Stuff from elsewhere worth reading...

While Little Green Footballs can properly get your blood boiling over the ignorance, or stupidity, or arrogance and any combination thereof, in the world, I find Matt at Black Five tends to pull together many items that will encourage and give a voice to some who are regulary looked down upon in our society (and I mean by the left minded, who consider people who serve in the military as too stupid or inept to handle a "real" jobs in the world). Today, a letter of thanks, with some very specific situations mentioned, from an Army Sargent. I think it's a "must read," for it tells a tale of America that we hear in a generic sense, if it's mentioned at all. After you read it, consider the opportunities you have to thank a service member. Whether they are "there" or not, they all have a part in the defense of this nation, and therefore your freedom. And you never know, they may be on the front lines one day in the future and you've then already had a chance to just says "thanks" in your own way. I'll wager that any of them you take a moment to do that with will be somewhat embarrassed and tell you it's no big thing, they are just doing what they signed on for. On 12/9/2004, a story about the President meeting with 171 family members of service members who died in the GWOT. Unlike grandstanding politicans, this wasn't a photo op. The meetings were family by family, just each of them and the President. Don't try to tell me this man has no compassion for his citizens. Ther has been a conference of "bloggers" held in the last few days and Matt actually met with two real men from Iraq, who are blogging from there under the address of Iraq the Model. Democracy can give a voice to the oppressed and help to ensure govenrments everywhere don't get carried away. Thye two posts Matt made are here and here. From the Mudville Gazette, a story of a wounded Marine who refused to let the doctors cut his wedding ring. He had them take his finger off instead, rather than break the continous band symbolic of his marriage. Gory, but, uplifting that there are those in this country that can make a choice such as this to show their commitment to something very important. Just to end with some humor, wade through the comments on this LGF post about wacky fatwas. Maybe you, being adults, can come up with some fatwas of your own, too. Enough for now. For my very small band of readers, I actually hope you've read the material I've linked to, as I think those blogs are worth a daily stop. If you haven't found them yet, please consider checking the links and going back there regularly.