The FReeper Foxhole Revisits The Terrorist Attack on the USS Cole (10/12/2000) - October 15th, 2004

www.sierratimes.com ^ | 10/28/00 | Colonel Dan

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits

Who Is To Blame
For The USS Cole Bombing
An Editorial

The real tragedy of the attack on the USS Cole will inevitably lead to a rash of speculation, criticism, sound bites, second-guessing and general Monday morning quarter backing. How could the Navy allow this to happen? Why didn’t the captain of the USS Cole take better security precautions? These will be the questions stated in various forms by a number of people from the media to Congress. I will not join the game of piling on the commander in the field. I have not second-guessed the commander at the front and I never will—especially since I served in the Army not the Navy and particularly when I sit here safe at home in Florida. I will however contribute a few general thoughts and observations based on my time in uniform; thoughts that may help those who have never been there to better understand what it may be like at the tip of the spear. Those thoughts and comments, I believe, will describe some general conditions/circumstances that can lead or contribute to such unfortunate incidents like the Cole disaster.

USS COLE (DDG 67)

Our military forces are given numerous missions as an extension of America’s political policies throughout the world--regardless of the genesis of that policy--whether to defend America’s vital interests or divert attention from a scandal-ridden administration. I can’t say what the Cole’s mission was but I can tell you from my chair here in Florida, they conducted that mission to the utmost of their ability. How do I know that? I know soldiers—and I include members of all services in the term "soldier".

When our forces are in any area of the world, the level of security is based on the potential threat. Some areas and times are far more threatening than others so you cannot logically treat all areas and times the same and you can’t remain on high alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have a system in place to alert those around the world of the level of threat at that particular time in their area. We call it Threat Condition or THREATCON for short and the level is ultimately determined by the chain of command—starting at the Pentagon. The levels are:

THREATCON NORMAL- No threat of terrorist activity is present.

THREATCON ALPHA - There is a general threat of possible terrorist activity against installations, building locations, and/or personnel, the nature and extent of which are unpredictable.

THREATCON BRAVO - There is an increased and more predictable threat of terrorist activity even though no particular target has been identified.

THREATCON CHARLIE - An incident has occurred or intelligence has been received indicating that some form of terrorist action is imminent.

THREATCON DELTA - A terrorist attack has occurred or intelligence has been received that action against a specific location is likely.



Our troops respond and set their security levels based on messages from their chain of command with regard to the potential threat and the THREATCON level in place at that time based on the intelligence we have or the specific situation. Now obviously any commander can, and should if necessary, increase his security levels to meet his own situation, but he should never reduce his level below that ordered by his chain of command.

At the time of the attack, the USS Cole was at THREATCON BRAVO per this Pentagon Briefing:

DoD News Briefing

Thursday, October 12, 2000 - 3 p.m. EDT

Presenter: Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (Special briefing on the incident involving USS Cole. Also participating in this briefing was Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark)

Q: What kind of security procedures were followed? Were there armed security personnel on the deck? And did they have any of the fleet anti-terrorism support teams that normally go with ships?

Clark: I described earlier the requirement to have an approved force protection plan. Then there are a series of threat conditions in every theater in the world. Their threat condition posture was threat condition Bravo. I have talked to the commander a number of times today and reviewed the bidding on this, and they were in the posture that they were required to be in for this threat condition and entering this port, which would include armed personnel topside.


Seventeen Sailors aboard USS Cole (DDG 67) were killed as a result of an explosion Oct. 12 which left a 40 foot by 40 foot hole in the port side of the Norfolk, Va.,-based destroyer. U.S. Navy photo.

What is not mentioned, at least that I could find, is the ROE for the Cole—Rules of Engagement. Not only must commanders respond to the THREATCON level, they have ROE that dictate the conditions under which they can engage and place fire on anyone. I have seen ROE that are at times so complex and detailed as to be utterly useless to the man on the ground with the rifle. These ROE are often times politically driven and, in an attempt to cover every conceivable situation, become so bogged down in double talk and detail, the poor soldier is reluctant to use his weapon at all for fear of violating some rule or shooting some innocent bystander. He must make the decision whether the man in front of him is a real threat or an innocent civilian in a split second. If he guesses wrong- he and America pay a very heavy price. In reality, he is working under conditions of threat from both sides. He could be damned either way he goes. This causes real internal turmoil for the man with the rifle. Do I know that this was the case on the Cole? No and again, I will not second-guess the captain of the Cole. I just present this as a factor in any situation of this nature.


The successful application of practical damage control is evident in the wrapping and plugging of a propeller shaft hull penetration on the damaged destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) following the Oct. 12, 2000 terrorist bombing attack on the ship in the port of Aden, Yemen. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Jim Watson

Compounding the problem for the man at the tip of that spear besides THREATCON Levels and sometimes confusing ROE is the support arrangements our government makes with host governments around the world. Most times, those that are providing some of our maintenance support, like refueling services, are indigenous personnel, not Americans. In Korea for example, we have Koreans doing any number of maintenance functions and they are all over the post at any given time. If pressed, could I have told you who was friendly and who might be a North Korean terrorist? The answer is plainly No.

The situation was apparently similar at the refueling point for the USS Cole. Again per Admiral Clark in that same briefing:

Q: Admiral, you talk about the force protection plan, and you said that force protection plans are in place. But wouldn't it make sense to send Navy personnel out to make sure that these boats coming toward you are actually part of the tender operations and not some sort of a threat? Is that a lapse, that you let these people come up so close to the boat without knowing, really, exactly who they are?

Clark: Well, in my view -- and you can accuse me of 31 years of experience in this and being involved in this activity and then just sort of taking it for granted. But the reality is, is that when you enter a port like this, you make contact with the port officials, you always do before you enter; you wouldn't think of going in without having them verbally clear you in. They tell you who -- that the individuals are there to support you. You make assumptions about the credibility of that support. And I think that's appropriate, and that's the way we deal with people all around the world. We don't automatically suspect people that are sent forward to help us in an official way. This kind of support takes the tone of -- the arrangements made -- we send our request to the embassy and they deal with the local people there. And I will tell you that the first report I had from this via Admiral Moore was from an embassy support person.

Q: If you really don't know who's coming towards you, wouldn't it be wise to send some Navy personnel out before it gets close to the ship to make sure that these are in fact --

Clark: Well, I think that's the same question, and the answer I just gave you would be the same.


A Navy diver, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two (MDSU 2), prepares to work below decks aboard USS Cole (DDG 67) during repair and recovery efforts following the Oct. 12 terrorist bombing attack on the destroyer in the port of Aden, Yemen. U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Engineman Lyle G. Becker

The question then becomes, did the guards on the Cole know who was coming at them? They were at THREATCON BRAVO so I will assume they had guards. What were the ROE imposed by our government? That I don’t know at this point. How could they distinguish between those terrorists and the indigenous support personnel our government arranged to do the refueling? You tell me. I could never be sure when I was in Korea or Germany.

Another question. What responsibility should the Clinton administration assume because the cut backs that reduced the number of oil tankers in our Navy may have forced the Cole to refuel in port rather than at sea? How much responsibility should they accept because of the lack of personnel that may have prevented the ship’s captain from having sufficient resources necessary to accomplish all the tasks he had to accomplish during this operation? All this is related and don’t think it isn’t.


U.S. Navy and Marine Corps security personnel patrol past the damaged USS Cole (DDG 67) following the Oct. 12, 2000 terrorist bombing attack on the ship in Aden, Yemen. Security personnel established checkpoints and searched incoming vehicles for contraband and explosives while the ship prepares for its journey back to the United States. U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Engineman Lyle G. Becker.

As for the WABC report where we were shown two men in a rented little boat getting right up to some of our ships, keep in mind that this piece of investigative reporting began before the events with the Cole. Our ships were at home and although I don’t know for certain, probably under THREATCON NORMAL or THREATCON ALPHA.

Also keep in mind that if you have ever been to Norfolk and watched the number of ships and civilian boats running all around there, such a little boat in the harbor is not out of the ordinary.

Should we be on high alert at home port? Are you on high alert against burglars in your own living room all the time? Should we permit civilians to approach our ships the way those WABC reporters did? I personally would say no and I would be willing to take the criticism when WABC starts protesting like they always do about being held away and prevented from reporting to the American people—and you know that would be their reaction. I’ve seen that response from the media too many times. In fact, it was one of my daily chores during the Gulf War to avoid as many reporters as possible.

According to some very good Navy friends of mine, time in port is not "kick back" time. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done and it takes a full crew to do it. Do we have the personnel necessary to do all the tasks under current manning levels? My guess is no given all the cut backs we’ve had to endure these past 8 years. Do all these maintenance jobs have to get done anyway? Most definitely, the answer is yes. Can we get them all accomplished and remain on high alert while in homeport? The answer I would give is no.


USS Cole (DDG 67), showing the results of an attack that killed 17 of her crew and injured 39 others, is towed away from the port city of Aden, Yemen, into open sea by the Military Sealift Command fleet ocean tug USNS Catawba (T-ATF 168) today. Cole will be lifted aboard the Norwegian heavy transport ship M/V Blue Marlin, and transported back to the United States, a trip expected to last approximately five weeks. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Don L. Maes

Humans can only do so much with what they have. When resources are continually cut and expectations and missions continually expanded, nobody can do it all—something has to give. The role of a leader is to recognize when that starts to occur and make adjustments to prevent it. He must make sure his troops are well equipped, his units well manned, well trained, well motivated and ready for the task ahead. The buck stops in the Oval Office and with the Commander in Chief for this preparedness. During the last 8 years, that buck has lost virtually all its value.

What will be the result of all this national publicity on our men and women in the Navy because of this WABC report on top of the Cole incident? They will once again be asked to do even more with the less handed them by an uncaring, incompetent administration that has never and will never take any of the responsibility for tragedy but is always there to take the lion’s share of the glory for our military’s sacrifices and victories.

My take on this: Military service is a very risky business. We all knew that going in and we all accept that while we’re there. Does our government compound that risk when it cuts resources to include equipment, personnel, training time and funding while at the same time expanding the number of deployments and missions, at times providing confusing ROE and making support arrangements with host countries to service our equipment? The answer is obviously and most definitely yes.



Can the troops sense when their commander in chief doesn’t care about their plight? Yes. Does it adversely impact their morale when our troops know we are at a reduced state of readiness because of the administration’s policies and priorities? Yes. Does morale have an impact on the job we all do? Yes. Will things like this happen as a result of a reduced state of readiness? Absolutely, and we’ve been witness to it. What then is the cure? A new Commander in Chief is the most important answer in my view. An administration that puts America first, brings our troops home, only deploying them in defense of our vital national interests and adequately resources the force to do the job they are called upon to do in defense of that vital interest.

One last word--In the job of defending America, there is no room whatsoever for a Commander in Chief like Bill Clinton or his echo, Al Gore.

Just the view from my saddle…

The Colonel

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[Samwise]

O'Neill was more flustered than I have ever seen him. He told Koppel he'd been had by the Commies.

[snippy_about_it]

Wow. He's usually quite cool under pressure attack.

[Diver Dave]

Thanks for the USS COLE presentation. Grrrr! all over again.
The non-response by the terrorist coddling clinton administration is what the US can expect under the leadership of CIC wannabe kerry.
Mrsdd and I just mailed in our absentee ballots. Care to guess who we voted for? :)

[SAMWolf]

Morning DD.

We should be getting our ballots in the next few days (We have mail in elections here).

I'll bet we're gonna vote for the same guy. :-)

[Neil E. Wright]

God Speed, Brothers and Sisters!!!

±
"The Era of Osama lasted about an hour, from the time the first plane hit the tower to the moment the General Militia of Flight 93 reported for duty."
Toward FREEDOM

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the foxhole.

[Humal]

"The non-response by the terrorist coddling clinton administration is what the US can expect under the leadership of CIC wannabe kerry."

My sentiments exactly. Months ago I was quite confident of the President's reelection. Now, I'm getting jitters. Hearing about/reading about all the registration fraud, planned law suits, Jesse Jackson's preparations for yelling "voter intimidation" even where there is none, etc. makes me very worried. OTOH, when I see the smiling face of the President's and the large crowds he's attracting, I'm hopeful again. Lots of prayers going up from here.

[The Mayor]

Still on the other computer with no ping list

October 15, 2004

Ordinary People

Read: Deuteronomy 4:5-14

Take heed to yourself, . . . lest you forget the things your eyes have seen . . . . And teach them to your children. —Deuteronomy 4:9

Bible In One Year: Isaiah 45-46; 1 Thessalonians 3

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David Isay, a radio producer, says that in a culture inundated with the stories of celebrities, we need to hear the recorded voices of ordinary people, because their lives and contributions are no less important. Isay is a driving force behind StoryCorps, "a national project to instruct and inspire people to record each other's stories in sound."

It's a great concept, especially for Christians. Think what it would mean for your great-great-grandchildren to hear and see you telling the story of your life—describing the people and events that shaped you and sharing what Christ means to you.

Just before God's people entered the Promised Land, Moses told them: "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren" (Deuteronomy 4:9).

That same responsibility of face-to-face communication is still ours. Yet we have the unusual opportunity of leaving a message for future generations. Begin recording your own uniquely important story. Or help a friend or relative record theirs. There is great value in the stories of ordinary people who know and love the Lord. —David McCasland

Life's truest heroes never carve their name
On marble columns built for their acclaim;
They build instead a legacy that springs
From faithful service to the King of kings. —Gustafson

A life lived for God leaves a lasting legacy.

[alfa6]

Friday Bump for the Freeper Foxhole

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[alfa6]

Howdy there manna

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies and gent. It's Friday!

Friday Foxhole FReeper Flag-o-gram.

Today's Foxhole flag is from Snippy and Sam's visit to the Air & Space museum.

See your flag here! FReepmail me today.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Neil. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Morning E.G.C.

Looks like we're in for a nice day here.

[SAMWolf]

Morning Humal.

Hearing about how close this race is worries me too. The MSM has been carrying water for Kerry and unfortunately the MSM is still the major source of news for the majority of Americans.

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Mayor.

[SAMWolf]

Morning alfa6.

Nice one! :-)

[SAMWolf]

I see there's a spot available in the passenger seat. ;-)

[SAMWolf]

Morning PE.

It looks even more inpressive in person. They had some great stuff there.

[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on October 15:
0070 BC Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro) poet Mantua Italy (Aeneid)
1542 Akbar Indian Mughal emperor (1556-1605)
1785 Jos‚ Miguel Carrera president of Chile (1811-14)
1816 Amiel Weeks Whipple Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1863
1818 Irvin McDowell Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1885
1829 Asaph Hall discovered satellites of Mars, Phobos & Deimos
1831 Helen Maria Hunt Jackson author (Ramona)
1832 Henry Harrison Walker Brig General (Confederate Army), died in 1912
1836 Thomas Lafayette Rosser Mjr General (Confederate Army), died in 1910
1844 Friedrich Nietzsche Germany, philosopher/anti-semite (Ubermensch)
1858 John L Sullivan Mass, heavyweight boxing champ (1882-92)
1881 P.G. Wodehouse British-American writer (Stiff Upper Lip Jeeves)
1900 Fritz Feld actor (Jack Benny Show, At the Circus)
1902 William Edmundson Spokane Wash, vocalist (Southernaires)
1905 C P Snow England, novelist/scientist (Death Under Sail)
1907 John Cardinal Dearden US cardinal (1969-88)
1908 John Kenneth Galbraith writer (Affluent Society-1958 Hillman Award)
1909 Robert Trout Wake County NC, newscaster (ABC)
1917 Arthur Schlesinger Jr historian/author (1946 Pulitzer-Age of Jackson)
1921 Mario Puzo author (Godfather)
1924 Lee A Iacocca CEO (Chrysler Corp)
1926 Evan Hunter [Ed McBain], American writer (Blackboard Jungle)
1926 Jean Peters actress (Viva Zapata!, Apache, Deep Waters)
1935 Bobby-Joe Morrow US, 100m/200m dash (Olympic-gold-1956)
1937 Barry McGuire Oklahoma City, singer (Eve of Destruction)
1937 Linda Lavin Portland Maine, actress (Alice, Barney Miller)
1939 Carmelo Bossi Italy, light middleweight boxer (Olympic-silver-1960)
Gourmet Coffee Week Begins
1942 Penny Marshall Bronx NY, actress (Odd Couple, Laverne & Shirley)
1945 Jim Palmer NYC, Oriole pitcher/sportscaster/jockey underwear salesman
1946 Richard Carpenter New Haven Ct, vocalist (Carpenters-Close to You)
1951 Roscoe Tanner tennis player (Wimbledon Finals 1979)
1953 Tito Jackson singer (Jackson 5-ABC, Never Can Say Goodbye)
1955 Tanya Roberts [Leigh], Bronx NY, actress (Charlie's Angels, Sheena)
1959 Sarah Ferguson [Fergie], Duchess of York
1966 Jeffrey Jacquet Bay City Texas, actor (Mork & Mindy, Whiz Kids)

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Deaths which occurred on October 15:
0892 Al-Mutamid calief of Abbasiden
1564 Andreas Vesalius anatomist, dies at 49
1817 Tadeusz AB Kosciusko, Polish lt-general/freedom fighter, dies
1910 Stanley "Midnight Assassin" Ketchel HW boxing champ, shot & killed
1917 Mata Hari Dutch dancer/German spy executed by firing squad in Paris
1944 Philip Mechanicus, journalist, executed in Auschwitz-Birkenau
1945 Pierre Laval former premier of Vichy France, executed
1946 Hermann Goering Nazi Reichmarshal, poisons himself in prison
1958 John Hamilton actor (Perry White-Superman), dies at 61
1964 Cole Porter composer, dies (Still of the Night, I've Got You Under My Skin...)
1968 Bea Benaderet NYC, actress (Kate-Petticoat Junction), dies at 62
1976 Carlo Gambino, US gangster, dies at 74
1981 Frank DeKova actor (Chief Wild Eagle-F Troop)
1983 Pat O'Brien actor, dies of heart attack at 83
Gourmet Coffee Week Gourmet Coffee Week Gourmet Coffee Week

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 SCHULER ROBERT H. JR.---WELLSBURG NY.
1965 SIMA THOMAS W.---HANNASTOWN PA.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
1501 English crown prince Arthur marries Catharina of Aragon
1520 King Henry VIII of England orders bowling lanes at Whitehall
1529 Ottoman armies under Suleiman end their siege of Vienna and head back to Belgrade
1582 Many Catholic countries switch to Gregorian calendar, skip 10 days
1641 Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve claims Montreal(has a cup of Gourmet Coffee to celebrate)
1655 Jews of Lublin are massacred
1789 1st presidental tour-George Washington in New England
1842 Karl Marx becomes editor-in-chief of Rheinische Zeitung
1846 Dr William Thomas Green Morton 1st public use of ether
1860 11-year-old Grace Bedell writes to Lincoln, tells him to grow a beard
1863 Cliff House opens in SF (1st of many on the site)
1864 Confederate troops occupy Glasgow, Missouri
1866 Great fire in Quebec destroys 2,500 houses (they really needed a cup of Gourmet Coffee)
1877 45th Congress (1877-79) convenes
1878 Edison Electric Light Company incorporated
1880 Cologne cathedral completed, 633 years after it begun
1881 1st American fishing magazine, American Angler published
1883 Supreme Court declares Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional
1885 Hoss Radbourne pitches his 60th win of the season
1890 Alabama Penny Savings Bank organizes in Birmingham
1892 An attempt to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kan., ends in disaster for the Dalton gang as four of the five outlaws are killed and Emmet Dalton is seriously wounded.
1894 Capt Alfred Dreyfus arrested accused of espionage
1905 President Grover Cleveland wrote an article for "Ladies Home Journal", opposing women voters. "We all know how much further women go than men in their social rivalries and jealousies... sensible and responsible women do not want to vote."
1914 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers) founded
1914 Clayton Antitrust Act passed
1919 14 horses begin 300-mile race from Vt to Mass for $1000 prize money and a cup of Gourmet Coffee
1923 NY Yankees 1st World Series win beating NY Giants, 4 games to 2 (World Series #20)
1925 Pitts Pirates beat Wash Senators, 4 games to 3 in 22nd World Series
Gourmet Coffee Week Begins
1928 German dirigible "Graf Zeppelin" lands in Lakehurst, NJ
1933 Philadelphia Eagles play 1st NFL game, lose to NY Giants 56-0
1935 NHL's St Louis Eagles fold
1937 Ernest Hemingway novel "To Have & Have Not" published
1939 LaGuardia Airport opens in NYC
1941 Jews caught outside the Polish Ghetto walls could be put to death
1946 Enos Slaughter scores from 1st on a single in the 43rd World Series
1949 Administration of territory of Manipur taken over by Indian govt
1949 Billy Graham begins his ministry
1949 Tripura accedes to the Indian union
1951 "I Love Lucy" debuts on CBS TV
1956 William J Brennan Jr appointed to the Supreme Court
1959 "Untouchables" premieres
1962 Byron R White appointed to the Supreme Court
1964 Craig Breedlove sets auto speed record of 846.97 kph
1964 Kosygin & Brezhnev replace Soviet premier Nikita Krushchev
1964 St Louis Cardinals beat NY Yankees, 4 games to 3 in 61st World Series (NY Yankees appears in 14 & win 9 of last 16 World Series)
Gourmet Coffee Week Begins
1965 Dodgers & Sandy Koufax win 7th game of 62nd World Series vs Twins
1966 LBJ signs a bill creating Dept of Transportation
1969 Bank of America World Headquarters (555 California) dedicated
1969 Madison Square Garden TV Network begins (Rangers vs North Stars)
1969 Oriole Earl Weaver becomes 1st manager ejected in a world series (World Series #66)
1969 Vietnam Moratorium Day; millions nationwide protest the war (no Gourmet Coffee for them)
1970 Baltimore Orioles beat Cin Reds, 4 games to 1 in 67th World Series
1974 National Guard mobilizes to restore order in Boston school busing
1974 Washington Capitals 1st NHL tie, playing LA Kings to 1-1 tie
1976 1st debate of major-ticket VP nominees Mondale (D) vs Dole (R)
1976 Ringo releases "A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll"
1977 Arkansas' Steve Little kicks a record tying 67 yard field goal
1977 Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life," goes #1 & stays #1 for 10 weeks
1983 Black Hawks & Maple Leafs combine for fastest 5 goals (84 seconds)
1983 Columbia beats Yale 21-18 in football, will lose next 44 games
Gourmet Coffee Week Begins
1983 US Marine sharpshooters kill 5 snipers at Beirut Intl Airport
1985 Shuttle Columbia carries Spacelab into orbit
1985 Shelley Taylor of Australia makes fastest swim ever around Manhattan Island, doing it in 6 hours 12 minutes 29 seconds
1987 NFL Players Assn orders an end to the 24 day strike
1988 Amnesty International's Global Concert Tour ends in Buenos Aires
1988 NCAA record rushing yardage (768 yards-Oklahoma)
1988 With 2 outs in bottom of 9th, an injured Kirk Gibson hits dramatic 2 run HR to gives Dodgers a 5-4 win in 1st game of 85th World Series
1989 Billy Graham is given the 1,900th star on Hollywood Blvd
1989 S Afr pres FW de Klerk frees Sisulu & 4 other political prisoners
1989 Wayne Gretsky passes Gordie Howes as NHL's all time top scorer
1991 Clarence Thomas is confirmed as Supreme Court Justice (52-48)
1993 The Pentagon censured three U.S. Navy admirals who'd organized the Tailhook Association convention in 1991, during which scores of women had been subjected to abuse and indignities by junior officers.
1993 Russia's ousted vice president, Alekandr Rutskoi, and the speaker of the parliament, Ruslan Khasbulatov, are charged with ordering mass disorders in the bloody street fighting between supporters and opponents of President Boris Yeltsin that left almost 200 people dead.
2001 A package containing a substance believed to be anthrax was opened in the personal office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

French Guiana : Cayenne Holiday
Tunisia : Evacuation Day
National Pet Peeve Week (Day 4)
National Grouch Day.
Gourmet Coffee Week Begins
American Magazine Month
Gourmet Adventures Month
National Sarcastics' Awareness Month

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Religious Observances
US : National Day of Prayer
RC : Memorial of St Teresa of Avila, 1st woman doctor of the church
Ang : Feast of Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, bishop of Shanghai
Forgerite : Gourmet Coffee Week
Feast of St. Gerard Majekla, patron saint of mothers, "the saint of happy childbirth".

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Religious History
1784 Birth of Thomas Hastings, American sacred composer. Hastings was an albino afflicted with extreme nearsightedness, yet from his pen came such enduring hymn tunes as TOPLADY ("Rock of Ages") and ORTONVILLE ("Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned").
1790 Ann Teresa Mathews (aka Mother Bernardina) and Frances Dickinson founded a convent of Discalced Carmelites (a contemplative working order) in Port Tobacco, Maryland. It was the first Catholic convent founded in the United States.
1840 In Melville, Missouri, the Evangelical Synod of North America was founded. It later became one of the branches of today's United Church of Christ.
1900 Pentecostal evangelist Charles Fox Parham opened Bethel Bible Institute in Topeka, Kansas. It was here on January 1, 1901 that the first Christian in modern times was reported to have spoken in tongues: student Agnes Ozman.
1948 American missionary martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: '"They shall mount up with wings as eagles" (Isa. 40:31). These wings are not so typical of purity as they are of power -- strength to live above snares and everything ese...Thanks for wings, Lord.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness."

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Gender Dictionary...
REMOTE CONTROL (ri-moht kon-trohl) n.

A. Female...A device for changing from one TV channel to another.

B. Male...A device for scanning through all 175 channels every 5 minutes.

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Signs Your Cat is Planning to Kill You!...
You find a stash of "Feline of Fortune" magazines behind the couch.

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The Ultimate Scientific Dictionary...
Spectrophotometry:
A long word used mainly to intimidate freshman nonmajors

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Things you would like to say at work, but won't...
I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant

[E.G.C.]

The weather's nice too here in SW Ok. We are forecast to reach the lower 80's.

How's it going, Snippy?