<P>Time magazine has announced the Time person of the year as “The American Soldier” which is terrific but what troubles me about this is the wording. They refer that the award is for all American&nbsp;Military personnel&nbsp;well&nbsp;Hello Marines are not called Soldiers, Navy personnel are not called Soldiers, Airforce personnel are not called Soldiers only people in the US Army are called soldiers so they have there wording incorrect if they are trying to give credit to all American Military.</P>
<P>Many Marines, Navy, Airforce and even Coast Guard personnel&nbsp; hung there asses out on the line. Times has insulted 75% of the military by lumping all branches of service into calling all of them American Soldiers. Now if they where honoring just Army people that would be cool. Maybe I am reading more into this than I should but there where a lot of us out there&nbsp;in the fight&nbsp;it was not a 100% Army show.</P>

I tell you what I like Radio Userland but I like Movable Type a hell of a lot more. I have tried to get pictures uploaded to this damn weblog&nbsp; for&nbsp;a couple of days and said the hell with it. You can view one of the better Baby pictures at this link. <A href=”http://www.cochranefamily.net/news.html”>cochranefamily.net</A>

Shoko and I are happy to announce the arrival of the newest member of our family. He arrived by special delivery as an early Christmas present. Mom and Baby are resting and doing fine. Dad is wiped out and is going to catch 2-3 hours of sleep and back to the hospital. We weighed in at 6 lbs 9.6 oz and measured 18 1/2 inches long arriving screaming like there was no tommorow. His siblings attended the birth and did terrific.

Some of the parasites out there meaning some US News venues continue to play up the liberal press on there spin on what is happening in IRAQ but they sure did not report about the <A href=”http://www.instapundit.com/archives/012962.php”>massive demonstration</A> in IRAQ that was reportedly the biggest rally yet where banners read “No Sabotage” “Thank You America” and many more pro Americana and a surprising many anti-arab slogans. Seems a big percentage of Iraqis are not happy with how the Arab press is reporting on what is happening in Iraq

<P><FONT color=maroon>TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,<BR>HE LIVED ALL ALONE<BR>IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE<BR>MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY<BR>WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,<BR>AND TO SEE JUST WHO<BR>IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I LOOKED ALL ABOUT;<BR>A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE:<BR>NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,<BR>NOT EVEN A TREE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,<BR>JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND.<BR>ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES<BR>OF FAR DISTANT LANDS…</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,<BR>AWARDS OF ALL KINDS…<BR>A SOBER THOUGHT<BR>CAME THROUGH MY MIND.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT.<BR>IT WAS DARK AND DREARY.<BR>I FOUND A HOME OF A SOLDIER,<BR>ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING–<BR>SILENT, ALONE–<BR>CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR<BR>I! N THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,<BR>THE ROOM IN DISORDER;<BR>NOT HOW I PICTURED<BR>A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>WAS THIS THE HERO<BR>OF WHO I’D JUST READ?<BR>CURLED UP ON A PONCHO;<BR>THE FLOOR FOR A BED?</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I REALIZED THE FAMILIES<BR>THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT<BR>OWED THEIR LIVES TO THIS SOLDIER<BR>WHO WAS WILLING TO FIGHT.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>SOON ‘ROUND THE WORLD<BR>THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,<BR>AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE<BR>A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THEY ALL ENJOY FREEDOM<BR>EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR<BR>BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS<BR>LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>I COULDN’T HELP WONDER<BR>HOW MANY LAY ALONE<BR>ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,<BR>IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE VERY THOUGHT<BR>BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE.<BR>I DROPPED TO MY KNEES<BR>AND STARTED TO CRY.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>THE SOLDIER AWAKENED;<BR>AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,<BR>&nbsp;”SANTA, DON’T CRY.<BR>&nbsp;THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE.”<BR>&nbsp;”I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.<BR>&nbsp;I DON’T ASK FOR MORE.<BR>&nbsp;MY LIFE IS MY GOD,<BR>&nbsp;MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER<BR>&nbsp;AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP.<BR>&nbsp;I COULDN’T CONTROL IT;<BR>&nbsp;I CONTINUED TO WEEP.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,<BR>&nbsp;SO SILENT AND STILL;<BR>&nbsp;AND WE BOTH SHIVERED<BR>&nbsp;FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE<BR>&nbsp;ON THAT COLD, DARK NIGHT–<BR>&nbsp;THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,<BR>&nbsp;SO WILLING TO FIGHT.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER<BR>&nbsp;AND WITH A VOICE, SOFT AND PURE,<BR>&nbsp;WHISPERED, “CARRY ON, SANTA.<BR>&nbsp;IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY,&nbsp; ALL’S SECURE.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=maroon>&nbsp;ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH<BR>&nbsp;AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.<BR>&nbsp;”MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIEND,<BR>&nbsp;AND TO ALL, A GOOD NIGHT.</FONT></P><FONT size=2>
<P>This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He makes the following request:</P>
<P>”Would you send this to as many people as you can? Christmas is coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate this and other holidays. Let’s stop and think of our true heroes who have sacrificed their lives or parts of their lives so that we may enjoy our many freedoms</P></FONT>

<P>A bunch of Democrats are all excited about the Howard Dean endorsement by AL Gore, while the 90% of mainstream democrats are shaking in there boots realizing that he has about 1 chance in a million of winning and yet he will take over the DNC. The Democrats have blew it before they ever stepped out of the starting gate..</P>
<P>#1 Reason why Howard Dean will not win he opposes the war on terror and seems to forget that thousands of Americans died on 9-11</P>
<P>#2 He is ahead because the Democratic Old guard is simply that OLD and BORING</P>
<P>#3 The Clinton’s will loose control of the DNC and loose the election but Hillary will run in 2008 I am sure the rainbow coalition will be happy when she runs</P>
<P>Howard Dean will not win he will become another obscure politician that talked a lot of smack and got beat by George Bush I have no doubt that George will win again God Help us if he looses as this country will be totally screwed. Howard Dean does not have the fortitude to do what is needed because he can not handle the truth meanwhile he continues to manipulate a portion of the country that do not really do any research and are blindingly willing to jump on a locomotive that they know is going to jump off the track. He;’s done put a fork in him…</P>
<P>God Bless America and God Bless President Bush </P>