Gary Bird 1950-2001

Reposted from archives because I will never forget.

On September 11, 2001, Moslem terrorists attacked our nation.
2,996 innocent lives were lost.
This is to honor one of those innocents.

He was a corporate cowboy. Gary Bird worked in risk management, but his great joy was riding horses. He was practically born in the saddle. His mother was riding horses when she was eight months pregnant with him, until her doctor stopped her.

He lived in Tempe, Ariz., where he kept three quarter horses. He rode as often as he could, including multiday trail rides. His wife, Donna Killoughey Bird, and two children, Amanda, 15, and Andrew, 13, rode, too, but Mr. Bird was the avid one.

If he wasn't surrounded by open spaces, he would get edgy. In 1984, he was in New York for four days to attend a conference. By the fourth day, he told his wife, "I'm really claustrophobic here, because I can't see the horizon." As she put it, "It was a case of `don't fence me in.' "

Gary Bird moved to Tempe, AZ in 1973. He had a successful career in Risk Management, 12 yrs with Phelps Dodge Corp. Authored a book “TheWrap-Up Guide”, the authoritative work on the installation and operation of controlled insurance programs published by International Risk Management Institute (IRMI).

Mr. Bird was active in the community. He helped found the first Boys and Girls Club in Tempe in the early 1980’s. Served on the Tempe Planning and Zoning Commission and the Tempe Industrial and Development Board. He was active with the Friends of the Tempe Butte organization, helped plan and direct youth swim meets.

Gary Bird had just been promoted to Vice President at Marsh Inc, was on the 99th floor, Tower 2, WTC attending a meeting on his 2nd day as VP.

He is survived by his wife Donna, daughter Amanda, and son Andrew.

I guess to really honor him, we should go ride a horse.


Please visit the other 2996 Bloggers more...

Posted by: WordMarvin at 03:00 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 342 words, total size 3 kb.

Pablo Ortiz 1/25/52 - 9/11/01

"They told me the last time they saw him he was going back up to help more people."

http://prosandcons.us/?p=4196  PROJECT 2996 (2006)

9/11 Tribute: Pablo Ortiz
Posted by: John H. @ 12:00 am

As part of the 2,996 Project it is my pleasure and honor to pay tribute to Pablo Ortiz, a true American hero. This man’s life has humbled and inspired me. I hope it does the same for you. Always remember, never forget 9/11.

Mr. Ortiz was a second-generation immigrant from Puerto Rico. He left his hardscrabble childhood in a tough section of New York for the Navy, becoming a Navy Seal and serving in Vietnam. Although suffering flashbacks for the rest of his life, Mr. Ortiz was proud of his service. Those who know him describe a conscientious man who demanded things be done right, especially from himself. These traits made him an outstanding Superintendant of Construction for the Port Authority of New York.

At least 50 people stuck on the 88th and 89th floors of the north tower were able to walk out of the building because Mr. De Martini, Mr. Ortiz and others tore away rubble, broke down doors and answered calls for help. Everyone above the 91st floor died.

In the most essential ways, these men, employees of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, pushed back the boundary line between life and death in favor of the living. Both Mr. De Martini and Mr. Ortiz, who continued to help other trapped people, died in the building.

Edna Ortiz remembers her husband as a very human man. ''I'm very proud of what he did.'' she says. ''But I wish he had come home.''

Mr Ortiz divorced five years ago (199 after a 16-year marriage to Maureen Foo-Van Natten, a secretary for Community Hospice. Their two children, Justina 19 and 12-year-old JaShingiz (ages as of 2003), live with their mother in Schenectady.

The headstone has an etched cross and reads: "Pablo Ortiz. Father. Hero. Always in our hearts. 1/25/52 - 9/11/01."


Sources, please read them for full details:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/29/nyregion/port-authority-tapes-overview-fresh-glimpse-9-11-files-struggles-for-survival.html

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=167529&category=FRONTPG&BCCode=SEP11

http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookID=9285719440219&page=9

Posted by: WordMarvin at 01:43 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
Post contains 353 words, total size 2 kb.

Everybody draw Mohammed

Posted by: WordMarvin at 01:06 PM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
Post contains 3 words, total size 1 kb.

Everybody Draw Mohammed Day -- May 20th

Must dust off this blog -- time once again to annoy the Religion of Piece.

"My name is Mohammed.
I am the Prophet of Peace. 
PREPARE to DIE!"

Posted by: WordMarvin at 12:33 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
Post contains 35 words, total size 1 kb.

2010

2010 will be a better year.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 04:36 PM | Comments (13) | Add Comment
Post contains 7 words, total size 1 kb.

Project VALOUR-IT

Project VALOUR-IT
by SoldiersAngels.org

Mission:
To provide
Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops



Click on the Valour-IT link on starboard side to make a donation.
Thank You.


more...

Posted by: WordMarvin at 11:11 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 30 words, total size 1 kb.

Soldiers Angels

Soldiers Angels do more than provide laptops, GPS, and Wii's to our injured troops.

In Germany, Angels ensure that no soldier goes unloved. An Angel visits every wounded warrior passing thru Germany. And they work will the military to keep the units informed about the condition of their troops, this includes Allied Troops.

When sailors were severely burned a few years ago near Guam, Angels met them at the Burns Unit of the Hospital in Texas. These sailors also received much needed laptops.

Go to www.SoldiersAngels.org to learn more.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 12:50 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 91 words, total size 1 kb.

Project Valour-IT

The annual inter-service fundraising battle for Project Valuor-It begins Oct 26th.

http://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=project-valour-it

This is the only on-line fund raising, selling, buying, etc; that I participate in.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 12:02 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 28 words, total size 1 kb.

Restart of blog

I prefer Twitter (www.twitter.com/WordMarvin).

but some things need more than 140 characters.

Project 2996 - Please help keep the memories of the victims of 9/11 alive - goto Project2996.wordpress.com and volunteer to honor one.
I will be honoring Gary Bird.

Project Valour-IT - I'm a member of Team Navy.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 12:11 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 52 words, total size 1 kb.

Offensive Attack on Free Speech

This is too long for Twitter:

From: Levana - Health Care for America Now <hcan@healthcareforamericanow.org>
Date: Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Subject: Join us - special briefing from Rep. Doggett, actress Edie Falco, and more
To: [Redacted]

Dear [redacted]:

By now, I'm sure you've heard about the lobbyist-funded right-wing extremists making trouble at town halls all across America.

These disruptions are funded by special interests like the insurance companies, who want to kill health care reform as quickly as possible.¹ They're trying to make sure nobody can have a productive, rational conversation about what health care reform will do for you and me. We can't let them stifle debate or we will not win health care reform this year.

So, we've organized a special briefing with Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett, actress Edie Falco, Richard Kirsch, Health Care for America Now's National Campaign Director, and Dan Heck, a regional director for Working America and Health Care for America Now to get the facts out about health care reform, find out what's at stake, and learn what you and I can do to help pass reform.

Can you join us for a special briefing on Tuesday, August 11th at 9 pm EST (6 pm PST) to learn about health care reform and how to right back against the lobbyist-funded right-wing? Click here to RSVP.

We've lined up some speakers on the call who really know what they're talking about. 

Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett talk about his experiences with these disruption tactics and what you can expect. Actress and advocate Edie Falco will tell you what's at stake. Richard Kirsch, our National Campaign Director, will talk about our historic progress on passing health reform and what we need to do to get it over the finish line. And Dan Heck, a regional director for Working America and Health Care for America Now who's out there every day talking to real people about this issue will give you tips on how to combat some of the biggest myths out there on health reform and how to get involved in your community. 

Can you join us for this special briefing with Representative Doggett, Edie Falco, Richard Kirsch, Dan Heck, and thousands of activists and organizers like you and me? Click here to RSVP for the call on Tuesday, August 11th at 9 pm EST (6pm PST).

We'll also take questions for the speakers. You can submit a question you'd like to ask when you sign up to RSVP for the training call.

It's crucial that we're out there busting myths and promoting health reform every day in August while Congress is back at home, listening to their voters.

Please join us!

 

To your health,

Levana Layendecker
Health Care for America Now

P.S. We've been busy loading hundreds of local town hall events into our system. It's crucial supporters of health care reform get out and make our voices heard this month while Congress is home listening to you. Click here to go to our homepage and search for events in your area.


1. Inside The Tea-Partiers Anti-Health Care Organizing Campaign - Talking Points Memo

Posted by: WordMarvin at 04:28 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
Post contains 525 words, total size 8 kb.

Twitter

I am on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wordmarvin

I found that I like Twitter more than blogging.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 09:06 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 16 words, total size 1 kb.

Twitter

Twitter schedules an outage to 'improve service' -- At a time of peak usage.
2pm Pacific on a Friday
Which is
5pm Eastern Time on a Friday
10/11 pm in Europe on a Friday
11am in Hawaii on a Friday
6am in Australia on a Saturday
5am in Japan on a Saturday

Scheduling a 'downtime' for a global service is difficult, but I doubt if most of Twitter's user are in Central Asia.

Of course, the one hour downtime is really several hours of downtime for most users. Because everybody is logging back into Twitter.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 05:47 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 96 words, total size 1 kb.

Debt Day - 4-25-09

Sunday is "Debt Day": As of Sunday, the federal government has spent all the money it will raise in taxes for the current fiscal year. From now until the end of the fiscal year in the fall, the government will be spending money that it will borrow from the Chinese and others, which will be repaid by our children and grandchildren. With interest. This is the earliest Debt Day in modern history, if not ever. From 2002 until now, it has fallen between July and September.

It Is Time For A Tea Party!
BO STINKS

Posted by: WordMarvin at 09:22 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
Post contains 99 words, total size 1 kb.

Miss California USA

Carrie Prejean is a very strong and honest young lady.
She is under attack because the leftist cannot allow any statement they consider to be not 'politically correct' to be heard.
The leftist attack all conservative speakers, because they have no arguments only brute force to impose their dogma.

This is Carrie's exact words:

The young lady stated her opinion.
She did not insult or attack those who disagree with her.

But the leftist/politically correct thugs, do not want to hear any speech they do not agree with.
It is disgusing that the left preaches tolerance but practices intolerance. 

Posted by: WordMarvin at 09:49 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 155 words, total size 1 kb.

US Navy SEALS

Comment about US Navy SEALS:

Capt Richard Phillips
M/V Maersk Alabama

Posted by: WordMarvin at 12:47 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 44 words, total size 1 kb.

Reuters and NPR - Can go to Hell.

I was trying to watch the Pentagon briefing on the rescue of Capt. Phillips.

Sickening.

The first two questioners were sick.
Reuters asked for more details, the Admiral can not give them, at this time.
OK fine
The follow up question: What action was taken that led to the deaths of the 3 pirates? The tone of the question implies that the US Navy wrongfully killed those poor pirates.

Reuters is not an American agency, so naturally, they root for the pirates.

But NPR (National Public Radio) is funded by the US Government, my tax dollars pay the salary of Tom Bowman, the NPR reporter.

NPR: There was one pirate on the Bainbridge, what was he saying?
US Navy: Can not disclose that at this time.
NPR: How did the On Scene Commander know Capt Phillips' life was in danger?
US Navy: The pirates were pointing an AK-47 and a couple of handguns at him.
NPR: Was this the first time that had happened? How did this escalate?

Both Reuters and NPR were implying that the US Navy wrongfully shot those terrorists/pirates/criminals.

Why do reporters work so hard to protect terrorists/pirates?
Why do news agencies support the murderers?

Why does NPR, which is funded by the US Government, want to accuse the US Navy of murder?

Posted by: WordMarvin at 06:29 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 224 words, total size 1 kb.

Happy Easter

According to CNN and Foxnews:

HE HAS BEEN RESCUED.
Captain Phillips, of the Maersk Alabama, is free.

from CNN.com

Bainbridge has dealt with the pirates.

The first mission of the US Navy, the very reason, President Jefferson formed the US Navy, was to defeat Moslem Piracy. Commodore Bainbridge commanded that first task force.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 12:38 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 93 words, total size 1 kb.

American Merchant Sailors vs Pirates

Pirates have been very active this past week, capturing 6 ships, including a US flagged merchant vessel carrying emergency supplies to Dafur Kenya.

UPDATE: The Captain of the Maersk Alabama is still a hostage onboard his ship. The crew has control of the ship and are holding one pirate. The US Navy ships are enroute (but where 300 NM away at the time of the attack). 

Correction:

according to the BBC:

The Associated Press quoted a defence official as saying: "The crew is back in control of the ship.

"It's reported that one pirate is on board under crew control - the other three were trying to flee."

Reports suggest the other three pirates jumped overboard."

Lesson for pirates,
Don't Mess With Alabama.

more...

Posted by: WordMarvin at 01:08 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
Post contains 264 words, total size 2 kb.

No Defense Allowed

UPDATE: 4/5/09
The North Koreans successfully launched their missile/satellite.
Japan and the USA sat back and watched the show.

********************

Gates: U.S. Not Prepared to Respond to North Korea Missile Launch.

The United States can do nothing to stop North Korea from breaking international law in the next 10 days by firing a missile that is unlikely to be shot down by the U.S. or its allies, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday.

Appearing on “FOX News Sunday,” Gates said North Korea “probably will” fire the missile, prompting host Chris Wallace to ask: “And there’s nothing we can do about it?”

“No,” Gates answered, adding, “I would say we’re not prepared to do anything about it.”

Last week, Admiral Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, said the U.S. is “fully prepared” to shoot down the missile. But Gates said such a response is unlikely.

“I think if we had an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii, that looked like it was headed for Hawaii or something like that, we might consider it,” Gates said. “But I don’t think we have any plans to do anything like that at this point.”

I hope that Adm. Keating has not been handcuffed.
I hope that Adm. Keating can still protect America and our ally, Japan.

And if Adm. Keating has been handcuffed, I hope he will still issue the order to protect America and our ally, Japan.
I would stand on his side at his Courts Martial.

Granted, this is a delicate situation. But the UN has limited North Korea,
but BO is not asking the UN Security Council for permission to act,
and BO appears to be spineless and does not want to act.

But to allow innocent civilians to die, whether in Japan, Alaska, or Hawaii,
when we have the means to prevent it,
is stupidity.

To allow them to die, because you do not want to acknowledge that the Ballistic Missile Defense system of the US Navy works,
is murder.

To encourage these deaths, by announcing we are not prepared (a lie),
is pre-mediated murder.

To want an incident that triggers a war,
is mass-murder.

Yes, BO is like FDR.
FDR did not go all out to protect Pearl Harbor, FDR needed that attack to enter the war, a war he knew the US had to enter.
But,
BO is retreating from all combat, BO is surrendering.

Why does BO want to surrender to North Korea?

To allow the death of innocent civilians, in order to surrender to a third rate nation,
is treason.

Adm. Keating has a difficult decision;


Choose Wisely


 



more...

Posted by: WordMarvin at 09:37 AM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
Post contains 557 words, total size 4 kb.

BO's Birth Certificate

There are 2 reasons why the 'Birth Certificate Issue' will not cause Obama to be removed from office.
It took me a while to accept them, but they are 2 very strong reasons.

First, I am not a lawyer and I have no desire to be one.

Reason 1) The courts do not want to open the floodgates of lawsuits by allowing any US Citizen to challenge the eligibility of elected office holders. Therefore, the courts will not grant standing and will not hear the case.

Reason 2) Justice is not blind. The judge knows all possible outcomes of a case before the judge agrees to hear it. Since the judge does not want to be responsible for the chaos that will ensue if required to rule that Obama is not a natural born citizen, the judge will be quick to avoid the issue.

And if the judge is forced to hear the case: the judge will avoid the chaos by focusing on the one undisputed fact - Barack Hussein Obama's mother was a US Citizen. The judge will ignore all other claims and rule that BO is a natural born citizen of the USA, because his mother was a US Citizen.

The above is why at least 6 Justices on the Supreme Court are refusing to hear the case.

The only way the Supreme Court will consider the case is in the unlikely case that a lower court has ruled against BO.

I wish the courts would hear the case, but I accept that they will not.

Posted by: WordMarvin at 05:32 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
Post contains 261 words, total size 1 kb.