Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Pearl Harbor


On this date 69 years ago was one of the most horrendous attacks on this country to that date. The attack on Pearl Harbor (called the Hawaii Operation or Operation Z by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, and the Battle of Pearl Harbor by some Americans)was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on the morning of December 7, 1941.
The next day the United States declared war on Japan resulting in their entry into World War II. The attack was intended as a preventive action in order to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from influencing the war that the Empire of Japan was planning in Southeast Asia, against Britain and the Netherlands, as well as the U.S. in the Philippines. The base was attacked by Japanese aircraft (a total of 353, in two waves) launched from six aircraft carriers.

Four U.S. Navy battleships were sunk (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and all of the four other battleships present were damaged. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, 2,402 personnel were killed and 1,282 were wounded. The power station, shipyard, maintenance, and fuel and torpedo storage facilities, as well as the submarine piers and headquarters building (also home of the intelligence section) were not attacked. Japanese losses were light, with 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 65 servicemen killed or wounded. One Japanese sailor was captured.

The attack was a major engagement of World War II and came as a profound shock to the American people. Domestic support for isolationism, which had been strong, disappeared. Germany's ill-considered declaration of war on the U.S., which was not required by any treaty commitment, moved the U.S. from clandestine support of Britain (for example the Neutrality Patrol) into active alliance and full participation in the European Theater. Despite numerous historical precedents for unannounced military action, the lack of any formal warning by Japan, particularly while negotiations were still apparently ongoing, led to President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaiming December 7, 1941 "a date which will live in infamy".

Here you can see President Roosevelt's - Pearl Harbor Address!?!

For more history about this please check here!?!

For more pictures please visit here!?!

And, like most history making events Hollywood eventully went on to make movies about it -&- near the 60th Anniversary of the attack a movie came out about Pearl Harbor!?! The movie entitled Pearl Harbor stared Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Josh Hartnett - you can learn more about that movie here!?!

And, along with a great movie is a great song...Faith Hill sang the title song for Pearl Harbor with a song entitled There You'll Be...if you have never heard it...you are really missing out...so please go here -&- give it a listen!?!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Letters to Santa

With Christmas just around the corner many kids are writing have already written their letter to good Ole Saint Nicholas!?!
It has been going on ever since I can remember
-&-
I am most utterly certain that even I wrote a few of those myself when I was a kid!?!
It is memories like those that really make me think back about being a kid at Christmas
-&-
how wonderful this time of the year really is!?!
Did you ever write a letter to Santa?!?
What did you ask for?!?
Did you get it?!?

Sunday, December 5, 2010

From the American Truck Driver

Since my husband has been a truck driver for the past 23 years
-&-
since I have been traveling OTR (Over The Road) with him for the past 5...
we can both really relate with a letter that we found posted on Facebook
by a another one of our trucking comrades!?!
Please read it -&- let me know what you think...if you agree
-&-
what your opinions are!?!
Whether you are a driver or not...I am curious as to what you have to say!?!


From the American Truck Driver:

I’m required to work 70 hours a week and if I’m lucky I get one day off…away from home. Many others complain about working 40 and only having 2 days off. If I text and drive it can cost me my career, yet you can do it and it just costs you .........a fine.

While I am doing my best trying to find a safe place to park for the night so I can get my legally required 10 hour break, you are kicked back relaxing and watching TV while you have your RV parked at the truck stop.

When I stop to put fuel in my truck, I have to wait in line while you hold up the line playing lottery scratch offs, I’m on the clock, you are just having fun. When you are snuggled up in your warm bed in the winter, I’m freezing my butt off because my truck is considered a nuisance to people like you, so I cannot idle it to stay warm or to keep it cool in the stifling summer heat.

I help to provide this country with everything it needs to keep functioning on a daily basis, while you seem to want to interfere with every aspect of my job, however you would be the first to complain if me and my coworkers decided to stop doing our job.

So please answer me this question America, how is it that the American truck driver is considered a second class citizen, one that should be banished from public view?

You regard us with no sense of importance; animals in fact have more rights than we do. You continue to take away more of what little rights we have left and then claim a moral victory under the guise of safety for the American motoring public.

We make sacrifices to keep food on your table, gas in your car, clothes on your kids, and a roof on your house. All the while making it harder for us to provide our own families with any of those things, I guess somewhere in your sense of humanity you find it fair, you somehow feel you are entitled to label us, mock us, and degrade us.

Then you wonder why many of us want nothing to do with you when you come up and ask us for help when you are stranded on a highway in the middle of nowhere………so ask yourselves, are America’s truck drivers really a problem, or are we an asset?

J.Haggard
11-11-10

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Friday, December 3, 2010

Peppermint Bark...


Another great holiday recipe for you today this one may sound a little hard
-but-
it is actually quite easy - just take your time - be patient
-&-
you will have a delicious treat everyone will love!?!

12 oz chocolate chips (ghiradelli is really good)
1 lb white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 c peppermint candy, crushed

Directions:
1
Preheat over to 250 degrees.
Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, let it hang over the sides.
Spray foil with cooking spray.
2
Pour chocolate chips in an even layer on foil.
Place in over 5 minutes.
Remove and smooth with spatula.
Place in refrigerator until firm (about 20 min.).
3
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler.
Stir in extract.
Let cool a bit.
Pour over chocolate layer.
Work quickly to spread.
Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Gently press candy into chocolate.
Chill until firm.
4
Lift foil, shake off excess candy.
Cut into 2 inch wide strips.
Chill in covered container.

Few hints when making this:
-Don't make layers too thin
-Take out of refrigerator a few minutes prior to adding white layer to insure bonding.
-Works best with good quality chocolate.
-Look for a white chocolate that contain cocoa butter.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Sharks...

Just remember:

Sharks ONLY attack IN water!?!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Reindeer Cupcakes

Since Christmas is drawing near
-&-
a lot of the school are having holiday parties before Winter Break begins...
I thought I'd share a great cupcake recipe with you!?!
And, since Rudolph
was on TV last night what a
better time to show you how to make reindeer cupcakes!?!
These easy -&- adorable cupcakes would make any child the hit of their holiday class party!?! So, here we go...enjoy!?!

Reindeer Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist cake mix (any non-swirl flavor)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called fo
r on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting
Chocolate shot
24 large pretzel twists
24 miniature marshmallows
24 red cinnamon candies
24 small red gumdrops
1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans).
Make and cool cake as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.
2. Frost cupcakes with frosting.
Sprinkle chocolate shot over tops of cupcakes.
3. For each cupcake, cut pretzel twist in half; arrange on cupcake for reindeer antlers.
Cut miniature marshmallow in half; arrange on cupcake for eyes.
Center gumdrop below marshmallow halves for nose.
Place red cinnamon candy below gumdrop for mouth.
Store loosely covered.