Military Rules

Consider today's post as sponsoring *dual* Web Site of the Week picks. I didn't really want to interrupt my Web Comics series (down below), but the site I'm talking about up top here is, I feel, way more important; especially with Christmas upon us in two weeks.

At one time you could send letters or care packages to military personnel serving overseas using the "Any Service Person" address. Security concerns since then have ended that and you must know and list who you are sending material to these days. This is where the Any Soldier website comes in.

This website recruits "contacts" from among active enlisted men and women, and these contacts keep track of the people in their units who receive very little mail or packages, as well as noting their needs and wants. You can click the "Where to Send" link for a complete list of contacts. You can then sort that list by contacts from your particular state, if you want to keep your gifts close to home. Clicking a contact's name will bring up specific information about him or her, including how many times their address has been requested, and a list of some specific items being requested.

If you ship using the U.S.P.S. Large Flat-Rate Priority Box, you receive a discount on the postage for anything going to an APO or FPO military address, and you have an excellent chance of your package or mail arriving before Christmas. Check it out and help support the troops - especially the loneliest ones - during this holiday giving season.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

MILITARY RULES

MARINES:
1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a backup plan, because the first one probably won't work.
5. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not begin with the number "4."
6. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap, life is expensive.
7. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend.
8. Always cheat. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
9. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.

NAVY SEALS:
1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Shoot anything moving.
3. Adjust Speedo.
4. Check hair.

ARMY RANGERS:
1. Hike to battle zone from 50 miles away, carrying a 75-pound rucksack.
2. Locate the enemy.
3. Request permission to engage.
4. Curse bitterly when mission aborted.
5. Hike back 50 miles, carrying a 75-pound rucksack, now starving.

U.S. ARMY:
1. Receive orders; curse bitterly.
2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.
3. Curse bitterly.
4. Curse bitterly.
5. Do not listen to Second Lieutenants. It can get you killed.
6. Curse bitterly.

AIR FORCE:
1. Finish mixing cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air conditioner.
3. See what's on TV.
4. Wonder what it might be like to use a gun.
5. Work on "killer" PowerPoint presentation for next funding request.
6. Make appointments to lobby key Congresspeople for funding.
7. Receive funding, set up new command centers and deploy assets.
8. Never deploy assets anywhere near combat zones.
9. Hurry to make 13:45 tee time.

NAVY:
1. Go to sea.
2. Drink coffee.
3. Deploy Marines.

[selected from strategy page.com; family-friendly edits by Mark Raymond]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Two weeks before the biggest birthday celebration of the year. I wonder why we seldom serve cake and punch at Christmas?

Anyway, I'll see you on Monday.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

WEB SITE of the WEEK: Hallmark Cards struck gold when they created their grumpy, crotchety "Maxine" character. They have created a blog for her and post a new cartoon - with the occasional rerun of "classics" - at http://tinyurl.com/4eslrz. Just another webcomic I visit daily for a chuckle.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Mark's Musings is sent each weekday, when I get around to it, using Ezine Director and I pay a little extra every day to make sure my posts are certified by Habeas to be a safe source of e-mail. Subscribe, view past issues in my Archives, and click through the pages over at my web site. To contact me and one day get a reply, click here. To live longer, stop sweating the small stuff. Can someone teach me how? You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. The credits work best when left attached; they tend not to work at all when you snip 'em. Original material and musings © 2009 by Mark Raymond. I update this blog with a copy of my post daily and occasionally with "bonus material" whenever the mood or muse strikes. Look for the label that says "bonus" and you can bring all that extra material up with one click. My personal mission statement remains John 3:30. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/baldmark/. My house smells like bacon.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "Even on the most exalted throne in the world we are still but sitting upon our own bottom." (Michel Eyquem de Montaigne)