Free Republic

Fauxcahontas needs to be sent back to the reservation...no disrespect intended to our true native american friends...

From teh Virginia.gov site:

Rumor Buster: Please note that all absentee ballots cast will be counted in a timely fashion. There appears to be rumors circulating that absentee ballots are not counted if the margin of victory is not close enough for the absentee ballots to make the difference in the election. That rumor is absolutely false. All absentee ballots completed properly and timely returned will be counted.

Link:

http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/Files/Media/AbsenteeVotingAvailableDates.pdf

A bit of semantics, but I voted "early"(in-person absentee) yesterday at my County Courthouse using the standard 2012 ballot. I did have to fill out a form stating why I needed to vote early, but there are about 18 categories, one being out-of-town business, which applied.

FWIW - I early voted in Stafford County yesterday, #1648. There were about 10 other people in the office voting or waiting. Unfortunately, they did not appear to be Romney supporters. Elderly and handicapped with a “coordinator” with them helping them vote. I sure it was legit, but I hope my 10 minutes was not indicative of the GOTV effort we're up against since our side never seems to be as aggressive.

Sat 129 is having issues. It should primarily affect the west coast.

I believe the Stolen Valor Act will place a world of hurt on this fraud.....

Great way to enhance revenue generation....

Thanks for the video link!

Any chance at pictures? Our company installed the barriers and pictures would be great for briefings!

Many of us current and former AF types were awaiting the establishment of this fund - thanks for the post. I know that all the people at Keesler AFB in Biloxi were affected. But despite their losses, the recovery and reconstitution teams cleared the base's runways and opened the airfield so relief flights could operate. Kudos to all!

I gave to the Swifties again since they're putting out some great stuff. I also gave again to John Thune so we can defeat Daschle!

I made a contribution to help the cause. Since the Swifties are doing so well, I also gave to John Thune in SD so we can also send Daschle packing!

My understanding of the 40mm grenades used in the M-79 is that they arm as a result of a spinning action. After firing, the round spins at about 3700rpm and is armed after about 15 meters of flight.

What about Clinton stealing the nomination!

I live in Stafford VA which is 42 miles from where I work in McLean VA. There are HOV-3 lanes running along I-95 that switch direction based upon the flow of rush hour traffic - North in the morning and South at night (in essence, I-95 is only three lanes in each direction). VDOT does allow hybrids onto the lanes when the HOV-3 restrictions are in place (0600-0900 and 1530-1800). After putting up with 3 hours a day in traffic for a year, I traded a Ford Explorer for a Honda Civic hybrid. I'm getting 40mpg and saving an hour a day on the commute. For me, and thousands of others with hybrids up this way, it's a viable solution since we won't get any increase in road capacity anytime soon. The HOV exemption for clean fuel vehicles is only approved until 2006 - after that, there's no telling what they'll do.

The administration has requested $177M for up-armored Humvee and the Pentagon has committed an additional $59M. At $180K each, the 236 million will buy about 1300 Humvees, probably less if spares are considered. Also, many Guard units are receiving funding for add-on armor kits which run about $9K per kit.

Some of the vehicles folks have posted are recycles that some of us have seen before.

The Lenco started out as the Air Force Peacekeeper which was originally a Dodge chassis loaded with lots of armor. The vehicle's primary duty was convoy support on paved roadways. The original design had some flaws, including rollovers and breakdowns due to the stress of the sheer weight of the vehicle. The AF retired the Peacekeeper in favor of up-armored Humvees and many of them were sent to local law enforcement.

The XM1117 was another design that originally saw service with the Army and AF in Vietnam (I think they were XM117s?). Anyways, they too had their concerns, including roll-overs, which any large wheeled vehicle suffers from. They also were not too friendly for off-road use due to clearances and weight distribution.

The up-armored Humvees are great vehicles, but the nature of the vehicle and the armor makes them very reliant on one factor - air conditioning. The armor retains heat and the windows are fixed (nope, ballistic windows don't roll down). If the engine, due to conditions or terrain, throws a compressor belt or the air stops working, it quickly becomes unbearable inside the crew compartment for the troops due to the heat. Many times, when our Humvees A/C went out, the troops removed the doors in order to get some air flow; when you do, you essentially defeat the ballistic and bomb protection

My point is not to disparage any technology or people posting suggestions, just to point out that a lot of decisions have to be made when a solution is necessary. When you throw in a harsh environment, 24/7 operations, etc., then it's even harder.

God Bless our Troops and Commander-in-Chief!

Thune is leaning heavily towards running against Daschole, the decision could be made by next week - we can only hope!

I like this poem better:

A protest raged on a courthouse lawn,
round a makeshift stage they charged on.
Fifteen hundred or more they say,
had come to burn the Flag that day.

A boy held up the folded Flag,
cursed it and called it a dirty rag.
A man pushed through the angry crowd,
with an old gun shouldered proud.

His uniform jacket was old and tight,
he had polished each button, shiny and bright.
He crossed the stage with military grace,
until he and the boy stood face to face.

Then the old man broke the silence.
"Freedom of speech, is worth dying for,
Good men are gone, they live no more.
All so you can stand on this courthouse lawn,
and ramble on from dusk to dawn.

But before the Flag gets burned today,
this old veteran is going to have his say.
My father died on a foreign shore,
in a war they said would end all wars.

Tommy and I weren't even full grown,
before we fought in a war of our own.
Tommy died on Iwo Jima's beach,
in the shadow of a hill he couldn't reach.

Where five good men raised this Flag so high,
that the whole world could see it fly.
I got this bum leg that I still drag,
fighting for this same old Flag.

There's but one shot in this old gun,
so now it's time to decide which one.
Which one of you will follow our lead,
to stand and die for what YOU believe?"

The boy who had called it a dirty rag,
handed the veteran the folded Flag.
The crowd got quiet as they walked away,
to talk about what they heard that day.

So the battle for the Flag this day was won,
by a loyal veteran with a single gun.
Who for one last time, had to show to some,
That these colors will never, never run.

It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the veteran, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the veteran, who salutes the Flag, who serves under the Flag, whose coffin is draped by the Flag.

I want to know the name of every person receiving any form of government assistance. After all, we're paying for it, and I want it in three weeks. If we don't get this information, it will come back to haunt us....wait, I think it already has!