You know better, It's W. People act like this alledged AWOL happened his first month. He walked away after 5 YEARS! Bush may be a lot of things to many people, but stupid's not one of them. Bush Earned Profit, Rangers Deal Insiders Say By Lois Romano and George Lardner Jr. Washington Post Staff Writers Saturday, July 31, 1999; Page A12 On April 21, 1989, a 39-member ownership group led by George W. Bush and a Fort Worth financier closed a deal to buy the Texas Rangers, installing Bush as the managing partner. When the group sold the team last year for $250 million, Bush's share was $14.9 million after an initial investment of a relatively modest half-million dollars. His handsome profit raised questions about whether his name had landed him a sweetheart deal. But most of those close to the 1989 purchase of the team credit Bush's tenacity, contacts and persuasive personality for getting the deal done in the first place. For that â and serving as the team's managing director and public face â they say he deserved to be rewarded.
Yeah, can't argue with that... How did the numbers go DOWN though? During Vietnam, the F-106 was the hot plane in service (AF). Now the main fighter (Navy) is the F-18. The Airforce uses F-15 and F-16. And the F-14 is the biggest and (I think) the fastest. But I believe it's going out of service. Doesn't make sense, but that's the government for ya! I will ask my son. He's the expert. Trying to get into the Top Gun program (took the pilot's test Dec. 1) even though he is only an E3. He has a loooooong way to go. Good to be young! And motivated. Pretty funny that just a year ago, all he wanted was a spoiler for his Honda Civic. Now he wants a $100mm+ fighter jet. (Truth is, I am jealous....what could be cooler? What do those things do zero to 60 in?). He is coming home for the fist time on Dec. 21. I wonder if he's a Republican now that he's in the military. I do know he has sworn allegiance to the Commander in Chief. So that's that. He wasn't old enough to vote in 2000. I have to remember to ask him about his politics now. I wonder if they tell military guys how to vote...like they tell union members. Note to self....ask and report back to Pabst! http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/g-washington/gw-tomphoenix.jpg Peace, RS
Buy your son a copy of "Unleashing The Warrior Within" from Richard J. Machowicz. If he likes it, he can make some of his seminars afterwards (www.bukido.com). Strongly recommended, might help him reach his high goals like it helped me reach mine so far (got an interview as a prop trader tomorrow ). Cheers
Hey RM, thanks for the tip. Maybe I should read it for myself. I got the feeling my son won't have a lot of time to read anything in addition to what he's required to a this point. The regimen is so incredible, he actually had a valid excuse for not writing to me or his grandmothers. They kept him so busy that my first two letters I wrote him at boot camp sat unopened in his locker for almost two weeks. Did not have time to even read his mail, let alone write. I drove up to see him in Goose Creek, SC three weeks ago (that's where the nuke school is). 10 hour drive from S. Florida each way. He had arranged to study extra during the week so he could spend all day Saturday with me, and most of Sunday. I got up there dinner time Friday, we went to dinner, and I got him back on the base by midnight as required. The next day (Sat.), he had some kind of duty, and physical training until 3 pm, but then he was free to be with me. But with no prior notice, he was informed that he had to report for something (can't remember what...maybe a surprise inspection), and couldn't see me at all on Sat. So I figured; well, at least I get Sunday with him. Uh-uh...didn't happen. Someone in his division messed up and all "shipmates" were denied liberty. So I drove to Myrtle Beach, got on a plane, and went to NY for the remainder of the weekend. Had to fly back to Myrtle beach, get my car, and drive back to Palm Beach. 20+ hours of driving, and I got to see him for three or four hours. Bigger fish to fry than seeing the "old man"....but really, the study courses are grueling, and while I was disappointed that I didn't get more time with him, I was thrilled that he has grown up so much and devoted his efforts with such intensity. For some people, like my son, the military is the exact right place to grow up. No mother since he was 10, and I could never discipline him. The Navy could accomplish accelerating his maturity in 10 weeks much better than I did in the previous 9 years. He stands a whole lot taller, has more self confidence and self respect. His friends are not the same babies he hung out with here....for example his roommate is a 24 year old grad of U of Calif, Davis, with a degree in philosophy. Best of all, is his pride in himself, what he does, and pride in his country. His big problem now is when he comes home in a few weeks for Christmas leave, he isn't sure if he is supposed to bring his dress whites (summer) or his dress blues (winter). Florida is not the typical climate. This is the big worry from a kid that a year ago would NEVER tuck in his shirt, or wear clothes that weren't 10 sizes too big. Now he's an expert at ironing Pride himself in it. Hope he cleans his filthy bedroom while he's here Well, sorry for boring everyone and boasting about my boy, but he's what I have, and I am so proud I just want everyone to know. It's a truly warm uplifting feeling to see your son become a man virtually over night. And the best part is that contrary to how things were when I was drafted, the military today is about "keeping the peace" rather than "kill or be killed". (at least it's supposed to be). Everything they are learning so far in regards to military strategy is about deterrence. Winning by being "smarter". In 10 weeks of boot camp, he spent about one hour learning how to shoot a rifle. zero hours with a pistol, and zero hours in hand to hand (I guess the Marines and Infantry do all that stuff exclusively now). When I was in, all we did was prepare to fight. Hopefully, no one will need to fight ever again if we can win the war on terror. To do that, we really need to do it with our brains rather than with our bombs. Which is my real objection to this war. I agree in the objectives, just not in the tactics. Peace. RS (proud papa!)
Congratulation's RS on fathering a son who is a credit to his nation! Fortunately we've come a long ways from the days when we just indiscriminantly lobbed bombs into Baghdad, Damascus, and Tehran. For those who think this war is brutal: read up on the U.S. bombing of Dresdan, Germany.
Thanks Pabst....yeah, fathering a son who is doing what he is doing...with the exact right attitude is the highlight of my life. I can't help but re-tell this little story. It made me so proud when it happened it brought tears to my eyes....so indulge me, and my apologies to those who read this already the first time. You can't imagine how many times I have told this verbally. My mother alone must have heard it five times. This happened a day or two after he graduated from boot camp in Illinois: After having virtually been sentenced to serving in the army, (and almost choosing jail or Canada instead), I now believe that it really IS an honor to serve. It is such a shame that we got involved in the Vietnam debacle. It truly made so many of my generation believe that military duty was not an honorable way to pay for our freedom. I wish our attitudes had been different. Hopefully though, the conflict both in Vietnam, and here at home helped to resolve some issues. Getting rid of the draft certainly changed the face and spirit of the military. Now, everyone in the services is serving by choice. And they all have real jobs. Not just a uniform and a gun. They learn to do whatever they do, and they learn to be better and more responsible adults. And Pabst, as for your comment about the fire bombing of Dresden, I could not agree more. That may have been the worst example of true terrorism in history. Unlike Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which was an agonizing decision for Truman, but ultimately probably (we can never really ever know with absolute certainty) the correct decision in that it shortened the war, the bombing of Dresden was just the worst type of "psychological warfare"...it's sole purpose to break the will of the people....which is an approach proven not to work. It serves to do the exact opposite. Just like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor served to unite the American people. What the Generals were thinking when they gave the orders to bomb Dresden will always be a mystery to right thinking human beings. We should have learned from Dresden at least what NEVER to do. But of course, we really didn't, since they tried the same thing (on a smaller scale) in Viet Nam. Peace, RS