Favre stays retired

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Unlike past years where the waffling ended in returning for another year, this year appears to be ending differently.

The decision is in: Brett Favre will remain retired.

After three months of serious consideration, surgery and rehabilitation, Favre will remain retired after all, forgoing a return for a 19th season in the NFL to play for his former rival, Minnesota.

Favre notified Vikings coach Brad Childress of his long-awaited decision, and Childress told the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Tuesday afternoon.

Childress said the daily mental and physical grind contributed to Favre’s decision.

Favre later told ESPN that it was the hardest decision he had ever made.

“I didn’t feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable,” Favre told the network. “I would like to thank everyone, including the Packers, Jets and Vikings – but, most importantly, the fans.”

ESPN also reported that Favre experienced soreness in both ankles and his left knee during his private workouts in Mississippi. The pain worsened, leading to doubts that Favre would hold up for an entire season.

“I had to be careful not to commit for the wrong reasons,” Favre told ESPN. “They (the Vikings) were telling me, ‘You went through all this, you had the surgery and you’ve got to finish it off.’ But I have legitimate reasons for my decision. I’m 39 with a lot of sacks to my name.”

The decision to not comeback again may be the biggest surprise.

Favre’s decision came as somewhat of a surprise – if that is possible anymore in a Brett Favre offseason retirement story that has taken numerous twists and turns – because once he had surgery to correct a partially torn biceps tendon this summer, his return to the field seemed certain. Favre said as much in his one interview addressing the topic with HBO a few weeks ago. (Source: Is it finally over? – Milwaukee Journal Sentinal)

Perhaps in the end it was the fear of a repeat of last year and the realization age was catching up.

Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell, a long-time Favre teammate during their days in Green Bay, told the Press-Gazette in a text message that Favre feared he wouldn’t hold up physically.

“His body wasn’t recovering from workouts,” said Longwell, who had been in regular contact with Favre this offseason. “And he didn’t want to take a chance of not making it through the season.”

Then again maybe Favre has other plans? That or he’s being classic Favre.

For reasons unknown, Favre plans to continue training, according to the NFL Network, which reported that Favre told his former position coach and confidant Steve Mariucci that he plans to keep throwing and working out. Perhaps that means a comeback isn’t out of the question, but Tom Curran of NBC Sports reported that the feeling among the Vikings is that “the door has closed” on Favre. (Source: Wear and tear derails Favre comback – Green Bay Press-Gazette)

If it is the end on a great career, here’s hoping the rifts developed can start being repaired.

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Wednesday Hero 07/29/09

This Week’s Hero Was Suggested By Deb

SSgt. Darrell “Shifty” Power
86 years old from Dickerson County, Virginia
E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
June 17, 2009

The world lost one of it’s true heroes a couple of weeks ago. Darrell “Shifty” Powers passed away on June 17 of cancer. “Shifty” was part of the famed E Co/2/506 of the 101st Airborne Division. Easy Company. The Band Of Brothers.

“I loved everything about my daddy,” said Margo Johnson, daughter of SSgt. Powers. “He never bragged about what he did in the war. And for a lot of years, he never even talked much about what he did – unless someone asked him about it. But he truly was a hero to me. Just like he’d been to the people who know him as a soldier in a [mini-series].”

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero 07/22/09

Assoluta Tranquillita did a post a few days ago and after last week’s Wednesday Hero felt it would be good to profile Sgt. 1st Class Gabe of the 178th Military Police Detachment, 20th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade. Is it wrong to be jealous of a dog? Be sure to read the Defend America article linked to in the post.

These brave men and women, and dogs, sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Decision on future by end of summer?

Image via Wikipedia

That was the word from officials at Mercury Marine to employees at a MANDATORY meeting this morning.

Mercury Marine officials hope to make a decision by the end of the summer on the future of the company.

During employee meetings in Fond du Lac this morning, Mercury Marine President Mark Schwabero said the process of charting the company’s course begins today.
“Nothing has been determined at this point, not one thing, other than we are trying to find the best thing that works,” Schwabero told employees.

Schwabero’s comments were relayed to The Reporter this morning by Mercury spokesman Steve Fleming.

“This is a complex process, we build a very complex and large product. With all that in mind, this is not something we can do in two days,” Schwabero said.

The company has been hit hard by the economy and needs to cut costs, Fleming said. Many of its facilities are under-utilized. For example, the Fond du Lac plant, which once ran three shifts and employed about 3,000 people, is now down to one shift and employs about 1,850, Fleming said.

Consolidation is an option.

The two biggest plants under discussion for consolidation are Fond du Lac and the MerCruiser plant in Stillwater, Okla. Stillwater employs about 380 people.
All options of consolidation are under consideration, Fleming said, including Fond du Lac operations moving to Stillwater, Stillwater moving to Fond du Lac or moving certain operations there and leaving others here.

But to say consolidation options only concern Fond du Lac and Stillwater is inaccurate, he said.

“We definitely are not down to ‘Are we closing Stillwater or Fond du Lac,’” Fleming said.

Negotiations are underway.

Negotiations with the union will now begin in earnest to determine what concessions employees are willing to make to keep the company viable.

While no decisions have been made, Fleming said the company is anxious to make a decision in a reasonable amount of time.

“I’m sure everyone wants to get this done by this summer,” Fleming said.

Following employee meetings this morning, Mercury officials plan to meet with local officials this afternoon to discuss their plans.

And apparently all options are on the table.

Employees — both union and salaried — were told this morning that Mercury officials are considering every option they can think of to find the solution that is best for the company.

So expect the meetings to continue.

Fleming confirmed that the company has been in discussions with government and economic development officials in Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

It’s fair to say there are more meetings planned with officials in Wisconsin and Oklahoma and anywhere else as the company considers other options, he said. (Source: Decision on Mercury Marine future could come by end of summer – FDL Reporter)

So what is Diamond Jim doing to keep Mercury Marine in Wisconsin?  Or will the outcome be like it was with Thomas Industries and Government Motors?

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Wednesday Hero 07/15/09

Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez & Jacko
35 years old from Weidman, Michigan
K-9 unit of the 527th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th MP Brigade
September 2, 2008

“I asked Greg if anything ever happened to him where he’d prefer to be buried,” Sgt. Rodriguez’s wife, Laura, told the Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant, “and he told me Arlington, as he wanted to be among the best and the brave.”

“Rod,” as he was known to his Army buddies, was a Red Wings fan who loved to hassle fans of other hockey teams he met during his military career, said Laura. “Greg loved to push everyone’s buttons and get people going with his rare, unique sense of sarcasm,” she said. At the same time, her husband, a military police dog handler whose dog, Jacko, survived the fatal ambush, was “a very committed, loyal individual and could be counted on whenever needed.”

Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez died of wounds suffered in Ana Kalay, Afghanistan, when his mounted patrol came under small-arms fire.

“My brother liked to be the law,” said Lisa Dombrowski. “He liked justice. If it wasn’t right, he made it right.”

He is survived by his sister, wife and three children.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Audit the Fed Reserve

This is needed.  It’s HR 1207 and has 256 co-sponsors as of 7/9/09.

The feisty congressman from Texas, whose insurgent “Ron Paul Revolution” presidential campaign rankled Republican leaders last year, now has the GOP House leadership on his side — backing a measure that generated paltry support when he first introduced it 26 years ago.

Paul, as of Tuesday, has won 245 co-sponsors to a bill that would require a full-fledged audit of the Federal Reserve by the end of 2010.

Paul attracted just 18 co-sponsors when he authored a similar bill, which died, in 1983. While the impact Fed policies have on inflation is once again a concern, fears about loose monetary policy and excessive
federal spending appear even more widespread in 2009.

“In the past, I never got much support, but I think it’s the financial crisis obviously that’s drawing
so much attention to it, and people want to know more about the Federal Reserve,” Paul told FOXNews.com.

With the Federal Reserve holding interest rates at rock-bottom levels, pumping trillions into the economy and now poised to have new powers to oversee the financial system under President Obama’s proposed
regulatory overhaul, Paul said lawmakers want transparency.

“If they give them a lot more power and there’s no more transparency, that’ll be a disaster,” he said.

The bill would call for the comptroller general in the Government Accountability Office to audit the Fed
and report those findings to Congress. The GAO’s ability to conduct such audits now is severely restricted.

A slew of top Republicans are backing the bill, as are many Democrats.

“Ron Paul has the right idea on this,” said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who supports similar legislation in the Senate. “I’m just hoping we can get a clear audit. … We need to know what they’re up to.”

House Republican Leader John Boehner, who signed on as a co-sponsor this month, wrote in a recent blog post that the “lack of transparency and accountability” regarding federal dollars committed by the Fed and Treasury Department raise “serious concerns” and make an audit critical.

“The Federal Reserve Transparency Act would remove all of these restrictions, and allow GAO to get real answers from the Federal Reserve to protect American
taxpayers,” Boehner wrote.

It looks like the American public needs to apply pressure on Democratic leadership and Rep. Barney Frank in particular.

Unfortunately for Paul, the bill appears to be idling in the House Financial Services Committee, which is chaired by Barney Frank, D-Mass. The bill has been sitting there, gathering co-sponsors, since Paul
introduced it in late February.

“You’ve kind of got to rely on the Democratic leadership (to move the bill along),” a Boehner aide said. “I haven’t heard a lot of support from Chairman Frank.”

Calls to Frank’s office were not returned.

Paul acknowledged that his bill hasn’t advanced but said Frank has “promised” him he will deal with his bill and is willing to give it a hearing. Paul said it’s easily got the “momentum” to pass the full House.

If that happens it could have an easy ride in the Senate.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced a bill similar to Paul’s in the Senate in March, which so far has attracted just three co-sponsors — DeMint and Republican Sens. David Vitter of Louisiana and Mike Crapo
of Idaho.

But DeMint told FOX News last week that the measure would have a good chance of passing the Senate if supporters can push Paul’s to a vote, which he said would be successful, in the House.

“I think if we can get that much attention on this bill, I don’t believe senators could vote against it, if people knew what they were voting for because everyone is suspicious of the Federal Reserve,” DeMint
said.  (Source: Mr. Sunshine? Ron Paul wins support to audit Fed Reserve – Fox News)

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Wednesday Hero 07/08/09

Cpl. Reynold Armand
21 years old from Rochester, New York
2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force
August 7, 2007

Reynold Armand didn’t want to wait until he turned 18 to join the Marines. He persuaded his adoptive mother to sign papers allowing him to sign up a year early.

“I’m very proud of him,” said his father, Carl Armand. “When he was home, he gave no sign of being afraid.” Armand didn’t speak much about his experiences in Iraq, according to family members, saying only that most Iraqi civilians he encountered were very nice.

“We used to send him a lot of candy,” said his mother, Alma Armand. “He would pass it out.”

Manny Rodriguez, 21, of Rochester met Armand five years ago at New Day Church in Rochester, where both young men were members of the youth group. “He was such an amazing all-around person. He was so easy and comfortable to be around. He liked people for who they are.”

No definitive report could be found on how Cpl. Armand died. Some report that he was killed when shot and others report that he was killed by an IED that exploded near his vehicle in Balad, Iraq.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com with help from Kathi

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

1812 Overture

Another great piece for Independence Day.

Stars & Stripes Forever

A great piece by John Philip Sousa.

Happy 233rd America

Image via Wikipedia

Two Hundred Thirty-Three years of Freedom.  That’s what we celebrate today across America.  With the Declaration of Independence America declared her freedom from British tyranny.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

It is also for that reason that we must stand up and fight back when freedom is infringed upon and attempts are made to slowly take it away.

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