tattoo empek empek

Chad Stone

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Angry Clothespin (?!)

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Brad, Sacred Tattoo

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Frankie G.

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Becca Marsh

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One at a time we CAN make a small difference. I suppose that’s why most of us in my “blog circle” write, or are politically involved…just hoping that at SOME POINT…at some point enough of us will take that stand that it WILL make a difference. And, if only to spark a thought one tiny brain wave here and there keeps us doing it. I met one of those people today and he didn’t even know he was one I think. But I had a moment to congratulate him and in his surprise of my reaction to his story I saw the glint in his eye that if we ALL do it EACH DAY, and we ALL make the effort and SACRIFICE to PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH in our conservative hearts, ALL OF US – ALL THE TIME would truly change the world, and sadly that’s what it’s going to take for “True Change” and “Yes We Can”…but if we ALL did it ALL THE TIME, it would happen much sooner than we all think I believe.

A gentleman was in my shop today getting his truck fixed. He was a “waiter” (didn’t drop it off and pick up later), so we had time to make small talk. Long story short, somehow children and careers came into conversation. I have a son in college and one 25 that works for us and in our company. We were laughing that my son in college will be a sophomore next semester and that while I’m most proud of him; his job that allows him money along with school is possibly spoiling him. He makes $18.45 per hour at age 19 working in a Wal-Mart distribution center. He works 12 hour shifts 3 days per week allowing him the week days to attend school and the weekends to work.

The gentleman also commented that his boys (3) all finished college and when first graduated didn’t make great wages, but with time they are all now making money hand over fist. I don’t have a degree, and neither does he. I own my own business finally at 45, and he’s a heavy duty equipment specialist that pays him well with a construction company (or was). He commented though that he has made the same wage (at the top of his career) that he made in some other areas of USA almost 20 years ago. As a specially skilled and top notch construction foreman, he’s lost the opportunity to get raises and move beyond because it’s easier for the big companies to hire illegal’s than it is for them to promote our citizens. It’s NOT a prejudice statement, for we ALL KNOW that no Asian, Muslim, Black, or Beige folks are knocking down the construction industry doors for work. It’s the Mexicans…they work cheap…and they work illegally. Even the legal ones (we “all know” they DON’T hire “undocumented workers”) can’t speak English, they most importantly can’t UNDERSTAND English, and they are a detriment to dangerous work. At least most of the other foreign people coming here speak the language (and several more sometimes).

This yesterday’s important highly skilled foreman with 30 years of experience under his belt suddenly found himself FIRED for one idea and standing on his principles. The Boss came to him and asked him to train a “new guy” (Hispanic Non-Understander) to run this dangerous piece of heavy dirt removing equipment…the kind that have legs and crawl up and down scary terrain. He said NO. He said that he wouldn’t train him; that he WOULD NOT train someone like that to either replace him or someone like him with true skills and true understanding of the job. He went back to his work and the boss went on to “talk” to “new guy”. By the way…if you’ve never been around these types, they nod and smile and say OK when you tell them things while the whole time they never understood a word you’ve said…

The gentleman told me that an hour or so passed and the new guy was turned loose on a piece of equipment. He tumbled it down a cliff, managed to jump away and save himself, but totaled a back hoe. The Boss came to my gentleman and was all up in his face that “HE” cost him THOUSANDS of dollars. His response, “I guess they’re not so cheap huh?” He was fired immediately.

I told him…GOOD FOR YOU. It totally sucks that he’s out of work, but having been that good for that many years I can tell he’ll be rehired in no time. Even in a down economy good people are hard to find and he’ll be OK…plus…he’s managed fine, he has a “nest egg” to last a bit. But…the look on his face when the first and immediate words from my mouth were GOOD FOR YOU!...I saw that instant realization that others of us “get it”, but yet others of us didn’t just lose our jobs for it. With that one look I learned a lot.

It’s one thing to believe how we do and preach what we preach; but I wondered…way back when I was a struggling single Mom with the same beliefs…would I have sacrificed my job and my livelihood for my beliefs? I don’t know. I did it once and it cost me dearly, to the point of taking YEARS to recover for standing on principle. I learned then that sometimes you have to swallow hard and just accept some things you can’t change. Today, I’m in a position that I can follow my heart and not swallow pills of life that are bad, all are not in that position.

Today as the owner and boss I can say what I want knowing that whatever I reap from what I sow is mine to bear and I accept those consequences before I make the choice to stand. He wasn't in that position yet he made that stand...not unlike our soldiers or Border Patrol agents. I thanked him for his service and he looked at me for a moment like I was high, but in that same instance he "got" what he had just done. He took a stand and made a difference.

I admired him SO MUCH. He did it; he truly lived up to the principle of USA. I just hope we all can and we all WILL continue to do so. It’s hard to put your family’s food from the table to such a test. Good for him and may we all live what we preach…it’s the only way to really make a difference.

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This Weeks Hero Was Suggested by Mary Ann

Staff Sgt. Jude Voss
1st Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group (Airborne)


His courage illustrates a combat truth to these veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam: Soldiers arenʼt thinking about glory or ideals in the midst of a battle. They fight for the men to the left and right of them.

And that's just what SSgt. Jude Voss did in September of 2006 when, without consideration to his safety, SSgt. Voss ran through enemy fire and the burning, smoking debris of a truck to rescue Sgt. 1st Class Greg Stube. Sgt. Stube was in a bad way. Uniform burning and legs busted, but because of the actions of SSgt. Voss he is alive today.

Because of his actions that day, SSgt. Voss was nominated for and received the Silver Star Medal for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action. "I did what everybody out there would do" Voss said. "I was just the closest guy."

You can read SSgt. Voss's story here.

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Tonight, I am the newest member of a great organization, the “Sparks Republican Women”. I was originally invited to attend a meeting and dinner of the Sparks Republican Women by a past officer Connie Fent. Connie & I met at the Nevada State Republican Convention where we were both delegates. It was a funny meeting of sorts in that “it’s a small world sort of way” as we both kept passing each other in the hallway with that “Gee…I know her from somewhere” look on each of our faces. Then, we ended up by happenstance sitting next to each other on the delegation floor. After a brief chat, it dawned on us that she actually had her vehicle in my shop getting it repaired at the time and that’s where we first “met”.

The beauty of joining this particular group is two-fold. I actually live in Reno, but both the businesses we own are in Sparks, so I could have joined either the Reno group or the Sparks group. The Sparks women though meet at night after work and the Reno chapter usually meets during the lunch hour. It’s just too hard to get away from work on a regular basis for me, and the evening meetings are a great excuse to “have dinner out” and enjoy a nice night out once a month. The other benefit of this group (whether Sparks or Reno) is that by being a member of Sparks Republican Women you actually gain membership to both the Nevada Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women which is the largest political organization for women in the USA…currently over 100,000 strong.

It is refreshing to gather with like minded individuals who still see Conservatism and Republican values as the course our nation needs to continue in order to survive as the greatest nation on earth. The group has great local and state guest speakers at each meeting and I continue to learn something new I didn’t know before I got there each time I go to a function. Knowledge is power, and meeting and hearing from local officials and statespeople is a great way to hear the views and “see a person” in action in a small town-hall type setting. It certainly makes for a more informed vote when that time rolls around.

Tonight our guest speaker was Sparks, NV mayor Geno Martini. It’s interesting to hear straight from the horse’s mouth some of what’s going on in our city and neighborhoods and to hear the reasons why both good and not so good things happen the way they do. As a business owner I certainly know that pressure that comes from “being at the top” when some around you do not understand WHY some decisions are made and how some decisions come to be made and how the process works.

I encourage any local women that are interested in becoming more activly involved in the community and learning about our local issues to come to a meeting and hear the speakers and the views of the officials we elect to govern our Nevada citizenship. Most meetings are held at “The Resort at Red Hawk”. The food is wonderful, there is a no host bar available for evening cocktails, and the facility is very nice and the service of the staff is great.

Dinner in July will feature guest speaker, the honorable Judge Patrick Flanagan of the Second Judicial District Court of Washoe County, and in August we will be honored with the presence of our esteemed Congressman Dean Heller. Husbands or guests are welcome to attend and there is a nice mix of many men and women present at the dinner functions. Last month we heard from Nevada Assemblywoman Heidi Gansert.

Most members proudly wear a pin on their lapels that simply states 54%. That represents the fact that in any given election, 54% of those who vote are women. Just think, not so many years ago women didn’t even have the right to vote, and now the greater majority of those that get involved and take the time to complete that civic duty and enjoy that precious right in a nation of democracy are women.

It’s our duty as women and the matriarchs of our households and families to know what’s going on around us and know what our candidates and elected officials are up to. Please consider joining in the fun and the self education of getting involved in your community. Reno/Sparks is much like Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Las Vegas/Henderson, or any other area that has “twin cities”. To the naked eye of any “passer-through” one would not know when leaving one twin city and entering another one. Women from Reno, Sparks, Galena, Incline, or any surrounding community in the Truckee Meadows are cordially invited to come. The mission is the same for all and it’s our great state of Nevada and our conservative majority congressional district that is important. Anyone interested in attending a meeting is invited to e-mail me for more details. There is a “Contact the Author” link in the top left sidebar of this blog. Feel free to shoot me a line for information. I hope to see you at the next dinner. Be a proud informed Republican voter…one of the 54%.

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Electric Pick

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Cory Norris

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Rico

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Another reader submission, from Samantha Murphy. Thanks!

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