Silly String and Improv Saving Troop's Lives In Iraq

New Jersey mom, Marcelle Shriver has a good idea. No make that a great idea. Shriver learned from her son that the troops use Silly String to detect trip wires.

Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.

Shriver, along with the help of two churches and a pilot has collected a 1000 cans ready to be shipped out to Iraq.

"There's so much that they can't do, and they're frustrated, but this is something they can do," said the Rev. Joseph Capella of St. Luke's Church in Stratford.

The Shrivers said they would not mind seeing the string as standard-issue equipment, but they don't blame the military for not supplying it.

"I don't think that they can think of everything," said Ronald Shriver, 59, a retired salesman. "They're taught to improvise, and this is something that they've thought of."

Marcelle Shriver said that since the string comes in an aerosol can, it is considered a hazardous material, meaning the Postal Service will not ship it by air. But a private pilot who heard about her campaign has agreed to fly the cans to Kuwait — most likely in January — where they will then be taken to Iraq.

Shriver said she is going to continue to collect the cans of Silly String as long as her son is over in Iraq.

Battlefield "Improvisation" has led to soldiers to come up with ideas on how to make their environment safer with "low overhead."

In other cases of battlefield improvisation in Iraq, U.S. soldiers have bolted scrap metal to Humvees in what has come to be known as "Hillybilly Armor." Medics use tampons to plug bullet holes in the wounded until they can be patched up.

Also, soldiers put condoms and rubber bands around their rifle muzzles to keep out sand. And troops have welded old bulletproof windshields to the tops of Humvees to give gunners extra protection. They have dubbed it "Pope's glass" — a reference to the barriers that protect the pontiff.

At our DBPK staff meeting the availability of condoms and rubber bands in Iraq was discussed. If our men and women serving Iraq or Afghanistan need more we can certainly put our heads together and have a condom roundup.

Donations, in the form of money or actual Silly String, should be sent to St.Lukes Church/55 Warwick Rd./ Stratford, NJ 08084. Checks should be made out to Marcelle Shriver.

Source - MSNBC - N. J. woman collects Silly String for serious use

By LBG
Image [Pat Dollard]



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Democrat Leadership

The sign says it all.

Source: Michael Ramirez in IBD.

Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Democrat Congress Takes a Vacation, Military Funding Takes it On the Chin

[Above]: Democrat leaders go on vacation; troops abandoned in the field

Congressional Democrats demonstrated what they do best: nothing.

Well, vacation is a break from work and that's what they did. Of course, it's hard to tell from their list of accomplishments(sic) when this Congress is in session or when it's recessed.

Normally, the fact that Congress is not in session is to be applauded: if America needs one thing less than a terrorist attack, it's another law. The "there ought to be a law" mentality is perfect for both trial lawyers and those to lazy to think of alternatives or unintended consequences of new laws. Congress not in session equals no laws being written.

But this Congress has left a standing U.S. Army in the field, in need of funds. While members of Congress are out pursuing votes, the military will out pursuing funds. More on this latest example of how this Congress supports the troops from Wake Up America's Congress Goes on Vacation and Abandons the Troops:

They failed in their 41st attempt to force an immediate withdrawal and they went on vacation without passing the bill to fund our troops in the field, even after Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned them what the ramifications of such actions would do to our military.

Basically they are determined to punish our troops for doing the unthinkable and succeeding in Iraq, which even the die hard liberal media outlets are blasting across their front pages because the progress is undeniable.

Next time you a Democrat leader uses the word 'historic' in relation to this Congress, give them their due.

It would be the first time an army, victorious on the field of battle, has been de-funded by it's own country in an effort to reverse the victory.

by Mondoreb




Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

Honoring Heroes At the Holidays

There are thousands of worthy causes jousting for our attention, our time and money. But the following was brought to our attention by the ever-indefatigable Spree over at Wake Up America and we're glad she did.

Move America Forward is a group of volunteers which has sprung up to help U.S. troops and this is the latest effort by their fairly-new organization.

Below is a start of the article Honoring Heroes At the Holidays Tour, it's a good read for sure, but there are also a ton of pictures of Americans helping other Americans.

Just the thing to get yourself going in the morning or to put you in a good mood before you turn in.

On Tuesday, November 13th, Move America Forward [website:www.MoveAmericaForward.org] hosted the first event in what will be a 40-city cross country pro-troop tour to rally the American public to support our troops and their missions.

Along the way we're asking the public (including you) to help us collect and send over 100,000 Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday cards to our troops. The media coverage we got from our first event was outstanding - some of the best reporting you'll see about our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Please spread the word on these reports below. And help us collect those 100,000 cards for our troops during the Christmas and Hannukah holiday season.

From Move America Forward's Daily File:

Film crews worked several hours on Tuesday as flag-waving patriots, veterans, and even active duty servicemen and women showed up for a day of honoring our troops at Sacramento’s Land Park. More than 100 folks made greeting cards, sang, and packed boxes of goods for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What happens when the sun is casting warm rays in a family park and hundreds of patriots show up to thank American troops? The whole world will soon see when commercials are aired nationally to thank our Armed Forces.

The group needs donations. If you wish to contribute to Move America Forward, click on the link. They could a hand, the troops would benefit and you might feel as good as those in the pictures above.

by Mondoreb



Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

The Story of the Houston Chronicle Story: Whom the Troops Support is Still Secret

UPDATE to our earlier story

by Mondoreb & Little Baby Ginn

The story of the Houston Chronicle story "Whom the Troops Support" is how this story became a "story". Take one newspaper, add some secret "analysis" that runs contrary to what is known and voila!--one "story" coming right up.
From our earlier story:

The story is dressed up to show that anti-war critcs/candidates Ron Paul and Barack Obama lead in campaign contributions from military givers. But is that the story? or is this story from the Houston Chronicle the story?

From the Houston Chronicle:

According to a Houston Chronicle analysis of campaign records from January through September, Paul received $63,440 in donations from current military employees and several retired military personnel.

Democrat Barack Obama, another war critic, was second in military giving. The Illinois senator got $53,968 during the nine months.

He was followed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, a decorated Navy pilot and former Vietnam prisoner of war, who received $48,208 in military-related giving. McCain has been one of the most vigorous defenders of President Bush's decision this year to increase U.S. troops in Iraq.

The story might just be the Chronicle's methodology in determining it's results. Which is sad, because it throws cold water on what might have been an interesting look at the rates of giving among the military instead of an analysis of Houston Chronicle story contruction. Paul, Obama and McCain supporters have a right to be disappointed when doubts are raised about this story's validity.

No information about the rates of military campaign contributions. No look back at how the military actually votes in presidential election. Not a word of the "Chronicle's analysis" and its methodology. No information on the analytical tools used by the Chronicle.

But the "analysis" was able to determine the dollar amounts of the various candidates was calculated down to the very dollar. Impressive.

No info, just breathless headlines. Must be the Houston Chronicle way.