http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/affairs/ en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:16:10 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049808/posts At a reception for an emerging artist, a tipsy friend approached me to continue a private chat we had long ago. "So, you still want John McCain for president?" he said, in the neighborhood of 30,000 decibels above a whisper. Jaws dropped. Conversations stopped. I felt every cultural elitist eyeball in the gallery was on me. Awkward! The Kansas City Star via The Anniston Star, Anniston, Ala. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049808/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:16:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993410/posts HABBANIYAH — One Civil Affairs Group (CAG), although only recently arriving to Iraq, is already making improvements to the quality of life of the Iraqi people. During a routine mission March 17, CAG, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, stopped by the Habbaniyah mayor’s office for a meeting. They intended to discuss the quality of the water treatment facilities in the Coolie Camp area. “Unfortunately, the mayor wasn’t available. We were supposed to pick-up some documents from him, but he was called to Ramadi by the governor,” said 2nd Lt. Matt R. Ashton, the officer in charge.... Multi-National Force - Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993410/posts#comment Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:37:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1987647/posts In the midst of all the outrage, opining and round calls for resignation in recent scandals among some of the nation's top politicians — a major point is getting lost in the muck — morality. Whether it's unethical conduct, irresponsible spending or an adulterous affair — morals matter. With the rapid rise and fall of New York Mayor Eliot Spitzer and increasing calls for the resignation of embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick drawing comparisons between the two "rising stars," it's worth noting the stark differences among the similarities. Both allegedly broke the law and used public funds to do it.... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1987647/posts#comment Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:27:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1987344/posts The thunderous applause was still ringing in his ears when the state's new governor, David Paterson, told the Daily News that he and his wife had extramarital affairs. In a stunning revelation, both Paterson, 53, and his wife, Michelle, 46, acknowledged in a joint interview they each had intimate relationships with others during a rocky period in their marriage several years ago. In the course of several interviews in the past few days, Paterson said he maintained a relationship for two or three years with "a woman other than my wife," beginning in 1999. mo here www.nydailynews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1987344/posts#comment Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:54:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1842808/posts LSA ANACONDA, Iraq, May 31, 2007 – Rifles, pistols and tanks are a few tools of war. Active listening, patience and cooperation are a few of the tools used by Capt. Glen A. Stambone, a civil affairs officer with the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m., the Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC) lets the people’s voices be heard. Most of those voices are speaking Arabic. In order to provide good customer service, the civil affairs office here uses two interpreters. Stambone said one is more of a “street smart” interpreter, the other is... Defend America News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1842808/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jun 2007 00:40:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1800677/posts Doing my morning surf I ran across two interesting headlines and here the are: Fox News: Gay Ex-N.J. Gov. Seeks Custody of KidsCNN: Ex-governor who had affair wants child supportOf course we're talking about ex-Gov. James McGreevey who revealed that he was gay and had an affair with a male staffer. Interesting because both articles are identical and from the same source, but I guess it's all about "how you report it". http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1800677/posts#comment Wed, 14 Mar 2007 13:54:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1692306/posts BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- National Naval Medical Center and Veterans Affairs are making patient care between the agencies easier with the Seamless Transition Program and benefits counseling. The Seamless Transition Program aids the transitioning process for service members injured in Iraq or Afghanistan, said Bethesda Veterans Affairs liaison Anne LaFond. "[Liaisons] work with social workers, case workers and discharge planners for service members hurt in Iraq and Afghanistan and those who are going to need follow-up care at [Veterans Affairs],” LaFond said. "We try to provide one main point of contact to the family to make sure nobody falls through... Navy NewsStand http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1692306/posts#comment Wed, 30 Aug 2006 02:45:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1687700/posts MOSUL, Iraq (Army News Service, Aug. 21, 2006) – Three towns west of Mosul in northern Iraq are benefiting from several newly completed projects as a result of cooperation between local leadership, and members of the 403rd Civil Affairs Battalion. Local contractors completed construction of a new courthouse for the citizens of Sununi on Aug. 7. The month-long project employed 35 local workers and is expected to make the adjudication of laws easier for the judges in the Sunini sub-district by providing a place for judges to meet and hear cases. When inspecting the work, coalition force personnel assessed the... ARNEWS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1687700/posts#comment Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:55:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1686244/posts BAGHDAD, Iraq (NNS) -- The 354th Civil Affairs Brigade (CAB), the first civil affairs brigade in Iraq made up primarily of Sailors, completed its first four months here, Aug. 16, as the primary administrative controlling manager for civil affairs units throughout Iraq. During the first months of its year-long deployment to Baghdad, the 354 CAB coordinated and ensured the successful completion of numerous community-oriented projects. Among the active-duty individual augmentees and Reservists called upon to deploy with the unit, more than 75 percent of the brigade headquarters is Navy. Army Col. Vernon Harris, 354th CAB's commander, said working in a... Navy NewsStand http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1686244/posts#comment Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:45:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1677406/posts Lt. Col. Albert Zakaib, the 3rd Corps Support Command officer in charge, holds an Iraqi baby who survived a vehicle collision on May 20. On May 29, after a diligent search, Marines and Armed Forces delivered the orphaned baby (by Iraqi cultural standards) to his mother. Story and photo by by Sgt. Judith Dacosta 3rd Combat Support Command Public Affairs On the evening of May 20, two individuals, a five-month-old boy and an adult male, were injured in a collision. Troops brought both individuals to a checkpoint manned by Iraqi army forces and U.S. Marines. Once the patients arrived at... Multi-National Forces-Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1677406/posts#comment Fri, 4 Aug 2006 00:59:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1677400/posts BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Soldiers from Company A, 425th Civil Affairs Battalion, part of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, distributed about 100 blankets, 50 hygiene kits and a box of soccer balls to Iraqi families Saturday during a humanitarian assistance mission in Karkh. Nearly three months ago, a rocket was fired at a building within the International Zone in central Baghdad . The rocket misfired however and hit the residential area, destroying many homes. Initially, Coalition Forces went into the area following the attack and distributed clothing, food and water. They did not have enough materials to distribute... Multi-National Forces-Iraq http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1677400/posts#comment Fri, 4 Aug 2006 00:49:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1658278/posts WASHINGTON, June 29 (Reuters) - A stolen laptop computer containing sensitive information on more than 26 million U.S. military veterans and servicemembers has been recovered and a preliminary review indicated no data was taken, the FBI and Veterans Affairs Department said on Thursday. The laptop and the external hard drive taken in early May from a VA employee's residence in suburban Washington were recovered, authorities said. "A preliminary review of the equipment by computer forensic teams has determined that the data base remains intact and has not been accessed since it was stolen," the agencies said in a statement. "A... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1658278/posts#comment Fri, 30 Jun 2006 08:51:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1646148/posts Veterans Affairs head says stolen data possibly erasedNicholson reports agency's security remains vulnerable. HOPE YEN Associated Press Writer June 09. 2006 6:59AM Veteran Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson testifies about the theft of personal information of military personnel and veterans Thursday on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo/PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS WASHINGTON -- Stolen personal data for 26.5 million veterans and military personnel may have been erased by teenagers who sold the computer equipment, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said Thursday. In testimony to Congress, Nicholson accepted responsibility for the May 3 burglary at a VA data analyst's home. He said the... South Bend Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1646148/posts#comment Fri, 9 Jun 2006 12:13:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1632731/posts AL QA’IM, Iraq (May 15, 2006) -- A 28-year-old Iraqi woman has told Marines and sailors in region of western Al Anbar Province that all she wants is to be able to walk again. The woman from Karabilah, Iraq, is missing both of her legs. But the Marines of the 3rd Civil Affairs Group – a U.S. military unit responsible for assisting Iraqi communities with rebuilding local government infrastructure, commerce and economies – are doing something about it. They’re jumpstarting the lengthy process of finding aid for the woman, who lost both of her legs during combat operations conducted by... Marine Corps News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1632731/posts#comment Mon, 15 May 2006 23:35:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1611544/posts Singer-turned-crackhead Whitney Houston has allegedly engaged in lesbian sex escapades after getting high on crack-cocaine, according to a published report. Tina Brown, Whitney's sister-in-law who claimed recently that the star is addicted to drugs and living in filth, has made new claims describing how Whitney has had several raunchy lesbian sex affairs. The National Enquirer magazine quotes her as saying, "It's no secret. I've seen her with a woman a couple of times. They were walking around without shirts on when I came in the house." And if that's not interesting enough, Whitney's husband Bobby Brown reportedly knew about the... Post Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1611544/posts#comment Sat, 8 Apr 2006 16:15:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1609938/posts WASHINGTON, April 5, 2006 – The U.S. military's top general accepted a prestigious award on behalf of the men and women of the U.S. military in a ceremony here last night. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace waits for the ovation to finish April 4 after he received the "Global Service Award" on behalf of the U.S. armed forces, presented by the World Affairs Council of Washington D.C. Photo by Staff Sgt. D. Myles Cullen, USAF  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Peter Pace accepted... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1609938/posts#comment Thu, 6 Apr 2006 00:12:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1605024/posts WASHINGTON, March 28, 2006 – The Department of Veterans Affairs remains "vibrant, dynamic, flexible, and ... forward-looking" as it pursues "the best care for America's defenders," the department's secretary said. "(VA) is strong and it's moving forward," Jim Nicholson said at the National Press Club yesterday in delivering the state of VA. "It is fulfilling President Bush's commitment to honor our veterans." The department is also carrying out President Lincoln's 1865 promise to U.S. veterans, "to care for him who has borne the battle, and his widow and his orphan," Nicholson said. The VA, following a decade-long health care transformation,... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1605024/posts#comment Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:52:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1604234/posts The Golden Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, days after anti-Iraqi forces bombed the national landmark. The U.S. has offered to help the locals rebuild the mosque, but the Samarra government wants to accomplish it on their own. U.S. Army photo Civil Affairs Wears Many Hats in Samarra The Civil Affairs team in Samarra is working on 30 different projects. By U.S. Army Sgt. Waine D. Haley 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment SAMARRA, Iraq, March 27, 2006 — Welcome to the world of Civil Affairs, where in one minute you could be drinking Chai tea with the mayor and the next... Defend America News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1604234/posts#comment Mon, 27 Mar 2006 23:11:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1579957/posts The people who are running from bed to bed creating disasters for themselves and everyone else don't seem to know what they are doing. They just don't get it. But why should they? There is a mythology about infidelity that shows up in the popular press and even in the mental health literature that is guaranteed to mislead people and make dangerous situations even worse. Some of these myths are: 1. Everybody is unfaithful; it is normal, expectable behavior. Mozart, in his comic opera Cosi Fan Tutti, insisted that women all do it, but a far more common belief is... Psychology Today http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1579957/posts#comment Thu, 16 Feb 2006 21:47:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1574701/posts DOHUK PROVINCE, Iraq (USASOC News Service, Feb. 07, 2006) – The 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, a civil affairs unit based out of Greensboro, N.C., and the residents of Nerimerki and Tilisquif celebrated the completion of three water projects. The successful completions are three more successes that underscore the positive changes that are happening in Iraq. With help from Mr. Ziyad Abdullah, head of the Department of Water in the Dohuk Province, the 422nd was able to identify the needs of these villages. In Nerimerki, villager’s braved cold weather and strong winds to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Really, they are very,... USASOC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1574701/posts#comment Thu, 9 Feb 2006 00:01:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563539/posts BARWANAH, Iraq (Jan. 23, 2006) -- The Marines of Team 6, Detachment 3, 6th Civil Affairs Group, take a page out of their own nation’s history books by working to give the power back to the people here. In America’s early years, the idea of a free country was based on giving people the power to make their own community’s decisions. It is no different here, where the civil affairs Marines work each day to put the city’s future in the hands of community leaders. “We are in the process of turning over all the reconstruction projects the city needs... Marine Corps News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1563539/posts#comment Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:19:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1561401/posts CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Jan. 18, 2006) -- Marines assigned to the 6th Civil Affairs Group, 2nd Marine Division, prove there is another side of the story to tell as they continue to carry out their missions to provide guidance within Al Anbar province, the largest province in Iraq. “The stories that we don’t hear enough about – the good news stories about making lives better and a nation stronger – that’s what the civil affairs Marines do every day in Iraq,” said Col. Paul Brier, commanding officer, 6th CAG. The group arrived in September to help rebuild the infrastructure and... Marine Corps News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1561401/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jan 2006 05:47:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1560178/posts WASHINGTON - A special prosecutor's long-delayed report charges that a coverup at senior levels of the Clinton administration killed a tax fraud case against ex-cabinet member Henry Cisneros, the Daily News has learned. David Barrett's 11-year, $23 million probe, which will be released tomorrow, states in stinging terms that this Clinton coverup succeeded. Cisneros was forced to admit in 1999 that he had made secret payments to a mistress before serving as Clinton's secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Barrett investigated tax fraud charges stemming from those under-the-table payments. Then-IRS Commissioner Peggy Richardson, a close friend of Sen. Hillary Clinton... NY Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1560178/posts#comment Wed, 18 Jan 2006 12:40:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1516316/posts JERSEY GOVERNOR RACE TURNS UGLY: CHARGES OF ABORTION, AFFAIRS DRIVE LAST DAYS Sat Nov 05 2005 11:06:43 ET New Jersey Public Radio & Television aired a report Friday night in which New Jersey Democratic Candidate for Governor Jon Corzine was grilled about whether a staffer he allegedly had an affair with -- had an abortion. NJN News’ Michael Aron reported Friday: “The press is interested right now in personal conduct. Corzine was asked about a persistent rumor that he had an affair with a staffer whom the reporter identified by name.” Sen. Jon Corzine: “A, not true. B, I’m not... Drudge Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1516316/posts#comment Sat, 5 Nov 2005 17:31:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1502725/posts WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2005 – For young men and women fighting the war on terrorism, coming home in good health is a major goal, but coming home to a good job also is a primary concern, Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson said during a news conference today announcing a VA jobs program for transitioning servicemembers. "Fulfilling the Commitment - Coming Home to Work" focuses on ensuring that servicemembers re-entering civilian life, particularly service-connected disabled veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, have access to a full range of resources to obtain and retain suitable employment, VA officials said. The initiative will... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1502725/posts#comment Fri, 14 Oct 2005 23:58:40 GMT