did she garner, what did she gain, by joining Free Republic and moving the computer into the middle of her domestic life? No, no, you wise acres, the Chinese character shown above does NOT mean "divorce." LOL! In fact, her husband is very supportive of her Free Republic time. Her husband Jim often starts his day with an inch-thick printout of material Jo-Ann has given him to peruse over his morning coffee! (Jim sometimes accompanies her to DC Freeps, although she's yet to persuade him to hold a sign. Or trick him into holding a sign: she tried asking him to hold a sign while she feigned tying her shoes, and then grabbed her camera to try to get a shot of him, but he was too fast for her! Tricky, those lawyer types, but Jo-Ann'll outfox him sooner or later.)

The character above means "Wisdom"; that's what Jo-Ann gets for all her Freeping and life experience. (Thanks for sharing Jo-Ann with us, Jim.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life's been a bit of a blur for her, as evidenced by her comment, regarding Free Republic, that she wonders what her life was like before it! But as this character indicates, she doesn't just sit by her computer all day. See if you can guess from these hints what this Chinese character represents:

• Hint One: Jo-Ann's Freeper name is inspired by one of her sons, who turned in a college paper for his aeronautical engineering thesis by signing his name followed by the honorific title "Exit148 off the Parkway" – her family's exit off the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey. But she travels to DC and NY freeps often. She worked as a pediatric nurse in Miami, Boston, and New York before she got married and started "raising my own pediatric ward!"
  
  
• Hint two: Exit148's always had an interest in China. She first went to China in 1984, and she's been back repeatedly since. She's been fascinated on return trips to see China becoming more a "part of the world." Nowadays there are no more Mao jackets. People have walkmans and cellphones. (In China, a tour guide in a quiet moment pleaded for Exit148 to tell her what really happened at Tianamen Square, explaining she wanted Exit148 to tell her because "I don't trust my government.") Jo-Ann's twice been to Beijing to study Mandarin and knows enough to "get by."
  
  
• Hint three: Jo-Ann often makes the four-and-a-half-hour jaunt from Exit148 to DC, and in fact attended the last White House Freep of Clinton. Traveling down to DC so often for the White House Freeps, Jo-Ann realized how many Chinese tourists came through the White House. She would "watch for the visitors as they'd come out of the White House, and their faces would light up" as they read her signs. They would come over and want to have their photographs taken with Jo-Ann. She decided to communicate with them, to great success!

Exit148 holding a sign that says "Clinton/Gore Lies"

Hmm, picking your Freeper name based on a highway exit, repeated trips to China, and many car rides down to DC to Freep. What do these three hints have in common? Jo-Ann's a traveler. That's the Chinese character for "Traveler."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exit148's first Freep was when Clinton went to see the Lion King. There were pro-Clinton protestors there too. The press was there, cameras were flashing, and she felt "kinda funny" holding up a sign. The next day, she called her son in "the city," as New Jerseyites call the Big Bad Apple. She asked him if he had heard about it and said, "Guess what?" Pause. He said, in a tone of disbelief, "You weren't. You didn't." She said, "Yup."

So these are your clues. She's not afraid of what her children think, she's three times travelled up and down the Yangtze River, she's gone far off the beaten path observing the hardworking people of China, and she Freeps in New York and D.C. even when the leftists come out. The word pictured above is: "Brave."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nine grandchildren. She met her two newly-adopted grandchildren - two lovely sisters - this past weekend (congratulations!). Yet she looks so young. Jo-Ann explains: "That's 'cause I'm outdoors in the fresh air in DC all the time!" Hmm, DC air quality's not known to have that effect.

Speaking of looking good, here she is at CPAC with Brett Schundler, the Republican candidate for New Jersey Governor in 2000.

Exit148 was on staff on his campaign, the gal Friday for the campaign manager. She worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for months. The way that Democratic Governor is behaving, Brett Schundler's looking real good right now. (He certainly is! YUM!)

Those are your hints. What does Exit148 keeping young by Freeping and campaigning for Brett Schundler have in common? "Beauty." On the inside and the out.

Exit148...

Today's Finest Freeper!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-05-03 Cinco de Mayo

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[deadhead]

Good Night All, pleasant dreams.

[WVNan]

Which three fingers do you tap, and how many times? I like to know these things.

[deadhead]

"(my painstaking transfer of Chinese characters wouldn't transfer, so you all will just have to read the abc stuff.)"

LOL, I downloaded an English-Chinese translator program on my computer, was trying to be creative in my post to you earlier this evening....oops, bad move...my computer wasn't happy about it, all is OK now LOL. Hope you enjoyed your day at Freepers Finest

Colleen

[WVNan]

Thank God you are safe angel. I was worried about you.

[Exit148]

It's the middle three fingers. I don't know if it is supposed to be left or right hand, but I use the hand that is nearest the waiter and tap it very casually, 2 to 3 times, as tho I was an old pro.

I've made 8 and 1/2 trips to China. The 1/2 is when I was in Hong Kong for the turnover in '97. When I arrived, it was a British possession, but when I left ---it was China!! LOL!

[martin_fierro]

G'nite, Billie!

[WVNan]

I'm sorry I missed you too Billie. Today was crazy. I had to get some press releases in to the newspaper, cook lunch for my two guys, go to the funeral home for one of my families, and go to the studio for practice for Sat. concert. No, I'm not performing, I'm the stage manager. Also this is the week I have to pull my yard sale together. That will also be on Sat. I'm hoping that I can get a breather next week.

[Exit148]

"----English-Chinese translator program ----."

What program do you use? On my old 'puter I had one, but it didn't transfer to this new computer, so I am now in the market for a new one. Getting those @^(?$ computerese Chinese thingys is despairing when I want the real stuff. Frustrating! But now I've forgotten what I used to use. Are you pleased with what you have, now that "all is OK"?

Freepers Finest is the Finest! It's like the town well, with everybody visiting everyone else. Such fun.

Freepers ARE the Finest!!

[WVNan]

Wow! I sure wish I was married to a lawyer so I could afford to travel. Preachers are notoriously poverty stricken. LOL. I don't know why I am fascinated by China. I love the people. They seem so gentle and refined (except the Communist leaders).

[Exit148]

Take care those of you who are in the stormy zones!

Goodnight to all of you, and thanks again for a wonderful day!

[WVNan]

Good night Exit. Wish I could have spent more time with you here today. I'm always late and usually end up talking to the California people or those in Japan LOL.

[Libertina]

Oh my, the problems with different time zones. I hope to be on line with you soon AT THE SAME TIME Billie! LOL Sweet dreams.PS Were the homecoming pictures form the USS Lincoln great, or what? If I hadn't been working I would have driven up. As it was, I watched TV until I had to teach. The troops got such wonderful POSITIVE coverage from all local stations... about time!

[Libertina]

Beautifully done Billie! Ni Hao ma, Exit148? Ni shr hen hao de FReeper! Zhende! Xie xie ni! Congratulations on your special day as one of FR's Finest :) Billie certainly created an elegant background for your tale. BTW, I don't recall us speaking Chinese at CPAC - next time! :)

[tgslTakoma]

As usual, I'm late to another thread - this special one for my always-smiling friend Exit148. I remember the first time I met you at the White House (after the Gore Wars), and there you were with your Chinese character signs! I enjoyed talking with you then, and loved watching the Chinese tourists reading your signs - most of them smiling and nodding, and a few coming up to talk to you.

Eight and-a-half trips to China! My dad was in Tsingtao, China in 45-46 with the USMC, and he always wanted to go back there for a visit, but never got that chance. I remember looking at all the neat photos he took while he was over there. I'm rambling...

Exit, you are a true and delightful lady; and I am proud to stand with you! And daughter thinks you're cool beans, too!

P.S. I'm sorry I didn't get to this thread until after you went to bed. My daughter is still awake polishing uniform brass for Federal Inspection (by Old Guard) tomorrow and getting Class A uniform "squared away" for that big to-do. Don't tell her, but I think she's so cute in her uniform.

[nutmeg]

I finally made it to your thread today! Better late than never, I guess.

Jo-Ann, you are truly one of THE Finest FReepers that we know of (and we know a lot!). Your tireless efforts in countering the left, the unwashed and the corrupt throughout the Mid-Atlantic East Coast have truly been an inspiration to us! Every time there's a major (or minor) rally in NYC or DC we just know you'll be there. We've had the pleasure of FReeping with you in both NYC and DC, and it has been an honor.

I especially admire the cool, calm and collected way you present the TRUTH to liberals who challenge you during FReeps. It'll take me the rest of my lifetime to hone that skill - you are multi-talented indeed!

Kudos also to you for the long hours you spent working for the wonderful Brett Schundler. I still believe 'his day will come'.

Congratulations on your "special day" here at FR and extra-congratulations on your two new grandchildren! :-)

nutmeg & zelig

[nutmeg]

Billie and FTH,

You two have outdone yourselves on Exit148's wonderful profile! This is by far one of the finest "Finest" threads I've seen, in design, layout, writing... and we even learned a few Chinese characters!

Well done! I'll be bookmarking this one for sure.

(Thanks for the ping, FTH!)

[nutmeg]

Thanks to Nick Danger, I was privileged to attend a rally held by the Tax Relief Coalition at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce this morning. President Bush spoke to the packed room about his tax cuts and it was thrilling to be there.

Wow... how wonderful, Angelwood!

We gotta move closer to DC one of these days! :-(

[nutmeg]

Check out our FRiend Exit148's amazing profile! She's truly been an inspiration to us since me met her at a rally in NYC in October, 2000.

~nutmeg & zelig

[nutmeg]

She joined Free Republic right after "Monica Lewinsky," finding it on the link off the Drudge report. She can remember exactly what happened. She yelled downstairs to her husband: "Jim, you should see this place!" It was like finding her "people" on line. Then and there, "the addiction started."

Same here... I was awestruck when I found FR!

Her husband Jim often starts his day with an inch-thick printout of material Jo-Ann has given him to peruse over his morning coffee!

Jo-Ann, you and I are sooooo alike in many ways... it's scary! :-)

"zelig" gets his inch-thick printout every morning as well!

Jim sometimes accompanies her to DC Freeps, although she's yet to persuade him to hold a sign. Or trick him into holding a sign: she tried asking him to hold a sign while she feigned tying her shoes, and then grabbed her camera to try to get a shot of him, but he was too fast for her!

ROTFL!

[Diver Dave]

I'm late, I'm late
For a very important date...

Congratulations Exit148. I always enjoyed reading about your FReepin' activities back in the old Whitewater File Days, and now we get a personal bio. It's been a pleasure to get to learn all about you today and seeing all your DC Chapter FRiends showing up to honor you.

Atta Girl, Exit148!!!