"Today for the first time in my adult life I was ASHAMED of my country".

"On behalf of the President of the United States...."

MILITARY FUNERAL FLAG PRESENTATION PROTOCOL
A United States flag drapes the casket of deceased Service members and Veterans to honor their service to America. The flag is placed so that the blue field with stars is at the head and over the left shoulder of the deceased. After Taps has been played, the flag is carefully folded into the symbolic tri-cornered shape. A properly proportioned flag will fold 13 times on the triangles, representing the 13 original colonies. The folded flag is emblematic of the tri-cornered hat worn by the Patriots of the American Revolution. When folded, no red or white stripe is to be evident, leaving only the blue field with stars. The folded flag is then presented as a keepsake to the next of kin or an appropriate family member. Each branch of the Armed Forces uses its own wording for the presentation...

U.S. Army ... This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service.

U.S. Marine Corps ... On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and Corps.

U.S. Navy ... On behalf of the President of the United States and the Chief of Naval Operations, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to this Country and a grateful Navy.

U.S. Air Force ... On behalf of the President of the United States, the Department of the Air Force, and a grateful nation, we offer this flag for the faithful and dedicated service of rank and name of deceased.

U.S. Coast Guard ... On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and the Coast Guard.

If the next of kin has expressed a religious preference or belief, add ... God bless you and this family, and God bless the United States of America.
And NOW there is this President’s amendment to the above.
Please read the following message:
Subject: MILITARY FUNERAL PROTOCOL

MUSIC HISTORY OCTOBER 12

1957 - Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song "Great Balls Of Fire."
1968 - Cass Elliot debuted as a solo act in Las Vegas, NV. She cancelled the two-week gig after one show because of tonsillitis and lack of rehearsal.
1971 - "Imagine" was recorded by John Lennon.
1977 - Billy Joel released his album "The Stranger."
1980 - Bob Marley collapsed onstage during a show in Pittsburgh, PA. It was the last show he would ever perform. He died seven months later of cancer.
1980 - Prince released the album "Dirty Mind".
1984 - Anne Murray won the Country Music Association’s Album of the Year Award for "A Little Good News". Murray was the first woman to achieve this award.
1987 - Chuck Berry was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1987 - The Chuck Berry biographical film "Hail, Hail Rock & Roll" premiered.
1988 - Keith Richards appeared as a musical guest on "Saturday Night Live."
1992 - The U.S. Postal Service announced the commemorative stamp booklet that would include Bill Haley, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter, Dinah Washington, and Otis Redding.
1994 - "Elvis Aaron Presley - The Tribute" was aired as a pay-per-view special.
1996 - Jimmy Chamberlin, formerly of the Smashing Pumpkins, pled guilty to disorderly conduct in connection with the heroin related death of Jonathan Melvin.
2001 - Liza Minnelli performed at the White House at a Columbus Day celebration.
2004 - Beanie Sigel was sentenced to a year in federal prison on a gun-possession charge that stemmed from a traffic stop in 2002.
2004 - It was announced that all legal documents for Britney Spears' marriage to dancer Kevin Federline had been filed. The marriage had taken place on September 18, 2004.

SOUL FOOD

Barbara Ward-Finneran

Dream big dreams, but relish all the small goals along the way.  Those small steps change things. You'll only catch flight on your dreams if your desires and actions push you to soar.

Keep the promises that you make to yourself!

Photo Courtesy of Barbara Ward-Finneran and Drawn 2 Design, LLC

©  All Rights Reserved

5 NUTRITION TIPS FOR WOMEN

If you could only do 5 things to help yourself to lose weight and feel better, these are the 5 to start with!

Iron Women • Iron-deficiency anemia is very common in women. For premenopausal

women, the recommended iron intake is 18 mg, and it increases to

27 mg for pregnant women. Our No. 1 nutrition tip for women is to regularly eat

foods rich in iron, such as meat, shellfish, beans and enriched cereals.

Bone Up on Calcium & Vitamin D • Calcium builds and strengthens bones and

teeth. It is also important in maintaining normal heart beat and regulating blood

pressure. Vitamin D plays an integral role in calcium metabolism. Women with

vitamin D insufficiency absorb less than 10 percent of available calcium.

Love Your Dark Greens • Green vegetables such as kale, chard, collard greens,

bokchoy, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, etc. are packed with vitamins A

and C, fiber and phytonutrients. In addition, they are also high in folate, an

important vitamin for pregnant women to prevent neural-tube defects in infants

.

Go Berries • Berries are loaded with vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients.

Indeed, fresh berries are some of the most powerful disease-fighting foods

available as they top the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score

chart, which is a method of measuring antioxidant activity.

Eat Breakfast • Breakfast gives you the fuel to start a new day. It also helps

maintain your weight. When we skip a meal, our body thinks that we are in

starvation mode and slows down our metabolism as a means to compensate.

We then tend to overeat at the next meal. Source: www.healthcastle.com

GOING OUT ON A LIMB...LITERALLY

Tony Walker
I'm already looking towards next summer.
No this isn't a "I hate winter" bitch and moan session.
I have good reason to look towards next summer.

With Social Security paying me next to nothing then cutting my pay this past June (I am making less than nothing now!) and my discrimination lawsuit against Verizon moving at a slow pace, I need money now. I need to focus on my new career of performing. I need to move forward.
So I've come up with a business idea that may be the answer to my financial problems, which then means it may fix some marriage issues.

FINDING MY WAY BACK TO LIFE....and the LOUNGE

Jenn Copp

I have to start off by saying I miss the Lounge. I have been gone way to long. Sometimes your life takes a turn and the stories you go through you don't feel are worth listening to or sharing. I think "I" don't even want to read it. But in the end, through all my struggles I have learned that I help people. So I am back. 

I have to say dating in my forties is probably my hardest struggle. Here we are at this stage of the game and you want things perfect. You think I have been through so much and I don't want to settle, so, your bucket list is pretty high for the match you are looking to make. Everyone keeps telling me ..You are the strongest person I know.  You chose not to settle for your husband because you wanted better for yourself. Keep plugging away Jenn. Well on that note I feel like I try. 

Putting yourself out there again and again is not easy. The awkward first meet alone is worthy enough to make me stay home. I am truly a hopeful romantic and in this day and age I question is; Is that even realistic?  Will I ever meet that guy that just gets me at Hello. The moment we lock eyes I would never want to leave their side and vice versa. I have to say I know I want that and more. It is not even an item on my bucket list. It is more ... I want that person that is my best friend. They will laugh with me, cry with me and everything in between. 

WANNA LAUGH?!?!

A business man from New York decided to quit his job and buy a 200 acre
spread in Montana. One day while out riding his horse, he came across
another man on horseback. The man told him he was his next door neighbor
and he was having a get-together the coming weekend. He said: I have to
warn you though, there will be alot of drinking at this party. The city
slicker said no problem. There will also be sex going on. No problem he
responded. Well, There will probably be some fighting too. I think I can
handle myself, claimed the new neighbor. As he rode off, he turned and
asked the party host. "By the way, what should I wear at the party" The
man, responded "Oh, it don't matter, It's only going to be me and you!"

LOSING GRUB; A MEMORIAL

If you remember, DRL introduced you to some of the residents at the Center for Great Apes not too long ago. One of the very special chimpanzees at the center that we highlighted was Grub. We are heartbroken to announce that Grub has passed away after a sudden illness. 

Check out his story at

http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/07/meet-grub.html and read his touching memorial below!

Memorial for Grub

Losing one of our great ape residents is the hardest and saddest part of our work in providing sanctuary care for them. This week, our hearts are breaking with the loss of our first chimpanzee resident at the Center for Great Apes – our precious Grub.

Grub was the most wonderful chimpanzee and had many fans and friends, both chimp and human. He passed Tuesday after a sudden i...llness that was advanced and terminal. He was 20 years old.

While Grub is not suffering and is out of pain now, our grief comes from a sense of great loss in not having him physically in our lives anymore. But I realize that all the wonderful qualities and intelligence expressed by Grub… along with the joy and sweetness he brought to others… will always be in our thoughts and memories and did not pass away with Grub.

Today, I am remembering the happiest part of Grub’s life and the things that made Grub such a special and dear fellow.

Grub has been in my care since he was 12 weeks old when he arrived at a Miami tourist attraction in 1991 where I was already volunteering to care for infant orangutan Pongo. As I helped to take care of several infant apes there, I became more aware of issues around the retirement of hand-raised apes used in entertainment and also as pets. It was Pongo and Grub (and concern for their future) who provided the impetus to start a sanctuary for orangutans and chimpanzees coming out of these situations.

It is because of Grub thatover 30 chimpanzees have had a home at our sanctuary over the past 18 years.

STEVE JOBS 1955-2011... THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD

WHAT WILL YOU DO TO CHANGE THE WORLD...

OR AT LEAST YOUR LITTLE CORNER OF IT?

Read on... Be inspired!

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've encountered to help me make the big choices in life. 

Sometimes life is going to hit you with a brick. Don't lose faith.

Death is the destination we all share.  No one has ever escaped it, and that is how it should be."

"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

"Click. Boom. Amazing!"

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

“I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.”

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully."

”I think the key thing is that we’re not all terrified at the same time. I mean, we do put our heart and soul into these things.”

“We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life."

"Life is brief, and then you die, you know?"

And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.”

PARENTING 101

FEAR NOT!

By Deanna Verbouwens

Drowning, Abductions, Choking, Oh MY! I keep myself awake at night thinking about all these terrible things that could happen to my children. These are fears that send me running for a bag of Lays along with getting run-over, home-invasions, and fire (I get some sense of security when my FDNY hubby is home, I know he can handle at least one thing besides playing solitaire on the PC). I realize that the chances of these things happening are rare, well maybe not too rare but the odds are probably NOT against me. Illogical perhaps, scary as Jason sure and definitely a little bit crazy. Absofuckinglutley. And here’s how crazy--I have a ritual before bed each night, I set-up booby traps by every door and window, then I check on the kids to make sure they’re breathing, next I take the cell phone into my bedroom and turn off the lights to make sure I can dial 911 in the dark, and last but not least I run several different escape plans through my head before I close my eyes. I know, I know, crazy as drunk doing the Macarena.

You’d think that I would have had homing devices implanted in my kid’s asses or at least wrap them in bubble wrap before they left the house. Hey, now that I think about it - not bad ideas. The homing devices would be magical when they are teenagers because I’d know where they were at all times. I can see it now: I’d have a map in the my closet covered with little red push pins as I tracked their every move and maybe I could rig it so an alarm would sound when they hit the local 7-11 to try and buy beer with a fake ID of some random 52 year old man. Now that would give me peace of mind.