A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....02-06-03...A Pit Stop by John Huang

JohnHuang2, Billie, Dutchess | JohnHuang2

[dutchess]

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

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

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

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

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 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: 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.

GROUP 7A: 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.

GROUP 8A: 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.

      

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.

                     

\

Honoring the seven astronauts who died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, jets fly over the crowd in a missing man formation during a memorial service at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2003. White House photo by Paul Morse.

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

A Pit Stop in Texas

by JohnHuang2

Bush spoke movingly at the memorial service in Houston's Johnson Space Center Tuesday, a ceremony in honor of the seven Columbia astronauts killed tragically Saturday minutes before their scheduled Florida landing.

In words both somber and hopeful, consoling and defiant, Bush saluted the daring heroism of the crew, 7 fearless frontiersmen of space whose high-spirited lives of quest and adventure tragically ended in the morning skies over Texas. So poignantly true-life his portrait capturing their vivacious spirit, Bush's words reached out to heaven and brought our hero seven, one by one, back down to Earth, here among us if ever so briefly -- a fleeting, yet quiet pitstop before resuming their voyage eternal.

"Each of these astronauts," said Bush, "had the daring and the discipline required of their calling. Each of them knew great endeavors are inseparable from great risk, each of them accepted those risks willingly, even joyfully, in the cause of discovery."

Bush, his stature grown to hero status in the wake of 9/11, has braved the latest jolt of tragedy seemingly unruffled, his calm and steady poise reassuring a nation girding for possible war.

Indeed, almost from the moment George W. Bush set foot in the White House, his leadership has been tested. And, on each occasion, with grace and eloquence, wisdom and style, he's more than met the challenge head on.

If ever existed a textbook case of exemplary leadership in times of crisis, the kind of guy you would want at the helm during days like these, President George W. Bush would have to be it. Against the greatest tests and challenges, he rallies the nation together, with unflinching courage, he takes command with bold and decisive steps early on, seizing the initiative, buoying hopes with fierce determination as he resolves to remain resolute, regardless how thankless, how joyless, how unrequited the task.

Bush is a shoulders-to-the-wheel President, self-possessed, unwaveringly iron-willed -- displaying a mettle and grit, valor and boldness in his discharge of duty equaled only to his unyielding sense of mission, virtues rare in an age of polls and focus groups and 'moist-finger-to-the-wind' politics.

Passionate yes, yet a master of his passion, strong and resolute, always a leader, mindful not to let events or emotions spiral out of control, his feet at all times planted firmly on the ground. At times like these, our nation demands a leader, and challenges and problems have, for this reason, more than met their match in George W. Bush.

Bush's enemies, hoping the loss of Columbia and the search for clues in the painful aftermath would derail war plans, fail to grasp an essential ingredient of Bush's character: Purposefulness. The course of action he's chosen is firm and final, undeterred by outside pressures and events, the guiding mission of his Presidency redeeming his pledge to win the War on Terror.

Our seven Columbia heroes would have it no other way.
God bless them, God bless their families,
and God bless the United States of America
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, that's...

My two cents..

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 02-03-03 Homeschool Mama 02-04-03 Sauropod 02-05-03 ST.LOUIE1 Birthday

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

I plege allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation Under God, With Liberty and Justice for All.

[The Thin Man]

FREE THIN MAN !!

Lol......and all this time I thought I was free. Guess I've been living in blissful ignorance. Yes, by all means, FREE ME!

[The Thin Man]

Billie, how kind of you to help dutchess in her time of distress. Never have I seen such a generous spirit.

[FreeTheHostages]

The situation is worse than we suspected. He is unaware that he is not free.

It does remind me of Auden's The Unknown Citizen, in which the state collects detailed information on a man whose life has come to its end. And this Orwellian poem ends:

What he happy, was he free?
The question is absurd.
If anything were wrong,
We certainly would have heard.

[LadyX]

"and all this time I thought I was free. Guess I've been living in blissful ignorance."

Oh, Thin Man - that is so very sad, that Billie had you living in blissful ignorance all these years.

My gosh, Man, it was no wonder you were in despair, under all that pressure, year after year.
The barbs - the insults - the ridicule, Man!

FreeTheSausages and I observed it, and it reverberated right through our souls, like a silver Mack truck bearing down upon us.
Rolled Bowled us over, it did.

Let The Campaign Begin ~
help us restore his dignity, and make him
the Not-So-Thin Man he deserves to be!!!

[LadyX]

S'okay, Billie.
I perceive the old spirit of Phil V.'s 'Altered Ego' has temporary possession of me.

I shall soon return to one of my other selves in due time,
as soon as I decide which color to wear.

[LadyX]

C'mon, Billie - phorgive me?

I don't like ta worry, and be so sad, like this - - -

[LadyX]

Dear John.

I really, really need ya to pen an essay ta Billie for me.
An apology, and make it a good one, will ya?

Yer devoted (non-critical) fan,

LadyX

[The Thin Man]

My gosh, Man, it was no wonder you were in despair, under all that pressure, year after year.
The barbs - the insults - the ridicule, Man!

And to think just a few minutes ago I was all gung-ho and ready to face the day. But, after reading your post and Sausages' typo-ridden poem, I've come to realize things are bleaker than I thought. Well, back to yesterday's tag line. :-)

[LadyX]

Oh, Arne - I thank you for coming to my rescue, thinking no one was going to help.
That actually drove me to talk to myself.

Prostate Prostrate with grief over having The Thin Man so depressed, and needing help, I was.

Forget the "Association of Individuals with Eating Disorders."
MrT has no disorder. He merely is constantly harrassed by Miss-U-No-Who, and unappreciated, right here in River City.

Take up your knife and sharpen your wit (or more, if you have more than one) to assess how to restore him to a modicum of normalcy.

It is the least we can do for inhumanity.

[ArneFufkin]

LadyX, JohnHuang2 has entrusted me to be his dayshift surrogate, so I am offering the following apology to Billie on your behalf: Dearest Billie,

Words cannot adequately describe
The profound nature of my regret
How very sorry I am to question
The wise and divine righteousness of your
Inhuman treatment of Thin Man
Humbly Praying you don't go "Photoshop" on me ...

LadyX

[FreeTheHostages]

I actually gave The Thin Man lots of cookies at tea yesterday and I think we should rename him the "The Appropriate Weight for His Height Man" and declare victory.

[LadyX]

"And to think just a few minutes ago I was all gung-ho and ready to face the day. But, after reading your post and Sausages' typo-ridden poem, I've come to realize things are bleaker than I thought. Well, back to yesterday's tag line. :-)"

Oh, dear - have I made things worse instead of better?
Woe is me - -

[FreeTheHostages]

Do you think tickling him would help? Or would he snap in two like a weak, brittle twig?

[LadyX]

(chuckling and snickering, I shall proceed to my probably deserved 'Time Out' in my room..:))

[LadyX]

"Do you think tickling him would help? Or would he snap in two like a weak, brittle twig?"

Wrong image, Free.
Kinda makes us appear to be 'feather'weights..:))

He perhaps would respond better to Divinity Fudge or Angel Food Cake.

[dutchess]

I didn't get pinged very early...:-(

My fault Aeronaut....I FORGOT TO POST THE PING LIST (AMONG OTHER THINGS LOL) I realized at around 7:00 a.m. NEVER have I jumped out of bed so fast...scared the poor animals (it's their bed too!) Forgive me????? PRETTY PLEASE????

[Billie]

To Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Gramma Bear, Grampa Bear, Aunt Bear, Uncle Bear, Cousin Bear, Baby Bear.......

Lori and family, have a wonderful, relaxing, refreshing SAFE cruise, 'cause when you get back, I'll be waiting for your next 'column' ...... impatiently!! :)

[LadyX]

"I think we should rename him the "The Appropriate Weight for His Height Man" and declare victory."

That is rather inconsiderate of you.
Think of posters typing in all those words to address him!

Even the acronym TAWfHHM is tough.

However, we are definitely turning the tide.

[Billie]

Sigh. Marry me.