A Few of Fr's Finest...Every Day....01-31-03..."Focus on jkphoto"

Billie and Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

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.

                     

Today's FReeper in the spotlight is jkphoto. He signed onto FreeRepublic a little over two years ago and enjoys his position as photographer for the Central Valley Chapter. JK attends many of the FResno "Support Our Troops" rallies, but you might not see much of him on the post rally threads. If you do, he'll more than likely have a camera growing out of his nose, because he is always on the 'other' side of the lens.


JK at the Tailgate Party Barbecue

He also enjoys a secondary position with FreeRepublic for which he is extremely proud. His "to-die-for" Tri-Tip, which he fixed for over 50 people at the FR Tailgate Party last July, has earned him the title of "Barbecuer-in-Chief", a titled bestowed upon him by none other than JimRob himself.


I could easily write a book about this FReeper who is near and dear to my heart, extolling his virtues, achievements and exceptional dedication to his faith, his family, his country and his profession, however, I am going to do my best to keep this short and the 'bragging' to a minimum. First of all, for those of you who may not know, he has been married to the same lovely lady for over 35 years......ME!! (And if that ain't an accomplishment, I don't know what is! LOL!)

JKPHOTO was born and raised in a military family. His father, a Commander in the Navy, retired in 1967 after giving his country 32 years of dedicated service. From early on, JK was instilled with a love for God and Country, and a sense of responsibility in honoring those principles upon which the United States was founded.

JK enlisted in the Navy in 1966 and, much to his dismay, was released shortly after with a medical discharge due to severe back problems. Even though this was during the Vietnam war, when many people were doing their best to avoid the military, he wanted to serve his country as had his father and brothers. It seems fate had other plans for him. Shortly after graduating from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, he bought an existing photography studio in the California Central Valley and has been operating it ever since. In the profession it is known as a "bread and butter" studio; creating high quality traditional portraits consistently and serving a clientele of loyal, repeat customers. Now, thirty-five years later, he has photographed thousands of families, babies, high school seniors, weddings, pets, and children. JK also has another love pertaining to his profession, and that is teaching. He received his credentials several years ago and teaches an evening class in photography through the Adult Education program.

I am very proud of the service he has given his community through his participation in Rotary and other service organizations, and his service on the City Redevelopment Board. He is currently a member of the Planning Commission, a position he has held for many years. JK lends a voice of conservatism and common sense to issues coming before the Commission. Often he is the only voice supporting property owners in an effort to protect their rights. Not everyone can be a Governor, Congressman or Senator, but JK believes that everyone can do 'something' at the local level to help promote the conservative cause and stem the tide of liberalism sweeping the country.


JK (center) with Speaker of the House,
J. Dennis Hastert and our newly
elected Congressman, Tony Nunes.

One of his pet projects, especially during the holidays, is donating time to his favorite charity, The Salvation Army. Yes, he was one of the 'bell ringers' standing out in the cold in front of Wal-Mart last Christmas. :-)


Now, I am going to brag just a bit more about a few of his professional achievements.....

JK has received many awards over the years, not only for his photographs, but for outstanding service to the photographic profession, among them the coveted "Paul Kennedy Award" and the P.P.of A. "National Award". A major milestone in his life was in 1980-81 when he was elected President of the Professional Photographers of California, an affiliate of the Professional Photographers of America. I will not list all of his professional achievements, but sum up by saying that JK has focused his entire life on being the best he could be; the best Christian, husband, father, photographer and, contributing member of his community.

---

JK, for your dedication to your country, your community and your conservative principles, you are indeed one of
FR's Finest!



Enjoy your day in
FR's Finest Spotlight!

Thank you, jkphoto, for being
the Finest FReeper I know!

(Not to mention the Finest husband and my best friend.) ;-)

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 01-27-03 Aquamarine...A Gem of A Freeper 01-28-03 "The Taxman Cometh" 01-29-03 snippy_about_it 01-30-03 "My Two Cents" by JohnHuang2

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

[jkphoto]

I want to thank all of you for making this "day in the spotlight" very special. It has been an honor to have been chosen and each of your comments were much appreciated.

If Mama_Bear and Amy have their way, we will be doing the second annual FreeRepublic Tri-Tip barbecue in Fresno again this summer. Hope to see you all there. For those who have asked, I will find out what that cut of meat it is called in other parts of the country and pass the recipe on to you.

Once again Thank You for the honor and your part in making this day special.

[LadyX]

Another time I'll relate an experience in 1994 in North Carolina, when in the dark of night - a very dark and stormy night! - a drug-crazed gal drove on the lawn right up to the front door and left the headlights on to stab through nearly impenetrable sheets of driving silver rain; and pounded on the door.

My husband hesitated to open it since we lived in isolated woods and it was nearly midnight, and I was in bed, having to work in the morning. Decided to risk it, hearing a young woman's voice - BUT, mindful there easily could be 2-3 fellows about to burst in the sliding doors off the dining room.

My first hint of trouble ("T") was the feel of a cold .38 being pressed into my hand, my husband not saying a single word, and left the bedroom.
Instantly fully alert, I hastened to the doorway and listened, and peering down the darkened hall, could see her pacing and crying.

Bernie was out of sight, and thus any possible line of fire, trusting me to act appropriately as the situation evolved - as I was certain he would be. He could be overpowered, but she had been using the phone and did not know I was in the house.
Armed and rather dangerous, I was, at the nerve of her invading my space and tranquility.

I trained the weapon on her by the fireplace, and just beyond, where the man/men were apt to enter the room from the deck......

To be Continued ~ ~ ~

[LadyX]

"or, a cat, lazing."

Okay, Mister - did Aqua tell you about my Binky?!!
LOL

[WVNan]

Oh for pete's sake Maggie, you can't just leave it there.

[LadyX]

How funny, Aqua - and how timely my receiving that list in an e-mail was!
LOL

[WVNan]

Maggie, I won't get to hang out tomorrow either. Would you please tell the hostess to add Sgt.C. Cole - Maigrey's cousin, to the active duty list? I picked it up from the Dose I think.

[Aquamarine]

After reviewing our behavior at the theatre on the way home I got to laughing so hard that I had to pull over. We had our very own comedy..."quick, grab popcorn..cokes..don't forget your purse...now run"! LOL!

Going to bed now...night all!

[Dr. Zoo]

Jeff, your being honered here is a pleasure to see.

Your help at the Brunch a couple of years ago to make a photopoint presentation for me to display is much appreciated. Kudos also to Saundra for getting C-SPAN to cover it. You put many hours into that for me, a person you had never met.

You are an awesome photographer.

You and your wife (Fuzzy or what ever she is called...) are two of the niceest people I have met at FR, and your consistancy is appreciated by myself and Syncro.

Lori, you got a keeper there...FreeperKeeper...did I coin a fraze here?...LOL

[LadyX]

Hi, Nan - so glad you could make it here!

Okay - since you asked..:)))

Waiting a full ten minutes in the bedroom, to get a sense of the situation, I surmised no one was with her, and strode down the hall to ask her sympathetically for her to tell me what was wrong. Assumed she was not threatening, since Bernie had not indicated it was in any way, nor was restraining her.

She was pacing like a lioness and talking nonstop, extremely agitated. To my careful questioning with few words at a time, and Bernie retreating around the corner to the kitchen so she might confide in me, she finally said (1) she lived in Fayetteville and was up there at a friend's party, and (2) she had just witnessed a rape and had fled the scene.
(Uh oh. Help me here, Lord.)

She had driven away and stopped at our house with lights on to use the telephone - to call a friend to come to get her, not wanting to be seen in her vehicle by the perp.

Step by step, I entreated her to think of the victim - if she needed authorities to intervene - like HELP? maybe!! To let me, since she was barely coherent, call the Sheriff's Department and have her tell the deputy what she had witnessed - and the location.

That process took the better part of an hour, patiently swaying her. Finally, she allowed me to call him, getting only the Sheriff's Office.

"Oh, the deputy (one of only three) is on the other side of the county, and it will be a while (another hour) before he can get there."
Okay - moving right along here.

Here is the cool part - my husband just happened to have on the dining room table a small, voice-activated recorder, and had flipped it to ON when she was dialing after her arrival.
(The person she called could not come for her, she said.)

To hasten to the end of the story - Deputy Dawg arrived - she was coaxed to relate her story - Bernie and I related what she had said to us - and he finally was able to determine:

(1) She had done this kind of thing several times before, leaving her children and husband at home to party and do drugs.
(2) Lived a few miles away, and her husband was looking for her to take her home - was summoned and did so.
(3) Deputy Dawg was handed the tape recording, which he said would be used in court for the husband to put her away to get professional help, and get full custody of the children.

Maggie got to bed at 0300 - up at 0440, per usual, and shot through the day at work on pure, unadulterated adrenaline..:)))

[FreeTheHostages]

[Mama_Bear]

Good night, Free. Thanks for all you do. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

You and your wife (Fuzzy or what ever she is called...)

LOL! Yep, that's me, "fuzzy". ;-)

are two of the niceest people I have met at FR, and your consistancy is appreciated by myself and Syncro.

Well, gosh, Dr. Zoo.......that is so nice of you to say! I am beginning to think very highly of you. You are almost as special as my FRiend Syncro. ;-)

Lori, you got a keeper there...FreeperKeeper...did I coin a fraze here?...LOL

LOL!!! Yes, he's a FReeperKeeper, for sure! (Sounds like a piece of Tupperware, LOL!)

(((((((((((Dr.Zoo and Syncro)))))))))))

[WVNan]

You are full of stories aren't you? Me too when I think of them. Problem is I think I've forgotten most of them. I do recall accepting a ride home from a co-worker when I lived in Miami. He didn't take me home, but out to Tamiami Trail and pulled the car up near the canal. He was ranting on and on about women and how they trick a man and take them for everything...you know the routine...and I began to get really nervous. He jumped out of the car and paced around outside looking into the canal, and it occurred to me that I was going to end up in that canal. He tried to get me to get out of the car. I refused and demanded to be taken home. He paced some more and I stayed glued. No way was I going into that canal. He was going to have to kill me in the car or take me home. I finally talked him into taking me home. I still think he was a nut and that the good Lord was watching over this silly girl.

[WVNan]

How cute. Goodnight Free.

[FreeTheHostages]

Thanks for this lovely thread. Going to read more of it this weekend after CPAC. It's really a thing of beauty. :)

[WVNan]

Mama, I just sent a Looooong conversation to JK by Freep mail. He made the mistake of asking about my son. LOL.

[FreeTheHostages]

Good night. Sleep tight.

[Dr. Zoo]

Tthanks for the sweet reply and the hugs...I'll pass the message on to SinkCrow if I see him...

[Mama_Bear]

Hi Nan.......thanks so much for coming by. I know sometimes it is hard to find the time, but you almost always do.

It is very interesting to learn that your son is a professional photographer with a studio like ours. :-)

Sgt.C. Cole - Maigrey's cousin,

I will add this name to my list and remind the others, too.

I am about to call it a day, so I will say good night to you. Pleasant dreams. :-)

[Mama_Bear]

He made the mistake of asking about my son. LOL.

LOL! He will love it.......he loves to talk shop, any time, any place. ;-)