Dear Ms. Cindy Williams;

I received this email as most of us do, from a friend who got it from another. I served in the Air Force for four years and I completely understand this airman's frustration. I almost never resend anything for fear of sending my friends and family info to someone who might use it for crap. This is the best way for me to let everyone know about the thinking in our current government. I did not write this, it is a re-posting, word for word, from an email I received.

I hope some of you resend it to others. If you want send them the link to this blog. By all means go ahead. That is why I posted it here instead of just sending it to a few friends and family.

I do not claim to be any kind of reporter, in fact, just the opposite. This is the first time I have even posted anything in a very long time.

I wonder what our response might be.

Begin forwarded message:

Military Pay:

CINDY WILLIAMS was appointed by Obama As an Assistant Director for NATIONAL SECURITY in the Congressional Budget Office...

This is an Airman's response to Cindy Williams' editorial piece in the Washington Times about MILITARY PAY, it should be printed in all newspapers across America .

Ms. Cindy William wrote a piece for the Washington Times denouncing the pay raise(s) coming service members' way this year citing that she stated a 13% wage increase was more than they deserve.

A young airman from Hill AFB responds to her article below. He ought to get a bonus for this.

"Ms Williams:

I just had the pleasure of reading your column, "Our GI's earn enough" and I am a bit confused. Frankly, I'm wondering where this vaunted overpayment is going, because as far as I can tell, it disappears every month between DFAS (The Defense Finance and Accounting Service) and my bank account. Checking my latest earnings statement I see that I make $1,117.80 before taxes per month. After taxes, I take home $874.20. When I run that through the calculator, I come up with an annual salary of $13,413.60 before taxes, and $10,490.40 after.

I work in the Air Force Network Control Center where I am part of the team responsible for a 5,000 host computer network. I am involved with infrastructure segments, specifically with Cisco Systems equipment. A quick check under jobs for "Network Technicians" in the Washington , D.C. area reveals a position in my career field, requiring three years experience in my job. Amazingly, this job does NOT pay $13,413.60 a year. No, this job is being offered at $70,000 to $80,000 per annum............ I'm sure you can draw the obvious conclusions..

Given the tenor of your column, I would assume that you NEVER had the pleasure of serving your country in her armed forces.

Before you take it upon yourself to once more castigate congressional and DOD leadership for attempting to get the families in the military's lowest pay brackets off of WIC and food stamps, I suggest that you join a group of deploying soldiers headed for AFGHANISTAN ; I leave the choice of service branch up to you. Whatever choice you make though, opt for the SIX month rotation: it will guarantee you the longest possible time away from your family and friends, thus giving you full "deployment experience."

As your group prepares to board the plane, make sure to note the spouses and children who are saying good-bye to their loved ones. Also take care to note that several families are still unsure of how they'll be able to make ends meet while the primary breadwinner is gone. Obviously they've been squandering the "vast" piles of cash the government has been giving them.

Try to deploy over a major holiday; Christmas and Thanksgiving are perennial favorites.. And when you're actually over there, sitting in a foxhole, shivering against the cold desert night, and the flight sergeant tells you that there aren't enough people on shift to relieve you for chow, remember this: trade whatever MRE's (meal-ready-to-eat) you manage to get for the tuna noodle casserole or cheese tortellini, and add Tabasco to everything. This gives some flavor.

Talk to your loved ones as often as you are permitted; it won't be nearly long enough or often enough, but take what you can get and be thankful for it. You may have picked up on the fact that I disagree with most of the points you present in your open piece.

But, tomorrow from KABUL , I will defend to the death your right to say it.

You see, I am an American fighting man, a guarantor of your First Amendment right and every other right you cherish...On a daily basis, my brother and sister soldiers worldwide ensure that you and people like you can thumb your collective noses at us, all on a salary that is nothing short of pitiful and under conditions that would make most people cringe. We hemorrhage our best and brightest into the private sector because we can't offer the stability and pay of civilian companies.

And you, Ms.. Williams, have the gall to say that we make more than we deserve?

A1C Michael Bragg, Hill AFB AFNCC

IF YOU AGREE,

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO

AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THE AMERICAN FIGHTING MEN AND WOMEN.

Kitchen thoughts

I just emptied my dishwasher, which got me thinking (how that happens I'll never know), man I have a great pizza cutter. It's not new or space age, it just gets the job done without fail. Let's get past the fact that my affection for this utensil is unique. It started me thinking, what are my favorite kitchen apparati (correction it's apparatuses, the former is just more fun to say)? Here's the list.

1. The spoon -- a solid choice, very versatile.

2. The pizza cutter -- my pizza cutter is from an apartment in Texas. It's cut more pizza than I care to remember.

3. The non-stick anything -- Go Teflon.

4. The garbage disposal -- If you don't have to carry the wet pot or pan over the floor to throw away the crap no one ate it's a great thing. *Bonus* much less likely vermin will get into the garbage cans outside.

5. The refrigerator -- Anything need to be said there? OK, it keeps the beer cold. Has to be on the list.

Just a Quip..

"Skeptics are not exempt from normal human brain functions. It is a human tendency to become what you attack. Skeptics attack irrational thinkers and in the process become irrational."

I've just finished a book called God's Debris by Scot Adams. He is the guy who writes the cartoon strip Dilbert. I recommend it.

Thumbs up.

Sam, You are a better man than I.

This is a proclamation.

If I am to eat chicken, it will be boneless and skinless. If this also means I have to do the de-boning and de-skinning I will remain hungary (or eat a frozen pizza). Butchers earn their wage.

Hail to the King Baby.

The morning boredom has developed this next post. I have been lazily reading and searching this morning (basically wasting bandwidth, sorry Comcast)(I'm not really sorry). For whatever reason I have come across one of my favorite commericals in a long long time. I don't even know why, it just makes me laugh out loud when it's done every time I see it. I felt the need to share.






Just can't seem to go wrong with Mr. Bruce Campell.
Shop smart, shop S-Mart.

I Welcome Myself Back

I've done it. I have completed the sabbatical which left me in the desert of modern society. The Internet is on again in my household. I fully expect to loose all connection with the other family members again almost instantly. They might get an empty feeling in their tummies, which would cause them to pause for nourishment. Might say hi around that time.

The internet has missed me as well. I'd like to think so anyway. I say hello to my old friend, hello.

Whew! I made it back.




This is funny.

It was either this or finding a video of monkey flinging poo.

God love the internet.

No PC sucks I tell ya...

Here I sit, at the library. I now have a library card. This keyboard sucks and my newest emotion is kicking in "Paranoia". Are people looking over my shoulder? Why is that guy in the corner beating on the desk and his monitor turned away. Oh, there's recurring beat to his table tap. He's listening to his music. Maybe this is like in a coffee shop only I can't control my view. Blogging away wondering if I'm annoying someone with one of my mannerisms like so many of these others are driving me fucking nuts.

Here I sit, in the library, with new found motivation to replace the computer that is gone. I unplugged for a while, I moved and didn't turn on the cable or Internet for about 4 months. I thought it might do some good. It seems everyone is so dependent on all this stuff, I kind of wanted to see how I could handle it. If there were withdrawal symptoms. (I wish I would have brought some kind of sanitizer all of a sudden. The fella nearest me obviously is in the height of his disease. Who was at the shitty keyboard before me?) I really didn't have too bad of a problem being I could check email at work. Stuff like that. It hasn't hit me until I had to watch the Super Bowl on rabbit ears. MAN I miss HD! Now the need to do my taxes is upon me. I guess I will feel better at Beth's (the sister) house doing my taxes. (why does he always itch his nappy skull like that?)

I'm out of here, if I have to come back to the library to use a computer to post again I just won't post.

Wang Chung - New Music - More Music Videos

I wish I could proclaim, just once and mean it, "Everybody Wang Chung Tonight!". I haven't been in the right place at the right time to date, but I'm sure the day will come.

It all starts over from here

Welcome to the next year in the life...

I have an opportunity, it has to do with everything being different. In the coming year we will see how "different" will be. I will keep everyone informed.

Happy New Year

Moving!

I hate moving, where does all this stuff come from? I swear if there is one more thing.. oh wait, there's more.  What is this?  Why did I keep that?  Who in the world spent money on this?  Yet, I can't believe I'm the only one with it.

I don't understand.

The directions are only one man's opinion!