The Watch-Fire..... a solemn tradition.....

Well Sir....the tradition of the Watch Fire....

This tradition started far back in history somewhere, when, after a days battle, the troops/soldiers would light a huge fire for those still out on the battlefield to help them find their way back to camp....

Every year here in Syracuse, NY, the various local Veterans groups sponsor a huge Watch-Fire at the New York State Fair grounds...


It takes almost a week for the wood to be piled and stacked, and when lit...it is so huge that it can be seen for 15 or 20 miles away....

Last years event was attended by over 10,000 veterans and their families, most wearing some article of clothing, hat or patch indicating what Service he or she served in.....

As you have gathered by now, the fire is symbolic to help those lost souls still out on the battlefield find their way home.....it is a solemn event, shared by much camaraderie between those who attend...

In honor of those souls on Eternal Patrol.....

On this first day of the Memorial Day weekend...I would like to honor and remember all those brave souls of my old alma mater...The Submarine Service, who are on Eternal Patrol.....

Ding-Dong the Bitch is dead...fer good this time...

Well Sir...she finally went and hung herself. My understanding is that after her and Lizzie got inta their tiff (good fer Lizzie BTW), the ugly- smugly Rosie went and trashed her dressing room, then went throughout the studio and drew mustaches and beards on Lizzie's picture....now how juvenile is that.

Some one finally stands up to her shit and she throws a tantrum.....well....she's finally gone frum "the View"...**sigh**...thank God.....

Good riddance and don't let the door hit ya in yur fat ugly ass on the way out.....

A heads up.....

Whats this world coming to?

Pass this one on.

A woman said her son found his license plate missing so he called the police to file a report. They told him people were stealing the plates to get free gas. Given the rise in gas prices, people have taken to stealing license plates, putting them on their car, then getting gas and running.

The gas station will have "your" license plate # and you could be in trouble for "pump and run."

Check your car periodically to be sure you still have a plate. If you should find it missing, file a report immediately!!!

Keep an eye on your license plate! Make sure you always know it's there! When the license plate is reported as the "drive off vehicle", it's YOU they contact! Be aware of your license plates, most of us never look to see if they're there.

_____________________________

Well Sir....I posted this afore...but I like it...so here t'is agin mates....

Succinct and to the point...

Following is the winning entry from an annual contest calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term: Political Correctness.

"Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

The awesome beauty of Nature.....

The ACLJ..The American Center for Law & Justice...

Well Sir....

-if'n you are for the murder of unborn children, especially during a Partial Birth Abortion....

-if'n you want to silence the clergy so that they can't talk to their congregations about current political events or issues....

-if'n you want ALL War and Veterans Memorials destroyed because they have a Religious symbol at, or in them....

...or if'n you want to see just about anything of a religious nature eliminated from ALL schools and Public places.......

...or if'n ya wanna see many traditional American values and concepts simply vanish inta the sunset.....


Then this post....AIN'T FER YOU...





Yes Sir. Like many of you out there, I've watched many of the basic values, concepts and traditions of this great nation being continuously attacked and eroded by that most evil of organizations...The ACLU (Arrhggg...it even pains me to type those initials). I watched as Madelyn O'Hare raised a bitch about God being mentioned in schools...and the result...he(or she) cannot be mentioned or taught about in any public school.


Then God was removed from all public property and parks...especially at Christmas time. We're all familiar with that. Then the unthinkable happened...abortion was legalized under the Roe vs Wade decision, and later...that most horrible of abortions...partial birth abortion was allowed. My God, the child is almost born at that moment...then it is killed, cut up and thrown out with the garbage....and we call it "Pro-Choice". Ya...like the child had any choice at all.....

I felt helpless. Vote for the right people I was told. Hah! A lotta good that did. Most politicians will say just about anything to get their weasel ass's elected, and then flip-flop on the issue(s) when its their turn to vote on some legislation or another. How hypocritical is it when a politician is against war...but it's OK to kill the unborn??

Well Sir...I could go on a rant here and talk about all the things that most of ya familiar with anyway, but I won't. As I stated, I felt helpless to fight any of these wrongs...that is until I heard and read about the ACLJ...The American Center for Law & Justice....


I'm not gonna proselytize here. If'n you've read this fer...ya got yur mind made up one way or the other already....so let me turn ya on to the ACLJ...an organization dedicated to fighting the ACLU(The American Civil Liberties Union) at every turn of the road...and they've had several very important success's.


The ACLJ's main man is an attorney named Jay Alan Sekulow, who has presented many briefs and cases in front of the United States Supreme Court, and has a winning record. So my friends, if'n ya see whats goin on in the wonderful country of ours...and it's makin ya sick and worried...and wanna do sumthin but just don't know what....get on over the ACLJ website and check it out fer yurselves....I'm proud to say that I'm a member.....


Ya can also get some real good info over at Stop The ACLU....check that out as well



Cookie

Just fer chuckles....

Idiot Sightings!!!! Be careful, be v-e-r-y careful....

IDIOT SIGHTING: Hubby and I had to have the garage door repaired. The
Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a
"large" enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that
we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook
his head and said, "Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower." I responded that 1/2
was larger than 1/4. He said, "NO, it's not. Four is larger than two."
We haven't used Sear s repair since.
________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new
neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the
removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: "Too many
deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place
for them to be crossing anymore." From Kingman , KS
________________________________

IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE: My daughter went to a local Taco Bell
and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for "minimal
lettuce." He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg. He was a Chef?
Yep...From Kansas City !
________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an
airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without
your knowledge?" To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how
would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."
Happened in Birmingham , Ala.
________________________________

IDIOT SIGHTING: The stoplight on the corner buzzes when its safe to
cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker
of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it
signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, "What
on earth are blind people doing driving?!"
She was a probation officer in Wichita , KS
__________________________________
IDIOT SIGHTING: At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker:
She was leaving the company due to "downsizing." Our manager commented
cheerfully, "This is fun. We should do this more often." Not another word
was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights
stare. This was a bunch at Texas Instruments.

__________________________________
IDIOT SIGHTING: I work with an individual who plugged her power strip
back into itself, and for the sake of her own life, couldn't understand why her
system would not turn on. A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriffs office
no less.
__________________________________
IDIOT SIGHTING: When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealer-
ship to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went
to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock <>the drivers side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively
tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," I announced
to the technician, "Its open!" His reply, "I know - I already got that side."
This was at the Ford dealership in Canton , Mississippi !

STAY ALERT!
They walk among us, they REPRODUCE and they VOTE!!!
____________________

A lesson to be learned from typing the wrong Email address!

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier.

Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, and his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room, so he decided to send an Email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her Email address and without realizing his error, sent the E-mail.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston Texas, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to Glory following a heart attack.

The widow decided to check her Email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she screamed and fainted.

The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Arrived
Date: October 16, 2004

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send Emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I see that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow.

Looking forward to seeing you then! Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P.S. Sure is freaking hot down here.

Add'n a new Blog to my blogroll.....

Well Sir...let me tells y'all a little story. About a year ago, during an on-line debate and verbal sparing match, I met an individual named "Gert". Gert lives in Great Britain and has his own blog called "Developing your Web Presence."

....and BTW..if'n ya been followin some of my recent posts...DO NOT confuse Gert with another individual I have recently come in contact with who is also frum Great Britain, someone named "The Sentinel". The Sentinel is an avid anti-Semite, neo-Nazi holocaust denier who spreads his venomous diatribe where-ever, and whenever the opportunity presents it self.

Now Sir.....to continue. When Gert and myself first met, it would be an understatement to say that we fought and disagreed like cats & dogs, oil and water. Gert and myself do not share the same views on many things. After our first few confrontations, we would occasionally run into each other at various sites we both visit, and the fireworks would begin anew.

T'is no secret that this here Cookie is a moderate conservative, and although I am not a religious person, meaning I do not affiliate or attend any organized Religion(s), I do strongly believe in a "Higher Power", whom I choose to call God. Gert on the other hand is an Atheist. Just one of the areas in which we do not see eye to eye.

Over the past year, I have gotten to know Gert a little better, and have discovered that he is an intelligent individual who really knows how to sling the English language (remember, he's British) in an intelligent, factual and organized manner. He's an honorable and worthy opponent when it comes to a debate.

Now...I could just continue on my merry way, always posting articles of a Conservative nature, but, to give my readers an opportunity to read interestin articles and opinions that are usually contrary to my own, I've decided to add Gert's blog to my blogroll....

Now Sir....one of the things that Gert and myself do agree on is our disdain and contempt for hate spewing anti-Semites and their ilk. For instance, at this moment Gert has a post up, with a YouTube video included, that was posted by some vile, hate-mongerin piece of whale shit who sounds like some Nazi party official reiterating a piece of propaganda right out of WWII Nazi Germany.

So...if'n ya wanna read a well written blog, and look at certain things frum a differant view-point...sachet yurselves on over to "Developing Your Web Presence"...and remember, although Gert and I completely agree on how we feel about anti-Semites and hate mongerers, the views and opinions he expresses are NOT always the same as this author....nor do they always reflect my feelings and view-points......

If'n yur from England, ya might find this interestin... if'n ya ain't...its frightenin..

Well Sir....recently I've had the unfortunate opportunity to do verbal sparing with an unsavory character frum Great Britain named Sentinel, who, amongst his other charges, talks about how very dangerous and crime ridden the United States is as compared to jolly old England......

Now Sir...having been retired these last many years, I'm kinda outta touch with some actual crime statistics that I have personally seen with these old eye's...BUT...the below post is by a good friend of mine, Sig, over at Signal 94.... and his primary job is crime statistics, not only from the US, but frum other countries as well....so indulge yurselves...read this....

It is disconcerting on a couple a levels...... Good post Sig...nice job!!


Sunday, May 20, 2007

Too Much Or Too Little

I'm not sure what I dislike the most; too much or too little law n' order. Either way, it is a direct reflection of a society's abiltity to police itself, that is, the extent of self control exercised by its citizens. If the government is too strong, you have tyranny - a police state. If it is too weak you have anarchy - which can also be a form of tyranny - the tyranny of the mob. Either way personal freedom suffers.

In England they are blindly marching to the tune of Orwell's "1984." Constant government surveillance, thought impossible only a few decades ago, is closer to reality. Big Brother technology has advanced to the point where there is a surveillance camera for one out of every fourteen Brits.

AN increase in closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras risks turning Britain into an Orwellian society, a senior police officer said in an interview broadcast today.

The deputy chief constable of Hampshire Police, in south-east England, Ian Readhead, said he did not want to live in a country like that in author George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, with surveillance on every street corner.This is a country that for all intents and purposes, no longer allows you to defend yourself. It no longer trusts its citizens to do the right thing. Transitioning from relatively peaceful, lawful societies, England, Wales and Scotland are now some of the most violent nations on the planet (according to a UN report). And to fight this decline the Brits throw up more cameras.

I'm really concerned about what happens to the product of these cameras and what comes next," he told BBC television, highlighting the fact that a village in his area had installed CCTV, despite crime rates being low. "If it's in our villages, are we really moving towards an Orwellian situation with cameras on every street corner? I don't think it's the kind of country I want to live in." Nor I, Deputy Chief Constable Readhead. It is a terrible thing to watch a nation like England undergo these changes.

He also called for a review of speed cameras and limits to the retention of DNA, which is taken from anyone arrested even if they are not charged. Britain's DNA database is the largest in the world, with 3.6 million samples.

There are an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain – one for every 14 people. Every person is caught on camera about 300 times each day. A new system of "talking" CCTV was unveiled earlier this year.Imagine, every person is captured on a surveillance camera 300 times a day. Are they any safer? It appears not.And who are all these people who are supposed to be watching all these cameras? I doubt that there are but a single viewer for every thousand cameras.We recently reviewed a gun shot alert system that combines audio and video surveillance. The problem is, someone has to be available to keep a pair of eyes on the video component. Otherwise it is just another way to document a life snuffed out prematurely rather than trying to prevent such a death.We are told by residents that is is extremely difficult to obtain a firearm to defend yourself. Handguns have been all but eliminated (except for criminals). It appears that all these cameras are nothing but an electronic post mortem.
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas last year warned that Britain was becoming a "surveillance society" where CCTV cameras, credit card analysis and travel movements are used to track people's lives minute by minute.

A study by human rights watchdog Privacy International last November ranked Britain bottom of the democratic Western world and alongside Russia for its record on protecting individual privacy. I wonder where the outrage is in England? This truly stinks. The British government has banned guns and now is seeking to control knives.

A Scottish Executive spokesman added: "While violent crime has decreased recently in Scotland, people are still the victims of violence, especially knife crime.
"That's why we will address the culture of violence by doubling the maximum penalty for carrying a knife to four years, by strengthening police powers of arrest for people suspected of carrying a knife, and by raising the age at which a person can buy a non-domestic knife from 16 to 18.

"We are also reforming Scotland's drinking laws to help reduce the connection between alcohol and violent crime."I think I would rather get shot than sliced up by some drunken hooligan. Years ago I had a case where a drunken brawl at a bar resulted in one man receiving over three hundred stitches to close his wounds. What's next on the English list of forbidden trinkets? Cricket bats? Heavy shoes?

posted by sig94 at 8:42 PM

We learn sumthin new everday..... the Cookie gets serious fer a spell...

Well Sir...I guess its time fer this here Cookie to admit his naivete' regardin certain area's of life...

Having been a Homicide Detective with a Police Crime Lab for over 15 years, after retirement, I made a decision that I was going to concern myself with the much less serious things in life. See enuff dead bodies, and witness first hand the extent to just how destructive and cruel Human Beings can be towards each other, and ya need to get away from that kind of hatred, anger and cruelty.

Somewheres along the line during retirement, a friend of mine, The Dread Pundit Bluto, suggested that I give blogging a try, you know, sort of a small hobby and self entertainment. So, after reading and perusing many many blogs, it became apparent that the amount of pundits, writers and columnists with excellent writing credentials and experience that covered the more serious aspects of world events and politics were almost innumerable.

Now Sir...since I had made the decision much earlier in life to try and remain as positive and up-beat as possible, I elected to simply put together a blog that was hopefully as humorous as I could make it, interspersed with various meal recipe's of my own, and those of other good folks who would also like to share their epicurean delights with the rest of us....hence...The Cookshack--Gab & Grub was born.

In the blog-o-sphere, it doesn't take long to make new friends and acquaintances, and I eventually began to make friends from other countries throughout the world. One of the more positive aspects of blogging.

One of the friends I made during my journey was a young Jewish man who posts from Israel, his name is Eitan. As we got to know each other better, I began frequenting his blog on a very regular basis.

Now Sir....I'm 62 years old, and through my Military and Police experiences, as well as my extensive personal travels throughout this world, I have witnessed various forms of bigotry, prejudice and racial hatred first hand, so I'm not a novice to seeing (and experiencing) this toxic arena of life. However, after blogging for a little over a year, I discovered, and was admittedly taken aback by, the huge amount of anti-Semitism, Neo-Nazi hate sites and vast, overall racial and anti-religious hate speech sites throughout the blog-o-sphere. It should noted here that I am not a religious person, by any means, but I do have a strong belief in a Higher Power, a Higher Power I choose to call God.

Upon visiting Eitan's Jewish blog regularly, and becoming friends with him, I read many various hate comments left by those cowardly individuals who hide behind the anonymity of the Inter-net and cyber-space. A lowly breed fer sure.....

As I investigated further, I began to see the vast quantity of the number of sites throughout this medium that are devoted to spreading their toxic, hate-filled messages, regardless of who they were attacking, Jews, Muslims, Whites, Blacks, Protestants, Catholics, Baptists, religious folks, non-religious folks, Liberal folks, Conservative folks....you name it...the list goes on. Pick a group, any group, and there is a hate site blog out there somewhere posting venomous, toxic, hate-filled rhetoric diatribe about it. I must admit, my eyes were opened.

OK...so where am I going with all of this? Well Sir...first off, I wanted to relate to y'all the personal experience I just shared with you. Secondly, I guess I'm asking all of those good folks out there who are readin this here article, to, if'n yur up to it, get involved by standin up to these hate merchants.

I don't care if'n yur religious, or secular. Conservative or Liberal, or what color yur skin is...make yourself heard by these hate-mongering, fear spreading individuals who are trying to foment misunderstanding, misinformation and hatred. Stand up and be heard. Leave yur comments in the comment section of someone's site, especially if that someone is being attacked by the type of person I have described above. If'n ya have a blog of yur own, write an article such as this, and, if'n yur of a mind to (and sometimes this is the most difficult thing to do), say a prayer fer the person spreading the hatred. You may not believe in doing this...but it does work.

OK...that's it....Cookie has spoken his mind. Now...get yurself out there and spread some good in this world....cain't hurt......and God knows...we need it....

Cookie.....

Some Sunday Sundries....

The madam opened the brothel door to see a rather dignified,
well-dressed good looking man in his late 40s or early 50s.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"I want to see Valerie," the man replied.

"Sir, Valerie is one of our most expensive ladies. Perhaps you would
prefer someone else," said the madam.

"No. I must see Valerie," was the man's reply.

Just then, Valerie appeared and announced to the man that she charged
$1,000 a visit.

Without hesitation, the man pulled out ten one- hundred
dollar bills, gave them to Valerie, and they went upstairs.

After an hour, the man calmly left.

The next night, the same man appeared again, demanding to Valerie.

Valerie explained that none had ever come back two nights in a
row--too expensive--and there were no discounts.

The price was still $1,000. Again the man pulled out the money, gave
it to Valerie and they went upstairs. After an hour, he left.

The following night the man was there again.

Everyone was astounded that he had come for the third consecutive
night, but he paid Valerie and they went upstairs.

After their session, Valerie questioned the man. "No one has ever been
with me three nights in a row.

Where are you from?" she asked.

The man replied, "South Carolina."

"Really" she said. "I have family in South Carolina."

"I know," the man said. "Your father died, and I am your sister's attorney.

She asked me to give you your $3,000 inheritance."

The moral of the story is that three things in life are certain:

1. Death

2. Taxes

3. Being screwed by a lawyer
_____________________________________



A Marine walks into a Beaufort SC bar and takes a seat next to a very attractive woman.

He gives her a quick glance then casually looks at his watch for a moment.

The woman looks at his wrist and remarks, "That's some watch. I've never seen anything like it before. What is it?"

"I just got this," he replies. "It's a new military issue. It has a small computer chip which has threat
detection and situational awareness."

The intrigued woman asks, "What's so special about it?"

The Marine explains, "It can detect any threats within a 50 yard radius and gives me an awareness of my surroundings.

The woman asks, "What's it telling you now?"

"Well, according to what it says, you're not wearing any panties...."

The woman giggles and replies, "Well, it must be broken because I am wearing panties!"

The Marine taps the face of his watch several times and says, "Aw, hell, the damn thing's an hour fast."
_______________________________