Perhaps one of the most gut-wrentching films discussing the fallen. Kevin Bacon masterfully portays Lieutenant ColonelMike Strobl volunteering to escort fallen fellow marine Marine, PFC Chance Phelps (posthumously promoted to LCpl) back home. On his travels back to Wyonming, Colonel Strobl witnesses patriotism beyond his his wildest dreams as he escorts the body of a highly decorated Marine across middle America. The heart-felt respect and admiration for the young marine was so overwhelming, the Colonel wrote a book which became a film in 2009, entitled Taking Chance. If you want to know what escort detail TRULY means to hand over a shredded service brother or sister to their family, I HIGHLY recommend this film. I recommend it because its a damn fine film with brilliant acting, a splendied cast and powerhouse script that leaves a lump in your gut after only the first 15 minutes. The film was selected for showing at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and premiered on HBO on February 21, 2009. Directed superbly by Ross Katz. ~ CJ Davidson
EDIT: Here is a copy of his Obituary, thanks to a post from Guila.
REST IN PEACE and May God Bless You SFC John C. Beale and May He bring comfort to your family and friends.
Sgt. First Class John Beale, age 39, of McDonough, GA died Thursday, June 4, 2009 while serving our country in Afghanistan. He was born in Riverdale, GA on February 11, 1970. He worked for Clayton County Water Authority and was a member of Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church.
Sgt. First Class Beale is survived by his wife, Crystal G. Beale; children, Christopher Beale, and Calye Beale, all of McDonough; father, William B. (Dolly) Beale, Morrow; brothers, Michael (Sophia) Beale, Covington, and Timothy Beale, Macon and his four daughters, Kaely, Ansley, Destiny, and Hope; grandfather, William R. (Donna) Beale, Mableton; father-in-law, David Collier, Locust Grove; brother-in-law, David E. Collier, Smyrna; and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, June 13, 2009 at Eagle's Landing First Baptist Church with Dr. Tim Dowdy officiating. Interment will follow at Camp Memorial Park with full military honors. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the USO or the Disabled American Veterans. The family will receive friends Friday, June 12, 2009 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the funeral home. Those who wish may sign the on-line guest registry at www.cannonclevelandfunerals.com. Cannon Cleveland Funeral Directors, 770-914-1414.
A FALLEN SOLDIERS TRIP HOME DONE CORRECTLY!!!
WAY TO GO GEORGIA!
Thank you to everyone in Georgia for honoring this brave young man. God Bless.
Killed in action the week before, the body of Sergeant First Class John C. Beale was returned to Falcon Field in Peachtree City, Georgia, just south of Atlanta , on June 11, 2009.
The Henry County Police Department escorted the procession to the funeral home in McDonough , Georgia . A simple notice in local papers indicated the road route to be taken and the approximate time.
Nowadays one can be led to believe that America no longer respects honor and no longer honors sacrifice outside the military. Be it known that there are many places in this land where people still recognize the courage and impact of total self-sacrifice. Georgia remains one of those graceful places.
The video below is a short travelogue of that day ' remarkable and painful journey. But only watch this if you wish to have some of your faith in people restored.
Please share widely.
President Obama is just 'Barack'
in notes to slain G.I.s' kin
Marine Lance Cpl. Julian Brennan was killed by a land mine on Jan. 24.
WASHINGTON - President Obama has adopted role model Abraham Lincoln's practice of writing deeply personal letters to the families of troops killed in battle. He signs them "Barack."
"I assumed it was a form letter and then I saw that he had signed it - just 'Barack.' You could tell it wasn't a stamped signature. I was so surprised he signed it with only his first name. We were very touched," the Brooklyn dad said Tuesday.
Without disclosing the details of the letter, Brennan said, "It had some personal mentions about Julian's history. I was inspired to respond."
An aspiring actor, Julian Brennan, 25, was killed by a land mine Jan. 24, the first U.S. combat death in Afghanistan during Obama's presidency.
Obama has since written to the families of about a dozen troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. He handwrites the notes, has an aide type them up and then signs the version to be delivered to loved ones.
Obama has often spoken of his desire to follow the example of Lincoln, who wrote moving letters to the families of Union troops killed in the Civil War. He signed them "A. Lincoln."
Robert Rivera, 31, a Navy reservist, said his family received a letter signed by Bush and First Lady Laura Bush following the Jan. 1, 2009, death of his brother, Bronx Marine Lance Cpl. Alberto Francesconi, 21, who was killed in Afghanistan by a land mine.
There was a P.S. handwritten by Laura Bush at the bottom of the letter, Rivera said. "It was like - this is Laura, this is George - not the President, not the First Lady," Rivera said. "It showed the human side, that they were feeling the same emotions. It was truly sincere," he added.
Ron Griffin of Emerson, N.J., whose son Army Spec. Kyle Andrew Griffin, 20, was killed in Iraq in May 2003, was heartened by a note from Bush.
"You get the letter, and it has the presidential seal," Griffin said. "It's like the whole country is supporting you because the President took time to write a letter." rsisk@nydailynews.com
People all around the country have put so much pressure on the Obama administration that it had to “do something” to look like it was standing up to BP. The announcement today of a so-called $20 billion escrow fund from BP would never have happened without mass pressure. But does this fund truly respond to the needs of the people in the Gulf Coast states?
Too much is at stake for people to let down their guard and accept the “feel good” sound-bite version of what took place today in the meeting between President Obama and BP’s executives.
The White House and BP are creating a mythology, or "spin," on what the tentative agreement signifies. Click here to read the full statement. This past weekend, we protested in Los Angeles. We marched on the Santa Monica pier, drawing applause and cheers from hundreds of people, who chanted along: "We won't pay for BP's mess, take it from their bonus checks!" and "Seize BP now!" (Photo above: Kelly Wine)
This Wednesday, June 9, we'll protest in Long Beach at the Aquarium of the Pacific. The location of Wednesday's protest is the site of the new "BP Sea Otter Habitat," named and paid for by BP in an effort to improve its tarnished image.
The Aquarium, which claims its mission is "to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants, and ecosystems" took $1 million from oil criminals BP and just unveiled the "BP Sea Otter Habitat." This sickinging double-standard shows the utter bankruptcy of the Aquarium's leadership and attempts to provide cover for BP's crimes.
Even after the oil disaster, the Aquarium's president, Jerry Schubel, had no shame in promoting BP. He told the LA Times: "I hope they continue to support us." Hacks like Schubel are as important to BP as their billionaire executives. They act as PR agents for the world's biggest polluter while claiming to be pro-environment.
We can't let corporate shills like Schubel have the last word. There is nothing "respectful" about BP. The Aquarium should be ashamed and remove BP's name immediately!
Be a part of this movement and help it grow! Go to SeizeBP.org and sign the petition. Get involved and organize an action today.
The Killing Moodis mystery thriller about dope peddlers, gang violence and serial murder as seen through the eyes of a determined police officer and a television news hound. Dominic Pisa is tracking a parasitic low life drug merchant, Joco, who owes big dues for killing the officer’s son and daughter in-law. Along the way he reluctantly inherits Lisa Powers, a young television journalist who is out to get a great story at any cost. Together they have an action-packed adventure, with many twists and turns, that explores the human condition from both sides of the street.
"An absolutely RIVETING journey through the crime-infested streets of Los Angeles seen through the eyes fo a true master. Bob Louden NAILS it with his gritty and remarkable tale of murder, mayhem and revenge. I highly recommend it! ~ CJ Davidson
“So what the heck happened to GoDaddy.com?”
First of all I would like to thank GoDaddy for a fabulous 4.75 (out of 6) years of EXCELLENT service. Having said that, the obvious question would follow...
In December of 2008, I was sent an email stating godaddy.com was going to “migrate” my site to another server on January (1), 2009. I was very appreciative to Godaddy.com’s considerate emails and thought nothing of it. After January first, I was shocked to learn MULTITUDES of files were missing from the TOWS FTP, specifically the current files for the new year of 2009. I also checked the statistics to find the entire YEAR of 2008 were GONE. More...
The Trouble with Catholicism by CJ Davidson As I was bombarded on every network by images of flock gathering for miles to viddy a glimpse of their shepherd’s putrefying flesh, I suddenly flashed back to ninth grade to days before Karol Wojtla, AKA, Pope John Paul II (PJP2) was sworn in. I was attending a catholic high school and we set up a mock Cardinal Conclave in my Religion class (the males only).
I won cardinal most likely to sneak a kilo of hash into the Vatican as well as next Pope most likely to win. The cardinal I posed as wasn’t the cardinal who won, but I enjoyed what fun you could have within a theocratic parochial school. At least this one had girls. (Tense, uptight and quite frustrated, but they were girls) Yippee! More...
The first thing that shattered my thoughts as the carnage unfolded before my eyes was,
“If ONLY I could clone these guys! I could take over the world!!!” ~ CJ Davidson It was Feb 28, 1997, I sat desolate on Rose Avenue, somewhere between the rock and the Red Rocket; there occurred a nasty incident here in Los Angeles. As I sat in my chair, very well impoverished, I witness on LIVE television one of the most audacious events in Los Angeles or even U.S. Law Enforcement Crime history. Right down the road from me, I watched in awe as Larry Phillips, Jr. and Emil Matasareanu, aka The High Incident Bandits, literally brought the Los Angeles Police Department to their knees.
George Carlin - My Non Genetic Father
- Perspective By CJ Davidson No. He’s not my father. But he might as well have been.
Like George Carlin, I was raised in a totalitarian Catholic environment, intolerant of questions or individual thoughts.
“At the age of enlightenment, I realized that religion was all bullshit…at about twelve years old.”
How enlightened, indeed. As a staunch Irish catholic it took some guts to actually stand up and say, “Hey! Wait a minute. Your mind-fucking us!” For in those days of Howdy-Doody and Captain Kangaroo where all good buys and girls do as their told, Carlin said, “I don’t buy it.”
I would know. I said the same thing. I still do. Religion is a fraud that has used and abused people since its inception.
That is not to say, SPIRITUALITY is dead. On the contrary, it is the CONSCIONCE of George Carlin and I to DEFY ridicule, scorn, and every church-manufactured condemnation to WARN folks that THINKING for themselves is a good thing. It is intellectually FREE people that QUESTION their institutions, in the hopes of bettering ourselves and perhaps our nation. more...
A Coup D' eTat - Adult Fiction by CJ Davidson Ever wondered what would happen if the office simply let itself go into a wild, sexual and bizarre liberated freakout? No? Well I have! And here is my spin on everyday worklife when too many hallucinations take over.
Trubute to Hunter S. Thompson - My Beloved Gonzo is Gone by CJ Davidon A legend in journism bit the dust in 2k5. Hunter S. Thompson had been my idol since 6th grade, inspiring me to expose and write shit that regular human beings would not dare to dream. Lifting up those poilical rocks and cesspool lids to see the putrid reality we are forced to accept...or not.
2K10 Oscars:
President Obama is just 'Barack' 
We can't let corporate shills like Schubel have the last word. There is nothing "respectful" about BP. The Aquarium should be ashamed and remove BP's name immediately!
“So what the heck happened to GoDaddy.com?”
The Trouble with Catholicism by CJ Davidson 
Trubute to Hunter S. Thompson - My Beloved Gonzo is Gone by CJ Davidon 
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