Weekend Humor

A 6 year old  girl and her 4 year old brother are upstairs in their bedroom. "You know what?" says the 6 year old girl "I think it's about time we started cussin." Her 4 year brother  nods his head in approval. The 6 year old girl continues, "When we go downstairs for breakfast, I'm gonna say something with hell  in it and you say something with ass." Her 4 year old brother agrees with enthusiasm.

When the mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6 year old girl what she wants for breakfast, She replies, "Aww hell, Mom.. I guess I'll have some Cheerios."

WHACK!

She flies out of her chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying her eyes out, with her mother in hot pursuit, slapping her rear end with every step. Her Mom locks her in her room and shouts, "You can stay there until I let you out! cussin like you aint got good sense , not in my house!"

She then comes back downstairs, looks at her 4 year old  son and asks  him with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man?"

"I don't know," he blubbers, "but you can bet your fat ass it won't be Cheerios."

Extending The Olive Branch

They are calling this spring the "Arab Spring" We have seen peaceful pro-democracy revolutions in Egpyt and a few other Arab states and a not so peaceful uprising in Libya...Amongst these Arab States, the one thing I notice that is missing is the fanatical muslim fundamentalism...If this trend is indeed a new trend, then the steps President Obama is said to be making now are right in tune with this trend.

Amid searing change in the Middle East and North Africa, President Barack Obama will address U.S. policy toward the region in a speech that could be delivered as early as next week.



Aides said President Obama's emphasis would be regional and political, highlighting the democratic values that have linked the popular uprisings that started in Tunisia and Egypt and quickly spread throughout the region that I spoke about or alluded to in my first paragraph. President Obama is not expected to focus on religion, as he did in his address to the Muslim world during a 2009 trip to Cairo.

President Obama had originally planned to deliver the speech during the first week of May, but it was pushed back because of the raid in Pakistan that led to the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. A new date has not been officially set, but the White House said that President Obama could speak before he leaves for a nearly weeklong trip to Europe next weekend. The speech would be in this country, not overseas.



Osama Bin Laden's death has given the White House an opportunity to cast al-Qaida as a movement past its prime, as young people throughout the Middle East and North Africa turn to peaceful political protest, not terrorism, to vent their grievances.

"It's an interesting coincidence of timing — that he is killed at the same time that you have a model emerging in the region of change that is completely the opposite of bin Laden's model," Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser at the White House, told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the planned speech on Tuesday.



President Obama plans to make the case that Osama bin Laden represented a failed approach of the past while populist movements brewing in the Middle East and North Africa represent the future, U.S. officials told the Journal.



The United States has struggled to find a consistent approach to the political uprisings that have swept through the region. While President Obama publicly called for longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak to step down from power, he has not challenged the legitimacy of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose forces are leading a bloody crackdown against political protesters.



The White House says there are no plans for military action to stop that crackdown, despite the U.S., along with European and Arab allies, using military power to try to stop government-backed forces from attacking civilians in Strongman Moammar Gadhafi's Libya. I always wanted to write that..."Strongman" I used to see it written about dictators like Idi Amin back in the 80's and I always wondered why Dictators were referred to as "Strongmen" but I digress...



The White House has said that each country is unique and therefore the U.S. response must be as well. But President Obama's aides, and the State Department in particular, have grown anxious for the president to publicly outline his thoughts and policies on the Arab awakening in a comprehensive way.



Though details of the speech are still being decided, the president is expected to highlight the underlying values that have united political movements throughout the region, including the yearning for more freedom and better standards of living.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also hinted at some of the themes President Obama said he would touch on during the speech, noting that the U.S. is focused on partnerships not just with governments in the Middle East and North Africa, but also the peoples of the region.



"We start from the understanding that America's core interests and values have not changed, including our commitment to promote human rights, resolve longstanding conflicts, counter Iran's threats, and defeat al-Qaida and its extremist allies," she said during a speech in Washington last month.



A far cry from the Cowboy rhetoric of the last administration...Very refreshing too!

President Obama's agenda next week will already be heavily focused on the Middle East, with Jordan's King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making separate visits to the White House.



President Obama is not expected to detail a fresh path for peace between Israel and the Palestinians in his speech, although he is likely to discuss the conflict in the context of the wider region and note that the ongoing changes elsewhere in the Middle East could actually help the peace process.



Again I say, a refreshing difference from what we had been hearing for eight years amidst a world of increasing tensions...I don't know about you, but for the first time in a long time...probably simce September 11, 2001...I feel kind of optimistic about this country's foreign policy!

Memphis ?

My Family is having it's bi-annual family reunion in Memphis this coming July. No, I don't have any relatives in Memphis that I know of...No, I've never been there before...and No, I had nothing to do with the planning or logistics of this family reunion...but...This is where we have decided to meet and fellowship this coming July.

I'm planning to go to Memphis just the same.  My only frames of reference is that Elvis lived there and it is the home of Graceland, which I guiltily confess...I want to see.  (I want to see Michael Jackson's Neverland too. Don't judge me! The "Civil Rights Museum" ,formerly, the Hotel Lorainne where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered is also there. Yes...I want to see that too.

I saw the independent movie -"Insecure" ,which featured my frat brother, radio personality...Nephew Tommy, from the Steve Harvey Morning show ,which was shot on location in Memphis..Oh and last but not least...I've become a fan of the surprising Memphis Grizzlies basketball team..So there are my frames of reference. I plan to take a train to Memphis this summer. I'm not taking a plane...We just killed Bin Laden...Nobody ever tried to hijack a train to Cuba or run a train into a building.

Memphis is starting to look a lot like New Orleans...They've been having flood problems or near flood problems..The Mississippi River began cresting and hit nearly 48 feet early yesterday, falling short of a record but wreaking havoc across Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi as tributaries and creeks swollen from the flooded waterway spilled over their banks into residential, business and farming areas.

At 7 a.m. Central time Tuesday the water level reached 47.87 feet as the coffee-colored river cut through Memphis, swallowing much of the riverfront recreation area. The tourist riverboat Capt. John T. Lozier, usually about 30 feet from the riverside street, bobbed just a few feet from where onlookers gathered to take pictures and gape at the yawning river. The cobblestone walkway that runs parallel to the street was under water, as were no-parking signs, trash cans, the plank leading to the riverboat, and large swaths of Mud Island, just off the coast of downtown.

Only a small mound of grass, with state, federal and local flags flying from their poles, was visible from the downtown area Tuesday as the bike paths, walkways and long grassy stretches of the recreational area remained submerged. What might I and my family be getting ourselves into?

There was no danger to Memphis' major tourist draws, such as Graceland, which lies far beyond the water's reach, and much of the city appeared normal. Levees built to prevent massive flooding were holding, according to the Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday. Shelby County and four others were declared disaster areas by President Obama late Monday. The designation means that they'll be eligible for federal disaster aid, which local officials say is much-needed.

Cleanup was expected to be massive, and there were fears that farmland and cities further south could yet be devastated. Inmates in Louisiana's largest prison were taken to higher ground, and farmers were building homemade levees to protect their crops. Engineers diverted water into Lake Pontchartrain to ease the pressure on levees around New Orleans, where levee failures after Hurricane Katrina virtually drowned the city.

The flooding is the result of heavy rains recently and unusually heavy snow over the winter further north that began melting and adding to the already swollen Mississippi.
There was no danger to Memphis' major tourist draws, such as Graceland, which lies far beyond the water's reach, and much of the city appeared normal. Levees built to prevent massive flooding were holding, according to the Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday. Shelby County and four others were declared disaster areas by President Obama late Monday. The designation means that they'll be eligible for federal disaster aid, which local officials say is much-needed.

Cleanup was expected to be massive, and there were fears that farmland and cities further south could yet be devastated. Inmates in Louisiana's largest prison were taken to higher ground, and farmers were building homemade levees to protect their crops. Engineers diverted water into Lake Pontchartrain to ease the pressure on levees around New Orleans, where levee failures after Hurricane Katrina virtually drowned the city.The flooding is the result of heavy rains recently and unusually heavy snow over the winter further north that began melting and adding to the already swollen Mississippi.



It was unclear if the water would rise further. At a morning news briefing, Bob Nations, director of the Shelby County Office of Preparedness in Memphis, said officials were "fairly confident" that the river had reached its peak in the city but he said the cresting was "an 'ing' thing" and that the water could go higher. "Right now we're below record, thank goodness," he said, alluding to the 1937 floods that occurred when the Mississippi crested at 48.7 feet. "But I say that with a lot of caution."

Mr.Nations said it could be several days before water levels go down. "People have to understand that we consider this still a bit unpredictable but definitely a dangerous environment. It's not the time for citizens to necessarily start cleaning up. It's just a time for great patience."

Dangers included power lines submerged in flood waters, a situation that caused officials to cut power to about 1,500 people in Memphis to prevent electrocution. "What it all boils down to … is that's a very dangerous situation," said Callen Hays, a crisis management coordinator at Memphis' Light, Gas and Water Division. Hays compared the potential catastrophe to being in a bathtub and having someone "throw a toaster into it."

Cain also warned that the floods probably had sent wildlife, ranging from deer to some dangerous snakes, inland, making it more important for the hundreds of evacuees from low-lying areas to be cautious when they return home. It was unclear when that might be, though. In Dyer County, one of the hardest-hit areas, James Medling, director of emergency management, said the river would need to drop eight or nine feet before things returned to normal. "It's going to be a while yet," he said.

There was no danger to Memphis' major tourist draws, such as Graceland, which lies far beyond the water's reach, and much of the city appeared normal. Levees built to prevent massive flooding were holding, according to the Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday. Shelby County and four others were declared disaster areas by President Obama late Monday. The designation means that they'll be eligible for federal disaster aid, which local officials say is much-needed.

Cleanup was expected to be massive, and there were fears that farmland and cities further south could yet be devastated. Inmates in Louisiana's largest prison were taken to higher ground, and farmers were building homemade levees to protect their crops. Engineers diverted water into Lake Pontchartrain to ease the pressure on levees around New Orleans, where levee failures after Hurricane Katrina virtually drowned the city.

The flooding is the result of heavy rains recently and unusually heavy snow over the winter further north that began melting and adding to the already swollen Mississippi.

Okay...So I'm still going to take a chance...It's May..and barring anymore rain...Memphis should be as dry as a bone by July ,when I take the train there...right? right?....Stay tuned!

Random Thoughts

1. Looks like The Lakers , The San Antonio Spurs and possibly the Celtics are having or (in the case of the latter two) have had their last hurrah...There is a new pecking order about to begin in the NBA.

2.I've noticed that this blog has been dropped from the blog rolls of some of the people I used to commiserate with in the so called blogosphere...I don't take it personally...I suppose it's because I don't come around much anymore...(as in comment) Facebook and Twitter will do that to you!

3. Don't you just hate people who switch lanes all of  a sudden and don't use their turn signals?

4.Jennifer Hudson's song -"Where You At?" reminds me of every sister I know, who's been mis treated and lied to over and over again by the same guy...

5. Is it me or is an inordinate number of reporters "accidentally" saying "Obama" , when they actually mean ''Osama"? Hmmmmmmmm!

6.And speaking of Osama Bin Laden...Now that he's dead...will there be a group called  "Deathers" Who'll demand to see a death  certificate or photos of his corpse??? Eeeek...(This is so stupid, no illustration is necessary!)

7.Isn't it Amazing how gas just quietly creeped up to four dollars or more?

8.Back on Osama Bin Laden again...You know...People keep saying that he was living in a mansion...but I saw that place he was staying in...You mean to tell me that for one million bucks, he couldn't do any better than this???

9.Why Is "Sugar " Shane Mosley still boxing?

10. It won't be long before we will be downloading all of our music, movies ,books and magazines and carrying them on ipads, ipods and kindles.....What will our living rooms have in them? Just a thought!

I mean....I'm just sayin!

Is 911 Really a Joke?

I don't know where these studies come from...but supposedly, or at least according to writer, Hyat Mohammad,Black folks would rather call a friend, if they are having a stroke or a heart attack before they call 911. If this is true, it's very distressing...Probably why so many of us end up going to the Medical Examiner's office (The Morgue) instead of a hospital when these things happen.

There are a number of reasons for the disparity between African-American and white stroke victims, but no one would think it had anything to do with calling 911. A recent study by Georgetown University Medical Center showed that instead of calling 911 during a stroke, most African Americans call a friend or relative, significantly decreasing their chance of survival.

When researchers asked 100 acute stroke patients, along with those who accompanied them to the hospital, they found that a whopping 75 percent called someone else first instead of 911 when they realized something was wrong. Eighty-nine percent said that there was a significant delay in seeking medical attention, while almost half attributed the delay to not thinking their symptoms were serious.

Every minute, more brain cells die," said Chelsea Kidwell, director of Georgetown University's Stroke Center, which conducted the research. Even though the window for treatment can be up to 4½ hours for some people, "the time between hitting the emergency room door and getting the medication should be under 60 minutes," she said.

Researchers were also shocked to discover that few of the patients were aware of the time-sensitive, clot-busting medications at hospitals that could help them during a stroke.

Again , as I stated above in the first paragraph...I don't know where these individual studies come from...but if you find yourself in distress...and it's possible for you to use the phone...Don't call snuffy or Betty Lou..Call 911..It could be a matter of life or death~!    YOURS!

A Public service announcement from the Maverick of All Bloggers!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !

My mother departed this existence three years ago this month...So as you can understand , this is a rough time of year for me...but I still would like to dedicate this to all of the living mothers of the world....Those of you still fortune enough to have your mothers are truly blessed.

It would be remiss of me if I did not honor two living mothers in my life....My wife, Rosalyn and my daughter,
Tasha...

Honor the mothers in your life!

Weekend Humor

Women most probably won't understand this, so ask a man to explain it to you.

A wife asks her husband, "Could you please go shopping for me and buy one carton of milk, and if they have eggs, get 6!"

A short time later the husband comes back with 6 cartons of milk. The wife asks him, "Why did you buy 6 cartons of milk?"

He replied, "They had eggs."

Same Thing That Made You Laugh!

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy."-Unknown author, often attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


Osama Bin Laden is dead! I'm glad that he's dead....It means we don't have to listen to anymore tapes or see anymore videos with his threats to innocent citizens and his calls for fatwas and holy war and all of that crap!
It means that maybe, just maybe justice really was done in the case of September 11, 2001 , the bombing of the ship in Yemen that killed several U.S. servicemen in 1998 and the bombings of several U.S. embassies in Africa by his Al Queda cell.

That said....I can certainly understand the elation and jubilation of the families of all of the victims of September 11th...What I can't understand is the party atmosphere of a lot of people who took to the streets, cheering and celebrating his death as though it was New Years Day this past Sunday.

Not a good look....kind of creepy....I remember on September 11th 2001....They showed film footage of people in some Arab country partying and cheering and tossing candy in the air....I was saddened and apalled.. I said -"What is wrong with these people? How can they cheer?  3000- 5000 innocent people were killed today when those towers fell, when that second plane crashed in Pennsylvania and when that third plane hit the Pentagon....Innocent people , how can they cheer?

Now I see my own countrymen cheering the death of someone. Granted, Osama Bin Laden was a monstrous mass murderer who declared war on American civilians...and while I'm not sad to see him go...I'm not out in the street cheering either...One of my frat brothers put it this way- "The same thing that made you laugh is the same thing that could make you cry....we should be praying...."  My sentiments exactly!~

Season Of The Virus

Yesterday, a very aggressive virus attacked my computer at work.  This was particularly aggravating to me because it was one of those rare days that I had gotten up early, showered, shaved and had a big breakfast and had actually gotten to work early.

This was a day that I had actually planned to get ahead on some pressing work....Instead, as soon as I booted up, some box appeared telling me that I had a major virus and that if I clicked on this icon, it would install free software that would take care of the virus...This is an old trick...this was actually THE VIRUS! I knew this and so I tried to get rid of it...It came back...I xed it out and it came back again...I tried to get on internet explorer and it came back yet again!!! This time it was running....I quickly called my I T person...I had a hot cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee which I hadn't yet opened to drink...I offered it to her!

It's good to stay in good with your I T person...you never know when you might need them...It took her several hours to get rid of this virus...She had to take down and rebuild my entire profile to finally get rid of it.
It was an aggressive little bugger. A year ago, around this time, I had to have both computers at my home "cleaned and debugged " of viruses.  Lucky for me...I have a brother that does this for a living...It could have cost me some good money to have had this professionally done at work. (I know because I've done it before.)

I was talking to one of my frat brothers yesterday on Facebook chat and he was telling me that this was the season for viruses anyway.  He is a very no nonsense and sensible guy...not the type that would believe birther theories or way out conspiracy theories...So when he talks like this, I tend to listen.

He said beware of things on both Facebook and Twitter that appear to come from "friends" like a status update that says-"I can't believe how many people have viewed my profile...click on this and you can see how many have viewed yours."  It's actually not your friend...someone has hacked into their system and assumed their identity and is sending unsuspecting people sites that are actually viruses...

He said to beware clicking on Obama photos like the one used in my last post or fake photos of the recently deceased Osama Bin Laden in death....Those photos are fakes and loaded with viruses...It's a nice easy way for Al Queda operatives to get a little revenge...You know I'm not a conspiracy theory kind of guy....But this stuff doesn't sound that far fetched. Since I have been fooled a couple of times and have actually gotten a virus...There is more than enough reason for me to believe that what my frat brother told me yesterday was so.

A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability. A true virus can spread from one computer to another (in some form of executable code) when its host is taken to the target computer; for instance because a user sent it over a network or the Internet.  Viruses can increase their chances of spreading to other computers by infecting files on a network file system or a file system that is accessed by another computer.


A computer virus is sometimes used as a catch-all phrase to include all types of malware, even those that do not have the reproductive ability. Malware includes computer viruses, computer worms, Trojan horses, most rootkits, spyware, dishonest adware and other malicious and unwanted software, including true viruses.

Viruses are sometimes confused with worms and Trojan horses, which are technically different. A worm can exploit security vulnerabilities to spread itself automatically to other computers through networks, while a Trojan horse is a program that appears harmless but hides malicious functions.

Worms and Trojan horses, like viruses, may harm a computer system's data or performance. Some viruses and other malware have symptoms noticeable to the computer user, but many are surreptitious (Didn't know I knew a word like that did you? Every now and then, I make use of my college education.)or simply do nothing to call attention to themselves. Some viruses do nothing beyond reproducing themselves.

Well good people...that's your education for today...in case you missed it through all of this technological mumble jumble...I'm just trying to say...be careful what sites you visit, be careful what you click on...It could very well be...The Season of the Virus..

A Public Service announcement from the Maverick of all bloggers!

Obama Got Osama!

Well...It took ten years..but U.S. forces and justice finally caught up with Osama Bin Laden, the world's most wanted terrorist and the financer and mastermind behind the September 11th attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C.

In a nutshell, here is what happened..In case you've been living under a rock for the past 48 hours..U.S. intelligence officials were aware of bin Laden’s growing radicalism before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and began assembling a dossier on him.

"From the time that we first recognized bin Laden as a threat, the U.S. gathered information on people in bin Laden's circle, including his personal couriers," a senior official in the Obama administration said in a background briefing from the White House early Monday.

After the Sept. 11, attacks, "detainees gave us information on couriers. One courier in particular had our constant attention. Detainees gave us his nom de guerre, his pseudonym, and also identified this man as one of the few couriers trusted by Osama Bin Laden."

In 2007, U.S. Intellingence agents learned the man's name.It was not immediately clear where the information that opened the end game was obtained. The New York Times reported yesterday that detainees at the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, gave the courier’s pseudonym to interrogators and identified him as a protégé of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the confessed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.(In custody) But the Associated Press quoted unidentified U.S. officials as saying that CIA interrogators at secret prisons developed strands that led to Osama Bin Laden.

In 2009, "we identified areas in Pakistan where the courier and his brother operated. They were very careful, reinforcing belief we were on the right track."The official said.

He went on to say-"In August 2010, "We found their home in Abbottabad, not in a cave, not right along the Afghanistan border, but in an affluent suburb less than 40 miles from the capital. When we saw the compound, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound."

The plot of land was roughly eight times larger than the other homes in the area. It was built in 2005 on the outskirts of town, but now some other homes are nearby.

"Physical security is extraordinary: 12 to 18 foot walls, walled areas, restricted access by two security gates." The residents burn their trash, unlike their neighbors. There are no windows facing the road. One part of the compound has its own seven-foot privacy wall.

And unusual for a compound valued at more than $1 million: It had no telephone or Internet service.

This home, U.S. intelligence analysts concluded, was "custom built to hide someone of significance."

Besides the two brothers, the U.S. "soon learned that a third family lived there, whose size and makeup of family we believed to match those we believed would be with bin Laden. Our best information was that bin Laden was there with his youngest wife." said another intelligence official.

There was no proof, but everything seemed to fit: the security, the background of the couriers, the design of the compound.

"Our analysts looked at this from every angle. No other candidate fit the bill as well as Osama Bin Laden did," an official said.

"The bottom line of our collection and analysis was that we had high confidence that the compound held a high-value terrorist target. There was a strong probability that it was bin Laden."

That conclusion was reached in mid-February, officials said. Beginning in mid-March, the president led five National Security Council meetings on the plans for an operation.

On Friday, President Barack Obama gave the order. "Go get him." This information was shared "with no other country," an official said. "Only a very small group of people inside our own government knew of this operation in advance." As Tony Soprano once said..."Three men can keep a secret if two of them are dead."

With Bin Laden believed found, focus shifted to taking him out. A senior U.S. security official told Reuters that it was a "kill operation," removing the option for the team to simply capture Bin Laden. Meaning...They weren't playing with old boy...All bets were off!

With Barack having authorized the operation,Leon Panetta, the CIA leader gave the order at midday Sunday for the joint special operations-military team that carried out the assault to raid the compound, the officials said. A senior U.S. official declined comment on whether CIA officers were on hand at the site, but Panetta's role as commander would suggest they were. The CIA and special operations forces have worked together for years in counterterrorism operations.

As you can tell..I'm enjoying telling this as though I was there...This reads like a movie I saw or something I might've written..According to current and former officials, Panetta was able to watch the operation in real time from the CIA, conferring live with Vice Adm. William H. McRaven, head of the Joint Special Operations Command, who was in Afghanistan.

A live video feed of the assault was available in both in the conference room and at the Situation Room at the White House, narrated by McRaven. One official described two moments in particular as "heart-stopping": the moment the choppers arrived on the scene, and when they left the country.

President Obama and the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, were among those on hand in the Situation Room. One official said it is unlikely that the entire video will be released because it contains operational information.

Following the death of Osama Bin Laden, a loud cheer went up from the CIA officials assembled in the conference room, which is just off the director’s main office.

At the same time, attention turned to identifying the remains as bin Laden. First, the commander on the ground (whose name has not been released) made a visual identification. Then, a digital image of OBL's remains was fed back to the CIA, where it was processed through a facial recognition system.

Also,Osama Bin Laden’s' widow, a young Yemeni woman, identified the remains as those of her husband. In addition to Osama Bin Laden, one of his adult sons, probably 19 year old Hamza Bin Laden, was killed as were a courier and the courier's brother. Bin Laden's widow remains in Pakistan, the officials said.

When the remains arrived in Afghanistan, an initial DNA test showed a high correlation of a match with the DNA on file. Saudi government had supplied the DNA long ago, having secured it from members of the bin Laden family. Bin Laden is one of 53 children of the late Mohammed Bin Laden.(Boy, those guys didn't buy many condoms did they?) Results of a more complete DNA testing later confirmed the identity with "100 percent certainty," the FBI said.

Early Monday, an official told NBC News that bin Laden's body had already been buried at sea — eliminating the possibility of a burial shrine.

Islamic tradition calls for a body to be buried within 24 hours, but finding a country willing to accept the remains of the world's most wanted terrorist would have been difficult, a senior administration official said.

According to the White House briefing, the military operation went smoothly except for a helicopter landing that was not part of the original plan. The choppers were only intended to hover over the scene, but due to a technical malfunction, one of them landed or fell — "not a crash," the official said — so the military dispatched a third "emergency" helicopter to the scene.

"This operation was a surgical raid by a small team designed to minimize collateral damage. Our team was on the compound for under 40 minutes and did not encounter any local authorities."

Bin Laden himself participated in the ensuing firefight, the officials suggested.

"Bin laden was killed in a firefight as our operators came onto the compound," an official said.

I heard he got a double tap...two shots to the dome...and it was "storyyyy over." So he's gone...Do you feel safer? I don't...He was basically a symbolic figure..He hadn't been running things or calling too many shots for years...There are others out there...and hopefully, they'll be gotten too..dead or alive..makes me no difference...

I'm happy for my President...This may just win him re-election...Who knows!! One thing it has done...If just for today and the rest of the week..It's brought all of us Americans together as one..If just for this moment!

What I've Learned

1. I'm not the best writer in the world by any shape of the imagination...probably not the best blogger either, but I know what I do...and what I do, I'm damn good at it!

2.In the end...It's human contact, friendships, reltionships that really make you happy...nothing else!

3.Don't surround yourself with stupid people....I've always surrounded myself with pretty smart and pretty positive people..You truly are judged by the company you keep!(My Mother taught me that.)

4.I've always liked my first name...It was short, easy to spell (although I've had teachers who've spelled my name wrong) and easy to remember...I've known so many people who didn't like their name and have gone around all of their lives with a nickname..That's so tragic.

5.My Grandfather used to tell me that the Devil was on one shoulder and that there was an Angel on my other shoulder and that both of them was vying for my attention. I used to wonder sometimes why it seemed like the Devil was yelling louder in my one ear!

6.There are some mistakes it doesn't pay to make...They may change the entire course of your life.

7."As Long as you can be convinced that you never did anything, you can never DO anything." Malcolm X said that...It's true!

8.Don't Allow too many negative thoughts to cross your mind....it can become habit forming.

9.I appreciate the seeming mistakes in life that turn into great opportunity and invention.

10.I've learned to let other people run their mouths, while I run my business. (My Grandmother taught me that...)

Peace!

Keith's Favorite Quotes

"Our Deepest Fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure...And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same..As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others" - Marianne Williamson.