muffin523's Friends' blogs
READ THIS STORY... UNBELIEVABLE.. LEMONADE ANYONE
July 26, 2009 by Dani Jones
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In Haverford, young lemonade peddlers have brush with the law
The call came in at 7:06 p.m. Juveniles, seven of them, on a quiet residential street, selling an uncontrolled substance: lemonade.
A neighbor had dimed them out, and a Haverford Township police officer responded in a hurry.
When he arrived at the two-story brick house on Maryland Avenue, he dutifully informed Dana Kleinschmidt, mother of four of the reputed offenders, who included 5-year-old triplets, that they were violating the law. They were selling lemonade without a permit.
Kleinschmidt was nonplussed. She told the children to cease and desist, but the law was news to her - and evidently to the rest of the township's police department.
"We all sold lemonade when we were kids," said John F. Viola, the deputy chief of police. "We all went, like, who calls [police] on kids?"
As it turns out, according to Viola, the officer's visit was a misunderstanding that finally was left to Sgt. Joe Hagan to straighten out.
For 12 years, Hagan acknowledged, he has patrolled the streets of Haverford buying lemonade, paying the kids a buck and surreptitiously not drinking it. It never occurred to him that he was aiding and abetting law-breakers.
Legality became an issue on July 10, when William Nickerson called to complain that neighborhood children were peddling the stuff. Nickerson said they were going house-to-house ringing doorbells, and he didn't think they were being properly supervised by adults. "I'm not being Scrooge," he said.
The responding officer - who was unavailable, whom Viola would not identify, and whose name and badge number were blacked out of the police report - invoked a township ordinance against vending without a permit. What the officer didn't realize, Viola said, is that the law doesn't apply to anyone younger than 16.
"The police officer would have no way of knowing this on the street," Viola said. "He acts on information he has available."
Kleinschmidt, who didn't want to discuss it yesterday, was upset by the visit, as was her 8-year-old son.
Viola didn't find out about the incident until he read Kleinschmidt's Monday afternoon post on haverfordblog.com. "My children were crying," Kleinschmidt wrote. Word of the episode rippled through the township, and Viola said he knew he had a public relations "nightmare" on his hands. Enter Hagan.
Hagan, who has an 8- and a 12-year-old, volunteered to meet with the seven kids, and explained to them that they had done nothing wrong, that they could sell lemonade from now till the first frost with impunity. One of the triplets hugged him.
That put the lemonade issue to rest - almost.
"I stopped home for lunch that day," he recalled, "and my kids said, 'We want to do a lemonade stand.' I said, 'Absolutely not!' "
OPSEC part 2
July 18, 2009 by Dani Jones
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What is opsec?
"Operations security (OPSEC) is an analytic process used to deny an adversary information - generally unclassified - concerning friendly intentions and capabilities by identifying, controlling, and protecting indicators associated with planning processes or operations. OPSEC does not replace other security disciplines - it supplements them." (Wikipedia)
OPSEC is simply denying an adversary information that could harm you or benefit them. Another form of OPSEC, although not as widely accepted, is the intentional mis-information of an adversary, designed to protect your true secrets.
OPSEC is a process, but it is also a mindset. By educating oneself on OPSEC risks and methodologies, protecting sensitive information becomes second nature.
OPSEC is not only for Military or Government entities. More individuals and Corporations are realizing the importance of protecting trade secrets, personal security, and intentions. Whatever the organization and purpose, OPSEC can, and will, increase the overall security posture.
Why Opsec?
We are in a world increasingly dependent on information. In this world, pieces of information (internet postings, work schedules, phone directories, and more) may be assembled in order to form the "big picture" of an organization or operation.
Your adversaries in a military or business sense practice OPSEC to varying degrees, and it would be unwise to discount the capabilities of your adversary. Your adversary will constantly probe your organization, so the importance of a solid understanding of OPSEC cannot be understated.
What are OPSec indicators?
An indicator is a "piece of the puzzle". In other words, an indicator is any piece of information that can be exploited to gain further information, or can be combined with other indicators to build a more complete profile of your operations.
For example, an OPSEC indicator could be when you go to work, what you do at work, large group or troop movements or financial transactions such as life insurance appointments. Before releasing information, consider the potential value to your adversaries.
What are the capabilities of your adversary?
The unfortunate fact is that you don't know. Your adversary may have internal spies, skilled photographers, or any other manner of resources at their disposal. You may never be able to determine the full capability of your adversary, so you can only protect your information on your end.
Seven Core Army Values
July 12, 2009 by Dani Jones
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Seven Core Army Values
'val-(")yü - something (as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable
Your Army soldier's life in the Army will be based on the seven core Army values. He will act out his personal life and his career based on these values. During each week of BCT (basic combat training), he will be introduced to a new value.
The Guide for New Soldiers and Their Families describes the values in this way:
Loyalty: Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other soldiers.
Duty: Fulfill your obligations
Respect: Treat people as they should be treated
Selfless Service: Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own
Honor: Live up to all the Army values
Integrity: Do what's right, legally and morally
Personal Courage: Face fear, danger or adversity - physical or moral
If you'll notice, the first letter of each value spells "LDRSHIP" or leadership.
Going Back To School???
July 11, 2009 by Dani Jones
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Have you wanted to go back to school but because of one reason or another have put it off? Maybe its that you work and can't find the time, or maybe its cause you can't get financial aide or even know how to begin the process.
In May 2009 the military launched a new program for military spouses. Because it has taken off the ground so well there is a 2 week backlog in verification. The only thing they verify is that you are signed up with Deers. Its so simple to register and get started. The MyCAA gives ya $6000 towards your degree. They have a list of the many and I mean MANY schools you can choose. You can do the online degree/certificate if you want. Best news is that you don't pay back a penny. Come on, what are ya waiting for??? Theres nothing stopping you from furthering your education now. If you're interested message me and I'll send ya the link and help ya where I can.
Let me add that I am not affiliated with any school or the military other then being a Army wife. I just wanted to share the new program and get the word out to help others.
Military Marriage Vows
July 3, 2009 by Dani Jones
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Army Marriage Vows
"Wilt thou, __________, take ___________ (who was once referred to as the"dependent"), as your family member, to dwell together in so far as the Department of the Army will permit?"
Wilt thou love her, comfort her, via the postal service or over the
phone, make sure she knows where the commissary, PX, and church are, and what time she is scheduled to use the laundry room the day she arrives, wherever you are stationed"
Wilt thou attempt to tell her more than 24 hours in advance that
you will be leaving for two weeks, beginning the next morning? This especially applies to the years you will live in a foreign
country!"
"Wilt thou ____________, take this soldier as thy wedded husband, knowing that he is depending upon you to be the perfect (well almost) Army wife, running the household as you see fit, and being nice to the commander’s wife?"
Furthermore, you understand that your life with your husband
(little that you may have together) will not be normal, that you may have to explain to your children, not once, but twice, and more often in the same day, that mothers do have husbands, and that children do have daddy’s, and that the picture of the man on the refrigerator is not the milkman, but the same individual who tucks them in at 2200 hours, long after they are asleep. This soldier is their daddy, who loves them very,
very much."
"Wilt thou love, respect and wait for him, preparing his favorite
cookies and pictures of yourself and the kids, so he can remember what you look like?"
"And last but not least, put on the outside of your door his
’Welcome home’ sign when he’s due to arrive?"
"I, ____, take thee ____, as my independent wife, from 1900 to 2200 hours or as long as allowed by my Commanding Officer (subject to change without notice), for better or worse, earlier or later, near or far, and I promise to look at the pictures you send me, maybe not when they get to me in the field, but before I turn the lights out. I will also send a letter, if time permits, and if not, to somehow, some way, make the time."
I, _________, take thee _________ as my live-in/live-out husband, realizing that your comings and goings and 0330 staff meetings are normal (although absurd to me) and part of your life as a soldier.
I promise not to be shocked or taken by surprise when you inform me that, although we’ve just arrived at our new duty station, we will be leaving within the month. Yes, I’ll have you as my husband as long as while your are away, my allotment comes through regularly, and that you leave me a current power of attorney and the checkbook at all times. I am a family member and proud of it, dependent upon myself and my resources.
Although I miss you when you are away, I know I can handle whatever comes across my path."
"Now then, let no man or woman put asunder what God and the
Department of the Army have brought together. The Army hereby issues you this lovely, dedicated, independent woman, knowing that she’ll be an asset not only to your marriage, but also to the mission of the United States Army, which is, as you all know, to remain in a state of "Readiness." By the authority vested in the Bible, elaborated in the regulation and subject to current directives concerning the aspects of marriage in the Army, you are now a Soldier with a Family Member."
OPSEC/PERSEC
July 3, 2009 by Dani Jones
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OPSEC (Operational Security)
OPSEC, also known as Operational Security, is the principle that we, as Army wives and Army family members, should all abide by when talking about our soldiers. If you’ve been on any military related message board on the internet, you have more than likely seen a warning to be sure to practice OPSEC. This means protecting the information you know about your soldier and his unit.
Generally, it means that you should not give out the following:
- Your soldier’s exact location overseas
- Any information on troop movements – this includes any movement while they are deployed and in transit to/from theater (including R&R). Do not ever give dates or times.
- Any information on weapons systems, how they train or numbers – for this reason, many pictures from overseas can easily violate OPSEC
If your soldier is in a special operations unit, the OPSEC guidelines can be stricter. You may not be able to say he is deployed at all much less where he is. His unit and/or FRG should provide the OPSEC guidelines for these situations.
Always abide by the rules set forth by his unit. Just because it is on the news does not mean that you can talk about the issue. By talking about it, you are only verifying the information.
CORRECT:
My soldier is deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom
INCORRECT:
My soldier is in XYZ Unit and is stationed at ABC Camp in XXX city in Iraq.
Give only general locations IF his unit allows it. The above incorrect statement is entirely too much information.
INCORRECT: My soldier’s unit is returning from deployment and flying into XYZ Airport at 8pm next Thursday.
Never give dates or times for troop movements. Keep in mind that “next Thursday” is a date. This includes R&R dates as well as deployment and redeployment dates. Planes have been delayed for days or weeks because an excited family member made this information public.
INCORRECT: Please pray for my soldier. He called today and told me he is going out on a very dangerous mission tonight. They will be gone for three days and I’m very worried about him.
When our soldiers are in dangerous situations, it is natural to want to reach out to others. But the above statement puts your soldier and his unit in danger. You could have very well just alerted the enemy about their mission.
It is important to realize that putting together the bits and pieces needed to create the larger picture can be amazingly simple on the internet. Many mistakenly believe that if they don’t talk about it all at once, the information is safe. This is wrong and dangerous to assume.
The internet is a wonderful tool but in regards to our military, it is a very dangerous one as well. It takes only minutes of searching online to find enough pieces of information that could potentially endanger our soldiers.
DEPLOYMENT TICKERS
Many family members like to use deployment tickers to count down their soldier’s deployment. Never have a ticker that shows XX days until he returns. If you must have a ticker, then have one with the amount of time he has been gone. Although it is best to not have this type of ticker at all.
Finally, for your own personal safety, be very aware of what you are putting on the internet or saying in conversations in public. With the internet, it is not difficult to track down an address and phone number. Do not make yourself a target by letting the world know that your husband is deployed.
PERSEC
PERSEC is also known as personal security. Like OPSEC, this involves guarding the information that you know. Do not give out your soldier’s name along with rank. This includes blacking out his name tape and rank in pictures. If he is in a special operations unit, you should also black out any unit affiliation.
Be vague about your personal information as an Army wife or Army family member on the internet. This is plain common sense in just every day life – regardless of if your family member is in the military.
The old saying loose lips sink ships still holds true today. Keep your soldier, your family and his unit safe by keeping the information you know to yourself. You never know who is lurking and gathering information on message boards, myspace pages and profiles. Better safe than sorry
Don't Know
June 29, 2009 by Dani Jones
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I wished I knew why people say the things they do. I wonder if something people want others to be just as miserable as they are in there own lives. I wonder why people tend to be so self centered about themselves they don't even notice when a "friend" is hurting.
Nope ya'll I'm fine really I am. Just a random thought.
DONT LIKE NEW FORMAT
June 24, 2009 by Dani Jones
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THIS NEW SITE SUCKS... I DONT LIKE THE FORMAT, THE PROFILE NOTHING ABOUTI T OTHER THEN WE CAN CLICK A LINK IN THE CHAT.... PEOPLE COME AND GO CAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE IT... IM DEBATING IF I WANNA COME BACK. THE FORMAT IS NOT USER FRIENDLY PERIOD. NOTHING ON THE PROFILE OTHER THEN OUR RELATION TO THE MILITARY AND OUR NAME IS FOR US WIVES.