(H/T WeaselZippers) This week's hero of the week goes out to a Virginia Capitol Police officer that helped a returning soldier. This guy and his war dog were inseparable in Afghanistan. The dog, Spike, served him and his buddies by going in to harms way, again and again to sniff out danger and protect them from some of the sneaky crap they had to deal with.
When Jared Heine returned back home, like many veterans, he suffered from PTSD. One of the things he talked about most was missing his work dog Scout. Jared's mother went to work to try to find out what happened to Scout. It turned out that he was still working, and now with the Virginia Capitol Police. When she got in contact with our hero, Officer Laura Taylor, the officer faced a hard decision. For her, it was the right thing to give Spike to Jared, and help him try to close the loop on his time in service. So here's to you Officer Laura Taylor (and Spike), our Hero(s) of the week:
This week's hero of the week was pretty much a no-brainer. I don't usually give out the Hero award to royalty, but this week was different. The ISIS cowards decided to make public the video of how they had burned to death a pilot they had captured after negotiating for weeks with the Jordanian government. The enraged head of state did what any leader would do in such a circumstance. First he executed the ISIS troglodytes that were being negotiated for, and then he led airstrikes on ISIS targets: not another coddled royal twerp, this guy. So here's the hero of the week award to King Abdullah II of Jordan. Fly it until the last piece stops moving.
It is what makes us human that we don't want to die unremarked and unknown. It is even more remarkable that these troopers would honor with dignity the passing of a woman they never met. By providing such honor, they remind us that life, human life is a prescious thing, to be celebrated and remebered. So here's to you Sgt. Jeff Whitemarsh, the Delaware Trooper Honor Guard, and those who marked the passing of Mrs. Valeria Mayer with a donation of a plot and a casket. You are the Heroes of the Week!
This week's Hero(s) of the week goes
out to a not so small group of people that have been doing the same
thing, year after year, mostly without recognition or credit since
1974. They come from all over the country, at mostly their own
expense. They gather, cheerfully walk down the same street, to the
same building, maybe listen to the same speeches, maybe not. Maybe go
in and talk to the the same guys who pretend to listen to them, maybe
not. Most of them will just kneel and say a prayer. Once they are
done, they pick up their litter and go home.
They are all types: Catholics, Baptist,
Methodist, Pagan, Democrats (just a few) and Republicans, gays,
straights, blacks, whites, Native Americans, Hispanics, Jews,
Muslims, goths, businessmen, students, housewives, and toddlers. In a
word, Americans.
Even though for the past 10 years their
numbers have reached over 200,000 every year (500,000 this year),
they are mostly a non-event to the media, and the local news usually
fails to note that they are even there. Yet they come anyway. You can
disagree with their cause, but you can't fault their dedication,
faith, and positive spirit. Those are hero traits and why all the
men, women, boys, girls, and yes, unborn children of the 2015 March
For Life are this week's Hero(s) of the Year.
With the troglodytes doing their worst in France and the Republicans playing roll over in their new positions as Senate Leaders, there wasn't too much to look up to this week. That is until I saw this story about three Marines doing what they do best. It seems that a couple of thugs decided that outside a recruiting office was a good place to rob an old lady: a poor tactical choice to say the least. Staff Sgt. Ben Shoemaker, Sgt Ricardo Schebasta, and Staff Sgt Bryson Twigg responded to her cries for help. While one of the assailants had beat the scene by the time the lady started screaming, the other one was still in sight. As Sgt Shoemaker put it:
That kid was never going to outrun me. Marines run towards the sound of chaos.
To quote the veritable old cripple "BWAHAHAHAHA!". They corralled the one miscreant and held him until the authorities showed up. A Big "OooRah" out to Sgt Shoemaker and has buddies, our Heroes of the Week.
There are no rules here for Hero Of The Week. The Hero can be a man, woman, animal, or in this week's case, a thing. So, without further adieu, here is this week's Hero of the week:
I know what you are thinking.. exercise equipment, new year, right.. Well, kind reader you are wrong. These bands, or something like them, were responsible for giving Dingy Harry a long over due beat down. Apparently one of them snapped, smacked him in the head, causing him to fall and break a couple of ribs. Now, while I feel bad for the guy, I do have to think that if it were caught on tape, it would have been hilarious. I imagine he was doing something like this:
For the record, I wish the man no ill will or harm and hope for a speedy recover for him. That being said, given how he has been a primary actor in using his position as senate leader to dismantle the American Democratic process, i'd be lying if I didn't say I am in awe of how karma continues to exact it's own kind of justice, time and again.
So here's to you Elastic Exercise Band - Our Hero of the Week!
With Boner and the guys caving to the Bamster's amnesty, then the Bamster surrendering to Cuba there wasn't too much heroic happening around the Capitol this week. That being said, there were a couple of guys that stood up and just said "NO!". These guys:
They made it as painful as possible for Harry Reid to get the latest TRILLION dollar CR passed. A CR the House leadership just handed to them. More importantly was the substance of the Point of Order they raised - namely, that the Bamster exceeded his constitutional authority and the Senate had the responsibility to not fund it. Way to go Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, you win this week's Heroes Of The Week!
This week we don't have much to be proud about in the Nation's Capitol with the Republican surrender in passing the Crapobus bill to continue to fund the government. However, there were a few Republicans that stood up to their leadership and almost tanked it by voting against the 'rule'. Here are those congress critters that are stood in the way of the establishment RINOs that pushed this POS through (H/T Curmudgeonly & Skeptical):
Congressman Amash of Michigan
Congresswoman Bachmann of Minnesota
Congressman Brat of Virgina
Congressman Brooks of Alabama
Congressman Broun of Georgia
Congressman Gohmert of TExas
Congressman Gosar of Arizona
Congressman Huelskamp of Kansas
Congressman Jones of North Carolina
Congressman Jordan of Ohio
Congressman King of Iowa
Congressman Labrador of Idaho
Congressman Massie of Kentucky
Congressman Posey of Florida
Congressman Salmon of Arizona
Congressman Stockman of Texas
Congratulations Republican Congress People! You are the heroes of the week!
This week's hero (H/T Weasel Zippers) proved turn about is fair play for those looking for the virgins in paradise that like a good head lopping. Lorenzo Vinciguerra, a Swiss photographer was caught up by some island Islamos as a hostage. When the group holding him got into a tangle with some government troops, the guy took advantage of the confusion and started grappling with the guy watching him. As they struggled for control of the machete, he got a cut on his face, then managed to turn the blade on his captor, sending him to Allah via a neck slice. With that one dispatched, he made good his escape. So, here's to you Lorenzo - our Hero of the Week!
It's been a while, but this seemed like a good time to resurrect the hero of the week post, and a great candidate popped up so here it goes. This hero comes from a story in the post (H/T Instapundit) It seems like a deranged man decided get crazy and start letting bullets fly outside government buildings in Austin. Now I know it's Austin, i.e. Moscow on the Colorado, but it isstill Texas, a fairly idiotic state to start being rude with a gun. Our hero here, an unidentified Austin police officer, while apparently controlling two horses with one hand, draws his weapon with the other hand and dispatches the hapless gunman with a single shot. Here's to you, unidentified Austin police officer, the GAA Hero of the Week Award!
(update 11/30/14) I got to thinking about this and had this thought. If the Texas police officer tasked with holding the horses is capable of such an amazing shot, imagine what Rangers riding the horses could do!
It's 'Pay Your Taxes' week so of course the Hero of The Week goes out the the few American Taxpayers that still Do the Right Thingand try their very best to get their taxes in on time and file as honestly as possible. Yeah, many of our elected officials don't, and a great many people will get away with lying and cheating, but the great majority of us will file our taxes the way we live our lives, as honestly as we can, regardless of the financial cost. So here's to you American Taxpayer - you are the Hero of the Week for 04/13/14.
Another week of Americans being Americans, so the hero of the week was pretty easy to pick. In case you missed it, there has been a little fracas out in Nevada that didn't involve Elvis Impersonators or the Vegas Strip. Contrary to what some major media outlets may imply about the story, it's not just about the Feds moving some cattle around:
had 600,000 acres of public land that his family had run cattle on for over a century reclassified by the BLM. It turns out that a turtle that may live on that land was declared an endangered species. The Feds reclassified the land and charged outrageous fees to discourage ranchers from running cattle there. In the meantime, they ran out of money for a conservation center they had set up and 'euthanized' the hundreds of turtles that lived there. Mr. Bundy didn't pay, and the Feds swooped in. Now the Bundy's are standing up to the thug tactics and in response the Feds are tasing and sicking dogs on them and roughing up old ladies.
So congratulations Cliven Bundy and your whole family, you have won the GAA Hero of the Week Award!
Note: There is more to this story. Some reports indicate it may have to do with either oil and gas leases or Chinese solar farm development. Either way, what is happening down there matters, and is worth your time to try to be informed about it.
UPDATE 4/13/14: Drudge and ABC are reporting that Bundy has 'won' and the BLM will not enforce the court order to remove the cows and are 'pulling out of the area'. This seems like a stall tactic by the Feds to cool things down, then once the protesters go home they will be back. I doubt very much this is over.
When I was looking around for the hero of the week I came out with two main contenders. The first was this group of guys:
Yep, he has a beard so right away you know he is not a US Marine. He is Philippine Lt. First Class Mike Pelotera and that group behind him are guys who are part of a contingent that rotate to live on this outpost of freedom:
Janes - BRP Sierra Madrid
They are there to lay claim to the Thomas Shoal for the Philippines against the raw aggression of China to seize the atoll. At stake are the massive undersea oil and gas deposits that lay below her keel. Nine or ten guys standing against the might of the Chinese navy; that takes guts!
My winner of hero of the week is this guy (or a guy that kinda looks like him):
An (unnamed) Lance Corporal British sniper. Seems the Taliban was advancing on their position with the aim of getting a suicide bomber in place to kill a bunch a infidels. He took the shot at 930 yards. The hot round set off the suicide vest, blowing the martyr and five of his friends to Allah. One shot, six martyrs: excellent conservation of valuable war resources. He was using this rifle (L115A3):
So over at GOC, Denny had a pretty easy time of picking out his AOTW. Unlike most weeks where I am more often than not struggling to find some public figure who's actions warranted my coveted Hero of the Week award, this week's was rather easy to pick out. Surprisingly, the winner this week came from the same source as Denny's - the State of the Union address. So without further adieu, my Hero of the Week is this guy:
No - not the guy on the right, though being a star of a reality show and a CEO of a multi-million dollar corporation that has consistently stood up for what they believe in against liberal asshats could have won him the award. No, The award for this week goes to the only member of Congress who rather than applauding, walked out of the SOTU when the Bamster started talking about how he was going to blatantly violate the constitution and usurp the congressional role in our government. He also indicated he would do what he could to see the Bamster impeached for his illegal acts*. So hurrah Congressional Rep. Steve Stockman(R-TX - where else but?)- you are the Hero of the Week! *Rep Stockman cites only #12 on this list, though in all fairness, the Bamster's promised use of Executive Orders makes the noted examples look like jaywalking tickets:
12. Last but not the least of my dirty dozen of impeachable offenses, is the fact that since taking office the President has used executive orders, laws pushed through Congress in the dark of night, and administrative actions by his departments to nationalize and control automobile manufacturers, banks, insurance companies, and portions of the healthcare industry. This is designed to take our country from a free enterprise economy to a socialist economy. There is absolutely no authority in the Constitution of the United States that allows the President to do this.
Sadly, public figures that evoke the word Hero were once again difficult to find this week with all the east coast cold and impending stock market meltdown. That being said, this guy stood out and was the clear winner of Hero Of The Week award:
There were a great many choices for Hero of the week this week, just as Denny (if he wasn't distracted my all that nice white powder) had a lot of choices for AOTW also. In any case, my Hero of the Week award goes to this guy (and his many friends):
I believe his name is something like Buddy Simonaz but I don't speak Spanish and it's hard to make out on the audio for a non-Spanish speaking listener. In any case, his town had been taken over by the local Cartel and they were extorting money from the residents. The Mexican government and soldiers were apparently powerless to stop them. He and his neighbors banded together, brought their illegal arms out into the open, and formed a vigilante police force to oust the Cartel from their town. They set up checkpoints, and threw the local drug lords out of the town. If you want to be inspired by what a few good men can do, they are a shining example. So congratulations Buddy (and your many friends) - you guys are my Hero of the Week!
A generation of formerly adolescent males thanks him.
No, instead I turn to two large and up-and-coming space companies for their accomplishments this week. As noted by the puppy blender both SpaceX and Orbital had successful launches this week.
Long time readers of the blog know I have a bit of a stake on both of these companies and their launches. SpaceX's continued successful launches mean that a fleet of satellites that I finished working on a couple of years ago will finally make orbit. In fact, they are scheduled for an April launch. I also worked peripherally on Orbital's Cygnus vehicle, so seeing it being launched and on it's way to fulfilling it's designed purpose warms my heart. Congratulations to the boys and girls at both SpaceX and Orbital - you are the Hero's of the Week.
Even though my last hero was only awarded recently, I decided that this week deserves it's own hero of the week, so here it goes. The hero of the week award goes to the soon to be gone incandescent light bulb, or in the common vernacular - light bulb. You had a pretty good run light bulb. Edison knew very well what he was doing when his researchers developed the first viable commercially available light bulb. With a single stroke, he saved millions of lives from a death by a fire caused by overturned oil lamps or candles. If Mrs O'Leary had been milking by a light bulb rather than oil lamp, the Chicago Fire may never had happened!
Like I think most people, the light bulb has always been a source of comfort for me. Where there is light, there is warmth, and where there is warmth there is life. I can recall many times while hunting on my grandfather's farm, coming in at dusk and seeing the porch light that my grandmother always made sure was on to greet us. That light meant that there was a fire going in the fireplace, steak or fried chicken on the table, and, if the season was right, a game on the TV. I can also remember nights of sickness where a warm incandescent light bulb was the only thing I had to keep me company in a night of misery. The light bulb is therefore more than a utilitarian item for me, it is symbolic a simpler way of life. 2014, and this first week of it, will mark the end of the light bulb, not because it has outlived it's usefulness, but because of corrupt politicians and unprincipled corporate leadership engineered its demise. Join me in cursing them in the darkness or by candlelight.
That being said, the demise of the light bulb will probably not effect me very much as long as I remain firmly eschewed in the upper middle class. While the cost of the CREE replacement bulb is approximately ten times as much, it remains affordable for me. We go through maybe 5 light bulbs a month in my household. That translates to monthly cost of $5 or so. Since CREEs are about ten times more costly than normal light bulbs, that part of the budget went from $60 to $600 per year. Suffice it to say that won't break the bank for me. The ones who will be hit the hardest by this are of course the poor. They actually do have to buy the new bulbs or curse in the darkness. I predict that when the supplies of incandescent run out in a few months, there will be a great amount of darkness cursing going on. Meanwhile, the folks in China and Asia will be laughing their asses off at us and lit up like a Christmas tree.
更好地照亮一個小小的蠟燭不是詛咒黑暗
"Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness"
(sorry for the late post - it's a holiday week damnit!)
The last hero of the week award goes to Mother Nature. That's right, normally she tolls in anonymity, making rain, sun, shine, and snow - all those things that let us know that yes, we are living a real life on a real planet 92,960,000 miles from the nearest life giving heat source. So when some crazy adventurers decided to believe their own rhetoric rather than their 'lying eyes', the hilarious result of Mother Nature being a bitch at their hubris amused and titillated us all. That's not to say that all crazy adventurers are beaten by her, mostly just the stupid ones that fail to respect her. Thus, Mother must share the weekly award with this young lady:
