Theodore's World

Dr.Ruth, Sex Sage and Ex-Sniper with the IDF
An interview with the 4-foot-7-inch-tall (140 centimeters), German born, Jewish grandmother. Dr. Ruth has lived through and survived the tragedy of the Holocaust, plus the loneliness of being an orphan, and the Israeli War for Independence. She was born as Karola rith Siegel in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 4, 1928.
“I am very old fashioned, and a square. I believe in love. I believe in relationships. I believe in people staying together for a lifetime or as long as possible.
My parents sent me away from the Nazis when I was ten years old and my entire family died at Auschwitz. They were all exterminated in concentration camps.
And when I went to then Palestine, which became Israel in 1948. But Palestine was not the land of milk and honey of which Ruth had heard. On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Irak immediatley attacked the new nation, and once again Ruth’s world collapsed. Ruth, dedicated to the building of a Jewish homeland, joined the Haganah and was trained as a sniper. On her twentieth birthday she had just finished up guard duty when an Arab shell exploded at her feet, seriously injuring her. Her recovery was slow, but she survived to walk again. It injured and killed many of her friends.
The first fellow who offered to marry me…we loved each other, and we are still good friends—but it wasn’t a marriage forever. Then I met a gorgeous looking French guy and I married for one year and have a beautiful daughter, and then that didn’t lead to a relationship. However, my late husband who passed away, he was Fred Westheimer. We were married for 37 years, and that was a marriage.
We were all trained in the forerunner of the Israeli Defense Force, and for some reason that I can’t explain I’m a very good sniper. I can put five bullets into this little red circle (makes circle with her fingers). I know how to throw hand grenades.
I am what you call bold because the one thing that I’ve learned coming out of Nazi Germany is that I have to stand up and be counted for what I believe. And that’s how people are listening to me, because they know it’s not a put-on.

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The women of the IDF today….click HERE for more photos.

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Wild Thing’s comment…..
I had never known this before about Dr. Ruth. I saw this interview and was impressed that she had been a sniper in Israel.

TEHRAN, Iran
VIDEO from Fox News…..just click on the speed you use in the large screen in upper left corner.
announced its second major new missile test within days, saying Sunday it has successfully fired a high-speed torpedo capable of destroying huge warships and submarines.
The tests came during war games that Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have been holding in the Gulf and the Arabian Sea since Friday at a time of increased tensions with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.
The Iranian-made torpedo — called the “Hoot,” or “whale” — has a speed of 223 miles per hour, said Gen. Ali Fadavi, deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Navy.
That would make it about three or four times faster than a normal torpedo and as fast as the world’s known fastest, the Russian-made VA-111 Shkval, developed in 1995. It was not immediately known if the Hoot was based on the Shkval.
“It has a very powerful warhead designed to hit big submarines. Even if enemy warship sensors identify the missile, no warship can escape from this missile because of its high speed,” Fadavi told state-run television.
It was not immediately clear whether the torpedo can carry a nuclear warhead.
More than 17,000 Revolutionary Guards forces are taking part in the weeklong maneuvers. On Sunday, paratroops practiced a drop in an attack on a mock enemy position, and warships, jet fighters, helicopters and sophisticated electronic equipment were used in other exercises.
Iran, which views the United States as an arch foe and is concerned about the U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan, says the maneuvers aim to develop the Guards’ defensive capabilities.

Kerry urges immigration reform
Full text of Democratic radio address:

“Good morning. I am Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts.
“This week Senate Democrats won an important victory toward comprehensive immigration reform that honors the contributions of immigrants and provides real security for America.
“The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bi-partisan immigration bill that: 1) provides a path toward citizenship for undocumented immigrants, 2) re-unites families, and 3) strengthens border security.
“Democrats made sure that the Dream Act was included, so that young people who have spent most of their lives in the United States, who believe in our country, who have stayed out of trouble, can have a chance at a higher education. We also recognize the hard work of those who labor in our fields and we insisted on an initiative that would allow more than a million agricultural workers to earn a path toward legalization.
“We stood up to the Republicans who saw immigration reform as a chance to punish immigrants. We eliminated provisions that would criminalize immigrants and anyone who would help them. This was an important step, given the fact that the House Republican approved bill passed in December would allow the prosecution of clergy, hospital workers, charities or anyone else who would help thy neighbor. Cardinal Mahoney from California was right to take a stand against this punitive measure, and we Democrats were able to defeat it.
“Democrats were able to achieve all of this, despite attempts by Senate Republican Majority Leader Frist to cater to the narrowest interests in his party and impose a wrongheaded enforcement only bill.
“We understand what this fight is all about. We are a nation of immigrants and we are a nation that is strengthened because of immigrant contributions to our economy and communities. As someone married to an immigrant, I am reminded every day by my wife of how you can love your roots and love your heritage even as you fulfill the full measure of your love of this country and your loyalty as a United States citizen.
“Today, everyone knows our immigration system is broken — but Democrats recognize that we can’t fix it unless we do this comprehensively and do it right.
“Although this week’s victory is important, we must continue to fight so that comprehensive immigration reform finally becomes the law of the land. Democrats will continue to advocate for tough and smart policies that help secure all Latino families and all Americans. With your help, we can get the job done.
“I am Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts.Thanks for listening.”

Wild Thing’s comment……
Come on John tell us one more time…..” I am Senator Kerry from Massachusetts.” hahaha
As usual, you are obfuscating by leaving out one itsy-bitsy, teenie word: ILLEGAL!
hmmmmmm let’s see here’s what Kerry really means:
1. Guest workers – More immigrants
2. Path to Citizenship – Make sure those waving Mexican flags get registered to vote Democratic ASAP.
3. Re-unites families – Make sure that we bring the extended families of all illegals here to vote too. Especially if they can be persuaded to settle in Red states.
4. Border Security – Unionize the border patrol to make sure its as ineffective and corruption ridden as possible. Yeah, hire a few more guys to featherbed the operation.

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A HET, or heavy equipment transporter, prepares to continue a convoy to Baghdad International Airport. The massive truck and trailer system boasts 48 wheels and a trailer with rear-wheel steering. It is capable of hauling M1 tanks and some of the military’s heaviest equipment.
Unit tasked with moving machinery from Kuwait into Iraq
A heavy job that calls for heavy equipment
BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT — An armored rig roars down the open road, equipped with a 500-horsepower engine and 48 wheels.
It’s part of an imposing convoy headed “up north” from Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Their mission is to bring units’ equipment into Iraq after it arrives in Kuwait.
The soldiers of Battery B, 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment out of Fort Sill, Okla., are driving the Heavy Equipment Transporter, or HET.
A portion of the battery’s 2nd Platoon recently navigated Iraq’s dangerous, roadside-bomb-laden highways and made it to Baghdad International Airport without incident or injury.

“I feel a lot safer in these things,” said Sgt. Keith Noon, 22, of Tucson, Ariz. “I think it intimidates [the enemy]. I don’t think they want to attack such a huge vehicle. Even if they do try it, they know they won’t be able to do anything to it.”

As the convoy got closer to Baghdad, the threat of small-arms fire and roadside bombs increased. Before making the last leg of the trip to the airport, one soldier gave some friendly advice, quoting from the movie “Dodgeball.”

“If anything happens, remember the five ‘D’s,” he said, jokingly. “Dodge, duck, dive, dip and dodge.”

A roadside bomb was located on the main supply route the convoy was traveling Wednesday night. An explosive ordnance disposal team was dispatched to the site, and the convoy was held up for some time.
Just prior to midnight Wednesday, the convoy made it safe and secure to a staging area at Baghdad International Airport — without the need to employ the five D’s.
Road songs
The following is a sample of the some of the music soldiers listen to while on convoy:

“Ride of the Valkyrie” composed by Richard Wagner
“Midnight Wagon” by Insane Clown Posse
“In Between Dreams” album by Jack Johnson
“The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers
“Bombs over Baghdad” by OutKast
“Enter Sandman” by Metallica

Congressional Democrats promise to “eliminate” Osama bin Laden and ensure a “responsible redeployment of U.S. forces” from Iraq in 2006 in an election-year national security policy statement.
In the position paper to be announced Wednesday, Democrats say they will double the number of special forces and add more spies, which they suggest will increase the chances of finding al-Qaida’s elusive leader. They do not set a deadline for when all of the 132,000 American troops now in Iraq should be withdrawn.
In an attempt to turn the tide of public perception that Democrats are weak on national security issues, Democrat leaders issued a national security policy statement. Hoping to strike fear in the hearts of terrorists everywhere and inspire voters in the midterm election, they promised a fresh approach, “one that is strong and smart, which understands the challenges America faces in a post 9/11 world, and one that demonstrates that Democrats are the party of real national security,” as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi stated. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid echoed this sentiment, saying, “We need a new direction on national security, and leaders with policies that are tough and smart. That is what Democrats offer.” Sounds pretty good so far. What do they propose? Well, that’s where there’s a teeny problem. See, they don’t offer specifics. They say they want to capture Osama bin Laden, but they don’t say how. They do, however, suggest they will double the number of special forces and add more spies to the payroll.
And what do they suggest for Iraq? They want a troop withdrawal, but they don’t say when they want it done. But they do say, “We will ensure 2006 is a year of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with the Iraqis assuming primary responsibility for security and governing their country and with the responsible redeployment of U. S. forces.”
Gee. I feel safer already.
Guys, there’s a reason why Democrats are seen as weak on national security. It’s because they are weak on national security! Top to bottom, Democrats have been openly hostile towards our military and national security for decades, and that’s not something that can be overcome with a policy statement. Especially considering their actions speak more loudly than that statement.
Throughout the 80s, which party opposed Ronald Reagan’s attempts to beef up the military to defeat the Soviet Union, which would have made us safer? The Democrats.
During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, which party had prominent members come out against the war with the chant “no blood for oil”? That would be the Democrats.
After the Berlin Wall fell, which party promptly demanded military spending be cut? Survey SAYS…the Democrats.
Which major political party ran a candidate who wrote a letter stating that he “loathed the military”? Can you say “the Democrats”? I knew you could.
Which party said military service was not the sign of a good President? Say it with me now! The Democrats!
Which party actively sought to discount the military vote in the 2000 election during the Florida recount? You spell it D-E-M-O-C-R-A-T.
Which major party has undermined the war plan in Iraq by stating the Commander In Chief broke the law, lied to get us into war, and is only seeking to make his rich donors richer? And the answer is… why, it’s the Democrats!
Which major party ran a candidate who said the Iraq war was “the wrong war at the wrong time” in spite of the fact that same candidate supported going to war with Iraq in 2002? I’ll take “Democratic Party” for $1000, Alex.
Which party speaks with pride about the number of people in their ranks who served our country, but call George W. Bush a draft dodger who went AWOL from the Air National Guard? The password is “Democrat.”
Get the picture?
But let’s get beyond the past and look at the actual problems with the proposal the Democrats have laid out for us. First, the idea to double the number of special forces and spies to get Osama bin Laden is odd, considering what the Democrats have said regarding our force levels in Iraq. People like Rep. John Murtha have said repeatedly that we didn’t bring enough troops to beat back the insurgents, and Democrats both at the grassroots level and the national level have echoed this sentiment. And they’ve all commented on lower-than-expected recruiting levels, which may or may not be happening in all branches of the military.
Riddle me this, Batman. If we don’t have the troop numbers in Iraq to win, where are the soldiers and spies going to come from? And wouldn’t those troops be more effectively used in Iraq to fight off the insurgents? This would help to bring the troops home sooner. As far as the spies are concerned, that takes time and training. Are we going to expect the terrorists to put their attacks against us on hold until we get our troops up to speed? I can just imagine Reid or Pelosi making the request: “Yeah, I know you want to kill us because we’re infidels, but could you hold off on that until we get our people trained so they can be more effective against you? Thanks. Love ya!”
Now, let’s move onto the lack of a timetable to get our troops out of Iraq. This has been an issue Democrats have used against President Bush for quite some time now. Now, when the Democrats unveil their master plan, it lacks a timetable. And for that, I’m sending the DNC a bill for a brand new Irony Meter because mine broke after reading about this fact. It’s amazing to me that anyone considers the Democrat “plan” to be a viable alternative to what President Bush is already doing. The Democrats have put out a policy statement full of promises, but lacking in any specifics. I sense John Kerry’s hand in this.
More important than the Democrats’ lack of a serious plan, though, is the apparent lack of thought put into this policy statement. It should be pointed out that if the Democrat plan sounds a little familiar, it should. It’s the same plan Bush has had and promoted since the beginning of the Iraq War. As Joe Biden will tell you, copying off someone else isn’t a key to success. Nor does it reflect any serious thought on such an important matter, which is essential to anyone proclaiming themselves to be the ones with the plan for a better future, not to mention the ones who proclaim themselves to be smarter and more in touch than the President.

For those that may not know CAIR is organization founded by Hamas supporters which seeks to overthrow Constitutional government in the United States and replace it with an Islamist theocracy using our own Constitution as protection.

Once every year, CAIR or the Council on American-Islamic Relations gathers its followers in various ‘hot spots’ around the nation to raise money and flaunt its homemade status as a “civil liberties group,” in an attempt to convince the world that they are something which they are not.
This year’s annual banquet in Florida will fall fittingly on April 1st or April Fools. The title of the event is ‘Partners for Peace & Justice.’
The keynote speaker for this weekend’s event will be David Cole. Cole is a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, a board member of the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the Legal Affairs Correspondent for the publication, The Nation. As an attorney, he has been involved in a number of high profile cases. This includes United States v. Eichman, which established that the First Amendment allows for the burning of the American flag.
Cole also played the role of lead counsel for terror operative, Mazen Al-Najjar. Following a 1997 deportation order for overstaying his student visa, Al-Najjar was jailed as a potential threat to the United States public. In July, 2001, after a hard fought court battle, Cole and his legal team lost a federal appeal, thereby denying Al-Najjar asylum. In August of 2002, he was deported to Lebanon. [Al-Najjar would later be named as a co-defendant in the trial against his brother-in-law, Sami Al-Arian.]
In a CAIR press release, dated March 8, 2006, the group announced to the world that its National Board Chairman, Parvez Ahmed, had been elected to the board of the ACLU of Florida.
In the past, the ACLU had participated in events with the group and had even ‘locked arms’ in legal actions with CAIR, but never had it gone so far as to take one of its leaders into its ranks. About his new position, Ahmed, who is also a speaker at the April 1st fundraising dinner, stated: “American Muslims view the protection of civil liberties as one of the most important issues facing our nation today. By working with the ACLU in Florida, I hope to strengthen constitutional rights and help balance those rights with legitimate national security concerns.”
Parvez Ahmed has written some disturbing things in his own right. In December of 2005, he called for the release of terrorist Sami Al-Arian. Al-Arian had been the North American leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an organization that carries out suicide operations against innocent Israelis. Al-Arian had also been involved with CAIR’s parent organization, a Hamas-front called the Islamic Association for Palestine.
With CAIR, the horrors of terrorism and destruction disappear like magic. Except that they’re not really gone. We’re just made to think they are. This April Fools, once again, CAIR will attempt their magic act on the world. And they’ll even throw in a comedian for good measure. If we fall for this act, the real fool is us.

Wild Thing’s comment……
The only ‘peace and justice’ CAIR wants is the ‘peace’ of the entire World under the thumb of islam and the ‘justice’ of eliminating the hated Jews and Christians from the face of the Earth. CAIR supports terrorists, they are completely pro the death cult of Islam.
Quote from Omar Ahmad

Co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
President and CEO of Silicon Expert Technologies. A Palestinian who grew up in a refugee camp in Jordan.
“Those who stay in America should be “open to society without melting (into it),” keeping mosques open so anyone can come and learn about Islam, he said. “If you choose to live here (in America) … you have a responsibility to deliver the message of Islam,” he said. Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant, he said. The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.”- Omar Ahmad

My website page on Terrorists

From Wild Thing
((((hugs))) all around!
Love you all!

Thank you God for answering my prayers and Linda’s too.
No more tears, ONLY Rainbows from now on.

I love you all and thank you Linda for all you have done to help in this nightmare these last three weeks.

Hi there. ’tis me again, LindaSoG.
This is it. Everything is up and running at the brand new host, there are no glitches, no time outs, no delays, no corrupt databases, no hackers, and no slackers.
Thank you all for your patience while we got everything restored and up and running.
Carry on!

As of right now I belong to two hosting places. The one I had joined last weekend to attempt to remedy the crashing of my blog apparently is unable to handle the size of my blog and website. Of course they did not say that in their statements of what they promised in size etc. But when it comes to having a blog and a website size does matter in regards to a host and what they can handle.
I don’t know all the details as to how this happened so that I can explain it clearly but today, sometime this morning I guess the posts from March 24 up to the 30th have disappeared,and all of your marvelous comments which breaks my heart because you see I LOVE your comments so much. I learn from your sharing and input a lot and your humor as well makes my day!
So after I got home from work on Thursday, I signed up for the absolute top of the line host. It is ranked #1 on the list. It takes a few days for the new host to set things up at their end so right now I will have to make do with this the way it is.
My personality is one that never gives up when I believe in something or someone. A blog is like a living thing in some ways, as each person that has one shares a part of themselves in their writing, their interests in what they post about, and if like me a person that loves graphics, then their graphics as well and their sense of humor.
As friends like all of you stop by and comment it becomes a kind of home online to stop by and have a morning coffee with and discuss something happening in the world. Or a late night chat, rant or cheer as well. Thus making each one of you a large part of a blog and like a little blog family.
All these past few weeks of the site crashing, posts disappearing etc., come down to in reality as a drop in the bucket as far as an entire lifetime of what this blog will be from now on. It will be looked back on as a bump in the road and I feel this strongly. Every once and awhile in life when things happen that are at the time hard to take they build a strength within of not giving up and hanging in there.
The only thing that is devastating when it happens is when the site is down and the idiotic host puts a page up that says to contact the technical/ billing dept. Making it appear I am not paying. But in fact I have every payment receipt and have not missed one from day one with any host. It is just a page they choose to use instead of a sensible one saying the site is down come back later. I take this kind of thing very seriously. So when they do this it is very upsetting and that part I will never be able to laugh it off even later on.
Thank you for reading this. I just thought I should explain to you why your comments on the last few days have disappeared along with the posts.
And now back to the regular scheduled programing. hahaha

TIGRIS, Iraq — Soldiers from Company C, 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 506th Infantry Regiment, conducted a waterborne operation across the Tigris River March 15 to search designated houses for weapons, improvised-explosive devices and bomb-making materials.
While most of the elements are referred to by the cavalry designation of “Troop”, Company C is composed of infantry Soldiers, adding an extra dimension to the battalion’s mixed reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition force.

“We’re basically the brigade Lerps,” explained Sgt. Jason Hughes, team leader for 1st Platoon, referring to the nick-name for Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols that were a legendary force during the Vietnam War.

Hughes and his Soldiers had been living in the field for days preparing for this operation, he said. His unit, a mix of marksmen, mortars and medical elements, had already eliminated terrorists from their side of the river. They also scouted the target houses that were slated to be engaged during the final phase of the operation.

“This was a long operation,” said Hughes, “It started about two weeks ago with counter-fire and mortar operations. “We reconned the area three days ago in preparation for the cordon and knock.”

Three of the houses had been targeted as being possible safe houses for anti-Iraqi forces. During the area reconnaissance, troops observed discarded water bottles, anti-Coalition graffiti and bed rolls inside the gutted buildings. Civilians in the area had expressed concern about “foreigners and outsiders” coming through the area occasionally, believing these strangers to be conducting terrorist operations.
The Soldiers of Company C loaded up in Zodiac boats under the light of the full moon and glided across the ancient river to rendezvous with their objective, the culmination of the work and hardship the team had endured.

“The waterborne training we had back on the lake at Fort Campbell was good,” said Pfc. Harold Turner, a native of Marion, Ind. “We can’t get a lot of training out here. We do rehearsals, make sure everybody knows their position.”

The troops of Company C are adamant in their belief that missions like this are effective in their area of operations.

“We’re definitely making a difference,” said Spc. Charles Butcher, an infantryman with 1st Platoon. “When we first got to Rustamiyah, the forward operating base was getting mortared nightly; it’s not like that now. The number of IEDs has gone down drastically since we got here.”

When the Soldiers moved up to the suspect houses, they received little resistance from the Iraqi citizens in the area.

“They see us from over there, on the other side of the river, but they haven’t really ‘seen’ American forces in about eight or nine months,” said Hughes. “Now they know we can show up at any time, especially with a unit like ours – you never know.”

Company C searched numerous buildings, questioned the locals about possible criminal activity and scoured the area for the enemy. They would leave the area hours later with a few more leads to be followed up on.

“It was a dry hole, but you’re going to get that sometimes,” said Hughes. “Overall, it was a success from an operational standpoint. If nothing else, we made our presence known out there,” Hughes said. “This is what I love. What I love more than anything else is to come out here and come after the bad guys.”

By MULTI-NATIONAL DIVISION – BAGHDAD 4th Infantry Division – CAMP LIBERTY