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A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-31-02
JohnHuang2 and Billie | JohnHuang2

Posted on 10/31/2002 6:18:53 AM PST by 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: 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.






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






                     







Mondale's no shoo-in

by JohnHuang2
It was mid-afternoon Friday, the harrowing news had just crossed the wires: A plane crash in northern Minnesota had claimed the life of Sen. Paul Wellstone, his wife, daughter and several campaign workers.
Democrats were in a state of shock, not so much over the tragic deaths as the chilling implications -- for November.
Seeking a third term, Sen. Wellstone had been locked in a tight race with former St. Paul mayor Norm Coleman, a Democrat-turned-Republican widely depicted in the media as Bush's own 'hand-picked' candidate in a bid to retake the Senate, where Democrats hold a 1-vote margin.
Wellstone, though regarded by insiders as highly vulnerable, appeared to have leapt ahead of Coleman after a 'nay' vote on the Iraq war resolution -- 9 points according to Zogby. (Internal GOP polls still had the race a toss-up, with Coleman 2% ahead.) Conventional wisdom, ignoring Minnesota's long history of isolationism, held the vote would hurt Wellstone's chances, particularly after 9/11.
Top Democrats, after prodding Wellstone to change his mind, if only to save his seat, were breathing a sigh of relief.
Then came the news Friday afternoon. As Wellstone's body smoldered, frantic Democrats scrambled for a replacement, trial-ballooning a list of possible substitutes in the media, then settling late in the day on former Vice President Walter Mondale, who retired from national politics after a crushing defeat in '84 by then President Ronald Reagan.
Democrats, while publically mourning the death of Paul Wellstone and mouthing platitudes about his legacy, behind the scenes conducted ghoulish polls and focus groups as election lawyers scoured Minnesota law to see how much the party can get away with.
As these grave-robbers ferreted political advantage, Democrats decided on a four-prong strategy:
1) Cannibalize Wellstone politically, a la Gov. Mel Carnahan; play on voters' heart strings, ride on Wellstone's coattails.
2) Get a jump-start on Republicans now -- mount a full-tilt campaign on Mondale's behalf. Get the media bandwagon going. Don't wait for the funeral. It's the dead body, stupid! Use it.
3) Make the Mondale pick by Party bosses a done deal; get Wellstone's kids to say they back the choice. So what if they barely know him? Winning is everything!
4) Portray any GOP reaction to Mondale's selection as an 'outrage', an abomination, a sacrilege of Wellstone himself, his memory, his legacy. Scream bloody murder, feign indignation, anger and shock; don't worry, no matter how phony, the press will back you to the hilt.
Sure enough, there was CNN's Judy Woodruff Monday on Inside Politics, berating RNC Chair Marc Racicot. She lectured and she scolded. 'How can Republicans be so insensitive, so unfeeling, so inhuman, so cruel, so heartless, Marc!! How dare you criticize what-cha-ma-call it, uh, ummm ... Walter Mondale! You're not even crumbs off the table, compared to him!' (Exaggerating? Yes, but that was the clear insinuation by her line of questioning).
Terry McAuliffe, also on the show, sat there poker face. But over his head, a thought bubble hovered, which read: 'Thanks, Judy, for doing our dirty work! hehehe!'
So, now that the gloves are off, does Coleman have a ghost of a chance? The pincers are closing on Republicans, says the giggling media gleefully. Coleman beats Mondale? Fuggedaboutdit!, elated pundits laugh. Too many hurdles, too many mountains to climb, proclaims Conventional Wisdomism. Pulling Mondale out of mothball was a masterstroke, it's Missouri all over again, say Beltwayers. Mondale will lock the empathy vote, ride a tidal wave of sympathy to victory next week. For Democrats, this election is in the bag.
Oh, really?
Memo to Dems: Ever heard of not counting chickens before they hatch?'
I say, 'thou celebrateth too much.'
Walter Mondale, a washed-up 'has-been' in his twilight years, political prima donna? The notion doesn't square in a state that elected Jesse Ventura for governor, eschews machine politics and prides itself in nonconformity. Minnesota, which relishes the unconventional, is a horse of a different color. Those drawing analogies to Missouri don't know which end is up.
JESSE VENTURA
"THE BEST GOVERNOR
MINNESOTA HAS HAD IN A LONG TIME!"

Moreover, last time I checked, Walter Mondale isn't even a widow -- just a jaded retread who hasn't won statewide office in 30 years. Name recognition? Yes, but Coleman has it too, without the baggage: Norm is no 49-state flameout like Mondale. Name I.D. isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Another factor: The burgeoning Green Party movement in Minnesota. The Greenies were drawing considerable Democrat defections, cutting into Wellstone's support, which made the race all the more tighter.
Will Wellstone voters now rally behind Walter Mondale, now without even a fig-leaf of avant-garde populism to motivate them?
Don't bet on it.
Can Coleman lose? Yes, but don't bet on that, either. (Internal GOP polls have Coleman and Mondale neck-and-neck and less than 50% of Minnesota voters were old enough to vote in Mondale's last Senate race in 1972).
For Democrats nationally, moreover, having Walter Mondale as the Party's most visible face down the homestretch isn't exactly a terrific idea.
As Dem vultures swoop down and feast on Wellstone for political advantage, bear in mind that 'it ain't over till it's over.'
Anyway, that's...
My two cents...












THIS WEEK'S THREADs

10-28-02 Salvation
10-29-02 Patriciaruth
10-30-02 Halloween Party


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 an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: freepers; fun; humor; military; patriotic; surprises; veterans
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To: JustAmy
Yep! Teaches one not to tempt fate like that!
41 posted on 10/31/2002 9:37:25 AM PST by Pippin
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To: Pippin; Mixer; ghost
Air Force Ghost story - copied as written.

Well, first off, let me say that this story does not represent the opinion of the United States Military in anyway, nor does it reflect on any offic- ial military history. It is personal experience, along with some recollec- tions from some folks that served in the same maintenance shop I was in. That disclaimer having been made, let's go...

I'm a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, serving at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada. I've been here nearly 10 years, having arrived on station in on 1 Nov 84. I was initially assigned to the Jet Engine Intermediate Mainten- ance Facility, Bld 858. I'm a jet engine mechanic.

Building 858 is a mutt of a building, initially being built in the mid 1960s as a single hangar. Later, they added a larger hangar behind the original and yet another hangar later. I don't know the full history of the building, of things that may have happened in it, or of the site that it is built upon. I do know from personal experience that there were some strange things happening in it.

My first experience with "the ghost of 858" was back in 1987. I was wor- king swingshift, acting as the NCOIC of the newly formed -220 maintenance section. The other squadron we shared the building with had gone home, as had the other maintenance sections. I was alone in the building, waiting for the last F-15 and F-16 sorties to come down for the night. I can't re- call the exact times, but it was between 0000 and 0100. I was sitting at a desk in the office, in front of an open doorway that faced out into our maintenance bay. The bay is approximately 40 feet wide, 100 feet deep, and about 2.5 stories tall at the top of the peaked roof. From my desk, I could look out the door and see almost wall to wall along the width of the building, and as the office was against the end wall of the bay, I could see the entire length of the bay.

I was reading a book, and suddenly I could hear footsteps. I was expecting the CRS Expediter to come in, so I immediately thought it was him entering the bay, but I didn't hear the fire doors open. I looked up, and could see no one in the bay. Leaving my office, I stepped out in the bay, called out, and got no response. Shrugging off the incident, I returned to my desk and my book. Then, through the peripheral vision above the book (hard to ex- plain what I mean... you're reading and see stuff above the top of the book) I saw someone walking across the width of the bay. I looked up, and saw no one. Now I start to get the chills. Reading again, I hear the footsteps again, and also see the person walking the bay once more. Looking up, though, there is no one there. I get up, walk a security check around the bay, find no doors unsecure, and no one is there. I get that spooky feel- ing though that I am being watched.

Shortly after this, CRS Expediter comes in, the fire doors banging (as us- ual) when he enters the building. These doors are the only entrance to the bay after hours. I convince him to walk a security check with me through the facility. We find no doors open, no one else in the facility.

I mention this to a friend of mine the next day, and he replies that it isn't unusual to hear footsteps in the bay. He had the same experience, numerous times, as well as seeing the figure in the bay. I'll continue in the next message.

From: bob.hearn@hobbyex.com (Bob Hearn)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.ghost-stories
Subject: More Military Ghosts
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 1994 18:47:00 GMT


Next to the 220 bay was the J-85 bay. This bay ran the same length and width as the 220 bay, with a ceiling to floor wall dividing them. At the south end of the J-85 bay was a roll up fire door that led into a warren of offices. The hallway that fed these offices was wood paneled, about 30 feet long, and the walls were about 7 feet high, leaving the tops of the offices open to the roof of the building, approximately 7 or 8 feet over head. The J-85 bay and the 220 bay were joined by a double fire door, at the middle of their length. On security check one evening, prior to shut- ting down for the night, I stepped through the double door to make sure the 85 bay was secure.

I moved towards the hallway at the south end of the bay. All bay lighting was off, except for the emergency overheads (always on in case of power failures, or for entering the building) As I prepared to move down the hallway, I could see that "something" appeared to be on the southern wall where the hall "L"d to the east to join the break room. It appeared to be just a gray mass of dim light, floating approximately 5 feet off the ground, at the far end of the hall. Looking at it, it appeared to be slow- ly roiling upon itself. It was dim, and to the best of my memory, was cas- ting no light upon the ground. The hallway and office warren had no lights on in it, no emergency lighting was active in that section.

I stepped about 2 paces into the hall to investigate when all the hair on the back of my neck stood up, I got goosebumps, and something inside of me said that going down there could be a major mistake. Rather than stay and investigate or have it approach and investigate me, I turned and made a ha- sty retreat (read: ran like hell) back to the full lighting of the 220 bay.

I brought up this experience later on with a coworker from the other squad- ron, and he told me of an experience he had in the breakroom that the "L" in the hallway led too. He had stepped in there a month prior to my exper- ience, to get a soda. The double fire doors between the breakroom and the hallway were closed and latched. The lighting in the breakroom was off, the only illumination being from the soda machine and the candy machine. As he stepped into the room to go to the machines, he noticed a light in the cracks of the fire doors. Unlike mine, his was a bright light, as bright as a jetlight being held to the cracks (note, a jetlight is a work- light, made from an automobile headlight, and powered by wall current run- ning through a transformer, this gives you an idea of how bright this light was). The light was at the crack at the middle of the doors, halfway off the floor. It moved up to the crack at the top, moved slowly right and left, then back down. It moved to the crack at the floor and again moved left and right before returning to the middle crack, halfway off the floor. Brad said that the movement took approximately a minute and a half. He reached for the door, expecting to expose a co-worker in a prank, but as he touched the door, the light dimmed, and stopped moving. Jet lights don't dim, they go out completely, and like me, he got an immediate reaction from the hair on the back of his neck, and the goose bumps. He turned, as I did, and beat a hasty retreat back to his maintenance crew.

Several of us have had various experiences in the building, and were sit- ting around one night relating them to one another. People have seen lights floating in the dark and tried to explain them away as brake lights from a passing car, despite the fact that the only window in the bay was 1 foot by 1 foot, and 15 feet below where the lights were seen. People have seen figures walking the bays, footsteps when they were all alone. Doors slam in the maintenance bays at odd hours, equipment gets moved around, 2 ton cable hoists are seen swinging, when there is no one to be moving them.

Brad and I were teased by our supervisor regarding this. We were working in the 85 bay one evening, and she came down the hallway going "Whoooo... whooo..... hey guys, I'm talking to the ghosts!" We told her not to joke around... no telling who might be listening. We then closed our tool box, and left through the doors in the common wall.

As we were turning in our equipment, she came running up another hallway that joined two of the hangars. She was yelling at us, demanding to know how we did what we did, indignant that we tried to scare her. Seems that after we left, she went to shut off the overhead lights in the bay. As she hit the switches on the east side of the bay, she looked up at a light that hadn't gone out, but was quite dim. She then realized that it wasn't one of the overhead lights, but "something", assuming it was a prank Brad and I were pulling. As she took a few steps towards this light, which was appro- ximately 20 feet off the ground, it suddenly dropped, and began moving to- wards her. She then panicked (as I had done) and ran down the southern hallway, through the breakroom, down another maintenance bay, through the adjoining hallway and up to where Brad and I were inventorying our tools. She was attempting to hide her fear with indignation, but failed miserably. When she asked us to go investigate what it was, we refused. She then (jokingly) ordered us to do it. Again, we refused, explaining that if she was going to order us to do something, she'd have to be willing to do it herself, at which point she refused. When we later explained what happened to the Master Sergeant in charge of the shift, he also refused to go to the 85 bay to take a look, saying he'd rather do it in daylight. It seems (from talking one on one with him later) that he'd had several experiences in the bays as well, but vehemently refused to talk about them.

42 posted on 10/31/2002 9:38:23 AM PST by lodwick
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To: ValerieUSA
Eve of All Hallows bump!
43 posted on 10/31/2002 9:41:24 AM PST by Salvation
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To: lodwick
Great story, Loddy!
44 posted on 10/31/2002 9:43:22 AM PST by Pippin
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To: Salvation
Howdy, Salvation. Got any good ghost stories?
45 posted on 10/31/2002 9:44:36 AM PST by Pippin
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To: Pippin; LadyX; Billie; ladtx; lodwick; COB1; ofMagog; Libertina; dutchess; Mixer; The Mayor; ...

Click on the pic

46 posted on 10/31/2002 9:45:20 AM PST by Aquamarine
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To: Aquamarine
I don't have audio, Aqua, What's playing?
47 posted on 10/31/2002 9:46:44 AM PST by Pippin
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To: Pippin
No, but how about divine revelation or Saint's stories?
48 posted on 10/31/2002 9:52:14 AM PST by Salvation
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To: Pippin
Ghostbusters.
49 posted on 10/31/2002 9:52:52 AM PST by Aquamarine
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To: Aquamarine; Salvation; Pippin; ghost
One more - copied and un-edited:

My grandfather was raised in Howard, South Dakota, a small town about 70 miles from Siox Falls. During his childhood he and his friends had to keep themselves entertained in order to keep out of trouble, which wasn't that easy. When he was about eight, he and his friends developed an infatuation with the airplane. They would pass the time reading through airplane books, comic books, and playing with toy airplanes. Their imaginations ran wild.

Only a few of this group of ten boys had even ever seen a real airplane, so when the local banker bought one to fly as a hobby they were at the airport every time it left the ground. One afternoon the banker (can't remember his name) noticed the boys as he was coming in for a landing. After get- ting it tied down he called the boys over to let them look at it up close. This was a dream come true, but of course it wasn't enough. One of the boys, my grandpas best friend (Myron) asked if he could fly with him the next day. The banker laughed and said that he would take the boys up two at a time starting the next day.

Since they were going to take them up two at a time, Myron and my grandpa were to go up first. They hardly slept that night thinking about the next day. When it finally came around my grandpa jumped out of bed running only to find out that his mother would not let him go up in one of them "infer- nal aircrafts."

He was crushed but decided to go watch anyway. Another boy jumped in with Myron and the banker, and off they went. But what happened next made him glad he didn't go up. The banker came in over a shelter belt that divided the courthouse from the high school, as the plane turned belly up, the two boys plummetted into the trees below.

Word quickly spread and soon the entire town was on the scene. Both boys were presumed dead, but it took the police dept. a couple hours to find My- ron impaled 75 foot up, the trunk of a tree straight through his small frame. Again my grandpa was crushed, the banker was run out of town, and strange things began to happen in the shelter belt. Reports of glowing trees began to come from many high school students that had to walk through the thick tree belt on the way to school, a few even reported seeing a small boy run into the thick underbrush, without any noise.

The strangest was yet to come. During WWII my Grandpa (Fred) joined the air force and became a belly gunner on a B-17 bomber. During his tenure on one crew, he claimed 6 major casualties (brought down six large aircraft) "singlehandedly". It was his 4th and 5th that came with some assistance. A shell had struck the turret, limiting the motion of the gun. As he tried to swing around he met resistance and the turret recoiled knocking him un- conscious. As he woke up the gun was firing and before his eyes the turret made a full revolution and struck an enemy plane bringing it down. He went to grab the gun but was pushed back. He heard the voice of a child say "no way, it's still my turn!!" He was dumbfounded, he just sat there until the plane landed. As he was getting out, he noticed Myron's favorite "Flying Aces" comic book laying on the floor of the turret. Later that afternoon, Fred recieved a bravery medal for saving his crew from the two enemy gun- ships that were much more powerful than their B-17. He never told anyone about the story until much later.

Twilight Zone music playing here...BOO!
50 posted on 10/31/2002 10:16:05 AM PST by lodwick
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To: All; ST.LOUIE1; Billie; JohnHuang2; dansangel; daisyscarlett; lodwick; Pippin; Diver Dave; ...
Good morning y'all.....or afternoon, as the case may be.

John, your "two cents" is a great read, as always. Let us hope that the disgusting political display that was supposed to pass for a funeral was enough to seal their fate. Booing the Senate Minority Leader who had come to pay his respects at Senator Wellstone's funeral was beyond the pale, but it seems to be typical of the sleazy behavior from the left.

Billie, those Lab ghosts batting their eyelashes are SO cute! We have the best graphics on the Finest thread!

Happy second anniversary, Daisy!

I am wishing all my Finest FRiends a spooktacular Halloween!


51 posted on 10/31/2002 10:17:07 AM PST by Mama_Bear
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To: Pippin; lodwick; Billie; Mixer; Mama_Bear; All
I know this is a pretty sick picture...but we were feeling pretty "sick" impeachment year....taken prior to leaving for the March for Justice...staring Mr. D. and Codee as Monica


52 posted on 10/31/2002 10:21:53 AM PST by dutchess
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To: Salvation
Saint's stories. I love to read about the saints. and Divine revelation.
53 posted on 10/31/2002 10:29:02 AM PST by Pippin
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To: Aquamarine
Thanks Aqua!
54 posted on 10/31/2002 10:30:06 AM PST by Pippin
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To: dutchess
LOL - that IS sick.

I'm calling PETA for poochie abuse. ;-)
55 posted on 10/31/2002 10:30:25 AM PST by lodwick
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To: dutchess
You sure that mask isn't going to scare that poor poochie?
56 posted on 10/31/2002 10:32:46 AM PST by Pippin
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To: All; Billie; dansangel; daisyscarlett; Mama_Bear; LadyX; lodwick; JohnHuang2; COB1; Pippin
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

~~~deadhead~~~

57 posted on 10/31/2002 10:34:35 AM PST by deadhead
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To: deadhead
Happy "Howl" oween!
58 posted on 10/31/2002 10:39:16 AM PST by Pippin
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To: deadhead
A Happy Halloween to you! Always nice to have you stop by and visit. :-)


59 posted on 10/31/2002 10:40:02 AM PST by Mama_Bear
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To: Pippin
Hi Pippin...Happy Halloween
60 posted on 10/31/2002 10:40:58 AM PST by Mixer
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