Wonderful Women Of The World
Posted by Michelle Moquin on July 10th, 2010
I have been meaning to write about this woman for some time now, thanks to heads up from a past high school pal, (Thanks Genie!) but I never got around to it, until now. Rebecca Burgess, an educator, author, and textile artist, had a project in mind and went to Kickstarter, an online fundraising platform, to raise her seed money for her Fibershed project.
This is how Kickstarter works:
We’re focused on creative projects.
We’ve got a pretty broad definition of creativity: art, music, design (fashion, product, game, app, etc), film/video, food, journalism, and other projects that spring from the imagination.
Learn more
Funding is always all-or-nothing.
A project must reach or exceed its funding goal or no money changes hands. Why? It’s fun, dynamic, and really efficient. Learn more
Creators keep 100% ownership.
Kickstarter is a new form of commerce and patronage, not a place for investment or lending. Project creators inspire people to open their wallets by offering products, benefits and fun experiences.
Our fee is 5%.
Kickstarter collects 5% from the project creator if a project is successfully funded.
When I was first informed about Burgess, she was still looking for backers to fund her project. Being a designer in the fashion business, as well as a person interested in sustainable living, I was intrigued with her project and thrilled when I decided to checkout the status of it recently, and discovered she accomplished her goal.
This was Burgess’s project:
Our fibershed challenge is to create a bioregional wardrobe that will be lived in for one year and made completely from fibers and natural dyes that are solely sourced within a geographical region no larger than 150 miles from my front door.
The aim of the project is to educate and map the landscape of our Fibershed,. This geographical region has yet to be understood by the growing sustainability movement. And yet, it is the role of the Fibershed to provide one of our basic human necessities– our clothes. We feel it is time to give this region a defined and visible face.
The Fibershed wardrobe will act as a living model of how our clothing can function hand-in-hand with global and personal health, principles of sustainability, local economies, and regional agriculture. Our pledge campaign is raising funds to pay farmers for the raw materials, as well as to generate enough funding for film and photographic documentation of this wardrobe.
The on-going series of videos and blog entries will focus on Seed to On-the-Skin. If we make our challenge our blog can and will be used as a resource for a wide array of organizations and individuals, including students, designers, and businesses desiring to green their supply chain.
Why?
The impacts of the textile industry are immense– global water supplies are contaminated daily with over 2,000 synthetic chemical treatments that are used to soften and process fibers into fabrics. These chemicals have been shown to create a range of effects in humans– from chronic illness to cancer. One in four people in China are drinking contaminated water, and it was recently discovered by the Chinese government, that synthetic dye use is one of the major sources of this pollution.
The carbon footprint of textile manufacturing has been called ‘The Elephant in the Room’ by those in the industry. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has found that the textile industry is the 5th largest contributor to CO2 emissioins in the United States.
Fibershed Mission:
Our project seeks to put a face on the bioregional clothing movement, through a wardrobe that will be filled with functional and beautiful designs, that speak the intricate language of the landscape, and reflect a balanced and healthy relationship with the earth’s ecosystems.
The Fibershed Goal: One facet of our global clothing solution is to make use of local resources sustainably, and discontinue off-shoring the effects of our consumption onto others. Our goal is to use this year as a period for research & design, as well as a year to garner publicity for the local, green, and healthy clothing movement.
This project will be focused on Northern California, yet it is designed to create a replicable module that can be used as inspiration and technical assistance for other communities across the globe.
Our team is well established for the job:
The roles include:
Rebecca Burgess www.rebeccarburgess.com project management, author, professional weaving spinning and natural dye expertise. Wearer of the wardrobe.
Paige Green: http://paigegreen.wordpress.com/ MFA. Professional natural light documentary photographer.
Heidi Iverson: Designer and Artist. Knit designer, with incredible color sensibility.
Pattern Drafter
Melissa Mansfield and Averan Gale: http://www.greengorillamedia.com/ Web and Graphic design, documentary film, publicity.
The money will be used to:
Pay Farmers fairly for their fiber
Pay local mill to process the fibers
Pay for professional documentation of the project- photo and film
Pay for knit patterns to be drafted and samples to be created
Readers: Pretty cool huh? Congratulations to Burgess! I bet you learned a lot about the impact of textiles on our planet that you probably didn’t want to know. As much as I love design and clothing, it creates hell on the environment. I think Burgess’s project is pretty fabulous and I hope her mission and goal spans the globe.
So what about you? Do you have a business that needs funding? Maybe you should start with Kickstarter. And then I suggest you give Danielle LaPorte a call and schedule your Firestarter Consult session to light your new business on fire. Sound like a plan? Let me know how it goes.
Disclaimer: No, I am not getting any kickbacks from Fibershed, Kickstarter, or Danielle LaPorte.:)
Leah: I think the days of getting fresh wild seafood, are sadly over.
Manny: All accounted for. Don’t worry.
Doug: Thanks for the video. The more transparent people and companies become because information goes viral so quickly these days, the more people and companies are going to take actions to try to hide and protect their interests. And harassment is one of them – no one is going to want to take any chances of something they don’t want to be discovered, discovered.
Jamie: Good observation.
Lance: Thanks. But as you can see, it didn’t take me long to get back to something serious again. Oh well….that is life.
Karen: Like the article says, being overweight can lead to so many health problems. Perhaps ZL’s exercises and recipes will help. I wish you luck.
Mike: People tend to believe the last thing they read without doing their research. Just plain lazy if you ask me. And if they are racist or not a fan of Obama, they’ll justify the claim to justify their reasons for not liking him.
Mukondi: Thanks for writing me. I will see what I can do.
Emily: I thought so too. And by the way, loved your latest.
Zen Lill: Me too – I am loving it even more. Have a great weekend! I will address your e-mail next week.
Hey Ruth: How are you? What’s going on in your world…how are the girls and Evelyn? Miss seeing you both here. Enjoy the weekend.
Barogo: Darfur has been on my mind a lot lately, and I have gotten many e-mails in regards to the situation there. I have been planning on blogging about it so thanks for the reminder. You are welcome, to want to be a girlz. And as much as I want to punish these evil people too, that is not always the answer or the best plan of action. We’re working on it.
Robert: Incredible. In response to your last comment: Not if I can hep it.
Peace out everyone…
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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July 10th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
EASY TRICK TO TAME TEMPTATION
Adding a bit of drama to your inner dialogue may help you stick to your exercise routine or take a pass on that second helping.
That’s the lesson from a new study from the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin. It reveals how some people are able to look temptation in the eye… and then say no.
To investigate how consumers (in this case, college students) respond to temptations that are in conflict with their personal goals, the researchers created four different scenarios –
three involving tempting foods and the other an invitation to a Friday night party that might make it challenging to wake up early for Saturday morning classes or studying.
FRIGHTFUL CONSEQUENCES
To test the mechanisms of self-control, the researchers manipulated the situations in a variety of ways to make temptations more or less accessible.
They discovered that the study participants who were most committed to, in this case, their healthy bodies or their grades, countered temptation by substantially exaggerating the threat it carried.
That is to say, in their minds, they embellished the temptation with all sorts of vile, horrific and hair-raising characteristics, making it easier to just say “no.”
For example, when faced with access to a 100-calorie cookie, women who described themselves as diet-conscious estimated that it had as many as 800 calories.
In the party-invitation group, the students who already had high grade point averages told themselves that the Friday night party would run extremely late, while the students with lower grades rationalized that it would end reasonably early.
Ying Zhang, PhD, lead study author and assistant professor of marketing, told me that this study demonstrates an excellent tool for buttressing self-control –
one you can use anywhere, anytime, whether to go to bed earlier, save money, eat more healthfully, exercise longer or for any other goal.
The idea is to make the potential consequences of the temptation so bad, he says, that giving in to it becomes completely out of the question.
The more accessible the temptation, the stronger the threat you should attach to it, says Dr. Zhang.
“If you are faced with an impulsive purchase, exaggerate what a huge dent it will make in your retirement savings or the money that you need for your big vacation,” he suggests.
“This will make you much less likely to buy it because you are now thinking ‘this would be so bad I definitely must not do it!’ ”
According to Dr. Zhang, your first attempts to do this may be self-conscious. You’ll have to remind yourself to overstate the consequences of giving in, but in time this behavior can become automatic.
If you consistently exaggerate threats to your goals, he says, you’ll build this tactic into “an automatic reflex tool for long-term self-control.” And the consequences of that will be terrific!
Source(s):
Ying Zhang, PhD, assistant professor of marketing, University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, Austin.
July 10th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Hafa adai
Yes that was an earthquake. But not to worry we are alright.
____________________________________________
Moderate earthquake hits in Guam and Northern Marianas area, no reports of injury or damage
By The Associated Press (CP) – 10 hours ago
A moderate earthquake has hit near the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Marianas islands, but there are no reports of injury or damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 5.5 temblor struck at 3:39 p.m. Saturday local time. It was centred 40 miles (65 kilometres) northeast of Hagatna and 100 miles (160 kilometres) southwest of Saipan in the Northern Marianas at a depth of 90 miles (145 kilometres) beneath the Pacific Ocean seabed.
The temblor was strongly felt in Saipan.
The territories are situated in the western Pacific region about 3,700 miles (5,950 kilometres) from Hawaii.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
July 10th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Hafa adai
Less we forget.
*********************************************
Guam – A wreath was laid and a mass was held to remember what happened at the end of World War II at the Maneggon Concentration Camp.
July 10th, 66 years ago, just before the U.S. invasion of Guam, the Japanese occupiers forced marched much of the island’s chamorro population into a camp in the Manenggon valley in Yona.
More than 15-thousand residents walked without food or water. Many were beaten, some died along the way. Others died in the camp where young and old had to set up their own make shift camps and forage for food and water along the Manenggon river.
American patrols reached Manenggon on July 30, 1944, driving the Japanese away and liberating the camps captives, some of whom gathered there again Saturday, to remember.
************************************************
We need to remember and honor those that perished for no fault of their own.
Peter
July 10th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
In the spirit of what you just said, let me enter the names of our recent fallen in Afghanistan and Africa.
US troops killed in Afghanistan and Africa
By The Associated Press (AP) – 10 hours ago
_______________________________
Army Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Hoover
Bryan Hoover excelled at track, football and wrestling while attending Elizabeth Forward High School in Elizabeth, Pa.
The 2000 graduate returned after earning a bachelor’s degree in sports management from California University of Pennsylvania to coach students in track and cross country. He also volunteered with several youth sports programs.
“He was a great young man and a great coach and role model,” said Kerry Hetrick, the school’s athletic director. “The kids looked up to him. He was always visible and working with the students.”
Hoover, 29, had a second career. He was a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, based in Connellsville, Pa., and a former Marine.
He was serving in Afghanistan’s Zabul province on June 11 when he was killed in a bombing attack.
“It was his childhood dream to be in the military — that was all we ever played as kids,” said his brother, Rick Hoover. “It was what he lived and died for.”
Bryan Hoover had planned to marry his fiancee, Ashley Tack, in February.
He also leaves behind his father, Melvin “Sam” Hoover.
______________________________
Army Pfc. Gunnar R. Hotchkin
Gunnar Hotchkin wasn’t keen on the idea of going to Afghanistan, but it was a way to provide for his family, and he was all about that.
“He had an unnaturally brazen joy for life,” said Hotchkin’s brother, Kurt. “You had to like him.”
The 31-year-old paratrooper from Naperville, Ill., was one of two soldiers who died June 16 in North Kunduz of wounds from a roadside bombing. He was assigned to Fort Bragg.
Since childhood, Hotchkin had exhibited charisma and a great sense of leadership, as well as a memorable smile, said Preston Bokos, a longtime friend. Hotchkin worked hard, kept people laughing and supported his team, whether it was at a swim meet or in combat.
He graduated from Hinsdale Central High School in 1997 and was an All-American swimmer. He worked as a superintendent for a home-building company and enlisted in 2009 after being laid off.
When he was overseas, his sister-in-law said Hotchkin was “living phone call to phone call” to hear the voices of his wife, Erin, as well as his sons, Ethan and Tristan, and stepdaughter, Taylor.
Hotchkin also is survived by his parents, Christine and Randy.
_______________________________
Army Staff Sgt. James P. Hunter
James Hunter was a storyteller who put his talents to use at the Army’s public affairs office. He was an Army journalist, assigned to Fort Campbell who worked hard at his job.
Hunter once ran his brigade’s public affairs office for several months because no commissioned officer was available to handle the job, Brig. Gen. Thomas Richardson said.
Hunter, 25, was on a much different assignment on June 18. He was on foot patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when his unit was bombed. He died in the blast. He had arrived in Afghanistan less than a month earlier, having served two previous tours in Iraq.
ABC News journalist Mike Gudgell worked with Hunter and called him a “a leader of men.” “He had an enormously important responsibility to see that not only soldiers’ families knew about the lives of their soldiers, but also to help the American public understand the life of a soldier in war time,” Gudgell posted on a newspaper website.
“He’s my colleague in every sense,” Gudgell wrote. Hunter joined the Army in 2003 after graduating from Firelands High School in Oberlin, Ohio. He had proposed to his girlfriend, Candice Clark, on Valentine’s Day.
Survivors include his parents, Tom Hunter and Patricia Phillips.
_____________________________
Army Spc. Charles S. Jirtle
The priority for Charles Jirtle — Scott, really, because everyone called him by his middle name — was taking care of his family. He joined the Army after the birth of his third child to make sure they’d have health insurance, said his father, Terry Jirtle.
They were always on his mind, as shown in the last posting he left on Facebook, about his wife: “Savannah is having a real problem with this deployment, and I pray to God that He will watch over her and my children.”
She was pregnant with his fourth child when he was killed by a roadside bomb June 7 in Konar, Afghanistan. The baby will be named after his father, pastor Trey Smart said at Jirtle’s funeral.
The 29-year-old from Lawton, Okla., was assigned to Fort Campbell and had served in Iraq. He was the youngest of five brothers, which was a good thing when they sent him to persuade his father and mother, Virginia, to give the boys money for ice cream. It was more of a challenge at other times, such as their home wrestling matches after family bowling on Friday nights.
He attended Lawton’s MacArthur High School. Survivors include his two daughters, son and stepdaughter.
_______________________________
Army Spc. Joseph D. Johnson
When Joseph “Joe” Johnson joined the Army, he gave his all to it.
“So he would call you in the middle of a minefield and say ‘Hey mom, guess where I’m at,’” the Rev. W. Glen Gardener said at Johnson’s memorial.
Johnson, 24, of Flint, Mich., was one of two soldiers who died June 16 at North Kunduz, Afghanistan, of wounds from an improvised explosive device. He enlisted in the Army in 2006 and was assigned to Fort Bragg.
“Joey was such a hard worker and full of life,” said Jim Pope, a church youth director who led Johnson and other high school students on mission trips to low-income neighborhoods. “He really was the guy everyone wanted around.”
The 2004 graduate of Carman-Ainsworth High School was witty and didn’t mind taking risks. That made raising him an adventure for his parents, Dennis and Teri.
Letters from loved ones that were read at his funeral reflected on his sense of humor, his daring stunts and his love for his family.
“You always lived for a thrill,” said one from his sister, Jennifer Pollack. “Sometimes being an idiot, but I loved you.”
______________________________
Army Pfc. Anthony T. Justesen
Tony Justesen met his stepfather when he was 6, starting a long relationship with a hug. “Within five minutes of meeting me he was hugging me,” Steven Rehder said.
“One of my fondest memories of my son was when I took him to start school. He was 8 years old and he was hugging his teachers like they were family members.”
Justesen, 22, was killed June 23 in Ganjkin, a village in Farah province. He was assigned to Fort Bragg. He would have ended his Afghanistan tour this month.
“I just wanna go home,” he wrote June 20 on his Facebook page. Justesen, who was from Wilsonville, Ore., attended St. Luke’s Academy in nearby Woodburn. He earned a GED through the Oregon National Guard’s Youth Challenge program and then joined the military.
He eventually wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. “He wanted to go out and serve and protect. And I have no clue where he got this from. It’s all him. I haven’t been in the Army, my dad didn’t serve; this all came from Tony’s heart,” Rehder said.
He also is survived by family members who include his mother, Shawna; sisters Teniele Justesen, 23, Samantha Justesen, 20, and Kimberley Rehder, 12; and half-brother Jeromie Rehder, 15.
__________________________
Army Sgt. Erick J. Klusacek
Erick J. Klusacek was a patriot who loved that you couldn’t spell his last name without the letters “USA.” He joined the Army in 2007 after graduating from General Brown Central High School in Dexter, N.Y. Soon he was serving in Iraq, and later Afghanistan.
He also got married in 2007. He and his wife, Amber, had a daughter, Makella, whom he adored.
The 22-year-old died June 8 in a vehicle accident in Gerda Serai, Afghanistan. He was stationed at his birthplace, Fort Campbell, Ky., where the family lived during his father’s service.
His brother, Kris Klusacek, also is a Fort Campbell soldier. The two had talked about the possibility of death, and each promised to take care of the other’s family should something happen to one of them.
“I’ve been pretty strong through this whole thing. … I know he would be, so I’m just trying to fulfill it,” Kris Klusacek said. Klusacek also is survived by his parents, Ronald and Sheila Klusacek.
_____________________________
Army Spc. Andrew R. Looney
Perhaps more than anything, Andrew R. Looney was a determined soldier, one who held comrades to a high standard. After losing part of his right foot in a roadside bombing in Iraq, he spent a year recuperating and getting fitted with a prosthesis but decided to stick with the Army.
He was a fearless, steadfast man who was “courageous in the face of adversity,” said a friend, Samuel Johnson. Looneys family said he felt the Army was his calling.
The 22-year-old from Owasso, Okla., died June 21 at Lar Sholtan Village in Afghanistan of wounds from a suicide bomber attack. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and had served in Iraq.
Brenda Casey, the principal of Mills Elementary School, said she remembered Looney as a “little kid with a big heart” and expressive eyes.
“He brought us all joy,” she said, “and he always brought a smile to your face.”
He joined the military after graduating in 2005 from Owasso High School, where he played football. Survivors include his parents, Martha and Richard; a brother, Steven; and a sister, Joanna.
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Army Staff Sgt. Edwardo Loredo
When Edwardo Loredo joined the Army and went to boot camp, it was a secret he kept to himself. “I think just because he wanted to do something on his own,” said Elizabeth Huff, his cousin. “He’s an adventurer.”
Loredo died June 24, a day before his 35th birthday, at Jelewar, Afghanistan, when insurgents bombed his unit. The Houston native and Sam Houston High School graduate was assigned to Fort Bragg. He also served in Iraq.
Loredo considered the Army to be family, Huff said, noting it was where he met his wife, 1st Sgt. Jennifer Laredo. She deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year. In the meantime, he moved their family into a new house, picked out the furniture and set it up, Huff said.
Relatives said Loredo was a family guy whose romantic side came out when he cooked for his wife. They said he adored his children, 2-year-old Eddie, 7-year-old Laura and 13-year-old Alexis.
He’s also survived by his brothers, Sylvester, Alfredo and Angel.
__________________________
Army Sgt. Joshua Lukeala
Joshua Lukeala was remembered as a family man who liked to carry his 3-year-old daughter and take her to the beach to play. After he left for Afghanistan in May, his daughter asked repeatedly, “Where’s Daddy?” said First Sgt. Gene Guzman, Lukeala’s uncle.
Lukeala, 23, of Yigo, Guam, was killed June 7 by a roadside bomb in Konar. His remains were returned home to Guam on Father’s Day in a flag-draped casket, and a ceremony was held for him in an air cargo warehouse in Tiyan.
“He like all the other soldiers out there are fighting for our freedom,” said Lukeala’s aunt Therese Guzman. “It’s very unfortunate that it’s Father’s Day and his father had to bring him home.”
Lukeala enlisted soon after graduating from Simon Sanchez High School in 2005. He was assigned to Fort Campbell and completed an Iraq tour before his deployment to Afghanistan.
He is survived by his daughter, Maya, and wife, Deniece Nave Lukeala.
“He was a true blue soldier … a soldier that never did anything wrong,” said Guam National Guard Maj. Gen. Donald Goldhorn, who attended the ceremony last month for Lukeala.
______________________________
Army Pfc. Russell E. Madden
Russell Madden would play guitar and sing for his two sons while he was overseas — he had a Webcam so they could see him entertain. “He made up songs, not real songs, but funny songs, just to make everyone laugh,” said his sister, Lindsey Madden. “He was a riot, always singing and dancing.”
Family and friends remembered his dedication to the children he coached in Pee Wee football, but especially the sacrifice he made for his 4-year-old son Parker. The boy suffers from the genetic disease cystic fibrosis, and Madden enlisted in the military to make sure his son always had good medical care.
“Where he had been working he had no benefits or anything like that, so he joined because he knew that Parker would always be taken care of no matter what,” Lindsey Madden said.
Russell Madden, 29, of Dayton, Ky., was killed June 23 in Konar province, Afghanistan, when his vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. He was based in Germany.
He also was remembered as a speedy, athletic football player who would run through Bellevue High School’s hallways and steps to stay in shape when it was too cold to train outside.
Madden also is survived by his wife, Michelle, and stepson, Jared.
_____________________________
Marine Cpl. Donald M. Marler
Donald Marler was a “captivating, charismatic young man who knew no strangers,” according to his family. He’d always been a natural leader, even as a youngster among a group of grandchildren, said his grandmother, Vallie Marler.
The 22-year-old corporal from St. Louis, Mo., died June 6 in a vehicle accident in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
He’d previously worked on the security detail at Camp David, the presidential retreat, and even called home to talk about playing basketball with President Barack Obama. Then he was assigned to Camp Pendleton and requested a combat assignment in Afghanistan.
“He was afraid he wasn’t going to get to go,” his grandmother said.
Marler had been a basketball player at school and enjoyed other sports, including football, swimming and track, she said. He graduated in 2006 from Oakville Senior High School but skipped commencement to join the Marines.
His roommate at Camp David, Marine Sgt. Joe Solberg, said Marler had been part of a tight-knit group there.
Survivors include his parents, David Marler Sr. and Susan Marler; sister, Jennifer; and brothers, David and Jacob.
______________________________________
Army 2nd Lt. Michael E. McGahan
Michael McGahan had it all planned out: He married his high school sweetheart, Miranda. He was to continue his career serving and leading in the military. And she would go to medical school.
McGahan’s grandfathers had served in World War II, and that stirred his interest in being the military. He had hoped to be a career officer, said his uncle Sam McGahan Jr.
“He wanted to do something bigger than himself,” said his father, Tim McGahan. “He knew the dangers and still wanted to serve.
Michael McGahan, 23, of Orlando, Fla., was killed June 6 in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, when his unit came under attack. His family said everyone had hit the ground during the firefight, and the soldiers were then given the all-clear to get up. McGahan was the only one who didn’t get up.
He was assigned to Fort Campbell. He had graduated from the University of Florida in 2008 with a degree in political science. Mike Pope of Valdosta, Ga., wrote in an online memorial that his son had gone through officer training with McGahan. “Michael was the soldier of the cycle … they all looked up to him,” Pope wrote.
Other survivors include McGahan’s mother, Carolyn, and brother, Max.
________________________________
David T. Miller
David Taylor Miller moved from Amherst, Va., to upstate New York with his mother about three years ago. Miller, known to family members and friends by his middle name, played lineman for the Saratoga Springs High School varsity football team for two years.
He joined the Army straight out of high school last summer and distinguished himself as a marksman. “He was all about the Army,” said Bobby Speed, a high school friend. “That’s all he wanted to do when he got out of high school.”
His aunt, Suzanne Diorio, said he and his mother, Leslie Miller, moved to Wilton, N.Y., to be close to his grandparents and her. His father, Jesse Miller, lives in Madison Heights, Va.
Miller was deployed to Afghanistan in May. He was killed June 21 when a suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint he was guarding in the Kunar province. He was 19. He had been assigned to Fort Campbell.
Diorio said her nephew had been in Afghanistan for six weeks when he was killed.
“He was a sensitive, sweet, big-hearted, polite, respectful young boy who was just hitting his stride,” Diorio said. “He always had a kind word, always put himself last.”
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Army Spc. Brendan P. Neenan
Brendan Neenan loved to play pranks on his little sister. But he was the only one allowed to — if anyone else tried to mess with her, he became a protective enforcer.
There was the time Brendan dropped a water balloon on his sister’s head from an upstairs window. Except it wasn’t a balloon, but a plastic egg that plunked Katie Neenan on the noggin.
“It almost knocked her out,” Neenan’s father, Hugh, told the Southeast Sun newspaper in Enterprise, Ala. But he also had a serious side when it came to his family, especially young men who dared to send his sister an inappopriate text message. His brother, Tim, recalled one boy who’d dared to do such a thing.
The young man quickly sent an apology: “Man, I am so sorry and I don’t want any trouble with you or your brother.”
Brendan, 21, of Enterprise, was killed June 7 by a roadside bomb in Jelawar, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Fort Bragg.
Tim Neenan is a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles, and the brothers had hoped to jumpstart a Hollywood career one day. “I looked forward to it every single time I talked to him,” Tim Neenan said. “It would have been funny.”
Neenan also is survived by his stepmother, Lesa.
________________________________________
Navy Seaman William Ortega
William Ortega was remembered as “an awesome brother and an awesome friend,” said his sister Aracely Ortega. Friend Ana Miller said Ortega was eager to deploy and serve his country. But when he first joined the military, he had trouble adjusting to California, where he was going through training. He had hoped to be stationed closer to his home in Miami before too long.
“He was telling me that when he came back from his deployment, if he was given the chance of where to go, he was going to choose Miami,” Miller said. Ortega had befriended Miller and her husband, Jeremy, a medic like Ortega.
Ortega, 23, was killed by a roadside bomb June 18 in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
He had graduated from South Dade Senior High School in 2005 and joined the U.S. Navy in May 2008. “He had a lot of respect for this nation and he paid the ultimate sacrifice, unfortunately,” Ortega’s sister said. He was to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Other survivors include his mother and father; four other sisters; a brother-in-law; and a grandmother and grandfather.
__________________________________
Marine Cpl. Claudio Patino IV
Claudio Patino was a “modern day Spartan” who willingly returned to Afghanistan three months after his first deployment there ended, a friend said.
A scout sniper, the 22-year-old Patino began talking when he was a child about becoming a Marine. Friend and former team leader Marine Sgt. Ryan Lindner said Patino often used his weekends to practice mixed-martial arts.
“He was always striving, always testing himself,” Lindner said. “He was a modern day Spartan.”
Patino, of Yorba Linda, Calif., was killed by small-arms fired on June 22 in Helmand province. He was based at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.
He is survived by his wife, Jamie Burns; his parents, Claudio and Evelyn Patino; and seven brothers and sisters.
He graduated from El Dorado High School in 2006, the same year he enlisted. He had completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before leaving for his third deployment in March.
As he was preparing earlier this year to leave California again, a neighbor asked why he was redeploying only three months after returning.
“He told me he wanted to go back,” neighbor Tom Woods said. “He told me, ‘There’s work to be done. If I don’t go back and do it, who will?’”
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Army Spc. Jonathan K. Peney
Jonathan Peney walked into Atlanta Rocks as a scrawny 13-year-old who just wanted to learn about rock climbing. Nearly a decade later, he was an Army Ranger — an elite special forces soldier.
He worked hard on the rock walls, always pushing himself to do more. His friends and family say he took that dedication to the military. But they also remembered his positive attitude.”He was just joyful and happy, and that exuded out of him very effortlessly,” said friend and fellow climber Laura Kimel.
Peney, 22, of Marietta, Ga., was killed June 1 under heavy enemy fire in Kandahar province, Afghanistan. He was a combat medic assigned to Hunter Army Airfield.
The military lauded the heroic decision that ultimately killed Peney: During a firefight, he rushed over to give medical aid to a fellow Ranger who had been wounded.
Peney married his wife, Kristin, last June in Greece. “We didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him,” said Peney’s father-in-law, Michael Felton. “But they were very happy, and that’s the important thing.”
Peney also is survived by his mother, Sue Peney.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
July 10th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Subject: Take two aspirin…
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays.
These excerpts are published each year for their amusement.
Here are last year’s winners…
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around
with power tools.
July 11th, 2010 at 4:11 am
Need to Rent a Storage Unit?
Tim Dietz
Self Storage Association
Nearly one in 10 US households rent a self-storage unit. Some do so to store belongings during a renovation. Others use them for long-term purposes, such as storing seasonal clothing and furniture. What to look for…
CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY
Price and location are big factors — but also consider…
Accessibility. Look for a facility that is open during the hours you are likely to visit. If flexibility is important, make sure you don’t have to make an appointment but can just show up.
Also find out if you can drive right up to the unit. You don’t want to go through a central loading area where you must compete for limited parking and elevator service.
Security. Make sure a manager or guard is always on duty. Look for well-lighted corridors and video surveillance.
Climate control. A climate-controlled (heated and air-conditioned) facility can cost 50% more, but the expense may be worthwhile for valuable or heat-sensitive items, such as videotapes, photos, artwork, pianos and expensive furniture. Look for alarms that warn if the temperature or humidity levels reach a point that could damage stored items. Also look for backup generators to power lights and climate-control equipment.
Important: Storage centers assume no liability for damage or loss of your items. Check to see if your homeowner’s insurance policy covers stored property at no extra charge.
If not, compare what your insurer offers with the additional coverage that the facility offers. Cost: You generally can get $10,000 worth of coverage for $15 to $20 a month.
Best way to research a facility. Ask current renters about their experiences, especially about such things as insects or rodents that could damage your belongings. Show up on a Saturday morning, and you will find plenty of tenants. Also, check for complaints at your local Better Business Bureau (http://lookup.bbb.org).
COSTS
Per-month prices at a self-storage facility start at around $40 — but you will need to know the following to accurately compare costs…
Are there any set-up or processing fees? These go from $25 on up, but you may get them waived if you plan to store belongings for a year or more.
Does the facility charge late fees? If you forget to pay on time one month, the penalty can be as high as 30%.
What about transportation costs? Some facilities may offer free pickup or use of a truck to move your items.
When can the rent be raised, and by what percentage? Also, how much notice do you have to give before terminating your contract?
Are discounts available if you are a senior citizen or in the military? You also may get a discount if you pay for several months up front.
Resource: To find a facility, go to http://www.selfstorage.com.
PORTABLE UNITS
Weather-resistant containers delivered right to your driveway are becoming increasingly popular for temporary storage. A typical 8-by-12-by-8-foot unit holds the contents of a standard two-bedroom apartment.
You can leave the unit on your property or have it picked up and delivered to another location. Cost: $100 and up per month.
Important: You may need a permit to place a unit on your property. Ask the dealer in your area. To find one, call 703-416-0060, go to the Web site of the Mobile Self-Storage Association at http://www.ms-sa.org/member-sites.html or look in the Yellow Pages under “Portable Storage.”
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Tim Dietz, vice president at the Self Storage Association, Alexandria, Virginia. It provides educational services for owners of 51,500 storage facilities around the US. http://www.selfstorage.org.
July 11th, 2010 at 4:40 am
Worth Repeating
During a free-asssociation testing session, a psychiatrist waved a photograph of massed clouds n front of his patient. “Quick, what did that make you think of?
“Pussy,” asnwer the man.
The Medical man blinked, then flashed a picture of a crowded street and the patient repeated, “Pussy.”
Next wa an ocean-shore-line scene and the response was, “Pussy that time, too.”
“You really have a fixation on the female pudenda,” said the shrink. “But now let’s try to narrow your reaction down. Is it a particular–er–pussy that comes to mind?”
“Your receptionists’s”
“Why? You’ve never seen the girl before.”
“that’s true, but ever time you wave a picture a me, doc, I can smell your fingers.”
July 11th, 2010 at 5:09 am
Michelle
Thanks for thinking of me and my girls. Evelyn has been wonderful. She is taking the girls on an education tour of the Netherlands. We have been communicating with laughter at your Cat monologues. Trop funny.
It is wonderful the way you lighten up the atmosphere. God knows that we really need it sometimes.
Love
Ruth
July 11th, 2010 at 5:13 am
Suz thought you might like this one.
With a posse still hot on his trail,
He was tempted by nookie for sale;
So the Kid went to bed
With a price on his head
With a girl with a price on her tail
July 11th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Those of you out there taking medicines for heartburn need to read this.
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New warnings for heartburn meds
If you can’t enjoy dinner without having a purple pill nearby, or if you rely on heartburn meds to get you through each meal, you’re taking a huge gamble.
And the risks you face run much deeper than heartburn.
A package of five studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine show the real dangers of proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs. These meds, which include Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec, are being linked to everything from an increased risk of infection to a greater risk of bone fracture in post-menopausal women.
Two of the studies found that these meds increase your risk of battling the dangerous bacteria Clostridium difficile. I’ve written to you before about this little monster: C- diff causes a tough-to-beat stomach infection that’s especially frightening when it strikes seniors. (Read, “New bacteria on the rise.”)
In one study, researchers found that daily PPI users who are hospitalized for any number of conditions have a 74 percent increase in C-diff risk. And people who took PPIs more than once a day had more than double the risk of infection.
The second study found that PPI users treated for C-diff infections were 42 percent more likely to experience a relapse.
And another newly published study found that PPIs increased the risk of spine fractures by 47 percent in postmenopausal women. These meds were also linked to a 25 percent increased risk of forearm and wrist fractures.
That’s a lot of risk–and almost all of it is unnecessary. An editorial accompanying the studies estimates that 70 percent of all PPI patients don’t need the meds.
And I think that’s being conservative, because everyone seems to be taking a PPI lately–113 million prescriptions each year, good enough for $13.9 billion in sales.
Hidden among those numbers are an alarming–and growing– number of children. In fact, the number of kids on these meds increased by 147 percent between 2001 and 2009, according to the Medco 2010 Drug Trend Report.
Some doctors are even giving these powerful drugs to babies to treat plain old everyday colic, which is just about as irresponsible as medicine gets.
And if your pediatrician suggests this, find a new doctor– and fast!
Yet despite all those millions of people taking these meds, despite all the money being spent, despite all that risk, there’s an even bigger reason to skip them: They simply don’t work.
I know some people swear by their heartburn drugs and many people even feel some immediate relief. It’s a trick– because while these drugs are pretty good at controlling the initial symptoms of heartburn and reflux, they’re quietly making the underlying condition worse.
Despite what you’ve been told, most people with heartburn and reflux problems don’t have too much stomach acid.
They have too little.
These meds suppress those levels even further–which is why your problems will often come back with a vengeance when you stop taking your PPIs.
Fortunately, there are safe, effective drug-free alternatives. Dr. Jonathan Wright, author of “Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You,” is a pioneer in this field–and some of his best advice is available for free on his web site. Just search his newsletter archives for “heartburn” to uncover the real answers.
And then ditch those purple pills for good.
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This is very serious. Doctors are prescribing PPI’s for just about anything that comes along.
Gwen
July 11th, 2010 at 9:40 am
[...] Connie: I am not sure what I said that prompted you to post, but I am happy that you took the time to honor and recognize, by giving the space to those that served in the military and have lost their lives doing so, in order for us to live ours. Gratitude. [...]