Here is the upgrade path from Windows 1 through Windows 7 (neglecting Windows ME), and all the joys of two decades of glorious screen shots.

Nerd history!

So far, so good. But for better or worse, a soldier’s platoon is both his “home” and his alternative family. Many a soldier has been wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and woken up in Landstuhl AMC. Somewhere along the line, from the battlefield to the hospital, our wounded warrior was stripped naked, and everything he owns has either been discarded, or is still back in theater. He doesn’t have so much as a toothbrush or a change of underwear. Hell, he doesn’t have any underwear to change out of. As emotionally traumatic as being wounded might be, finding yourself in a strange environment with little in the way of personal possessions and even lacking a pair of pants for the sake of personal dignity is even worse. Sure, eventually, the wheels of the Army will turn, and your possessions will catch up with you. But these things take time.

Into this breach has stepped a remarkable organization. Soldiers’ Angels. A volunteer based non-profit, SA has made it their mission that “no soldier goes unloved.” One of their projects is the First Response Backpack. A simple backpack stuffed with some toiletries, some loose, comfortable sleepwear/sweats, maybe a few goodies, and a nice, warm blanket. Many is the soldier who has been torn from his friends to find that someone cares enough about him to make sure he had enough comfort items to get through the first few days. Go read the thank-you notes at the links. I challenge you to read them and not tear up.

Soldiers’ Angels provides many more ways to show your support of Americans in the service. This just happens to be my particular favorite. I was reminded of this yesterday. I was at the Orange County Scottishfest. Soldiers’ Angels had a booth there showing what they did for our troops, and of course, raising funds to continue doing it.

Soldiers' Angels

The wonderful ladies there weren’t necessarily the mothers of soldiers. They just felt it was important work, and they should be the ones to step up and do it. And God bless ‘em for it.

Tomorrow is the day that we as a nation remember those who gave their lives on our behalf. Today, let’s take a moment to help out those who’s sacrifice is only slightly less. Give a little, won’t you?

Crossposted at my place.

The Blue Jay (my oldest daughter) had her first seizure when she was 13 months old and she was diagnosed with a “seizure disorder” when she was 2 years old.

Despite the doctor passing me a pamphlet from our provincial epilepsy association when he gave us this diagnosis, it was quite a long time before I actually put two and two together. And realized that “seizure disorder” was just another way of saying epilepsy.

It’s amazing how huge language is. How it can so easily hurt. Come with so many stigmas attached. Can be used to build someone up. Or tear then down. Sometimes without the speaker even realizing it.

And so it is with the word epilepsy. There’s a certain stigma attached. Although it doesn’t carry as much baggage as the words “mentally retarded”, for example, for some people there’s still a certain sting to it. And if you doubt that, try the word “epileptic” on for size and see if you feel any differently. Think of it applied to your son or your daughter. Or yourself.

And so it was understandable that 9 year old Cassidy Megan didn’t want to tell her classmates that she took seizures. That she had epilepsy. She was afraid they would make fun of her. Can you blame her?

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But I heard the comment on the show and at the time I actually thought I misheard. Quite frankly, I didn’t think someone in his position could actually make such a ‘stupid’ mistake. And, in all honesty, being a black man I would have credited with a little more awareness around issues of discrimination and how hurtful the casual, unthinking use of language can be.

But he has ‘fessed up and apologized. And even been challenged to a face off by a Special Olympian bowler.

And yet that’s not what I really want to talk about.

Except to offer a counterpoint to this, Sarah Palin’s video on the subject of the Special Olympics.

I don’t care what your politics are, Palin could well and truly teach President Obama a thing or three on this topic. Perhaps she could offer him a course, gratis like, as a service to the rest of the country world.

And lest we forget, best line ever:

What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a Special Olympics hockey mom? Nothing.

She definitely pegged that one, she did.

H/T to Take Five

The official findings from the the U.S. Veteran Administration’s Congressionally mandated “Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses” were released on Monday, Nov. 17th, 2008.

Executive summary: it’s sure ain’t psychosomatic or psychiatric in origin.

Well, duh.

Among it’s conclusions:

“Evidence strongly and consistently indicates that two Gulf War neurotoxic exposures are causally associated with Gulf War illness: 1) use of pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pills, given to protect troops from effects of nerve agents, and 2) pesticide use during deployment.”

and

“Gulf War illness is associated with diverse biological alterations that most prominently affect the brain and nervous system. Research findings in veterans with Gulf War illness include significant differences in brain structure and function, autonomic nervous system function, neuroendocrine and immune measures, and measures associated with vulnerability to neurotoxic chemicals.”

and

“A question often asked about Gulf War illness is why some Gulf War military personnel developed chronic symptoms during and after deployment, while others who served along side them remained well. It is well established that some people are more vulnerable to adverse effects of certain chemicals than others, due to variability in biological processes that neutralize those chemicals, and clear them from the body. The enzyme paraoxonase (PON1) circulates in the blood and hydrolyzes organophosphate compounds such as pesticides and nerve agents, converting them to relatively harmless chemicals that are then excreted. Individuals who produce different types and amounts of PON1 differ, sometimes dramatically, in their ability to neutralize different organophosphate compounds.

For the full pdf (it’s large – 450 pages, 7Mb):

http://sph.bu.edu/insider/racreport

The Blue Jay likes to walk. And walk. And walk. Particularly if she is annoyed at her mom for taking away both the computer and phone after she has been on both simultaneously for a mere … three hours. So off she went. Usually she will tell me what direction she wants to go in and I will tell her how far she can go before she has to come home. But tonight she was determined to go in both directions. So I told her she could go one way but had to check in on her way back. Which she did. But when she came home from the second leg of the walk, all was not right with the world.

She was a bit frazzled and excited. Just not herself. “Whew! That was close!”

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