Maggie M. Thorton

Marine Vet Threatened: Vet Car Decal Controversy

May 292009

A Marine veteran of Vietnam has been been threatened by his condo Home Owners Association, saying his car will be towed, at his expense, if decals on his auto are not removed. The Marine vet threatened is Frank Larison, and his car decal controversy is stirring up other homeowners. See photos and view a video below.

Marine Vet Car Decal

Mr. Larison has lived in his condo complex for about eight years. He received a letter from his HOA telling him to remove the offending decals and characterizing them as “advertising.” Mr. Larison says they are not advertising, they are patriotic, and besides that, “you can’t buy freedom.” In addition to the threat of towing his car, this vet is threatened with a monetary fine “if” he crosses the HOA in the future.

Susan Boyle is a Ranting Rambo? Britain’s Got Talent “Angel” has a temper?

Britain 2 Responses »

May 282009

Is it possible that Britain’s Got Talent finalist Susan Boyle could possibly use the “F” word in full view of fans, police and family – and more than once in a two-day Rambo-style rant? That’s what some British media are reporting, and neighbors say that Susan Boyle, the hometown girl, is nicknamed “Rambo” around the neighborhood. The 48-year-old Ms. Boyle, who took the world by storm when she walked onto the Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) stage and stunned the judges with her rendition of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables, is said to be in meltdown mode in the spotlight’s glare, and under pressure from other talented finalists. Can Susan Boyle be a ranting Rambo? Can the “Angel” have a temper? See photos and videos below.

Susan Boyle

According to the Daily Mail, Susan got very upset when her favorite Britain’s Got Talent judge, Piers Morgan, praised Shaheen Jafargholi, a 12-year-old Welsh finalist as “the best singing performance we’ve seen so far.”

First Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte: First Female USAF Academy Grad KIA

Battle of Afghanistan, Current Events, Our Soldiers 7 Responses »

May 232009

First Lt. Rosyln L. Schulte died of wounds from a roadside bomb explosion near Kabul, Afghanistan. Schulte was the first female USAF graduate killed in action in either Iraq or Afghanistan. See photos and a video below.

1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte

Known as “Roz” to her friends, Lt. Schulte was 25 years old and traveling to Bagram Airfield to an intelligence sharing conference on May 20th, 2009 when a roadside IED detonated taking her life. Schulte was deployed with the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, assigned to the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces Command at Hickam Air Force Base.

Army’s Oldest Soldier, Viet Nam Vet, Maj. Hutchison Killed in Iraq

Battle of Iraq, Our Soldiers, Soldier Families 3 Responses »

May 162009

The Army’s oldest soldier, and Vietnam war veteran, was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb. Maj. Steven Hutchison died in Basrah, Iraq on May 10, 2009 when an explosive devise detonated near his vehicle. See photos and a video below.

Army’s Oldest Soldier Dies – Major Steven Hutchison

Major Hutchison’s story is one of valor and service to our country. He re-enlisted in the Army after his wife, Kandy, died of breast cancer in 2007. He served one tour of duty in Afghanistan and then was sent to Iraq in October 2008 to train Iraqi soldiers. That mission ended and he was tasked with securing Iraq’s southern border with the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kansas.

Military Votes Not Counted: 98,000 Lost Military Ballots

Our Soldiers 2 Responses »

May 132009

Six million American citizens abroad were qualified to vote in the 2008 Presidential election. It is estimated that one-fourth of all military votes were not counted. At least, 98,000 lost military ballots were mailed back to the U.S. but not counted. See photos and a video below.

Military Votes

In the time I began writing this report, the details have changed. Fox News said this morning that one-fourth of military votes were not counted – that’s one out of four votes uncounted. A few minutes later, that estimate was raised to possibly one third of all military votes went uncounted – 1 out of 3 votes uncounted. Active duty and reserve troops make-up the largest portion of ballots received by eligible voters abroad. Some 441,000 ballots were requested. Of those, 98,000 were “lost.”

American Soldiers Killed in Iraq: Mosul Ambush by Uniformed Iraqi

Battle of Iraq, Our Soldiers No Responses »

May 032009

Two American soldiers were killed in Mosul, Iraq this week when ambushed by an Iraqi man dressed in the uniform of the Iraqi army.

American Soldiers – Mosul

Three Americans were injured in the attack. The gunman was killed. Hassan al-Dulaimi is reported to be both an Iraqi soldier and the Sunni Muslim imam of a mosque located at a nearby Iraqi army training center. A similar attacked took the lives of two American soldiers in November 2008. In February 2009, an American was shot and killed by an Iraqi policeman, and an Iraqi translator was also killed.

In April, eighteen U.S. Military died, the highest number of deaths since September 2008 when we lost twenty-five of America’s bravest. Nine Americans died in March, the lowest number of deaths since March 2003.

Major General David Perkins, a military spokesman, says the high-profile attacks are the work of al-Qaida in Iraq attempting to regain their influence in the region. The enemy, it seems, is taking advantage of the coming American military withdrawal from the area. The Iraq military wants control. The Coalition wants to give it to them, but at the same time, the soldiers who know how to secure the area is increasingly hampered by the new security agreement between the Coalition forces and Iraq.

Parkinsons: Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy

Hollywood, This n That No Responses »

Mar 312009

Parkinson’s Disease has seen some major advances in treatment for those suffering with extreme symptoms of Parkinson’s. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently released the findings of a new study of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) versus treatment considered the “best medical therapy.” Read about it and see photos and videos below.

Michael J. Fox

Parkinson’s is also in the news today as actor and writer Michael J. Fox made an appearance on Oprah saying that Parkinson’s is a part of his life, but it does not define him.

“It’s like having a four-year-old climbing on you all the time and so whatever you’re trying to do, you’ve got this four-year-old and you’re…just trying to be patient and focus on what you need to do…”

Parkinson’s Disease is a “devastating movement disorder, characterized by severe fluctuations of the patient’s mobility” varying between differing states of the inability to move, to extreme hypermobility.

A recent (JAMA) article reports that in those patients in the advance stages of the Parkinson’s, Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation has proven more successful than the “best medical therapy.”

A total of 255 patients were studied at six university hospitals. Twenty-five percent of those in the study were 70 years of age or older.

Some patients underwent the Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, others received the “best medical therapy.” JAMA reports that among these controlled studies of advanced Parkinson’s patients, “Deep Brain Stimulation was more effective than the “best medical therapy”…At least one serious adverse event occurred in 49 deep brain stimulation patients, and 15 best medical therapy patients.”

The study concluded that “deep brain stimulation” was more effective than “best medical therapy”…but was associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation has a wealth of information on Parkinson’s treatments. Although I did find Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy listed on the site, I did not locate articles on the treatment. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke offers a comprehensive overview.

Photos and Videos

Ft. Campbell Soldiers Register Private Guns Command

Gun Control - NO 6 Responses »

Mar 222009

A commander at the Army’s Ft. Campbell, Kentucky ordered his soldiers to provide registration numbers on their privately-owned weapons, as well as their concealed-carry status. See photos and a video below.

Ft. Campbell, KY – Kneeling Soldier Statue

After a complaint from a soldier living off-base, a base spokesman said the order was a mistake. Only privately-owned weapons brought onto the base needed to be registered.

As a response to a number of negligent discharges of privately-owned weapons, the command decided to explore how to implement a training program for soldiers with privately owned weapons. Their goal is to identify soldiers with firearms and provide additional safety training to them, much like our motorcycle and driver safety classes,” she said.

“Our soldiers train and operate in combat with M-4 carbines and various other military weapons, but not all who purchase their own weapons are properly trained to handle them. Determining which soldiers possess weapons will allow the command to identify the soldiers who may require additional training on them,” she said.

The same spokesperson said that the unnamed commander, writing on Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment letterhead, thought he had the authority for the order, but apparently did not. The order was withdrawn and is pending review.

Must we be concerned that even our Military will attempt to thwart our Second Amendment rights?

Read the rest of this entry and see more photos and video

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Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha

Blue Star Chronicles

Maggie M. Thorton

Marine Vet Threatened: Vet Car Decal Controversy

Susan Boyle is a Ranting Rambo? Britain’s Got Talent “Angel” has a temper?

First Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte: First Female USAF Academy Grad KIA

Army’s Oldest Soldier, Viet Nam Vet, Maj. Hutchison Killed in Iraq

Military Votes Not Counted: 98,000 Lost Military Ballots

American Soldiers Killed in Iraq: Mosul Ambush by Uniformed Iraqi

Parkinsons: Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy

Ft. Campbell Soldiers Register Private Guns Command

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