Christine's Place

WORLD AIDS DAY

2005-11-27T00:00:00.000+11:00

AIDS AWARENESS WEEK

NOVEMBER 27 to DECEMBER 4, 2005

WORLD AIDS DAY

DECEMBER 1, 2005

Buy a RED RIBBON in support of HIV/AIDS this week and wear it.

In fact, buy several.

Or, simply donate your spare change, or more.

The slogan for AIDS AWARENESS WEEK 2005 is:

"HIV/AIDS Let's talk about it"

"Help STOP fear, shame, ignorance, injustice"

In March of 2003 a cousin of mine, a man I loved and cared about very much, and whose memory I will always cherish, died as a result of HIV/AIDS.

He was 32.

He will always be deeply missed; by his partner, by his immediate family, by his extended family, and by his friends.

It's too late for my cousin, but it's not too late for all those men and women out there living with HIV/AIDS. Every year, research comes up with better and better ways to help lengthen the lives of those with HIV/AIDS, to help improve the quality of their lives, and to get closer and closer to the ultimate goal of inoculation and/or cure for the disease.

HIV/AIDS is a disease which infects both heterosexual and homosexual men and women around the world. A disease that is killing children in Africa every day. A disease the human race MUST find a preventive and/or cure for as soon as we possibly can.

Although abstinence from sex outside of a long term committed loving relationship with one partner, and/or use of condoms, and the non-sharing of needles by drug addicts, helps to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS, much more is needed than that.

What is required, are people working closely with those who have HIV/AIDS, educating, helping, supporting, encouraging them to be positive, and to live healthy and balanced lives, which in turn then contributes towards extending their lives; an inoculation that prevents the disease; and, above all, finding a cure.

In order to achieve all this, HIV/AIDS support and research needs constant funding, and that's where we can help.

So, buy a red ribbon, a red ribbon pin, or a wrist band, and/or give a donation this week, and help support the ongoing support of and research into HIV/AIDS.

Thank you! :o)

Here below are some links of interest:

WORLD AIDS DAY Official Web Site
International AIDS Candlelight Memorial
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
AIDS Trust of Australia
NAPWA - National Association of people living with HIV/AIDS
Gay Law Net
ACON - The AIDS Council of New South Wales
WAAC - The AIDS Council of WA
VAC/GMCH - Victorian AIDS Council and Gay Men's Health Centre
ACSA - The AIDS Council of South Australia
QuAC - Queensland AIDS Council
AIDS Action Council of ACT
Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council, Inc

In loving memory of
Shaun Jason Power
May his soul rest in peace

THANKFUL FOR

2005-11-24T00:00:00.000+11:00

First of all, to all my American friends out there and to all who celebrate Thanksgiving in the US and around the world:

H A P P Y . T H A N K S G I V I N G ! ! ! :o)

May your lives be forever blessed!

What am I THANKFUL for this year?

Many, many things:

My family; the birth of my beautiful little niece, Holly and her survival against the odds; all my dear friends in Australia and around the world; food on the table; a roof over my head; a job; money in the bank; my health; and all those people out there around the world who have deeply touched by life, and in so doing, have made it better.

And... I thank the TROOPS... God Bless them all, always!!!

To all of the above I say:

THANK YOU ALL!

THANK YOU GOD!

With love,

Christine.

November 24, 2005

BABY UPDATE

2005-11-20T00:00:00.000+11:00

aka. How's HOLLY?

I think that it is time for an update about my niece, Holly.

To refresh, Holly was born to my oldest sister, Annette and her husband, Denis on Friday March 4, 2005 at 9:30 am in Mudgee Hospital. She was born 5 to 7 weeks premature (the original due date was April 20, 2005).

Sadly, Holly was also born with 4 blockages in her bowel, which had to be operated on via emergency surgery only 2 days into her little life, or she would have died.

The fact that she didn't die anyway, is thanks to a number of reasons: the wonderful and dedicated staff of Westmead Children's Hospital; that she's strong willed; she has a strong heart and lungs; she's surrounded by love; and she had many, many people praying for her survival.

They often talk about the power of prayer, but until you see it first hand, it's hard to comprehend. I was so scared by the news about Holly, and so terrified that she would die, I either rang up, or contacted people and asked them to please pray for her. They did, and some passed on the request to others, who passed it on to others, and in the end, there were many, many people praying for Holly - some I knew, some I didn't.

Holly's recovery, and the speed in which she managed it, has been nothing short of miraculous, even the doctor's say that. She should have been three to six months in hospital. It should have been a long haul of ups and downs, triumphs and disappointments. Instead, in less than five weeks she was home, admittedly only for a week, before having to spend three more weeks in hospital due to infection, but still, home, and still an astoundingly fast recovery.

This is one child who is very determined to live and to live to the full, no matter what. Already she has had three close calls with death, all of which she has survived and gone on to thrive in spite of:

The first was when she was born and needed to be operated on, and went on to spend 5 weeks in hospital.

The second was only a week after coming home from the hospital, when she was hit with no less then three severe infections and had to return to hospital post haste for three weeks.

The third was only a couple of weeks after coming home from hospital the second time, when she had a brush with choking to death in her sleep due to being unable to clear a build up of congestion in her little throat. Something luckily picked up on by her father, who by some stroke of luck just happened to be up late that night and saw her distress, otherwise they would have woken up to her dead the next day, (which is an utterly horrifying thought). She was duly rushed to hospital and spent another week there.

In all, Holly has accumulated an impressive amount of frequent flyer points, and all before she was two months old.

Here's where a few organisations need to be deeply THANKED:

TELSTRA CHILD FLIGHT
The ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE of AUSTRALIA
WESTMEAD CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL

Now, though, Holly is doing a whole LOT better. She's growing, not as fast as other babies, but still, growing. Her health has its ups and downs and that worries and concerns us all, but she's a strong, determined fighter, a happy child who giggles a lot, and she WILL continue to grow and thrive, I just know this.

Holly has also already said her first word, "DAD". A word she says a lot, apparently. Her teeth are also starting to come in, as anyone who's been bitten by her recently can testify to. (LOL). Apparently you have to watch your fingers around Holly, in case she grabs them, puts them in her mouth, and then chomps down on them.

Holly's also ready to get up and go. Although she's not yet sitting up on her own, or crawling, she's rolling around vigorously, and grabbing everything in sight. When she gains her legs, Dad (Grandpa to Holly) reckons she'll be off and running... FAST! I hope, then, that Annette (my sister) has her running shoes all ready! Well, she keeps saying she wants to lose weight....... (big grin)

One more hurdle looms for Holly, though. She has to have an operation soon after her 1st Birthday, (what a Birthday gift?!) Due to the operation on her second day, and the fact that babies kick their feet around and don't know the meaning of "take it easy", the poor kid burst some of the stitches inside of her and a hernia has formed. This needs to be repaired as soon as possible, but not before 1 year old. The hospital has already all but ordered Annette to check Holly into Westmead Children's Hospital for the operation within the first two weeks of March 2006, where she will be for two weeks. They do not anticipate any problems, but one never knows.....

So, any prayers for Holly would be greatly appreciated.

Holly is a great kid! I adore her... can you tell? (grin) :o)

Here's some photos:

March/April 2005 (Westmead Children's Hospital):

Holly and Annette (mum):

July/August 2005 (Home/Mudgee, New South Wales):

Holly and Grandpa (maternal Grandfather):

Holly Vocalising (or so Annette tells me those loud arrhhing noises are):

PAST SINS - A REVIEW

2005-10-31T00:00:00.000+11:00

In the spirit of HALLOWEEN, following is a review I wrote about an excellent vampire themed supernatural horror novel called, PAST SINS:

Available From: Amazon.com and Dark Realm Press

“Past Sins: A Vampire Novel of Supernatural Horror” written by Don Ecker

A REVIEW - From Christine, Sydney, Australia

Title: Past Sins: A Vampire Novel of Supernatural Horror
Type: e-Book, Print On Demand, Trade Paperback, Fantasy, Supernatural, Horror.
Author: Don Ecker: http://www.pastsins.net
Publisher: Dark Realm Press: http://www.darkrealmpress.com/html/past_sins.html

About the Author:

(The following is based on the wording on the Dark Realm Press web site, as well as from the cover of the novel):

Don Ecker is the Director of Research for UFO Magazine in the USA and is married to the Editor-in-Chief of UFO Magazine, Vicki C. Ecker. A Vietnam veteran and medically retired law enforcement officer, he puts a sceptical and honest eye on UFO and paranormal subjects. Acknowledged as an international expert on UFOs, Don has appeared at UFO conferences both in the United States and Europe, and on television nationally in the U.S., Japan, Europe, Australia and the Russian CIS.

Don Ecker hosted the critically acclaimed radio programs “UFOs Tonite!” and “Strange Daze” for six years, interviewing the important personalities in the UFO and paranormal research fields and discussing on-going cases. During 2004, Don Ecker also co hosted, along with stage, television and film star, Dwight Schultz, the radio program “Dark Matters”.

In 1981-82, while a detective, he was lead investigator on two cattle mutilation cases. Intrigued by the fact the animals were drained of blood, and always interested in legends and mythological tales, he began researching the vampire myths. This was the first step in the writing of Past Sins.

Novel Synopsis:

(Inspired generally by the wording from the synopsis written in the novel, Past Sins):

In 1965, a Top Secret organisation within the US Government's CIA, unknown to most, including the President himself, unleashed a frightening new weapon to help them turn the tide of events in the Vietnam War. In present day USA that decision comes back to haunt them in the worst possible way, when the weapon turns upon its creators and reminds them; if you're going to dance with the Devil, you'd better wear tap shoes.

Review:

Are you afraid of the dark?

If not, you will be!

Imagine your worst nightmares, then triple them, and you might come close to the events that will unfold before your eyes as you find yourself compulsively turning over the pages of this terrifying novel.

From the war torn plains of Central Europe in 1241, to the ravages of Vietnam in 1965, on to an unsuspecting present day Los Angeles, Don Ecker's novel, Past Sins, is a wild, breathtaking, scary journey.

Whether he’s describing the Mongol's at war in thirteenth century Europe; the horrors of war in Vietnam; the lives of police on the job; or the nightmarish face of vicious, blood thirsty monsters, Mr. Ecker has drawn upon his vast experiences of life, and his talent for research, to put together a fast moving, well paced, and thrilling novel.

All the characters within Past Sins, the good and the bad, are written with great depths of careful detail. There is no Anne-Rice-like softening around the edges of the vampires in this novel - all their facets are rock hard, evil and terrorising. As you turn the pages, you will grow to like some characters, and you will grow to love some, to care about them and what happens to them. You will also grow to hate some, and to feel fear whenever they are present. Mr. Ecker brings them all alive, the good, the great, the bad and the supremely evil, through his clever weaving of this pulse-racing tale.

Past Sins is in some parts harrowing and dramatic, some parts moving, some parts pulse racing, some parts thrilling, some parts pure horror, some parts touching upon erotic horror, but in all its parts an entertaining, excellent read.

But... be warned... after reading this, you will never look into the shadows in quite the same way ever again.

And... if there is one indelible thing I came to understand during and after reading Past Sins, it's this:

The truth is definitely out there... and... it has fangs!

Congratulations, Don... great work!

.

NEVER FORGET!

2005-10-28T21:02:00.000+10:00

I've been seeing this flash graphic on the internet of late.

I think it's an appropriate response to the ignorance of the mainstream news media these days.

NEVER FORGET!

NEVER let go of your anger!

Don't let Islamic Extremist terrorists win by growing complacent...

Just DON'T!

Christine.

October 28, 2005.

SEPTEMBER 11 in MEMORIAM

2005-09-11T20:45:00.000+10:00

Hello Everyone ..,

Just pausing in my day today to say a prayer in remembrance of September 11, 2001.

A day that changed the world.

Lest we forget!

http://www.september11news.com/AAPentagonFlagAftermathSept13WPost.jpg
http://remember.worldatwar.org/main.mhtml/main

http://takebackthememorial.org/911/911.htm

http://www.interactivepublishing.net/september/

http://www.september11victims.com/september11victims/victims_list.htm

http://www.fdnylodd.com/BloodofHeroes.html

http://www.911digitalarchive.org/diganimbackup/americaattacked/index1.html

http://www.jontzen.com/tribute.htm

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-sept-11-anniversary,0,286755.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

God speed, and Amen ..,

Christine... :o)
Sydney, Australia.

September 11, 2005

HAPPY 4th of JULY 2005!

2005-07-04T22:00:00.000+10:00

HAPPY 4th of JULY, 2005!

To all my American friends, and to all American's everywhere, from an Australian, I'd like to wish you all a very, very...

HAPPY, PEACEFUL & REFLECTIVE 4th of JULY!

May God Bless you all!!! :o)

Here below is a picture I sourced from the official 11th MEU (11th Marine Expeditionary Unit) web site featuring a Marine honouring a comrade killed in action while serving in Iraq.

Like with my choice of the Iwo Jima photo in last years July 4th greeting, I wanted to chose a photo that appropriately honours and pays tribute, once again, to all the brave young men and women who are serving in the Middle East, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who are risking, or have lost, their lives for their respective countries in those conflicts.

Photo honours Weapons Platoon Assault Section Leader Sgt. Harvey Emmit Parkerson killed in action August 18, 2004 in Iraq

http://www.usmc.mil/11thmeu/homage.htm
http://www.usmc.mil

Once again, on this 4th of July...

Please remember those who are giving their lives to make ours better and safer.

Remember those who are giving their lives to help make those of the Iraqi people better and safer.

Say a prayer, say many, for those giving of their lives to make ours, and those of the Iraqi people, safer and better.

Who are giving their lives to help make those of the Afghani people, better and safer.

Please remember our armed forces military personnel past, present and future, for they truly do deserve all of our honour, and all of our respect, wherever in the world we reside.

Let's all come together today in respect and honour and to acknowledge all the courageous men and women of the US and Coalition forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and any other part of the world, for their commitment to us, to our countries and to the world at large, so that we can all be free and can live in freedom, without fear.

I / we deeply thank them all and salute them, always! :o)

Love, Christine
Sydney, Australia

July 4th, 2005

BABY SURPRISES

2005-03-04T21:00:00.000+11:00

Today started off like any other day really: My alarm went off, I dragged myself out of bed, turned on the computer, made myself a cup of tea, read my e-mail, grabbed a shower, dressed, snagged my bags, and went to work. More or less in that general order.

Well, it was a little different today, I guess. Today I had plans to travel home to spend a few days with my family in the Central Western Slopes of New South Wales, (Australia), so that I could attend an "A Day On The Green" event at a local winery ("Poets Corner") outside of Mudgee. (Mudgee is a medium sized country town, sitting in a valley called the Cudgegong Valley, located in the Central Western Slopes and Plains of the New South Wales Blue Mountains range).

Bryan Adams was coming to town, and I intended to be there! With bells on! :o)

Around late morning, though, the phone on my desk rang. Not unusual, of course, considering I work in customer service. It's more unusual if it doesn't ring after more than ten minutes. What was unusual, was that I wasn't actually on another call at the time, as I'm hard to get a hold of due to how often my phone rings.

It was mum on the phone, and as is often the case when mum is agitated, she leaped right into the news with a preface that scared the living daylights out of me.

"Hello, it's mum... it's your sister..." ...pause for anxious breath...

Meanwhile I'm thinking all sorts of dreadful things involving illness, death and mayhem... my brain automatically leaping to the conclusion that something terrible had happened to mother and baby... all in those few seconds mum paused to catch her breath.

Then... "She went into labour this morning... the baby's been born... it's a girl, Holly..."

The breath rushed from my lungs, tears sprang to my eyes, only to be rapidly blinked away before anyone in the office could see them and wonder what was going on.

Of course, then my brain did somewhat of a cartwheel, before landing on the obvious question:

"She's, um, a bit early, isn't she...? I thought... well..."

And now for the rest of the story:

Mum went on to confirm that the baby, to be called, "Holly Anne", was born 7 weeks premature. According, at least, to the estimated due date of April 22 set by the doctor and specialists my sister had been consulting. Those who performed the scans and tests on her in Sydney when she was four or five months along thought that the due time was more likely closer to April 9. So, Holly was somewhere between 5 to 7 weeks premature. Either way, a little too early to be leaving the sanctity and security of mother's womb and making her way out in to the wider world outside.

My sister went into labour early in the morning of March 4, and her husband rushed her into hospital at around 6 am. At first they tried to stop her giving birth, using whatever techniques they know in order to do that for women who go into labour before time. The baby, however, had other ideas. She was coming out, no matter what they did to try and stop her. Then, 5.5 hours later, baby Holly was born, weighing in at just 5 pounds or 2 kg.

The baby swallowed some of the embryonic fluids on her way out (or so they thought) and they had to pump the gunk out of the poor kid's stomach. They then wrapped her up in bunny rugs, popped her on a Helicopter and sent her off to Dubbo (a country city about 1.5 hours drive by car from Mudgee) Hospital for further observation - as they do, with Premature babies.

Mum, after speaking to me, rushed with Dad on up to Mudgee hospital, just in time to see the baby before she was flown off to Dubbo hospital. They were also able to catch up with my sister and her husband, before he drove her on to the hospital in order for them to be with the baby.

So here I am, an Aunt, for the very first time.

It's very exciting, indeed! :o)

Here's a photo of my sister and Holly, taken on March 9, 2005

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2005-01-01T00:00:00.000+11:00

To all my friends everywhere, to all those serving in the armed forces wherever you are, to my friends in the Marines, to their families, and to all peoples everywhere...

And... very special hugs and prayers to my Marine friends, especially David in Iraq and Angelo!

Semper Fi, my friends, with love ..,

Christine... xxx / ooo... :o)
The Sunny Ol' Land Down Under

January 1, 2005

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2004-12-25T09:00:00.000+11:00

Here's wishing all my good friends, and all those who celebrate, a very, very, very...

May Christmas be full of the blessing of the season, as well as many beautiful surprises for you all!

God Bless!

With Love ..,

Christine... xxx / ooo...
Somewhere In OZ... :o)

December 25, 2004

HAPPY HANUKAH!

2004-12-07T22:00:00.000+11:00

To all my Jewish friends, and to all Jewish people everywhere...

May the blessings and light of God always shine on the pathways of your lives, and may your footsteps always be fleet and sure!

God Bless you all!!!

With love to all ..,

Christine.
Sydney, Australia

December 7, 2004

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2004-11-25T01:20:00.000+11:00

To all my American friends and acquaintances, and to all American's everywhere, from an Aussie friend...

HAPPY

THANKSGIVING!!!

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for a great many things, however, the following are the people and things that I am the most thankful for:

My family. (Mum, Dad, Annette and Pauline, most especially of all, with all my eternal gratitude).

My older sister's (Annette's miracle) baby on the way.

Good friends.

Food on the table.

Money (occasionally) in the bank.

Life, love, freedom, liberty, democracy and God.

And... most importantly, I am sincerely grateful to and deeply thankful for all the amazing, brave and courageous young men and women serving in the US and Coalition armed forces (including the Australian forces) over in Iraq and Afghanistan right now, as well as all those who have served to date, and who will serve there in the future.

In fact, I am deeply grateful to, and thankful for all US, Australian, and British armed forces personnel, wherever in the world they might be stationed.

Their service, their loyalty, and their sacrifices can never be underestimated, and words alone could never come close to expressing enough thanks.

May God always Bless them and walk beside them!

Below is a photo, taken in Iraq, from the 11th MEU web site (11th Marine Expeditionary Unit/Force, USA).

A special note of deep thanks also goes to the following people who have in some way touched my life and broadened my horizons:

Don Ecker and Dwight Schultz, of the Dark Matters radio show in Los Angeles, USA.

Dirk Benedict and his wonderfully inspirational books: "The Kamikaze Cowboy" and "And Then We Went Fishing".

The U.S. Conservative Talk Show hosts: Dr. Bill Bennett, Ms. Laura Ingraham, Mr. Dennis Prager, Mr. Michael Medved and Mr. Hugh Hewitt.

And... most of all... a very, very, special and deeply heartfelt thanks to:

David and Angelo, of the (US) 11th MEU, and their fellow Marines.

Thank you all and...

Semper Fi, my friends! :o)

With love and God Bless...

Christine. x/o.

PERSPECTIVE

2004-11-22T02:00:00.000+11:00

Lance Corporal Shane Kielion - KIA, Iraq, November 2004

There are times in life, when something comes along and, almost like a thunderclap, slams everything back into perspective.

Here I was tonight, worrying about work later on this morning, feeling a bit bothered, agitated and demotivated about this and that, and one thing and another in relation to by job, when, just as I was about to hop off to bed to actually catch a few hours sleep, the following headline popped up on netscape and hit me right between the eyes:

MARINE KILLED HOURS AFTER SON'S BIRTH

There are times when I think that God definitely stops to whack me across the back of the head to say: "What you have is truly wonderful, my dear, just look at what others have to deal with, in comparison..."

Several things ran through my mind.

Shame.

Chagrin.

Compassion.

Deep, deep sorrow.

And... a prayer.

Not only is it sad that this young man could be killed in action only hours after his baby son was born, he also died not knowing his wife had given birth, and probably not knowing that he'd had a son.

Then, of course, there's the sad fact that he died at all.

My heart, my prayers, and all my deepest thoughts go out to him, his wife, his son, and his family at this time of great sorrow.

This... this is part of the reason I feel such great and frustrated anger towards the mainstream news media. Where they could be supporting the troops in Iraq, they are doing everything they can to undermine them, to discredit them, and to demoralize them in the face of the world.

If if were not for troops, like this young Marine, and others just like him, the press would not have the freedoms they have right now, to report in the manner in which they do, free of persecution and censure.

It's about time the US mainstream news media (among other branches in the world) got that proverbial and collective clue, and started giving the troops the support, the respect, and the honour they all fully deserve.

It's about time they started remembering who the enemy actually IS, and started allocating blame and outrage, where blame, outrage and condemnation is truly due - namely, towards the murdering, terrorist thugs these kids are laying down their lives to protect us all from day in and day out.

It's all about perspective.

To this young Marine, and all others out there, and especially David & Angelo (my wonderful Marine friends of the 11th MEU, 1/4 currently serving in Iraq right now) I'd like to say...

God Bless you all!

May God always walk beside you!

and...

Semper Fi, my friends!

Chrisitne.

The PRESIDENT and the BODYGUARDS

2004-11-21T23:45:00.000+11:00
Classic News Story of the Week

The following has to go down as being the most classic news story of the past week, in fact, possibly in a long while.

U.S. President George W. Bush, center left, reaches in to the crowd for his Secret Service Agent who was blocked from entering the Estacion Mapocho Cultural Center for the APEC Summit dinner, Saturday, November 20, 2004, in Santiago, Chile. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)

As the folks at Powerline blog commented, and I agree, this superbly illustrates why George W. Bush is so highly respected and admired by so many as President of the USA, and above all, as a man.

Well, other than the fact that he's not a man to be messed with, either, that is.

There are few world leaders who would wade into the middle of a push and shove altercation to rescue their bodyguard themselves... yet that's exactly what US President George W. Bush did in Santiago, Chile, on November 20, 2004.

And... my response to that is... in Aussie vernacular...

Good onya, Mr. President, good onya, mate! :o)

Here's the news story - just follow any of these links below:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041121/D86FV9GO0.html
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041120-113709-8651r.htm
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/bush/articles/2004/11/21/bush_seeks_unity_on_iran_north_korea

And, you can catch it on Powerline Blog as well, just here:

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/008680.php

ENJOY! :o)

Christine.
OZ

LINKS, LINKS and MORE LINKS

2004-11-21T23:30:00.000+11:00
Adding this very shortly.

Links relating to my last three postings.

POWERLINE BLOG: A MARINE WRITES HOME

2004-11-19T22:00:00.000+11:00
On November 17, Power Line Blog posted an e-letter sent to them by a Marine serving in the 11th MEU in Iraq.

The Power Line Blog entry is titled:

A MARINE WRITES HOME

It can be found via this link here: http://powerlineblog.com/archives/008650.php

Worth reading also are the trackbacks to other blogs, here and there on the internet, discussing the above letter posted onto Power Line Blog and the reasons it was written.

The following letter was written in support of the young Marine relieved of duty for shooting a wounded terrorist thug in a Mosque in Fallujah earlier in the week. To read about my thoughts and feelings in regards to this, please refer to my earlier blog postings (Mainstream Blues and Letter to the Pentagon) from the past couple of days.

The MARINE'S E-MAIL - TEXT

This is one story of many that people normally don't hear, and one that everyone does.

This is just one most don't hear:

A young Marine and his cover man cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain.

The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!" He is badly wounded, lying in a pool of his own blood.

The Marine and his cover man slowly walk toward the injured man, scanning to make sure no enemies come from behind. In a split second, the pressure in the room greatly exceeds that of the outside, and the concussion seems to be felt before the blast is heard.

Marines outside rush to the room, and look in horror as the dust gradually settles. The result is a room filled with the barely recognizable remains of the deceased, caused by an insurgent setting off several pounds of explosives.

The Marines' remains are gathered by teary eyed comrades, brothers in arms, and shipped home in a box. The families can only mourn over a casket and a picture of their loved one, a life cut short by someone who hid behind a white flag. But no one hears these stories, except those who have lived to carry [the] remains of a friend, and the families who loved the dead.

No one hears this, so no one cares.

This is the story everyone hears:

A young Marine and his fire team cautiously enter a room just recently filled with insurgents armed with AK-47's and RPG's. There are three dead, another wailing in pain.

The insurgent can be heard saying, "Mister, mister! Diktoor, diktoor (doctor)!" He is badly wounded. Suddenly, he pulls from under his bloody clothes a grenade, without the pin.

The explosion rocks the room, killing one Marine, wounding the others. The young Marine catches shrapnel in the face.

The next day, same Marine, same type of situation, a different story. The young Marine and his cover man enter a room with two wounded insurgents. One lies on the floor in puddle of blood, another against the wall.

A reporter and his camera survey the wreckage inside, and in the background can be heard the voice of a Marine, "He's moving, he's moving!"

The pop of a rifle is heard, and the insurgent against the wall is now dead.

Minutes, hours later, the scene is aired on national television, and the Marine is being held for committing a war crime. Unlawful killing.

And now, another Marine has the possibility of being burned at the stake for protecting the life of his brethren. His family now wrings their hands in grief, tears streaming down their face.

Brother, should I have been in your boots, I too would have done the same.

For those of you who don't know, we Marines, Band of Brothers, Jarheads, Leathernecks, etc., do not fight because we think it is right, or think it is wrong. We are here for the man to our left, and the man to our right. We choose to give our lives so that the man or woman next to us can go home and see their husbands, wives, children, friends and families.

For those of you who sit on your couches in front of your television, and choose to condemn this man's actions, I have but one thing to say to you.

Get out of you recliner, lace up my boots, pick up a rifle, leave your family behind and join me. See what I've seen, walk where I have walked.

To those of you who support us, my sincerest gratitude. You keep us alive.

I am a Marine currently doing his second tour in Iraq. These are my opinions and mine alone. They do not represent those of the Marine Corps or of the US military, or any other.

Sincerely,

LCPL Schmidt
USMC

END of MARINE'S E-MAIL TEXT

Needless to say, my prayers and thoughts are with the Marine, and those in his unit who are also caught up in the middle of all this, who are no doubt going through a world of hell right now.

My disgust with the mainstream news media runs very deep indeed.

My disappointment with the US military hierarchy, and at the moment, any other relevant 'powers that be' who are allowing this kid to be treated in this manner, and who just might sacrifice him on the alter of political correctness, is intense.

I feel very, very afraid indeed for this young man, as well as for the other Marine's who were with him in his unit that day.

One of my prayers is that sanity, good sense, and fairness will prevail, and that this Marine (and any others implicated with him for this) will at worst be given an honourable discharge, and at best, exonerated and returned to duty.

I'll leave this entry here, today, with the following two opinion pieces found via links on Town Hall.com:

"Supporting the troops", written by: Thomas Sowell

"A Casualty of the Watched War", written by: Ralph Kinney Bennett

Christine.

LETTER TO THE PENTAGON

2004-11-18T22:15:00.000+11:00
A LETTER to the PENTAGON

"In Support of the Marine(s) stood down from duty for shooting a wounded terrorist (aka. 'insurgent') in a mosque in Fallujah somewhere around November 12 or 13, 2004."

* Posting Updated - 30 November 2004 *

G'day Folks...

My letter of support is now finished and has been sent on to the Pentagon, the President, the Marines and several others.

* Updated December 10, 2004 *

MAINSTREAM BLUES

2004-11-17T23:00:00.000+11:00
aka: WRITING TO BILL BENNETT

Hello Everyone ..,

Yesterday I wrote an e-mail to Conservative talk show host Dr. Bill Bennett.

On Monday in the US (Tuesday here in Australia) the news broke that a US Marine battling the terrorists in Fallujah, Iraq, had apparently shot dead an unarmed and wounded, so called Iraqi 'insurgent' - aka. a murdering terrorist thug by any other name.

Once again, NBC, (a US mainstream news media outlet), rushed to propagandise, sensationalise and cash in on a tragic war time event. Tragic, because the kid who did us all a favour by putting down a rabid dog, is well on his way to being crucified by the self-righteous leftists of the mainstream news media.

The whole situation has left a bad taste in my mouth and a sick feeling in my stomach, and a sensation of impotent frustration and anger at both the mainstream news media, and at those who will probably sacrifice this young Marine on the alter of untrained, self righteous, public (news media) opinion.

Needless to say, my prayers are with this young man right now, and in the coming difficult days/weeks/months, as they 'investigate' what happened in that Mosque that day, and why. My sincere hope is that the 'powers that be' will be fair and just, and that all salient factors and extenuating circumstances will be taken into full account - and that they will not be coloured by the demands of either the mainstream news media, or the UN, or Amnesty international - otherwise, this kid will not get a fair go.

I have watched the unedited video of the incident, and it is confusing to say the very least, and somewhat unclear in regards to what actually occurred, how and why. There's no way any of us, based on this footage, could possibly know the full circumstances, nor make any informed judgement calls.

For the self righteous out there who would condemn this young man - you cannot know what he was going through - you have no right to judge!

Anyway, my letter to Dr. Bill below here probably expresses my feelings the best of all. There is a degree of venting in the following, as it was written in the heat of the moment, and the height of my frustration, during Bill's November 16 Tuesday morning radio show, during which Dr. Bill and his listeners discussed this situation.

* Note: I would like to thank Dr. Bill for both reading out a portion of my e-mail at the end of his show on Tuesday, as well as for the kind note that was sent out to me privately afterwards by his show's producer, Seth. Thank you! :o)

My Letter to Dr. Bill Bennett:

Dear Bill ..,

I hope this is the right way to do this, and apologies in advance for the length.

I'm an Australian, living in Sydney, New South Wales Australia, and I've been listening to your show for a little while now, care of KRLA870 on the internet, and enjoy it very much. (I also greatly support your US President, and the Republican party as well, and am very happy and relieved that President George W. Bush won a second term in office).

I'm writing about that young Marine the mainstream news media is trying to destroy with the reports of his shooting that injured terrorist.

My greatest fear is that this young man will be used as a scapegoat, and not given a fair hearing, because of a desire to appease the press or the public in some way, by making a public example of him. i.e. By pursuing what happened in such a vigorous way that this Marine does not get a truly fair representation, due to the fact the 'eyes of the world' will be watching, thanks to the viciousness of the (largely left-wing) mainstream news media, and their collective determination to be judge, jury and executioners. It would be a terrible tragedy if this young Marine's life and career were destroyed by the intense news focus and a desire to appease the public.

By the sound of it, he did exactly what he needed to do, presented with the situation as it was. I cannot imagine that any other Marine would have acted any differently, no matter their level of experience, or rank, when presented with a similar threat, in a combat situation, under stressful circumstances. Like your callers, due to this event, I too question the benefit and the wisdom of 'embedded reporting', especially if, every time a service man or woman acts in the best way they've been trained to act, in the best interests of themselves and their unit, and/or the civilians they are sworn to protect, is stopped and continuously questioned, because it does not fit the news media's untrained viewpoint of how 'they' think things 'should' be done.

War is hell, and the young men and women fighting it are courageous, brave, and remarkable, and it's high time the collective mainstream news media got a clue about that, and started treating them with the respect they fully deserve.

Those serving in Iraq are doing a sterling job, under extremely difficult circumstances, under enormous stress and pressure, where the difference between life and death often is that split second instinct, that hairs breadth between thought and action, and that willingness to do whatever it takes to keep everyone alive.

Personally, I feel terribly sick in the stomach thinking about what is going to happen to this young Marine now. Not only sick, but also, extremely distressed. I've been enormously disgusted with the mainstream news media for a very long time now, but their treatment of this incident is utterly despicable. To take the actions of a Marine, in a war time situation, who did what he needed to do, under extremely stressful circumstances, and use that to besmirch the troops, and rip this kid's life apart in the name of 'good press', or 'getting a scoop', or for 'sensationalism', is both beyond belief, as well as horribly sickening in its perversity.

I have the absolute joy and honour of being in communication with three great Marine's over in Iraq. These young men (and women) are all, without exception, not only the best of the best, but also dedicated, loyal, determined, and very fine indeed. When I think of this young Marine now, I think of the wonderful young men I'm in communication with, and my heart aches for them all.

Just a question: Is there anything at all that we can do to help this Marine out? Is there anyone who can be contacted, so that we can be sure this young man will get a proper and fair hearing of his side of the story? Is there any way that we can help ensure that this young man is not thrown to the wolves, and used as a scapegoat to appease the piranhas of the mainstream news media, who have smelled his blood, and are sure not to rest until they've gone a long way towards ruining this kid, his career and his life? Is there anything we all can do at all? Would writing to the Pentagon help, do you think, for instance?

I guess my questions are borne of impotent frustration... I too believe this young man should not have been relieved of duty... at least, not in the manner he has been, anyway, and that he should be returned to full honour and duty as soon as possible. I'm stunned by what has happened to this Marine, and hope and pray that something can be done...

It's a terrible shame that the mainstream news media, rather than supporting the troops, is doing everything they can to undermine them. This only makes the troops job even that more harder in Iraq. My heart goes out to every man and woman serving in Iraq, fighting not only the terrorist thugs swarming all over the place hell bent on destroying as many lives as possible, especially of innocents, but also having to protect themselves against the blood thirsty sharks of the mainstream news media at the same time.

It's such a tragedy.

Thank you for your time, Bill, and many, many apologies for taking up so much of it. :o)

All the very, very best, indeed.

God Bless...

Christine... xxx / ooo... O:-)
Sydney, Australia...

November 17, 2004...

Post Note: I received an e-mail from Seth, the producer of the Bill Bennett show, asking for my permission to post the above letter on their web site. Of course he has that permission, and if they do indeed chose to post the letter, (there is, of course, a chance that they might chose not to, at the end of the day, as well, which is also really okay), then I would be more than very honoured indeed.

I have more thoughts... but will leave it here just for now, while I sort them out.

Christine... :)
Sydney, Australia.

November 17, 2004

TALKING TO DON AND DWIGHT

2004-11-07T19:00:00.000+11:00
G'day...

I'm in the process of writing out the text for this, and will be adding it very, very, very SOON!!!

I Promise, I promise, I promise! :o)

Christine... x / o... :o)
(Dece. 10, 2004... updated)

MIRACLE BABY

2004-11-06T20:00:00.000+11:00
I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT for the very FIRST time!!!

And yes, it is worth shouting from the rooftops!!! :o)

My older sister, Annette, is now about 4.5 months pregnant, and we found out just the other day that the baby is normal and healthy in every possible way!!!

Yayyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The following song lyrics just about sum up my feelings in regards to the news contained in this entry: :o)

Looks like the light of a new day,
Hit me from out of the blue.
Breaking me out of the spell I was in,
Making all of my wishes come true.

Believe it or not, I'm walking on air.
I never thought I could feel so free.
Flying away on a wing and a prayer,
Who could it be?

Believe it or not, it's just me.

Believe It Or Not
Theme from "The Greatest American Hero" TV show c.1981 approx.
Written By: "Mike Post and Stephen Geyer", Performed By: "Joey Scarbury"

AND this music...

The jaunty theme from the McGYVER TV show, c. late 80s approx.

My sister and her husband, Denis, have been trying to have a baby for a couple of years now, which is part of the reason why this is such wonderful news. They couldn't really afford to have a child until relatively recent years, and then when they did decide to go for it, as often happens when a woman takes birth control for years, it took a long while for my sister to actually fall pregnant. So, it's really wonderful news that she has at last and that their dream of having a child together is coming true for them both now.

Because my sister is 41 years old, and this is her first baby, the doctors told her that the chances of her carrying a healthy baby to full term were rather small. I believe they gave her something like a 75% chance that something would go wrong with the baby in the first or second trimester. They checked her out for everything that could possibly go wrong. Scans have been done on her and the baby, incl. all the chromosome counts and the testing for deformities and diseases, etc. Everything they can test for these days, they did test for.

The conclusion:

Everything is FINE!

Nothing at all is wrong with the baby!

The baby is completely normal, very strong, healthy, and fighting to be born, to grow, to live.

Now, we wait, and plan, and hope, and dream of things to be.

Christine... :o)
An Aussie, from the Land, not so far, Down Under... :o)

IN MEMORIAM

2004-09-23T23:55:00.000+10:00
(1)"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. (2)In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. (3)And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (4)You know the way to the place where I am going."

(5)Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

(6)Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14: 1 - 6 (The New Testament Bible - NIV Edition)

WENDY (MULLEN) PATTULLO
July 2, 1952 to September 23, 2004

Cherished daughter of Walter and Violet Mullen. Beloved younger sister of Thomas and Robert Mullen, and twin sister of Andrew Mullen. Dedicated nurse, sister and matron, and committed member of the St. John Ambulance and Nursing brigades.

ALEX PATTULLO
d. June 2004

Beloved husband of Wendy (Mullen) Pattullo. Served in the British Navy, Vietnam War Veteran, and the Merchant Marines - retired.

Together now for all eternity - may their souls forever rest in peace.

(27)"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:27

In Memoriam.

Christine (Niece)

September 23, 2004

Australia.

REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11

2004-09-11T08:46:00.000+10:00
NEVER FORGET SEPTEMBER 11, 2001!!!

In memory of September 11, 2001 I've listed some links below featuring tributes and memorials about that tragic day.

We must never forget.

We must never let go of our anger.

We must keep on fighting back.

Do whatever it takes.

Never give up.

Never surrender.

You will need flash player installed, either macromedia [http://www.macromedia.com/downloads], or something similar, to play the following.

Remembering September 11, 2001 - "Remembering the Blood of Heroes" - a flash video tribute: http://members.cox.net/classicweb/Heroes/heroes.htm

Remembering September 11 - "America Attacked" - a flash video tribute: http://www.911digitalarchive.org/diganimbackup/americaattacked/index1.html

Remembering September 11 - A Photographic Tribute Page: http://www.jontzen.com/tribute.htm

Remembering September 11 - a flash video tribute - (This might blur some at full screen while playing. Tip: Release your browser window off it's maximum setting and then reduce it down, [click mouse once on the lower right corner and move the window inwards], maybe by half, approximately, in order to get a clearer/sharper picture): http://www.jontzen.com/tributes911/911.swf

Remembering September 11 - a flash tribute - "Imagine": http://www.worldtradetribute.com/imagine/index.htm

Remembering September 11 - a flash tribute:
http://911digitalarchive.org
http://911digitalarchive.org/diganimbackup/onetue~1.swf

Following are links to some news articles from September 11 anniversary memorials

Photo: Twin Towers of Light - World Trade Center Memorial from Ground Zero

Time - "September 11, A Nation Remembers": http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020909

Time - "Images of September 11, 2001": http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/wtc

World Trade Center Photos - Never Forget: http://www.crystalinks.com/wtcphotos.html

World Trade Center - Tribute of Lights: http://www.crystalinks.com/wtcphotos2.html

Tower of Lights, 2003: http://www.pbase.com/automat42/11234

2004 - Families Honor 9/11 Victims: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-sept-11-anniversary,0,286755.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

Following are some flash video tributes in honor of the Military. Especially honoring those serving in Iraq.

Photo: 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit - http://www.usmc.mil/11thmeu/photoarch.htm

"The American Flame" - A Tribute to the US Military: http://www.interviewwithgod.com/july4

"We Support You" - A beautiful flash video tribute to those who have and are serving, especially in Iraq: http://www.nathanadams.com/WeSupportU.htm

"Until Then" - Another beautifully done flash video tribute in honor of the troops serving in Iraq: http://www.clermontyellowribbon.com/untilthenflash.htm

"I Kissed My Son Good-bye" - by Sandy Soffe - A beautifully constructed and very moving flash video tribute: http://www.link4u.com/kissedmyson.htm

Lastly, and most importantly...

Stop for a minute or two to reflect and say a prayer in remembrance of 9/11 - a very dark, black day, indeed!

Christine... :o)
The Land Down Under... :o)
http://www.geocities.com/links4troops

September 11, 2004

The DREADED LURGI

2004-07-26T21:45:00.000+10:00
I have this theory - either I'm in the process of building up one heck of an immunity, which will keep me wonderfully free of colds and flues and so on for the next several years... or... I've seriously annoyed someone 'up there'...

It has to be one or the other, I figure.

Personally, I hope it's the former, but... one never can tell... *grin*

Yes, I have it AGAIN - the Dreaded Lurgi or, to be more precise, the FLU, to be a little clearer with my word choice.

I'm not sure where the expression Dreaded Lurgi came from originally. A couple of popular radio personalities here in Australia used to use it to describe the Flu, or anything of a similar nature, on a morning breakfast show I tuned into regularly many years ago now... :o)

Back in May I had the Flu pretty bad, thanks to a girl who sat next to me at the office. It spread from her to three other members of the department, before striking me down. It took me three or four weeks to fully get rid of that. Then a couple of weeks back I was hit with a Kidney infection, which left me ill for about five days, and took just over a week to clear up, mostly... and then... and then... aaarrrggghhhh... :o) a guy I've been working closely with in the office picked up the flu, and passed it back to me mid last week, and my poor immune system, which had been badly weakened already, couldn't cope. Within a day, I was sick again, only this time... Bronchitis, or to be more accurate, an upper and lower respiratory tract infection.

Oh... joy to the world! :o)

I didn't go to work today - I spent most of the day wishing my ribs and head didn't hurt so much when I coughed. That and feeling really, really, really guilty about taking a day off, especially when we are so very busy and understaffed. *sigh* :o(

Anyway, I've decided to play the "Pollyanna Glad Game".

Things to be 'glad' about (thankful for):-

It's just the flu, after all - it will go away.

It's not West Nile Virus - so I will survive.

It's not Mad Cows Disease - so I'm not going to go any more insane than I already am.

It's not Cancer - I will actually live.

In fact - it's not any life threatening disease.

It's not even Pneumonia.

It's JUST the FLU!!!

Get over it!!! :o)

Of course, having said all this, I have wondered from time to time why no one actually ever clobbered Pollyanna whenever she played the 'glad game'. *grin* :o)

But, that's enough moaning from me... :o)

And... if I might steal a phrase from Michael Medved...

Upward and Onward!!! :o)

More soon...

Christine... :o)
Sydney, Australia

July 26, 2004

BIRTHDAY SURPRISES! :o)

2004-07-11T14:52:00.000+10:00
Actually, my Birthday was back on APRIL 26, however, last week I received a lovely belated Birthday gift from my younger sister, Pauline.

In the fabulous little package from my sister were three CDs.

1). Music from the Motion Picture Gladiator

2). More Music from the Motion Picture Gladiator

3). The Passion of the Christ original Motion Picture Soundtrack

All of these soundtracks were on my most wanted list, so it was really wonderful to receive them.

Sadly, I haven't had a chance to listen to any of them at this point, though, as I've been a bit sick since last Wednesday with an infection, so haven't been in the mood to listen to anything much, (although, I DID listen to the Dark Matters radio show this week - July 11 - which was excellent as always). However, I plan to remedy that in the next few days, as I'm really looking forward to hearing these musical scores.

Soundtracks from movies are a particular love of mine, the more powerful, the better, musical score wise. :o) I also like those with rock 'n roll oriented soundtracks as well, and those with soundtracks featuring music from the mid to late sixties through to the early to mid seventies, in particular.

There was also a cute card in the parcel featuring a picture of a big fluffy grey and white dog (Sheep Dog) lying in the grass, and a little bird sitting on a blade of grass near its head.

Written in it is:

To Dear Christine, Happy 30th(?) Birthday (we're the same age now - they always mistook us for twins?) Enjoy!! Don't go deaf!! Lots of love, your loving (choke, cough) sister, Pauline. xxxx 2004.

History:

My sister is 11 and a half months younger than myself, (she was 36 in 2004, I was 37 in 2004 - both of us were born in April - Pauline on the 6th, myself on the 26th), and as kids we were more or less the same height and size as each other, although Pauline's hair is darker than mine.

When we were little kids, Mum also loved dressing us in the same outfits when we went out - usually of different colours, but of the same cut and style. So people often thought we were fraternal twins. As we grew older, of course, we objected to the practice of the same outfits, and that all changed, naturally.

We were also in the same year at school for a little while, until the school decided to keep Pauline back a year because they thought she was too young for the higher year, even though she was having no trouble with the lessons at all, and is in fact the most intelligent of all us three girls in our family. Go figure, huh?! Having said that, it actually worked out better in the long run, though, as Pauline made lots of great friends in the lower year, some of whom are still good friends with her right up to this day.

Going deliberately off track now..:

There was some great music on the Dark Matters radio show again this week - but I can't place all the musical scores. Although they are familiar. It was a treat hearing Sergeant Pepper's, from the Beatles, though - as I'm a huge Beatles fan from way back. :o)

Anyway, that's all! :o)

Christine
The Land Down Under

HAPPY 4th of JULY, 2004!!!

2004-07-04T23:42:00.000+10:00
HAPPY 4th of JULY, 2004!!!

To all my American friends, and to all American's everywhere, from an Australian, I'd like to wish you all a very, very...

HAPPY, PEACEFUL & REFLECTIVE 4th of JULY!!!

May God Bless you all!!! :o)

Here below is a picture I found depicting the flag raising by American's at Iwo Jima during World War II.

In light of the War in Iraq, and in honour of all the brave young men and women who are serving over there, and who are risking, or have lost, their lives for their respective countries in that conflict, I thought this photo would be an appropriate tribute to their courage.

http://www.iwojima.com/raising/l721flag.gif
http://www.iwojima.com

This 4th of July...

Let's remember those who are giving their lives to make ours better and safer.

Who are giving their lives to help make those of the Iraqi people better and safer.

Remember our armed forces personnel.

Regardless of our political leanings, they deserve all of our honour, and all of our respect, wherever in the world we come from.

For those of us who don't serve, or who have never served in the armed forces, we need to, even if just for a moment, put ourselves in the place of those who do and have...

Could we be as brave?

Would we?

Whichever way our feelings fall in regards to the war in Iraq. Whether we support the war in full, or in part, or are against it. Whatever we think and feel... please let's all come together to respect, honour and acknowledge all the courageous men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and any other part of the world, for their commitment to us, to our countries, and to the world at large.

Salute them!

I know that I do, and always will!

Christine
An Aussie, from the Land, not so far, Down Under! :o)

July 4th, 2004