Wild Tangents
Marc talks about life in Nashville, life as a Catholic and life as a geek.

This has got to be one of the most tear jerking pictures I’ve seen from Iraq. The things these “insurgent” monsters do….

BLACKFIVE: Angel in the Desert

Technorati Tags: iraq, politics

Tomorrow is Veterans Day, which is obviously a day here in the US when we honor the veterans. There’s a way you can not only honor them, but help some of those that have made sacrifices some of of us can never imagine. Here’s what Project Valour-IT does:

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers. As of October 2006, Valour-IT has distributed nearly 600 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.

As I write this, the Army team has made it to almost $36,000. Our goal is $45,000. Won’t you help us?

(more…)

From the website Blackfive:

Want to be part of something big?

Valour-IT’s online fundraising competition begins today! Let’s see who can raise the most money to help reconnect our wounded warriors with the world!

WHAT: Friendly fundraising competition for Valour-IT.
WHEN: October 30th through Veterans Day, November 10th .
WHERE: Based in the blogosphere, spreading everywhere else.
WHY: Because giving wounded warriors with hand and arm injuries access to a computer supports their healing and puts them back in touch with the world.
HOW: Blogger teams will be divided along military branches, with civilians “up for grabs.”

The lines are drawn by service rivalry:

Jarheads (Marines) will be led by Villainous Company
Zoomies (Air Force) will be led by Op-For
Squids (Navy) will be led by Chaotic Synaptic Activity.
Doggies (Army) led by Matt and Jim of Blackfive

Non-military bloggers should choose a branch the Army to support.

Now, normally, I don’t take part in the brutal gentle inter-service rivalry, especially during war. But this is for a very important charity. So, civilian bloggers, choose your branch. Choose wisely…

Sign up for the Army team by enlisting at the Project Valour-IT site and click (under Army) “Join”. We’ll generate links, buzz, and get these heroes some Commo support!
What Valour-IT Needs From You:

• Blog and email regularly about Valour-IT and the competition
• Tell your friends, family and neighbors about Valour-IT
• Put up these flyers around your community (I put one up at my local Starbucks).

I know this is a good cause. They provide laptops to military personal at various medical institutions that are specially equipped to handle whatever the needs are for the person. The best example is a laptop with advanced speech recognition for a person who has lost use of their hands. It’s a wonderful thing to do for someone who has given up so much in defense of your freedoms. Is it really too much to ask to give something back?

The donate button is to the right in the sidebar. Please consider dropping a few bucks in the bucket.

What is today all about? It’s not about having the day off. It’s not about the pool opening. It’s not about cooking out on the grill. All these things happen on Memorial Day, but that’s not what it’s about. It’s about remembering the sacrifices made by brave young men and women to provide us the freedom we so often take for granted.

At a time when we have young men and women dyeing overseas in combat, it’s more import than ever for us to remember the sacrifices they and all those who have gone before them have made.

Don’t let the day be all about not going to work, cooking out, or going to the pool. Also, don’t make it about policy. It doesn’t matter what you think about the wars we’ve fought or are fighting. This day is about the people who made the supreme sacrifice. Let’s not desecrate their honor by making it about anything else. Just keep them in your thoughts an prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto them oh Lord. And may perpetual light shine on them. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

In preperation for the day we remember our honored dead here in the US,I wanted to pass along this story.

WASHINGTON (CNS) — With the permission of the Vatican, the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services has begun an inquiry that could lead to the canonization of Maryknoll Father Vincent R. Capodanno, a U.S. Navy chaplain who died in 1967 while serving with the Marines in Vietnam.

Go read the whole thing, it’s a great story. Also please be sure to say a prayer for the conoization of servant of God Vincent R. Capodanno.

I’m sure you’ve heard about the new photos being released from Abu Gharib. Funny, how those are OK, but the “cartoons” everyone is talking about are not OK to publish.

Anyway, Blackfive has some of these photos, but they are the ones the MSM were afraid to publish. Warning! These are not for the weak hearted!

[BLACKFIVE: New Abu Ghraib Photos!]