Disclaimer

If you do not know me (I mean, really know me) then there is something you need to understand before you read this blog: I value the truth above everything else... except a good laugh. A good laugh will almost always beat the truth as far as I’m concerned. Everything you read on this blog will be true, somewhat true, or something I made up in an effort to get a laugh. Sometimes I will go on a rant that I don’t really mean (or only kind of mean). Sometimes I will mean what I write only to completely change my mind a year, month, or day later. Such is life. By reading this blog you agree not to get offended by anything I write (or, at the very least, you agree not to tell me or anyone else that you are offended). It is worth noting that my employer does not endorse my blog (or even read it, to tell you the truth). The Wife also does not endorse my blog (though she will read it from time to time). I am not paid to write this... it’s just my way of giving back to the community. I have, and will, touch on a wide range of subjects and will give my opinion on these subjects. Again, most of what I say is for laughs but every now and then I will say what I really think and feel (see my views on Westboro Baptist Cult). How will you know when I’m serious and when I’m trying to get a laugh? You’ll know. And if you don’t know, well... maybe this isn’t the best thing for you to be reading. So, sit back, read and enjoy. Leave comments if you want and don’t be afraid to publicly follow me.



Saturday, April 21, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEREMY AND KC!!!!!

Know Your Medal of Honor Recipients:

 Sergeant James E. Engle (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 18, 1864 at Bermuda Hundred, Virginia. His citation reads:

Responded to a call for volunteers to carry ammunition to the regiment on the picket line and under a heavy fire from the enemy assisted in carrying a box of ammunition to the front and remained to distribute the same.

First Sergeant Edmund English (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on May 6, 1864 at Wilderness, Virginia. His citation reads:

During a rout and while under orders to retreat seized the colors, rallied the men, and drove the enemy back.

Staff Sergeant Glenn H. English, Jr. (US Army) received his Medal of Honor for his actions on September 7, 1970 in Phu My District, Republic of Vietnam. His citation reads:

S/Sgt. English was riding in the lead armored personnel carrier in a 4-vehicle column when an enemy mine exploded in front of his vehicle. As the vehicle swerved from the road, a concealed enemy force waiting in ambush opened fire with automatic weapons and anti-tank grenades, striking the vehicle several times and setting it on fire. S/Sgt. English escaped from the disabled vehicle and, without pausing to extinguish the flames on his clothing, rallied his stunned unit. He then led it in a vigorous assault, in the face of heavy enemy automatic weapons fire, on the entrenched enemy position. This prompt and courageous action routed the enemy and saved his unit from destruction. Following the assault, S/Sgt. English heard the cries of 3 men still trapped inside the vehicle. Paying no heed to warnings that the ammunition and fuel in the burning personnel carrier might explode at any moment, S/Sgt. English raced to the vehicle and climbed inside to rescue his wounded comrades. As he was lifting 1 of the men to safety, the vehicle exploded, mortally wounding him and the man he was attempting to save. By his extraordinary devotion to duty, indomitable courage, and utter disregard for his own safety, S/Sgt. English saved his unit from destruction and selflessly sacrificed his life in a brave attempt to save 3 comrades. S/Sgt. English's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades and are in the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.


We at I’m just sayin… would like to wish my very good friends Jeremy and KC a happy birthday! We hope they both have a great day.


The I’m just sayin… Kid Show of the Week

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a great cartoon series based on the successful toy line from Hasbro and the comic book series from Marvel Comics. The cartoon had its beginnings with two five-part mini-series, then became a regular series that ran in syndication from 1985 to 1986. Ron Friedman created the G.I. Joe animated series for television, and wrote all four mini-series. The fourth mini-series was intended to be a feature film, but was released as a television mini-series instead because of production difficulties. The first mini-series was called G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. This five-part pilot mini-series was alternately aired under the title "The MASS Device" during the series' syndication. Cobra develops an experimental teleportation unit, known as the MASS device, which has the ability to transport matter to any global location, using a satellite to relay the teleportation beam. G.I. Joe must stop Cobra by creating a MASS system of their own, but first must gather the three rare elements that power the device, which consist of radioactive crystals, heavy water found in the depths of the ocean, and fragments from a giant meteorite. The next mini-series was G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra. In this one we see that Cobra has returned in force, armed with a new weapon created by Destro—the Weather Dominator, which is able to manipulate storm systems. In the beginning of the miniseries, Cobra steals the power core for a new laser cannon the Joes were transporting to their headquarters, and adds it to the Weather Dominator, giving it unlimited power. Damaged in a preliminary battle, the device breaks into its three component pieces, which scatter across the world. The G.I. Joe team must recover the pieces, before Cobra can reclaim them to rebuild their weather weapon. The third mini-series was G.I. Joe: The Pyramid of Darkness. This one originally debuted in its complete form during prime time and was later adapted to the more familiar five-part daily miniseries format for rebroadcast on syndicated television. The story centers on Cobra's attempts to build and maintain a new weapon (of the title) that will neutralize all electrical power in the Earth's Northern hemisphere. Four giant "control" cubes are to be placed at key locations around the globe. Once the Joes orbiting space station is seized, the cubes are activated and the pyramid is complete. The Joe force must battle Cobra to destroy the pyramid and find the terrorist organization's secret headquarters. The next mini-series was G.I. Joe: Arise, Serpentor, Arise! This one dealt with Cobra's attempts to genetically engineer a new leader, Serpentor. In light of Cobra Commander's persistent failings to lead Cobra to world domination, Doctor Mindbender, influenced by a vivid dream, sends Cobra's forces to locations around the world to gather DNA from history's most famous and ruthless leaders. DNA samples are collected from the graves of such historical figures as Genghis Khan, Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula), Sun Tzu, Alexander the Great, and Ivan the Terrible, among several others. The final phase of the process is partially disrupted by Sgt. Slaughter, having been freed by Cobra Commander, who was resistant to the project from the start. The Joes fight Cobra around the globe, in an attempt to stop them from collecting the DNA samples. However, Mindbender completes the process, creating the ingenious but petulant and impatient Serpentor, who is installed as the ultimate leader of Cobra.

Following the initial two mini-series, the regular series began airing on September 16, 1985 concurrently in line with the second season of The Transformers, debuting with a third five-part story, The Pyramid of Darkness. A public safety lesson was usually featured at the end of each episode, using G.I. Joe characters in brief scenarios to impart safety tips to children. These lessons gave birth to the catchphrase: "And knowing is half the battle". In each episode's opening title sequence voice actor Jackson Beck states that, "G.I. Joe is the code name for America's daring, highly-trained, Special Mission force. Its purpose: To defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world". Season 2 featured former WWF and then-current AWA professional wrestler made cartoon hero Sgt. Slaughter, who first appeared in the five-part season-opener Arise, Serpentor, Arise!

There were other later versions of the cartoon, but I don’t like them… I’m not even sure I’ve seen them, but I don’t like them. Other than the original series, the only other G.I. Joe cartoon I’d recommend is G.I. Joe: The Movie. G.I. Joe: The Movie was released direct-to-video on April 20, 1987. G.I. Joe: The Movie was intended as a theatrical release to be closely followed by The Transformers: The Movie. However, the G.I. Joe film encountered unexpected production delays which allowed the Transformers feature to be released first. Due to the poor box office performances of the Transformers film (which I saw… and was GREAT) and the My Little Pony film (which I didn’t see, but Danny yes that Danny tells me it was great), G.I. Joe: The Movie was relegated to direct-to-video status before later being split into a 5-part mini-series for television syndication. GI Joe is a great cartoon to watch with your children. Mary Ruth, Susie and Daniel all love the show… so you can watch it with girls and boys. You should be able to find it on DVD at Best Buy or on Amazon.com. It’s worth the money.

No comments:

Post a Comment