A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts...
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "It’s really all right.

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night. "
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers. "
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right. "
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son. "

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us. "

PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U. S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq 
Words to live by…

"Real Integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that no body's going to know whether you did it or

Contributed by Zenobia Panthaki

Water Therapy, Physics and Physiology

Author: Ranjan Roy, PhD student of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Water is the most abundant, but least understood commodity.

Water is the best natural solvent on the planet.

Water is kinetic, polar, elctro-polar, deodorizer, and more.

Water has been used for physiologic response among limited elderly people.

However, the scientific efficacious direction for the ‘WATER AS THE THERAPY’ is lacking under the shadow of the industry made medication pushed by the venture capitalist drug dealers and the government supported health care service.  The importance of the water quality in ion exchange, which is critical in the kidney dialysis, is a case in point.

Water Wheel, Quiz:

1.       Riddle: Drop a molecule of water in vacuum. Question, which direction does it orient, travel, and why? Correct answer has an award!

2.       These properties  allows the water to carry nutrients and lifesaving chemicals to the desired sites in the body.

3.       The same principles make water to dissolve, agglomerate, and wash away the unwanted toxins from the body: be it the food overload, additives, fats, herbs, chemicals, and more.

4.       Water is the body fluid acid neutralizer, it is as simple as the deep inhale/exhale regimen with the H+ and OH- ionic balance. Whenever one feel acidic, take a small sip of water, take two deep breath and no more, feel the difference, repeat every 10 to 15 minutes. This is stomach acid control at no cost.

5.       Odor 1: Water droplets as the restroom deodorizer, a wet tissue next to cistern, or the wet towel on the rack lets water vapor out slowly. The H+ and OH- ions help to neutralize the malodor from a mildly acidic or alkaline effluent. The water mist does most of the neutralization, but the commercial deodorizer aroma takes the credit.

6.       Odor 2: Water is respiration odor neutralizer, better than mouth fresheners that give an aura of fresh breath when the user can smell the environment. To control the mouth odor, one may take a sip of water, chew a tiny herb, seed, or leaf; feel the difference with the improved body fluidic alkalinity, and control the headache.

7.       Microbes: An active body physiology is microbe deterrent. Stagnant water can promote microbe, but flowing water and fluids deter the microbe proliferation. A sealed environment with nearly 100% humidity, like the stagnant ambient sealed plastic pouch, is the most conducive medium for the microbes to grow into a colony.

8.       Metal & Mineral: Compared to a plastic pouch in above item (7), an aluminum foil wrap does not promote as much microbe growth. Typically, metals and metal compounds tend to deter the microbe growth.

9.       Microbes require a narrow window of moisture, humidity, pH, flow velocity, colony, and temperature range, which do not come with metal contacts that are alkaline, tend to scintillate in the electromagnetic field, and cut down the microbe colonization.

10.   CO and CO2: Water is the colon CO and CO2 moderator. Water with the right quantity of sodium hydroxide at the correct trickle flow rate can neutralize the acid ebullient odor. Water and sodium salt ratio is critical for the body, like the saline drip. Think about the salty food (Na+ and Cl- ions in the stomach) and the saltwater taffy effect, for the NaOH to trickle into the midsection of the colon.

11.   Water and oxygen promotes corrosion, based on the temperature, pH, pKa (= pH at 25C temperature), relative humidity (RH). The corrosion rate goes up especially above the 40% humidity and 25C. Water at or below 25C help to control acid, and at greater than 25C creates more acid in stomach. These are complex issues between the water, aerobic microbe, and their burn-up rate to sustain a colony. Water wash can induce inflammation, concurrently flush the microbe colony; it is water treatment of another kind.

Water & Obesity Treatment: The health and water industry recommends ~2 liters a day. Some people take half a liter (2 glasses) a day. There is an Australian couple who never drink water; the food borne water is enough for them. In an experiment in Australia, the cyclists lost 3 percent of body weight in sweat, they were O.K; also later, they were rehydrated back only 1 % and some 2%, they were O.K. These are the extreme examples; you are the master for your body’s optimum sip of the water. It is based on the water locked in the carbohydrates, nitrogen in food energy, comfort, dry mouth, headache, and other considerations.

The body fluids need more water to process the carbohydrates; but relatively, needs more oxygen to process the phospholipids (fat) and proteins (phosphorous and nitrogen burn-up energy issue). The American habit to basket after the dinner has some merit.

Try modulating the minimum water intake, with the food, and allow the body to burn out the heavy molecules and consume own water, bio-oxidize and hydrolyze out the unwanted molecules in the body. This is water therapy for obesity treatment. Learn to love sweating, because it takes out body’s unwanted toxins while reducing the body weight.

Summary:

Quiz: How many credit hours of H2O lesson is covered for any health care education? Half a credit, or less!

Actually, every student needs an introduction to the fundamental physics and physiology of the WATER, in the high school, college, and rescrubs when one turns forty, and again at sixty.

Water Therapy is the way to go, enjoy the Water.

Let it circulate, not stagnate, and invite the long life!

Can you add a few lines on the goodness in your water, help yourself?

End of the Article 1

Subject: Read this and Pass it On.

No one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the Military for 20 years or more, risking their lives protecting your freedom, and only get

50% of their pay on retirement.

While Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive Full-Payretirement after serving one (1) term.

It just does not make any sense at all.

.

If each person who receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days, most people will have the message. 
This is one proposal that really should be passed around. 
I passed it on!

Will you?

An Open Letter to Elected Representatives & Political Party Leaders by Lt Gen SC Sardeshpande,UYSM, AVSM, VSM

In my personal capacity, I am inviting the awkward distinction of adverting to you regarding the recent defence scams, deficiencies, neglect, delays, procedural tardiness and the like, which are disturbingly dangerous for the defence of the country.

The Air Force strength sanctioned for 42 squadrons has come down to 32, and, at this rate of obsolescence and ageing, will dwindle further to 29 as appears in the media. The MiG 21s have started failing and killing pilots. The Air Force and Naval aviation basic trainer HPT 32 have all been grounded; the next in line, Kiran trainers have dwindled to a handful; the next MiG 21s are already too old.

The Naval pilots are being sent to USA for their basic flying training (TNIE of 8 May 2012), and the Air Force may have to send theirs perhaps to Sweden! Navy’s Sea Harrier aircraft strength too has come down to a handful. Our Submarine fleet is not up to challenging the Chinese counterpart’s entry into the Indian Ocean, which is the maritime area so vital to our trade, economy and security.

The Army Chief has brought out a list of obsolete, ageing and deficient items in the Army’s vital weaponry, ammunition and equipment. What the Army Chief said early this year about the Army, the Air Force and Naval Chiefs had said about their Services two years ago, as reported in the press. Despite the deteriorating and unsatisfactory state of our Armed Forces as reflected by all the Chiefs, every one of them has said that they “will fight with whatever they have”. Which, when translated into reality on the battle ground, will mean only one thing: that the soldier (includes naval person and airman) will sacrifice himself and be converted into a martyr by the government, by the political parties and by the people themselves. Does this require any bright brain or complex logic to conclude?

I am making bold to ask you elected representatives, party leaders, government officials and intellectual fraternity a few questions in this regard as a common citizen, as an educated and responsible person and as an old soldier of 35 years service in the defence of our country:

I know you will find these questions hard to answer. You may even vent your displeasure over my temerity to confront you on the issues. I am posing them as a common citizen, affected citizen, in our so-called democracy. Yet, I do very sincerely and seriously request you to consider the issues and attend to cleansing the muck we have created.

Military Spouses: Must Read

MILITARY SPOUSES
Author Unknown

It was just another harried Wednesday afternoon trip to the commissary
(that's a military grocery store). My husband was off teaching other young
men how to fly. My daughters were going about their daily activities,
knowing I would return to them bearing, among other things, their favorite
fruit snacks, frozen pizza, and all the little extras you never write down
on a grocery list.

My list, by the way, was in my 16-month old daughter's mouth, and I was
lamenting the fact that the next four aisles of needed items would have to
wait while I extracted the list from her mouth. And in the middle of all
this, I nearly ran over an old man.

This man clearly had no appreciation for the fact that I had only 45
minutes left to finish the grocery shopping, pick up my four-year old from
tumbling class, then get to school where my 12-year old and her carpool
friends would be waiting.

I knew men didn't belong in a commissary, and this old guy was no
exception. He stood in front of the soap selections, staring blankly, as if
he'd never had to choose a bar of soap in his life. I was ready to bark an
order at him when I noticed a small tear on his face.

Instantly this grocery aisle roadblock transformed into a human. "Can I
help you find something?" I asked. He hesitated, then told me he was looking
for soap.

"Any one in particular?" I queried.

"Well, I'm trying to find my wife's brand of soap."

I reached for my cell phone so he could call his wife, and as I pulled it
out he said, "She died a year ago, and I just want to smell her again."

Chills ran down my spine. I don't think the 22,000-pound
mother-of-all-bombs could have had the same impact. As tears welled up in my
eyes, my half-eaten grocery list didn't seem so important. Neither did fruit
snacks or frozen pizza.

I spent the remainder of my time in the commissary that day, listening to a
man tell the story of how important his wife was to him; how she took care
of their children while he served our country. A retired, decorated World
War II pilot, who flew missions to protect Americans, still needed the
protection of a woman who served him at home.

My life was forever changed that day. Every time my husband works too late
or leaves before the crack of dawn, I try to remember the sense of
importance I felt that day in the commissary.

Sometimes the monotony of laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping, and
family taxi driving leaves military wives feeling empty; the kind of
emptiness that is rarely fulfilled when our husbands come home, then don't
want to or can't talk about work.

We need to be reminded at times of the important role we fill for our
family and our country. Military wives aren't any better than other wives,
but we are different.

Other spouses get married and look forward to building equity and putting
down roots. Military spouses get married and know they'll spend years in
temporary housing, so the roots have to be short for frequent transplanting.

Other spouses say goodbye to their spouse for a business trip and know they
won't see them for a week. Military spouses say goodbye to their deploying
spouses and know they won't seem them for months, or a year, or even longer.

Other spouses get used to saying "hello" to friends they see all the time.
Military spouses get used to saying "goodbye" to friends they've made in the
past couple of years.

Other spouses worry about being late to Mom's house for Thanksgiving
dinner. Military spouses worry about getting back from Japan in time for
Dad's funeral.

I will say, without hesitation, that military spouses pay just as high a
price for freedom as do their active-duty husbands and wives.

(Contributed by Zenobia and Behram Panthaki)

A Privilege to be with a Soldier Who served the Nation

 

 

No one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the Military for 20 years or more, risking their lives protecting your freedom, and only get

50% of their pay on retirement.

 

While Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive Full-Payretirement after serving one (1) term.

It just does not make any sense at all.

.

If each person who receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days, most people will have the message. 
This is one proposal that really should be passed around. 
I passed it on!

Will you?