Food

This is kind of a response to the troll's comment from a few days ago.  Not really, but it got me thinking, so here we go.

I have mentioned how I have lead a very sheltered life--and I make no apologies for it.  It is what it is and I'm too old to want to change too much.  Nowhere is my sheltered life quite as obvious as in my eating habits.  And this all stems from my childhood.

Growing up, our household revolved around what The Father wanted--or what The Mother THOUGHT he wanted.  He was/is a very tight-lipped individual, so whatever was said, we children didn't hear.  I have to take The Mother's word for it that what was, was what he wanted.  And nowhere was his influence felt more than at the dinner table.  The only things that were put on the table were things that he would eat--and there were not many foods that he WOULD eat.  And that's where I get my lack of imagination and adventure when it comes to food.

Dinner for me as a child consisted of meat, potatoes, a tiny spoonful of some vegetable, and bread.  We ate beef, chicken, beef, pork, beef, and, occasionally, turkey or salmon.  Potatoes were mashed, boiled, and rarely, baked.  As for vegetables, we had very little variety.  Mostly we ate peas and carrots or corn.  Green or waxed beans were on the menu, at times, and that pretty much was it.  Once in a great while, we had a tossed salad.  Fresh vegetables consisted of tomatoes and carrots.  The Father ate pickled beets and homemade pickles, but not much else.  The bread we ate was usually white and store-bought, but sometimes we had homemade bread--and occasionally we had Finnish flat bread (rieska.)  The ONLY casserole that was served at The Parents' table was a potato and salmon casserole.  And I won't even TRY to describe the spaghetti that The Mother made--and the ONLY spaghetti The Father will eat.  Most people wouldn't even recognize it AS spaghetti.  The only spices that were used were salt--WAY too much--and pepper.  Onions were also used for flavor.  Other than that, nothing.  Nada.  Zero.  Bland food was the order of the day.

I was in middle school, at least, before I tasted pizza for the first time.  I never had a taco till I was married.  The first time I saw someone eat a bratwurst--I was probably 12--I almost died.  I thought it was disgusting.  I didn't even KNOW that there were 'flavored' Doritos--actually, the only snack foods we had were potato chips, potato sticks, maybe Fritos, and maybe Cheetos.  Again, I never KNEW there were so many snack foods to be had, until I was out of The Parent's house.  I remember going to a restaurant only a couple of times when I was a child--it just wasn't done in my family.  And even if we would have had places that HAD takeout food, we never would have gotten any.  Again, NOT done in my family.

Getting married and leaving the influence of The Parents could have sent me one of two ways:  I could have embraced all of the foods I was denied as a child or I could have stayed with the 'tried and true' from childhood.  Maybe not so surprisingly, I kind of took the middle-road--and I really don't leave my comfort zone very often.  I eat most of what you will find in the chain-type restaurants, but still can find it hard to find something to enjoy in 'regular' ones.  I am truly an American when it comes to eating--I enjoy the everyday, non-threatening menus that you will find at burger-joints and Americanized Italian restaurants.  And that is pretty much it.

I don't make a big deal about what I will and will not eat.  If the people I'm with want to eat at a place where I'm not comfortable, I do the best I can.  I usually will order something I am familiar with, but there ARE times I will step out of my comfort zone.  I actually have eaten calamari and alligator.  I'm not completely against eating fish.  I DON'T, however, eat mushrooms, shellfish, mutton, squash, among other things.  And yes, I HAVE tasted all of the previous foods and find that I JUST. DON'T. LIKE. THEM.  Just because I am a bit finicky doesn't mean I need chastising over my eating habits.  I won't try to tell you what you can eat and don't tell ME what to eat.  And I won't make a big deal about my eating habits--I will just, quietly, eat what I want without disturbing others.  However, I don't think I COULD be quiet if you try and serve me caviar, oysters, or Rocky Mountain oysters.  I WILL bolt from the table if those were put in front of me.  :D

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Ronaldinho Will Accept Your Rose...Male Fan Gives Him A Kiss

Over the weekend, AC Milan faced off against MLS Chicago Fire in a friendly match and it appeared that it would get even more friendly when a fan decided to run out onto the field to meet his hero, Ronaldinho.

He even decided to show his hero, a little love with a little smooch on the cheek.



Clearly, the best part of this entire video is the second security guard tackling him and the crowd booing him for doing so.

(Courtesy of Dirty Tackle)

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Mike Conway Crash At Indy 500

IndyCar Driver, Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay crash in the final laps of the 2010 Indianapolis 500.

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Golden Tate, Stick To Playing Football

Former Notre Dame wide reciever and Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver Golden Tate, who is a Taylor Swift fan, sings her song, "Love Story"

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All-Time Top 10 Military Veterans in the NFL

To celebrate Memorial Day, we here at Outside the Boxscore have decided to re-post part of Mike Funke of FoxSportsSouthwest.com list of the Top Ten Military Veterans that played in the NFL.

Here were his Top Five:

In 1967, the last Monday of May officially became the federal holiday known as “Memorial Day” in recognition of all the men and women who unselfishly sacrificed their lives to make the United States free. In remembrance of the military heroes, let’s look at the Top 10 greatest professional football players who sacrificed their own lives to give us that freedom.

1. Roger Staubach – Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys.

For 11 seasons, the 1963 Heisman Trophy winner from the Naval Academy was instrumental in turning a proud franchise from North Texas into “America’s Team.” In addition to becoming the first quarterback to win both the Heisman and a Super Bowl MVP, Staubach led the Cowboys to 9 of a record 20 consecutive winning seasons, including five trips to the Super Bowl. Nicknamed “The Dodger,” Staubach was the predecessor of today’s mobile quarterback. He served four years in the Navy, including a tour of duty during the Vietnam War.

2. Otto Graham – Quarterback, Cleveland Browns.

Before he was becoming arguably the winningest quarterback in the history of the NFL, Otto Graham was protecting American shores during the second World War. In his 10 seasons as a professional quarterback with the AAFC and the NFL, Graham led the Browns to the league championship game all ten years – including seven league titles (3 in the NFL). The nine-time All-Pro lost only 17 times in his illustrious career and is still considered by some to be the greatest quarterback who ever played the game.

3. Dick “Night Train” Lane – Cornerback, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Cardinals, Detroit Lions

When a 24-year old showed up at the Los Angeles Rams’ training facility looking for a better job, no one expected they would find arguably the greatest defensive back in the history of the NFL. As a junior college dropout who joined the Army and served in the Korean War, Lane quickly revolutionized the cornerback position. Given the nickname “Night Train” for his aggressive tackling, Lane was also the premiere ballhawk in the league. In his 12-game rookie season, the 10-time All-Pro recorded 14 interceptions, a record that still stands today. For his career, Lane finished with 68 picks - more than Ronnie Lott, Deion Sanders, and Mel Blount.

4. Ray Nitschke – Linebacker, Green Bay Packers

In the 1960s, no linebacker terrorized offenses more than Dick Butkus…and Ray Nitschke. The epitome of toughness, Nitschke was the anchor to Vince Lombardi’s vaunted defense that won 5 NFL Championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Along with being a 7-time All-Pro and the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game, Nitschke also served in Vietnam.

5. Chuck Bednarik – Linebacker/Center, Philadelphia Eagles

Long before he became the last of the NFL’s “Sixty-Minute Men,” Bednarik was flying combat missions as a waist gunner over Nazi Germany during WWII. Despite playing both offense and defense on a regular basis, the 10-time All-Pro only missed three games in his 14 year career.

You can read the rest of Mike's list at this link.

To be honest, this is one list that not one of us can really have a problem with. It is nice to see that some of the NFL's greatest warriors were warriors for our country.

Enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day and remember the soldiers that are currently fighting for our freedom.

Courtesy of (Fox Sports Southwest)

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Jänskättää

Iltoja!
Mun pitää kirjottaa nää tekstiosuudet nyt aika pikasesti, kun huomenna alkaa kesätyöt ja pitäis saada ees vähän nukuttua etten oo siellä ihan unessa! :D Mulla on koneella pari julkaisematonta asua viime viikolta, joten tässä ne nyt tulee. Aattelin muuten pitkästä aikaa kirjottaa ei-kirjakielellä, koska siltä musta nyt vaan tuntuu. :) Sanokaa onko tää ihan kamalaa luettavaa? Kirjakielen käyttö tuntuu vaan niin viralliselta ja tylsältä.. Mitä en ehkä haluis mun blogin olevan. :D
Asu nro 1.

♥ hame: GT
♥ bolero: Tokmanni
♥ toppi, rannekoru & sormus: H&M
♥ laukku: Citymarket
♥ panta: Seppälä
♥ helmet: ite tehty

Kinkkua. :---)) Pinkkien sukkisten päällä siis verkkosukkikset.

Asu nro 2. Tästä ekasta kuvasta puuttuu korkkarit jotka mulla oli jalassa, koska otin kuvan kiireessä ennen koulua. Omistan ihan luvattoman vähän korkkareita, vaikka omistankin jotkut kolmetkymmenet kengät, joten niitä pitäis pikasesti löytää lissee, mahd. edullisesti, tietty.

♥ t-paita: Carlings
♥ pillit: H&M, ite revitty
♥ korkkarit: Fiorella
♥ panta: Seppälä
♥ korvikset: H&M
♥ niittirannekkeet: sieltä täältä

Tykkäsin tästä niittiröykkiöstä kovasti, pitäis laittaa useemmin noi keikki kerralla. :) Vaikka tosta kyllä puuttu yks.

Asu nro 3 on viime perjantailta, jolloin mulla alko kesäloma, jee! Oli pienimuotonen kevätjuhla, ja leuka tippu siellä lattiaan kun sain kuulla että sain taas stipendin! Tokaa kertaa putkeen! Tuli siis aika yllärinä, mutta kivana sellasena. :D Ja tietty raha aina kelpaa. ;) Iskä sano että pitäähän sun saada sitten kolmannellakin kauppisvuodella sellanen, yeah right. Niin mutta tässä se asu.

♥ mekko: Sisters Point (Aleksi 13)
♥ bolero: Vero Moda
♥ korkkarit: Fiorella
♥ laukku: äidin vanha
♥ sulkapinnit: H&M
♥ rannekello: Leijona

Piti laittaa bolero mekon päälle, kun oli niin kamalan kylmä päivä, mutta onneks se sopi mekkoon ja muuhun asuun hyvin. :) Laitoin myös kaulakorun tilalle toisen Allulta saamistani sulkapinneistä, näissä kuvissa hiukset on kyllä vähän liikaa sen tiellä.

Taas toisten sukkisten alla pinkit sukkikset..

Olin tuossa asussa samana päivänä myös veljeni valmistujaisjuhlissa. Otin kuitenkin boleron ja pinkit sukkikset pois, koska arvelin että pienestä talostamme tulisi vieraiden saavuttua kuin sauna, ja olin ihan oikeassa. Vaihdoin toisen sulkapinnin tilalle sydänkaulakorun.
Veljeni valmistui siis levyseppähitsaajaksi, ja pidimme aika pienet juhlat, vieraita oli vain yheksän. Silti oli tiivis tunnelma, ja ihan mukavat juhlat. :) Näin mm. yhtä serkkuani pitkästä aikaa kunnolla, ja tuli myös puhuta mummollekin jotain, mikä on aika harvinaista. :D Toivon vaan että leipomani mokkapalat  ja muffinsit maistuivat. Hyviltä siis.
En muuten minäkään jäänyt ihan ilman lahjoja, koska äitini ja iskäni olivat käyneet ostamassa mulle tämän aivan ihastuttavan Hello Kitty mukin, jota oon ihaillu jo monta kertaa. ♥ Vähän vaihtelua muumimukeihini. :)
Sain lahjan myös kaveriltani Allulta, mutta ite oon kamala ystävä kun en löytäny koulujen loppuun mennessä hänelle mitään kivaa lahjaa. :( Lupasin kyllä hommata sellasen myöhemmin! Allulta siis sain Hello Kitty -suklaata, vähänkö söpön näkönen kääre! Jotkut saattaa tässä vaiheessa ihmetellä tuota lahjaa, koska oon ollu melkein neljä vuotta karkkilakossa, mutta syy lahjaan on se, että Allu näköjään yrittää kannustaa mua lopettamaan sen lakon. :D Oon nimittäin puhunu että saattaisin sen lopettaa 30.6, jolloin on neljä vuotta täynnä! Saa nähä. :---)

Haha, en voinu olla vähän nauramatta nähtyäni mitä Allu oli suklaan lisäksi hankkinu, nimittäin tämän Robsessed-DVD:n. XD Katsoinkin sen tänään. ;)

Apua, melkein jänskättää jo nyt kun on enää yks vuos kauppista jälellä! Mitäs mä sitten teen?! Vielä ei oo hajuakaan. Kolmosella saattais vaikka toteutua mun haave työssäoppimisesta ulkomailla, ja näillä näkymin maa ois Englanti, jos siis ees lähen mihinkää. Hui!
Tällä hetkellä jännittää kuitenkin vielä enemmän se tosiasia, että oon töissä kymmenen tunnin päästä (ellen sitten nuku pommiin, mikä on erittäin todennäköstä kun tänäänkin nukuin puol yhteen kun veli soitti..). Eväät on tehty ja asu katottu, vielä pitäis saada rohkeutta ja pitkäjänteisyyttä etten lopeta heti ekana päivänä.. Jotkut saattaakin muistaa että meen siis myymään lehtiä puhelimen välityksellä, enkä oo ainakaan tässä vaiheessa ihan vakuuttunu että musta on siihen työhön. :--D No mut huomenna sen näkee, nyt vaan rukoilen että jaksaisin siellä kesäkuun, koska muuten en saa rahaa mistään, mikä on huonompi homma. Wish me luck!

Öitä kaikille jotka datailee tähän aikaan, ite yritän kohta saada unta.

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Troubled Waters

There have been problems in the mideast since Cain served Able a burnt pita. And although, I wasn't there when the brothers got into it, I have been hearing the mideast issues my entire lifetime and probably like the next person, a bit numb to it all. But now since I am so keyed into Uranus' move into Aries (and Jupiter soon enough) the action that happened today has got my hair standing on end. This could have problems that are far reaching. I hope not but god knows the cardinal cross is bringing out the worst in some.

SHIP LEAVES ISRAEL IN DIPLOMATIC HOT WATER

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America's dead in Afghanistan since 2001 : Master Sgt. Evander E. Andrews, 36, Solon, Maine; Pfc. Kristofor T. Stonesifer, 28, Missoula, Mont.; Spc. Jonn Joseph Edmunds, 20, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Machinist's Mate Fireman Apprentice Bryant L. Davis, 20, Chicago, Ill.; Electronics Technician 3rd Class Benjamin Johnson, 21, Rochester, N.Y.; Engineman 1st Class Vincent Parker, 38, Preston, Miss.; CIA Johnny Michael Spann, 32, Winfield, Ala.; Pvt. Giovanny Maria, 19, New York, N.Y.; Electrician's Mate Fireman Apprentice Michael J. Jakes Jr., 20, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Sgt. 1st Class Daniel H. Petithory, 32, Cheshire, Mass.; Master Sgt. Jefferson D. Davis, 39, Clarksville, Tenn.; Staff Sgt. Brian C. Prosser, 28, Frazier Park, Calif.; 2002: Sgt. 1st Class Nathan R. Chapman, 31, San Antonio, Texas; Capt. Matthew W. Bancroft, 29, Shasta, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Bryan P. Bertrand, 23, Coos Bay, Ore.; Gunnery Sgt. Stephen L. Bryson, 35, Montgomery, Ala.; Capt. Daniel G. McCollum, 29, Richland, S.C.; Staff Sgt. Scott N. Germosen, 37, Queens, N.Y.; Sgt. Jeannette Lee Winters, 25, Du Page, Ill.; Sgt. Nathan P. Hays, 21, Lincoln, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Walter F. Cohee III, 26, Wicomico, Md.; Staff Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan, 24, Mendocino, Calif.; Spc. Jason A. Disney, 21, Fallon, Nev.; Staff Sgt. Juan M. Ridout, 36, Maple Tree, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Bruce A. Rushforth Jr., 35, Bridgewater, Mass.; Maj. Curtis D. Feistner, 25, WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn.; Capt. Bartt D. Owens, 29, MIDDLETOWN, Ohio; Chief Warrant Officer Jody L. Egnor, 34, MIDDLETOWN, Ohio; Staff Sgt. James P. Dorrity, 32, Goldsboro, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Kerry W. Frith, 37, Las Vegas, Nev.; Spc. Thomas F. Allison, 22, Roy, Wash.; Master Sgt. William L. McDaniel II, 36, Greenville, Ohio; Spc. Curtis A. Carter, 25, Lafayette, La.; Chief Warrant Officer Two Stanley L. Harriman, 34, Wade, N.C.; Pfc. Matthew A. Commons, 21, Boulder City, Nev.; Aviation Boatswain's Mate-Handling 1st Class Neil C. Roberts, 32, Woodland, Calif.; Sgt. Philip J. Svitak, 31, Joplin, Mo.; Senior Airman Jason D. Cunningham, 26, Camarillo, Calif.; Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, 36, Waco, Texas; Sgt. Peter P. Crose, 22, Orange Park, Fla.; Spc. Marc A. Anderson, 30, Brandon, Fla.; Chief Petty Officer Matthew J. Bourgeois, 35, Tallahassee, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Brian T. Craig, 27, Houston, Texas; Sgt. 1st Class Daniel A. Romero, 30, Lafayette, Colo.; Sgt. Jamie O. Maugans, 27, Wichita, Kan.; Staff Sgt. Justin J. Galewski, 28, Olathe, Kan.; Seaman Katrina Renee Grady, 29, Greenville, Miss.; Sgt. Gene A. Vance Jr., 38, Morgantown, West Va.; Staff Sgt. Anissa Ann Shero, 31, Grafton, West Va.; Tech. Sgt. Sean M. Corlew, 37, Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Peter P. Tycz II, 32, Tonawanda, N.Y.; Sgt. 1st Class Christopher J. Speer, 28, Albuquerque, N.M.; Sgt. Ryan D. Foraker, 31, Logan, Ohio; Sgt. Jeremy D. Foshee, 25, Jackson, Ala.; Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wayne Jackson, 40, Glennie, Mich.; Lance Cpl. Antonio J. Sledd, 20, Tampa, Fla.; Pvt. James H. Ebbers, 19, Bridgeview, Ill.; Ensign Jerry O. Pope II, 35, Tallahassee, Fla.; Lt. Cmdr. Thomas L. Robinson, 38, Kingston, Mass.; Spc. Pedro Pena, 35, , Fla.; Sgt. Steven Checo, 22, New York, N.Y.; 2003: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thomas J. Gibbons, 31, Calvert County, Md.; Staff Sgt. Daniel Leon Kisling Jr., 31, Neosho, Mo.; Sgt. Gregory Michael Frampton, 37, Fresno, Calif.; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mark O'Steen, 43, Ozark, Ala.; Sgt. Michael C. Barry, 29, Overland Park, Kan.; CIA Operations Officer Helge Boes, 32, Va.; Spc. Brian Michael Clemens, 19, Kokomo, Ind.; Spc. Rodrigo Gonzalez-Garza, 26, San Antonio, Texas; Sgt. William John Tracy Jr., 27, Webster, N.H.; Chief Warrant Officer Timothy Wayne Moehling, 35, Panama City, Fla.; Chief Warrant Officer John D. Smith, 32, West Valley City, Utah; Pfc. Spence A. McNeil, 19, Bennettsville, S.C.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Darrell Jones, 22, Wellston, Ohio; Pfc. James R. Dillon Jr., 19, Grove City, Penn.; Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason Profitt, 23, Charlestown, Ind.; Lt. Col. John Stein, 39, Bardolph, Ill.; Master Sgt. Michael Maltz, 42, St. Petersburg, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Jason Carlyle Hicks, 25, Jefferson, S.C.; Senior Airman Jason Thomas Plite, 21, Lansing, Mich.; Staff Sgt. John "Mike" Teal, 29, Dallas, Texas; 1st Lt. Tamara Long Archuleta, 23, Belen, N.M.; Sgt. Orlando Morales, 33, Manati, Puerto Rico; Staff Sgt. Jacob L. Frazier, 24, St. Charles, Ill.; Pvt. Jerod R. Dennis, 19, Antlers, Okla.; Airman 1st Class Raymond Losano, 24, Del Rio, Texas; Sgt. 1st Class John E. Taylor, 31, Wichita Falls, Texas; Capt. Seth R. Michaud, 27, Hudson, Mass.; 1st Class Petty Officer Thomas E. Retzer, 30, San Diego, Calif.; Spc. Kelvin Feliciano Gutierrez, 21, Anasco, Puerto Rico; Sgt. Christopher P. Geiger, 38, Allentown, Penn.; Lance Cpl. Jeffery L. Clark, 24, Bay City, Fla.; Petty Officer 1st Class David M. Tapper, 32, Camden County, N.J.; Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell A. Lane, 34, Lompoc, Calif.; Spc. Chad C. Fuller, 24, Potsdam, N.Y.; Pfc. Adam L. Thomas, 21, Palos Hills, Ill.; Pfc. Kristian E. Parker, 23, Slidell, La.; Pfc. Evan W. O'Neill, 19, Haverhill, Mass.; Lt. Col. Paul W. Kimbrough, 44, Little Rock, Ark.; Civilian contractor William Carlson, 43, Southern Pines, N.C.; Civilian contractor Christopher Glenn Mueller, 32, San Diego, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Paul A. Sweeney, 32, Lakeville, Penn.; Sgt. Jay A. Blessing, 23, Tacoma, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Walkup Jr., 25, Millville, N.J.; Maj. Steven Plumhoff, 33, Neshanic Station, N.J.; Tech. Sgt. Howard A. Walters, 33, Port Huron, Mich.; Sgt. Maj. Phillip R. Albert, 41, Terryville, Conn.; Tech. Sgt. William J. Kerwood, 37, Houston, Mo.; Sgt. Theodore L. Perreault, 33, Webster, Mass.; 2004: Sgt. Roy A. Wood, 47, Alva, Fla.; Spc. Robert J. Cook, 24, Sun Prairie, Wis.; Spc. Adam G. Kinser, 21, Sacramento, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Curtis Mancini, 43, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Staff Sgt. James D. Mowris, 37, Aurora, Mo.; Spc. Justin A. Scott, 22, Bellevue, Ky.; Sgt. Danton K. Seitsinger, 29, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Sgt. Benjamin L. Gilman, 28, Meriden, Conn.; Staff Sgt. Shawn M. Clemens, 28, Allegany, N.Y.; Sgt. Nicholes Darwin Golding, 24, Addison, Maine; Spc. David E. Hall, 21, Uniontown, Kan.; Sgt. Michael J. Esposito Jr., 22, Brentwood, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Anthony S. Lagman, 26, Yonkers, N.Y.; Command Sgt. Dennis Jallah Jr., 49, Fayetteville, N.C.; Cmdr. Adrian Basil Szwec, 43, Chicago, Ill.; Master Sgt. Herbert R Claunch, 58, Wetumpka, Ala.; Spc. Patrick D. Tillman, 27, Chandler, Ariz.; Spc. Phillip L. Witkowski, 24, Fredonia, N.Y.; Pfc. Brandon James Wadman, 19, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Cpl. Ronald R. Payne Jr., 23, Lakeland, Fla.; Chief Warrant Officer Bruce E. Price, 37, Md.; Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, 28, Cape Coral, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Robert J. Mogensen, 26, Leesville, La.; Pfc. Joseph A. Jeffries, 21, Beaverton, Ore.; Petty Officer 1st Class Brian J. Ouellette, 37, Needham, Mass.; Cpl. David M. Fraise, 24, New Orleans, La.; Lance Cpl. Russell P. White, 19, Dagsboro, Del.; Pfc. Daniel B. McClenney, 19, Shelbyville, Tenn.; Lance Cpl. Juston Tyler Thacker, 21, Bluefield, West Va.; Staff Sgt. Robert K. McGee, 38, Martinsville, Va.; Spc. Julie R. Hickey, 20, Galloway, Ohio; Spc. Juan Manuel Torres, 25, Houston, Texas; Staff Sgt. Craig W. Cherry, 39, Winchester, Va.; Sgt. Bobby E. Beasley, 36, Inwood, West Va.; Sgt. Daniel Lee Galvan, 30, Moore, Okla.; Staff Sgt. Robert S. Goodwin, 35, Albany, Ga.; Staff Sgt. Tony B. Olaes, 30, Walhalla, S.C.; Spc. Wesley R. Wells, 21, Libertyville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Alan L. Rogers, 49, Kearns, Utah; Spc. Kyle Ka Eo Fernandez, 26, Waipahu, Hawaii; Staff Sgt. Brian S. Hobbs, 28, Mesa, Ariz.; Cpl. William M. Amundson Jr., 21, The Woodlands, Texas; Airman 1st Class Jesse M. Samek, 21, Rogers, Ark.; Cpl. Billy Gomez, 25, Perris, Calif.; Spc. James C. Kearney III, 22, Emerson, Iowa; Sgt. Michael C. O'Neill, 22, Mansfield, Ohio; Cpl. Dale E. Fracker Jr., 23, Apple Valley, Calif.; Cpl. Jacob R. Fleischer, 25, St. Louis, Mo.; Chief Warrant Officer Travis W. Grogan, 31, Virginia Beach, Va.; Lt. Col. Michael J. McMahon, 41, Conn.; Spc. Harley D. R. Miller, 21, Spokane, Wash.; Spc. Isaac E. Diaz, 26, Rio Hondo, Texas; 2005: Sgt. 1st Class Pedro A. Munoz, 47, Aquada, Puerto Rico; Sgt. Jeremy R. Wright, 31, Shelbyville, Ind.; Spc. Richard M. Crane, 25, Independence, Mo.; Petty Officer 1st Class Alec Mazur, 35, Vernon, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Shane M. Koele, 25, Wayne, Neb.; Pfc. Norman K. Snyder, 21, Carlisle, Ind.; Spc. Brett M. Hershey, 23, State College, Penn.; Master Sgt. Michael T. Hiester, 33, Bluffton, Ind.; Capt. Michael T. Fiscus, 36, Milford, Ind.; Sgt. Stephen C. High, 45, Spartanburg, S.C.; Spc. Sascha Struble, 20, Philadelphia, N.Y.; Spc. Daniel J. Freeman, 20, Cincinnati, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Romanes L. Woodard, 30, Hertford, N.C.; Maj. Edward J. Murphy, 36, S.C.; Spc. Michael K. Spivey, 21, Fayetteville, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Charles R. Sanders Jr., 29, Charleston, Mo.; Sgt. Maj. Barbaralien Banks, 41, Harvey, La.; Chief Warrant Officer Clint J. Prather, 32, Cheney, Wash.; Master Sgt. Edwin A. Matoscolon, 42, Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico; Chief Warrant Officer David Ayala, 24, New York, N.Y.; Pfc. Pendelton L. Sykes II, 25, Chesapeake, Va.; Spc. Chrystal Gaye Stout, 23, Travelers Rest, S.C.; Sgt. James Shawn Lee, 26, Mount Vernon, Ind.; Capt. David S. Connolly, 37, Boston, Mass.; Pvt. Robert C. White III, 21, Camden, N.J.; Spc. Robert W. Defazio, 21, West Babylon, N.Y.; Sgt. 1st Class Allen C. Johnson, 31, Los Molinos, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Nicholas C. Kirven, 21, Fairfax/Richmond, Va.; Cpl. Richard P. Schoener, 22, Hayes, La.; Cpl. Steven Charles Tucker, 19, Grapevine, Texas; Pfc. Kyle M. Hemauer, 21, Chilton, Wis.; Capt. Charles D. Robinson, 29, Haddon Heights, N.J.; Staff Sgt. Leroy E. Alexander, 27, Dale City, Va.; Sgt. Michael J. Kelley, 26, Scituate, Mass.; Pfc. Emmanuel Hernandez, 22, Yauco, Puerto Rico; Sgt. 1st Class Victor H. Cervantes, 27, Stockton, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Christopher N. Piper, 43, Marblehead, Mass.; Maj. Duane W. Dively, 43, Rancho California, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Kevin B. Joyce, 19, Ganado, Ariz.; Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, Patchogue, N.Y.; Lt. Michael M. McGreevy Jr., 30, Portville, N.Y.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew G. Axelson, 29, Cupertino, Calif.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, 25, Littleton, Colo.; Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, Midway, West Va.; Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Shane Patton, 22, Boulder City, Nev.; Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, San Diego, Calif.; Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, Exeter, N.H.; Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, New Orleans, La.; Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, Jacksonville, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, Danville, Ohio; Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, Stafford, Va.; Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, Washington Depot, Conn.; Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, Clarks Grove, Minn.; Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, Pompano Beach, Fla.; Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, Shelbyville, Ind.; Master Sgt. James W. "Tré" Ponder III, 36, Franklin, Tenn.; Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, Corbett, Ore.; Sgt. Jason T. Palmerton, 25, Auburn, Neb.; Staff Sgt. Michael W. Schafer, 25, Spring Hill, Fla.; Gunnery Sgt. Theodore Clark Jr., 31, Emporia, Va.; Pfc. Damian J. Garza, 19, Odessa, Texas; Pvt. John M. Henderson Jr., 21, Columbus, Ga.; Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Falkel, 22, Highlands Ranch, Colo.; Spc. Christopher M. Katzenberger, 25, St. Louis, Mo.; Sgt. Edward R. Heselton, 23, Easley, S.C.; Capt. Jeremy A. Chandler, 30, Clarksville, Tenn.; 1st Lt. Laura Margaret Walker, 24, Texas; Sgt. Robert G. Davis, 23, Jackson, Mo.; Lance Cpl. Phillip C. George, 22, Houston, Texas; Sgt. Michael R. Lehmiller, 23, Anderson, S.C.; Pvt. Christopher L. Palmer, 22, Sacramento, Calif.; 1st Lt. Joshua M. Hyland, 31, Missoula, Mont.; Spc. Blake W. Hall, 20, East Prairie, Mo.; Staff Sgt. Damion G. Campbell, 23, Baltimore, Md.; 1st Lt. Derek S. Hines, 25, Newburyport, Mass. ; Lance Cpl. Ryan J. Nass, 21, Franklin, Wis.; Chief Warrant Officer John M. Flynn, 36, Sparks, Nev.; Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, 35, Fernley, Nev.; Sgt. Tane T. Baum, 30, Pendleton, Ore.; Warrant Officer Adrian B. Stump, 22, Pendleton, Ore.; Sgt. Kenneth G. Ross, 24, Peoria, Ariz.; Staff Sgt. Robert F. White, 34, Cross Lanes, West Va.; Lance Cpl. Steven A. Valdez, 20, McRea, Ark.; Staff Sgt. John G. Doles, 29, Claremore, Okla.; Sgt. 1st Class James J. Stoddard Jr., 29, Crofton, Md.; Sgt. 1st Class Moses E. Armstead, 44, Rochester, N.Y.; Pfc. Benny S. Franklin, 19, Hammond, La.; Staff Sgt. Troy S. Ezernack, 39, Lancaster, Penn.; Petty Officer 3rd Class Fabricio Moreno, 26, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Spc. Scott J. Mullen, 22, Tucson, Ariz.; Pfc. Joseph Cruz, 22, Whittier, Calif.; Travis W. Nixon, 24, St. John, Wash.; Sgt. 1st Class James S. Ochsner, 36, Waukegan, Ill.; Petty Officer 3rd Class Emory J. Turpin, 23, Dahlonega, Ga.; Spc. Matthew P. Steyart, 21, Mount Shasta, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class John D. Morton, 31, Stanton, Ky.; Pfc. Jason D. Hasenauer, 21, Hilton, N.Y.; 1st Sgt. Tobias C. Meister, 30, Jenks, Okla.; 2006: Lance Cpl. Billy D. Brixey Jr., 21, Ferriday, La.; Petty Officer 3rd Class John T. Fralish, 30, New Kingstown, Penn.; Pfc. Matthew L. Bertolino, 20, Hampstead, N.H.; Sgt. Alberto D. Montrond, 27, Suffolk, Mass.; Sgt. 1st Class Chad A. Gonsalves, 31, Turlock, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Edwin H. Dazachacon, 38, Belleville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Clinton T. Newman, 26, San Antonio, Texas; Capt. Bryan D. Willard, 33, Hummelstown, Penn.; Lance Cpl. Samuel W. Large Jr., 21, Villa Rica, Ga.; Staff Sgt. Sanchez Luis M. Melendez, 33, Bayamon, Puerto Rico; Senior Airman Alecia S. Good, 23, Broadview Heights, Ohio; Sgt. Jonathan E. McColley, 23, Gettysburg, Penn.; 1st Lt. Brandon R. Dronet, 33, Erath, La.; Sgt. Donnie Leo F. Levens, 25, Long Beach, Miss.; Sgt. James F. Fordyce, 22, Newton Square, Penn.; Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Sovie, 20, Ogdensburg, N.Y.; Cpl. Matthieu Marcellus, 31, Gainesville, Fla.; Master Sgt. Emigdio E. Elizarraras, 37, Pico Rivera, Calif.; Sgt. Anton J. Hiett, 25, Mount Airy, N.C.; Spc. Joshua Lee Hill, 24, Fairmount, Ind.; Sgt. Kevin D. Akins, 29, Burnsville, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Joseph R. Ray, 29, Asheville, N.C.; Lance Cpl. Nicholas R. Anderson, 21, Sauk City, Wis.; Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Robinson, 36, Brandon, Miss.; Sgt. 1st Class John Thomas Stone, 52, Tunbridge/Norwich, Vt.; Capt. Clayton Lee Adamkavicius, 43, Fairdale, Ky.; Spc. Justin L. O'Donohoe, 27, San Diego, Calif.; Spc. David N. Timmons Jr., 23, Lewisville, N.C.; Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, 23, Utopia, Texas; Sgt. John C. Griffith, 33, Las Vegas, Nev.; Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster, 24, Fontana, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Christopher T. Howick, 34, Hamburg, N.Y.; Chief Warrant Officer Christopher B. Donaldson, 28, Ill.; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten, 34, Texas; Lt. Col. Joseph J. Fenty, 41, Fla.; Pvt. Brian M. Moquin Jr., 19, Worcester, Mass.; Staff Sgt. Christian Longsworth, 26, Newark, N.J.; Cpl. Derek A. Stanley, 20, Tulsa, Okla.; Sgt. Travis A. Van Zoest, 21, Larimore, N.D.; Spc. Curtis R. Mehrer, 21, Bismarck, N.D.; Cpl. Bernard P. Corpuz, 28, Watsonville, Calif.; Lt. Col. Charles E. Munier, 50, Wheatland, Wyo.; Sgt. Russell M. Durgin, 23, Henniker, N.H.; Sgt. Roger P. Peña Jr., 29, San Antonio, Texas; Capt. Patrick Damon, 41, Falmouth, Maine; 1st Lt. Forrest P. Ewens, 25, Wash.; Sgt. Ian T. Sanchez, 26, Staten Island, N.Y.; Pfc. Brian J. Bradbury, 22, Saint Joseph, Mo.; Staff Sgt. Heathe N. Craig, 28, Severn, Md.; Staff Sgt. Patrick L. Lybert, 28, Ladysmith, Wis.; Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti, 30, Raynham, Mass.; Staff Sgt. Joseph F. Fuerst III, 26, Tampa, Fla.; Master Sgt. Thomas D. Maholic, 38, Bradford, Penn.; Pfc. Justin R. Davis, 19, Gaithersburg, Md.; Cpl. Aaron M. Griner, 24, Tampa, Fla.; Chief Warrant Officer 3 William T. Flanigan, 37, Milan, Tenn.; Pfc. Kevin F. Edgin, 31, Dyersburg, Tenn.; Sgt. Maj. Jeff McLochlin, 45, Rochester, Ind.; Sgt. Robert P. Kassin, 29, Las Vegas, Nev.; Staff Sgt. Robert J. Chiomento, 34, Fort Dix, N.J.; Staff Sgt. Eric Caban, 28, Fort Worth, Texas; 1st Sgt. Christopher C. Rafferty, 37, Brownsville, Penn.; Sgt. David M. Hierholzer, 27, Lewisburg, Tenn.; Spc. Andrew Velez, 22, Lubbock, Texas; Sgt. 1st Class Daniel A. Suplee, 39, Ocala, Fla.; Spc. Rogelio R. Garza Jr., 26, Corpus Christi, Texas; Pfc. James P. White Jr., 19, Huber Heights, Ohio; Pfc. Andrew Small, 19, Wiscasset, Maine; Cpl. Jeremiah S. Cole, 26, Hiawatha, Kan.; Pvt. Joseph R. Blake, 34, Portland, Ore.; Spc. Wakkuna Almira Jackson, 21, Jacksonville, Fla.; Spc. Chris Sitton, 21, Montrose, Colo.; Pfc. Robert E. Drawl Jr., 21, Alexandria, Va.; Senior Airman Adam P. Servais, 23, Onalaska, Wis.; Sgt. 1st Class Merideth Howard, 52, Waukesha, Wis.; Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul, 43, The Dalles, Ore.; Sgt. Nathaniel Brad Lindsey, 38, Troutdale, Ore.; Sgt. 1st Class Mike Fuga, 41, Nuuli, American Samoa; Sgt. Jeremy E. DePottey, 26, Ironwood, Mich.; Sgt. 1st Class Bernard Lee Deghand, 42, Mayetta, Kan.; Angelo J. Vaccaro, 23, Deltona, Fla.; Spc. Fernando D. Robinson, 21, Hawthorne, Calif.; Chief Warrant Officer Scott W. Dyer, 38, Cocoa Beach, Fla.; Spc. Jason A. Lucas, 24, Columbus, Ohio; Pvt. Michael V. Bailey, 20, Waldorf, Md.; Staff Sgt. Kyu H. Chay, 34, Fayetteville, N.C.; Spc. Isaiah Calloway, 23, Jacksonville, Fla.; Maj. Douglas E. Sloan, 40, Charlevoix, Mich.; Pfc. Alex Oceguera, 19, San Bernardino, Calif.; Sgt. Charles J. McClain, 26, Fort Riley, Kan.; Sgt. 1st Class William R. Brown, 30, Fort Worth, Texas; Caporal Nathan J. Goodiron, 25, Mandaree, N.D.; 2nd Lt. Scott B. Lundell, 35, Hurricane, Utah; 1st Lt. Benjamin D. Keating, 27, Shapleigh, Maine; Staff Sgt. Michael A. Shank, 31, Bonham, Texas; Spc. Jeffrey G. Roberson, 22, Phelan, Calif.; Spc. Chris Kleinwachter, 29, Wahpeton, N.D.; Staff Sgt. Joseph E. Phaneuf II, 38, Eastford, Conn.; 2007: Sgt. Long N. Nguyen, 27, Portland, Ore.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Laquita Pate James, 33, Orange Park, Fla.; Cpl. Timothy D. Lewis, 20, Lawrenceburg, Ky.; Chief Warrant Officer John A. Quinlan, 36, N.J.; Spc. Brandon D. Gordon, 21, Naples, Fla.; Sgt. Adam A. Wilkinson, 23, Fort Carson, Colo.; Pfc. Ryan C. Garbs, 20, Edwardsville, Ill.; Tech. Sgt. Scott E. Duffman, 32, Albuquerque, N.M.; Pfc. Kristofer D. S. Thomas, 18, Roseville, Calif.; Spc. Travis R. Vaughn, 26, Reinbeck, Iowa; Chief Warrant Officer Hershel D. McCants Jr., 33, Ariz.; Sgt. Buddy J. Hughie, 19, Poteau, Okla.; Pfc. Jason D. Johns, 19, Frankton, Ind.; Pfc. Daniel Zizumbo, 27, Chicago, Ill.; Sgt. Christopher J. C. Fernandez, 28, Dededo, Guam; Sgt. Gregory D. Fejeran, 28, Barrigada, Guam; Sgt. Edmund W. McDonald, 25, Casco, Maine; Spc. Agustin Gutierrez, 19, San Jacinto, Calif.; Spc. Christopher M. Wilson, 24, Bangor, Maine; Pfc. Conor G. Masterson, 21, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.; Sgt. Edelman L. Hernandez, 23, Hyattsville, Md.; Staff Sgt. Casey D. Combs, 28, Auburn, Wash.; Sgt. David A. Stephens, 28, Tullahoma, Tenn.; Sgt. Aalten Alex Van, 21, Monterey, Tenn.; Staff Sgt. Michael D. Thomas, 34, Seffner, Fla.; Spc. Daniel F. Mehringer, 20, Morgantown, West Va.; Cpl. Jeremy R. Greene, 24, Springfield, Ohio; Pfc. Joseph G. Harris, 19, Sugar Land, Texas; Col. James W. Harrison Jr., 47, Mo.; Master Sgt. Wilberto Sabalu Jr., 36, Chicago, Ill.; Sgt. Timothy P. Padgett, 28, Defuniak Springs, Fla.; Maj. Larry J. Bauguess Jr., 36, Moravian Falls, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Whitaker, 23, Long Beach, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Charlie L. Bagwell, 28, Lake Toxaway, N.C.; Sgt. Brandon E. Hadaway, 25, Valley, Ala.; Sgt. Jesse Blamires, 25, South Jordan, Utah; Chief Warrant Officer Christopher M. Allgaier, 33, Middleton, Mo.; Chief Warrant Officer Joshua R. Rodgers, 29, Carson City, Nev.; Sgt. Charles R. Browning, 31, Tucson, Ariz.; Lt. Col. Michael A. Robinson, 42, Sylacauga, Ala.; Pfc. Jacob Michael Lowell, 22, New Lenox, Ill.; Pfc. Timothy R. Vimoto, 19, Fort Campbell, Ky.; Sgt. Charles E. Wyckoff Jr., 28, Chula Vista, Calif.; Master Sgt. Arthur L. Lilley, 35, Smithfield, Penn.; Staff Sgt. Roy P. Lewsader Jr., 36, Clinton, Ind.; Capt. Joshua E. Steele, 26, North Henderson, Ill.; Sgt. 1st Class John Henning, 26, Lake Charles, La.; Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Dale Henderson, 35, Hillsboro, Ore.; Sgt. Dustin J. Perrott, 23, Fredericksburg, Va.; Capt. Darrell C. Lewis, 31, Washington, D.C., ; Pfc. Joseph A. Miracle, 22, Ortonville, Mich.; Spc. Christopher S. Honaker, 23, Cleveland, N.C.; Sgt. Thomas P. McGee, 23, Hawthorne, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Sean K. Mitchell, 35, Monterey, Calif.; Master Sgt. Randy J. Gillespie, 44, Coaldale, Colo.; Pfc. Juan S. Restrepo, 20, Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Pfc. Jessy S. Rogers, 20, Copper Center, Alaska; Pfc. Adam J. Davis, 19, Twin Falls, Idaho; Sgt. Travon T. Johnson, 29, Palmdale, Calif.; 1st Sgt. Michael S. Curry Jr., 37, Dania Beach, Fla.; Pfc. Zachary R. Endsley, 21, Spring, Texas; Staff Sgt. William R. Fritsche, 23, Martinsville, Ind.; Maj. Thomas G. Bostick Jr., 37, Llano, Texas; 1st Lt. Benjamin J. Hall, 24, Va.; Sgt. Taurean T. Harris, 22, Liberty, Miss.; Pfc. Jordan E. Goode, 21, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Pvt. Alan J. Austin, 21, Houston, Texas; Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey D. Kettle, 31, Madill, Okla.; Staff Sgt. Jesse G. Clowers Jr., 27, Herndon, Va.; Sgt. Charles B. Kitowski III, 31, Farmers Branch, Texas; Spc. George V. Libby, 23, Aberdeen, N.C.; Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney, 37, Ankeny, Iowa; Sgt. 1st Class Daniel E. Miller, 43, Rossford, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Nicholas R. Carnes, 25, Dayton, Ky.; Sgt. 1st Class Rocky H. Herrera, 43, Salt Lake City, Utah; Sgt. Bryce D. Howard, 24, Vancouver, Wash.; Pfc. Thomas R. Wilson, 21, Maurertown, Va.; Ciara M. Durkin, 30, Quincy, Mass. ; Sgt. Cory L. Clark, 25, Plant City, Fla.; Maj. Henry S. Ofeciar, 37, Agana, Guam; Master Sgt. Scott R. Ball, 38, Mount Holly Springs, Penn.; Sgt. Jan M. Argonish, 26, Peckville, Penn.; Master Sgt. Patrick D. Magnani, 38, Martinez, Calif.; Pfc. Mykel F. Miller, 19, Phoenix, Ariz.; Cpl. Travis M. Woods, 21, Redding, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew D. Blaskowski, 27, Levering, Mich.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles Luke Milam, 26, Littleton, Colo.; Pfc. Christopher F. Pfeifer, 21, Spalding, Neb.; Pfc. Mathew D. Taylor, 21, Cameron Park, Calif.; Sgt. Zachary D. Tellier, 31, Charlotte, N.C.; Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark R. Cannon, 31, Lubbock, Texas; Cpl. Adam D. Quinn, 22, Orange City, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Larry I. Rougle, 25, West Jordan, Utah; Sgt. Edward O. Philpot, 38, Latta, S.C.; Sgt. Joshua C. Brennan, 22, Ontario, Ore.; Spc. Hugo V. Mendoza, 29, Glendale, Ariz.; Staff Sgt. Joseph F. Curreri, 27, Los Angeles, Calif.; Master Sgt. Thomas L. Bruner, 50, Owensboro, Ky.; Maj. Jeffrey R. Calero, 34, Queens Village, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. James D. Bullard, 28, Marion, S.C.; Sgt. 1st Class Johnny C. Walls, 41, Bremerton, Wash.; Pfc. Joseph M. Lancour, 21, Swartz Creek, Mich.; Spc. Lester G. Roque, 23, Torrance, Calif.; Spc. Sean K. A. Langevin, 23, Walnut Creek, Calif.; 1st Lt. Matthew C. Ferrara, 24, Torrance, Calif.; Sgt. Jeffery S. Mersman, 23, Parker, Kan.; Sgt. Phillip Allen Bocks, 28, Troy, Mich.; Staff Sgt. Patrick F. Kutschbach, 25, McKees Rocks, Penn.; Sgt. Adrian E. Hike, 26, Callender, Iowa; Capt. David A. Boris, 30, Penn.; 2nd Lt. Stuart F. Liles, 26, Hot Spring, Ark.; Cpl. Tanner J. O'Leary, 23, Eagle Butte, S.D.; Staff Sgt. Gregory L. Elam, 39, Columbus, Ga.; Cpl. Joshua C. Blaney, 25, Matthews, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Michael J. Gabel, 30, Crowley, La.; Senior Airman Nicholas D. Eischen, 24, Sanger, Calif.; Spc. Brian Gorham, 23, Woodburn, Ky.; 2008: Sgt. Shawn F. Hill, 37, Wellford, S.C.; Sgt. James K. Healy, 25, Hesperia, Calif.; Maj. Michael L. Green, 36, Chagrin Falls, Ohio; Sgt. David J. Drakulich, 22, Reno, Nev.; Lt. Col. Richard J. Berrettini, 52, Wilcox, Penn.; Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, 24, Iowa City, Iowa; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Ryan Kahler, 29, Granite Falls, Minn.; Staff Sgt. Donald T. Tabb, 29, Norcross, Ga.; Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, Sonora, Calif.; Spc. Steven R. Koch, 23, Milltown, N.J.; Sgt. Gabriel Guzman, 25, Hornbrook, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Collin J. Bowen, 38, Millersville, Md.; Pfc. Antione V. Robinson, 20, Detroit, N.C.; Staff Sgt. William R. Neil, 38, Holmden, N.J.; Tech. Sgt. William H. Jefferson Jr., 34, Norfolk, Va.; Lance Cpl. Dustin L. Canham, 21, Lake Stevens, Wash.; Sgt. Nicholas A. Robertson, 27, Old Town, Maine; 1st Sgt. Luke J. Mercardante, 35, Athens, Ga.; Cpl. Kyle W. Wilks, 24, Rogers, Ark.; Sgt. 1st Class David L. McDowell, 30, Ramona, Calif.; Senior Airman Jonathan A. V. Yelner, 24, Lafayette, Calif.; Spc. Jeremy R. Gullett, 22, Greenup, Ky.; Staff Sgt. Kevin C. Roberts, 25, Farmington, N.M.; Sgt. Isaac Palomarez, 26, Loveland, Colo.; Pfc. Ara T. Deysie, 18, Parker, Ariz.; Pvt. Matthew W. Brown, 20, Zelienople, Penn.; Master Sgt. Davy N. Weaver, 39, Barnesville, Ga.; Cpl. William Justin L. Cooper, 22, Eupora, Miss.; Lt. Jeffrey A. Ammon, 37, Orem, Utah; Lt. Col. Joseph A. Moore, 54, Boise, Idaho; 1st Lt. Jeffrey F. Deprimo, 35, Pittston, Penn.; Spc. David L. Leimbach, 38, Taylors, S.C.; Spc. Christopher Gathercole, 21, Santa Rosa, Calif.; Spc. Justin L. Buxbaum, 23, South Portland, Maine; Pfc. Chad M. Trimble, 29, West Covina, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class David Nunez, 27, Los Angeles, Calif.; Spc. James M. Finley, 21, Lebanon, Mo.; Pvt. Andrew J. Shields, 19, Battleground, Wash.; Pfc. Derek D. Holland, 20, Wind Gap, Penn.; Maj. Scott A. Hagerty, 41, Stillwater, Okla.; Chief Warrant Officer James Carter, 42, Ala.; Pfc. Andre D. McNair Jr., 20, Fort Pierce, Fla.; Sgt. Michael Toussiant-Hyle Washington, 20, Tacoma, Wash.; Pfc. Michael Robert Patton, 19, Fenton, Mo.; Lance Cpl. Layton Bradly Crass, 22, Richmond, Ind.; Pfc. Dawid Pietrek, 24, Bensenville, Ill.; Hospitalman Marc A. Retmier, 19, Hemet, Calif.; Petty Officer 1st Class Ross L. Toles III, 37, Davison, Mich.; Capt. Eric Daniel Terhune, 34, Lexington, Ky.; Lance Cpl. Andrew Francis Whitacre, 21, Bryant, Ind.; Hospitalman Dustin Kelby Burnett, 19, Fort Mohave, Ariz.; Sgt. Matthew E. Mendoza, 24, San Antonio, Texas; Spc. Anthony L. Mangano, 36, Greenlawn, N.Y.; Lt. Col. James J. Walton, 41, Rockville, Md.; Sgt. Andrew Seabrooks, 36, Queens, N.Y.; Sgt. Nelson D. Rodriguez Ramirez, 22, Revere, Mass. ; Spc. Ryan J. Connolly, 24, Vacaville, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Christopher D. Strickland, 25, Labelle, Fla.; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew L. Hilton, 37, Livonia, Mich.; Staff Sgt. Edgar A. Heredia, 28, Houston, Texas; Spc. Mark C. Palmateer, 38, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Sgt. 1st Class Joseph A. McKay, 51, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Travis K. Hunsberger, 24, Goshen, IN; Sergenat James M. Treber, 24, Imperial Beach, Calif.; Master Sgt. Shawn E. Simmons, 39, Ashland, Mass.; Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey M. Radamorales, 32, Naranjito, Puerto Rico; Spc. Estell L. Turner, 43, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 1st Lt. Daniel Farkas, 42, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Sgt. Douglas J. Bull, 29, Wilkes Barre, Penn.; Spc. Brian S. Leon Guerrero, 34, Hagatna, Guam; Spc. Samson A. Mora, 28, Dededo, Guam; Cpl. Jason M. Bogar, 25, Seattle, Wash.; 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom, 24, Hawaii; Cpl. Pruitt A. Rainey, 22, Haw River, N.C.; Cpl. Matthew B. Phillips, 27, Jasper, Ga.; Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers, 24, Snellville, Ga.; Cpl. Jason D. Hovater, 24, Clinton, Tenn.; Pfc. Sergio S. Abad, 21, Morganfield, Ky.; Cpl. Gunnar W. Zwilling, 20, Florissant, Mo.; Master Sgt. Mitchell W. Young, 39, Jonesboro, Ga.; Sgt. Israel Garcia, 24, Long Beach, Calif.; Pfc. Willington M. Rhoads, 23, Las Vegas, Nev.; 1st Lt. Jason D. Mann, 29, Woodlynne, N.J.; 1st Lt. Nick A. Dewhirst, 25, Onalaska, Wis.; Pfc. Ivan I. Wilson, 22, Clearlake, Calif.; Spc. Seteria L. Harris Brown, 22, Orlando, Fla.; Pfc. David John Badie, 23, Rockford, Ill.; 2nd Lt. Michael R. Girdano, 23, Penn.; Spc. William J. Mulvihill, 20, Leavenworth, Kan.; Pvt. Jair De Jesus Garcia, 29, Chatsworth, Calif.; Sgt. Ryan P. Baumann, 24, Great Mills, Md.; Sgt. Jaime Gonzalez Jr., 40, Austin, Texas; Sgt. Errol M. James, 29, St. Croix, Virgin Islands; Capt. Garrett T. Lawton, 31, Charleston, West Va.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Anthony M. Carbullido, 25, Agat, Guam; Pvt. John A. Mattox, 23, Daingerfield, Texas; Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez-Castaneda, 19, Mesa, Ariz.; Cpl. Anthony G. Mihalo, 23, Naperville, Ill.; Lance Cpl. Jacob J. Toves, 27, Grover Beach, Calif.; 1st Lt. Donald C. Carwile, 29, Oxford, Va.; Pfc. Paul E. Conlon Jr., 21, Somerville, Mass. ; Staff Sgt. Kristopher D. Rodgers, 29, Sturgis, Mich.; Pfc. Jonathan L. Luscher, 20, Scranton, Penn.; Staff Sgt. David L. Paquet, 26, Rising Sun, Md.; Sgt. 1st Class David J. Todd Jr., 36, Marrero, La.; Staff Sgt. Brian E. Studer, 28, Roseau, Minn.; Pvt. Tan Q. Ngo, 20, Beaverton, Ore.; Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua Harris, 36, Lexington, N.C.; Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez, 35, Weidman, Mich.; Pvt. Vincent C. Winston Jr., 22, St. Louis, Mo.; Pvt. Michael R. Dinterman, 18, Littlestown, Penn.; Spc. Marques I. Knight, 24, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; 1st Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo, 25, Bothell, Wash.; Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, Randallstown, Md.; Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Eichmann A. Strickland, 23, Arlington, Wash.; Pvt. Michael W. Murdock, 22, Chocowinity, N.C.; Chief Warrant Officer Michael Slebodnik, 39, Gibsonia, Penn.; Senior Chief Petty Officer John Wayne Marcum, 34, Flushing, Mich.; Chief Petty Officer Jason Richard Freiwald, 30, Armada, Mich.; 1st Lt. Mohsin A. Naqvi, 26, Newburgh, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Jason A. Vazquez, 24, Chicago, Ill.; Capt. Bruce E. Hays, 42, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Sgt. Joshua W. Harris, 21, Romeoville, Ill.; Lt. Col. James L. Wiley, 46, North Bend, Ore.; Staff Sgt. Brandon W. Farley, 30, Haworth, Okla.; Sgt. Jerome C. Bell Jr., 29, New York, Auburn; Pvt. Joseph F. Gonzales, 18, Tucson, Ariz.; Capt. Bruno G. Desolenni, 32, Crescent City, Calif.; Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez, 34, El Paso, Texas; Cryptologic Technician Third Class Petty Officer Matthew J. O'Bryant, 22, Duluth, Ga.; Staff Sgt. Nathan M. Cox, 32, Walcott, Iowa; Sgt. William E. Hasenflu, 38, Bradenton, Fla.; Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas, 32, Maysel, West Va.; Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez, 33, Round Lake, Ill.; Capt. Richard G. Cliff Jr., 29, Mount Pleasant, S.C.; Spc. Jason E. von Zerneck, 33, Charlotte, N.C.; Cpl. Jason A. Karella, 20, Anchorage, Alaska; Pfc. Scott G. Dimond, 39, Franklin, N.H.; Sgt. Preston R. Medley, 23, Baker, Fla.; Spc. Stephen R. Fortunato, 25, Danvers, Mass. ; Spc. Cory J. Bertrand, 18, Center, Texas; Sgt. John M. Penich, 25, Beach Park, Ill.; Sgt. Federico G. Borjas, 33, San Diego, Calif.; Capt. Robert D. Lindenau, 39, Camano Island, Wash.; Spc. Deon L. Taylor, 30, Bronx, N.Y.; Lance Cpl. Sim San, 23, Santa Ana, Calif.; Cpl. Adrian Robles, 21, Scottsbluff, Neb.; 1st Lt. Trevor J. Yurista, 32, Pleasant Valley, N.Y.; Sgt. Kevin D. Grieco, 35, Bartlett, Ill.; Sgt. Nicholas A. Casey, 22, Canton, Ohio; Sgt. Daniel W. Wallace, 27, Dry Ridge, Ky.; Spc. Jonnie L. Stiles, 38, Highlands Ranch, Colo.; Capt. Robert J. Yllescas, 31, Lincoln, Neb.; Pvt. Colman J. Meadows III, 19, Senoia, Ga.; Cpl. Charles P. Gaffney Jr., 42, Phoenix, Ariz.; 2009: Lance Cpl. Alberto Francesconi, 21, Bronx, N.Y.; Lance Cpl. Jessie A. Cassada, 19, Hendersonville, N.C.; Sgt. Joshua L. Rath, 22, Decatur, Ala.; Spc. Keith Eric Essary, 20, Dyersburg, Tenn.; Cpl. Jason R. Parsons, 24, Lenoir, N.C.; Spc. Joseph M. Hernandez, 24, Hammond, Ind.; Maj. Brian M. Mescall, 33, Hopkinton, Mass.; Lance Cpl. Daniel R. Bennett, 23, Clifton, Va.; Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Townsend, 30, Solvang, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Carlo M. Robinson, 33, Lawton, Okla.; Spc. Ezra Dawson, 31, Las Vegas, Nev.; Lance Cpl. Julian T. Brennan, 25, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Sgt. David W. Wallace III, 25, Sharpsville, Penn.; Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson, 23, Forsyth, Mont.; Chief Warrant Officer 4 Milton E. Suggs, 51, Lockport, La.; Lance Cpl. Kevin T. Preach, 21, Bridgewater, Mass.; 1st Lt. Jared W. Southworth, 26, Oakland, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Jason E. Burkholder, 27, Elida, Ohio; Spc. Peter J. Courcy, 22, Frisco, Texas; Pfc. Jason R. Watson, 19, Many, La.; Staff Sgt. Marc J. Small, 29, Collegeville, Penn.; Sgt. Daniel L. Hansen, 24, Tracy, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Raymond J. Munden, 35, Mesquite, Texas; Master Sgt. David L. Hurt, 36, Tucson, Ariz.; Staff Sgt. Jeremy E. Bessa, 26, Illinois, Woodridge; Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Davis, 28, Aberdeen, Wash.; Capt. Brian M. Bunting, 29, Potomac, Md.; Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, 25, Owasso, Okla.; Sgt. Scott B. Stream, 39, Mattoon, Ill.; Sgt. Daniel James Thompson, 24, Madison, Wis.; Spc. Simone A. Robinson, 21, Dixmoor, Ill.; Pfc. Patrick A. Devoe II, 27, Auburn, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Archie A. Taylor, 37, Tomball, Texas; Staff Sgt. Timothy L. Bowles, 24, Tucson, N.M.; Spc. Robert M. Weinger, 24, Round Lake Beach, Ill.; Sgt. Christopher P. Abeyta, 23, Midlothian, Ill.; Spc. Norman L. Cain III, 22, Oregon, IL, Ill.; Lance Cpl. Daniel J. Geary, 22, Rome, N.Y.; Cpl. Anthony L. Williams, 21, Oxford, Penn.; Cpl. Michael W. Ouellette, 28, Manchester, N.H.; Pfc. Adam J. Hardt, 19, Avondale, Ariz.; Lt. (j.g.) Francis L. Toner IV, 26, Narragansett, R.I.; Lt. Florence B. Choe, 35, El Cajon, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers, 30, Hopewell, Va.; Spc. Adam M. Kuligowski, 21, Arlington, Va.; Lance Cpl. Blaise A. Oleski, 22, Holland Patent, N.Y.; Airman 1st Class Jacob I. Ramsey, 20, Hesperia, Calif.; Cpl. Francisco X. Aguila, 35, Bayamon, Puerto Rico; Pfc. Richard A. Dewater, 21, Topeka, Kan.; Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, Philadelphia, Penn.; Sgt. James Pirtle, 21, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Spc. Ryan C. King, 22, Dallas, Ga.; Spc. Lukasz D. Saczek, 23, Lake in the Hills, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Esau I. De la Pena-Hernandez, 25, La Puente, Calif.; Sgt. Carlie M. Lee III, 23, Birmingham, Ala.; 1st Lt. Roslyn Littmann Schulte, 25, Ladue (St. Louis), Mo.; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brent S. Cole, 38, Reedsville, West Va.; Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton, 39, Houston, Texas; Senior Airman Ashton Lynn Marie Goodman, 21, Indianapolis, Ind.; 1st Sgt. Blue C. Rowe, 33, Summers, Ark.; Lance Cpl. Matthew G. Reza, 27, Austin, Texas; Sgt. Jasper K. Obakrairur, 26, Hilo, Hawaii; Pfc. Matthew W. Wilson, 19, Miller, Mo.; Pfc. Matthew D. Ogden, 33, Corpus Christi, Texas; Staff Sgt. Jeffrey A. Hall, 28, Huntsville, Ala.; Spc. Roberto A. Hernandez, 21, Far Rockaway, N.Y.; Spc. Jarrett P. Griemel, 20, La Porte, Texas; Staff Sgt. John C. Beale, 39, Riverdale, Ga.; Spc. Jeffrey W. Jordan, 21, Rome, Ga.; Maj. Rocco M. Barnes, 50, Los Angeles, Calif.; Maj. Kevin M. Jenrette, 37, Lula, Ga.; Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Whittle, 20, Downey, Calif.; Spc. Eduardo S. Silva, 25, Greenfield, Calif.; Chief Warrant Officer Ricky L. Richardson Jr., 33, Franklin, Mo.; Spc. Jonathan C. O'Neill, 22, Zephyrhills, Fla.; Sgt. 1st Class Kevin A. Dupont, 52, Chicopee, Mass.; Staff Sgt. Joshua Melton, 26, Carlyle, Ill.; Sgt. Paul G. Smith, 43, Peoria, Ill.; Command Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey J. Garber, 43, Hemingford, Neb.; 1st Sgt. John D. Blair, 38, Calhoun, Ga.; Sgt. Ricky D. Jones, 26, Plantersville, Ala.; Spc. Rodrigo A. Munguia-Rivas, 27, Germantown, Md.; 1st Lt. Brian N. Bradshaw, 24, Steilacoom, Wash.; Pfc. Peter K. Cross, 20, Saginaw, Texas; Pvt. Steven T. Drees, 19, Peshtigo, Wis.; Sgt. Terry J. Lynch, 22, Shepherd, Mont.; Lance Cpl. Charles S. Sharp, 20, Adairsville, Ga.; Pfc. Justin A. Casillas, 19, Dunnigan, Calif.; Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20, Aberdeen, Wash.; Pfc. Nicolas H. J. Gideon, 20, Murrieta, Calif.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Tony Michael Randolph, 22, Henryetta, Okla.; Spc. Issac L. Johnson, 24, Ga.; 2nd Lt. Derwin I. Williams, 41, Glenwood, Ill.; Spc. Chester W. Hosford, 35, Hastings, Minn.; Sgt. Brock H. Chavers, 25, Bulloch, Ga.; Capt. Mark A. Garner, 30, Elkin, N.C.; Spc. Christopher M. Talbert, 24, Galesburg, Ill.; Sgt. John Eric Hayes, 36, Middleburg, Fla.; Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Darren Ethan Tate, 21, Canyon, Texas; Lance Cpl. Roger Gary Michael Hager, 20, Gibsonville, N.C.; Sgt. Michael C. Roy, 25, North Fort Myers, Fla.; Spc. Gregory James Missman, 36, Batavia, Ohio; Spc. Joshua Ray Farris, 22, Warda (La Grange?), Texas; Cpl. Matthew Ryan Lembke, 22, Tualatin, Ore.; Lance Cpl. Pedro Antonio Barbozaflores, 27, Glendale, Calif.; Master Sgt. Jerome David Hatfield, 36, Axton, Va.; Staff Sgt. Eric James Lindstrom, 27, Flagstaff, Ariz.; Sgt. Michael Wayne Heede Jr., 22, Delta, Penn.; Staff Sgt. David Shane Spicer, 33, Zanesfield, Ohio; Sgt. 1st Class Jason John Fabrizi, 29, Seffner, Fla.; Capt. Mark Russell Mcdowell, 26, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Capt. Thomas Joseph Gramith, 27, Eagan, Minn.; Cpl. Benjamin Stephen Kopp, 21, Rosemount, Minn.; Spc. Anthony Marquis Lightfoot, 20, Riverdale, Ga.; Sgt. Gregory Owens Jr., 24, Garland, Texas; Spc. Andrew Jay Roughton, 21, Houston, Texas; Pfc. Dennis Joseph Pratt, 34, Duncan, Okla.; Sgt. Raymundo Porras Morales, 34, Dalton, Ga.; Sgt. Joshua James Rimer, 24, Rochester, Penn.; Spc. Randy L.J. Neff Jr., 22, Blackfoot, Idaho; Lance Cpl. Jeremy Scott Lasher, 27, Oneida, N.Y.; Cpl. Nicholas George Xiarhos, 21, Yarmouth Port, Mass.; Sgt. Ryan H. Lane, 25, Pittsburgh, Penn.; Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Andrew Scott Charpentier, 21, Great Falls, Mont.; Spc. Justin Dean Coleman, 21, Weeki Wachee, Fla.; Pfc. Donald Wayne Vincent, 26, Gainesville, Fla.; Sgt. Gerrick David Smith, 19, Sullivan, Ill.; Chief Warrant Officer Douglas Melville Vose III, 38, Concrete, Wash.; Lance Cpl. Jonathan Fulton Stroud, 20, Cashion, Okla.; Lance Cpl. Gregory Alan Posey, 22, Knoxville, Tenn.; Spc. Alexander Joel Miller, 21, Clermont, Fla.; Pvt. Richard Kelvin Jones, 21, Person, N.C.; Pvt. Patrick Scott Fitzgibbon, 19, Knoxville, Tenn.; Cpl. Jonathan Michael Walls, 27, West Lawn, Penn.; Sgt. 1st Class Alejandro Granado III, 42, Tatum, Texas; Capt. Ronald George Luce Jr., 27, Fayetteville, N.C.; Sgt. 1st Class Severin West Summers III, 43, Bentonia, MS; Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Christian Garcia, 21, Tyndall, Fla.; Lance Cpl. Travis Thornton Babine, 20, San Antonio, Texas; Lance Cpl. James David Argentine, 22, Farmingdale, N.Y.; Cpl. Rivera Christian Armando Guzman, 21, Homestead, Fla.; Sgt. Jay Michael Hoskins, 24, Paris, Texas; Sgt. Jerry Randall Evans Jr., 23, Eufaula, Ala.; Capt. Matthew Charles Hays Freeman, 29, Richmond Hill, Ga.; Lance Cpl. Dennis James Burrow, 23, Naples, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Tara Jean Smith, 33, Nashville, N.C.; Lance Cpl. Javier Olvera, 20, Palmdale, Calif.; Spc. Matthew Kalen Samue Swanson, 20, Lake Forest, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Patrick Wayne Schimmel, 21, Winfield, Mo.; Lance Cpl. Bruce Earnest Ferrell, 21, Perdido, Ala.; Capt. John Tinsley, 28, Tallahassee, Fla.; Sgt. William John Cahir, 40, Washington, D.C.; Lance Cpl. Joshua Matthew Bernard, 21, New portland, Maine; Cpl. Nicholas Ryan Roush, 22, Middleville, Mich.; Sgt. 1st Class William Brian Woods Jr., 31, Chesapeake, Va.; Lance Cpl. Leopold Fred Damas, 26, Floral park, N.Y.; Pfc. Clayton Patrick Bowen, 29, San Antonio, Texas; 1st Sgt. Jose San Nicolas Crisostomo, 59, Inarajan, Guam; Spc. Troy Orion Tom, 21, Shiprock, N.M.; Morris Lewis Walker, 23, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Pfc. Jonathan Christopher Yanney, 20, Litchfield, Minn.; Gunnery Sgt. Adam Frank Benjamin, 34, Garfield, Ohio; Spc. Paul Edmond Dumont Jr., 23, Williamsburg, Va.; Brian Michael Wolverton, 21, Oak park, Calif.; Spc. Justin Reid Pellerin, 21, Boscawen, N.H.; Sgt. Matthew Lee Ingram, 25, Pearl, Miss.; Staff Sgt. Andrew Thomas Lobosco, 29, Somerville, N.J.; Cpl. Darby Todd Morin, 25, Big River 1st Nation, Canada; Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Wayne Sawyer, 38, Trenton, Mo.; Spc. Dennis Michael Williams, 24, Federal way, Wash.; Capt. Cory J. Jenkins, 30, Ariz.; Capt. John Louis Hallett III, 30, Dupont, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Kurt Robert Curtiss, 27, Murray, Utah; Lance Cpl. Donald James Hogan, 20, San Clemente, Calif.; Pfc. Matthew Everett Wildes, 18, Hammond, La.; Spc. Abraham Sherrod Wheeler III, 22, Columbia, S.C.; Staff Sgt. Jason Sean Dahlke, 29, Orlando, Fla.; Pfc. Eric W Hario, 19, Monroe, Mich.; Spc. Tyler R. Walshe, 21, Shasta, Calif.; Lance Cpl. David R. Hall, 31, Elyria, Ohio; Pfc. Jordan M. Brochu, 20, Cumberland, Maine; Spc. Jonathan D. Welch, 19, Yorba Linda, Calif.; Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin P. Castiglione, 21, Howell, Mich.; Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Baltazar Jr., 19, San Antonio, Texas; 2nd Lt. Darryn D. Andrews, 34, Dallas, Texas; Capt. Joshua S. Meadows, 30, Bastrop, Texas; Sgt. Youvert Loney, 28, Pohnpei, Micronesia; Staff Sgt. Michael C. Murphrey, 25, Snyder, Texas; Sgt. Randy M. Haney, 27, Orlando, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Aaron M. Kenefick, 30, Roswell, Ga.; 1st Lt. Michael E. Johnson, 25, Virginia Beach, Va.; Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Wayne Johnson Jr., 31, Columbus, Ga.; Petty Officer 3rd Class James R. Layton, 22, Riverbank, Calif.; 1st Lt. Tyler E. Parten, 24, Ark.; Lance Cpl. Christopher S. Fowlkes, 20, Gaffney, S.C.; Pfc. Matthew M. Martinek, 20, DeKalb, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Nekl B. Allen, 29, Rochester, N.Y.; Spc. Daniel L. Cox, 23, Parsons, Kan.; Sgt. Tyler A. Juden, 23, Winfield, Kan.; Staff Sgt. Bryan D. Berky, 25, Melrose, Fla.; Tech. Sgt. James R Hornbarger, 33, Castle Rock, Wash.; Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell, 24, Carlisle, Penn.; 1st Lt. David T. Wright II, 26, Moore, Okla.; Spc. Demetrius L. Void, 20, Orangeburg, S.C.; Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Mills, 24, El Paso, Texas; Sgt. 1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey, 33, Peachtree City, Ga.; Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Bohle, 29, Glen Burnie, Md.; Sgt. Robert D. Gordon II, 22, River Falls, Ala.; Pfc. Jeremiah J. Monroe, 31, Niskayuna, N.Y.; Sgt. David A. Davis, 28, Dalhart, Texas; Spc. Damon G. Winkleman, 23, Lakeville, Ohio; Spc. Corey J. Kowall, 20, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Pfc. William L. Meredith, 26, Virginia Beach, Va.; Spc. Joseph V. White, 21, Bellevue, Wash.; Sgt. Edward Bernard Smith, 30, Homestead, Fla.; Sgt. Titus R. Reynolds, 23, Columbus, Ohio; Lance Cpl. John J. Malone, 24, Yonkers, N.Y.; Spc. Kevin J. Graham, 27, Benton, Ky.; Lance Cpl. Jordan L. Chrobot, 24, Frederick, Md.; Staff Sgt. Jack M. Martin III, 26, Bethany, Okla.; Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Shaw, 37, Markham, Ill.; Staff Sgt. IV Alex French, 31, Milledgeville, Ga.; Spc. Russell S. Hercules Jr., 22, Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Sgt. Roberto D. Sanchez, 24, Satellite Beach, Fla.; Sgt. Ryan C. Adams, 26, Rhinelander, Wis.; Pfc. Alan H. Newton Jr., 26, Asheboro, N.C.; Capt. Benjamin A. Sklaver, 32, Medford, Mass.; Sgt. Thomas D. Rabjohn, 39, Litchfield Park, Ariz.; Sgt. Aaron M. Smith, 25, Manhattan, Kan.; Pfc. Brandon A. Owens, 21, Memphis, Tenn.; Pfc. Kevin C. Thomson., 22, Reno, Nev.; Sgt. Joshua J. Kirk, 30, South Portland, Maine; Michael P. Scusa, 22, Villas, N.J.; Spc. Christopher T. Griffin, 24, Kincheloe, Mich.; Staff Sgt. Vernon W. Martin, 25, Savannah, Ga.; Spc. Stephen L. Mace, 21, Lovettsville, Va.; Sgt. Justin T. Gallegos, 27, Tucson, Ariz.; Sgt. Joshua M. Hardt, 24, Applegate, Calif.; Spc. Kevin O. Hill, 23, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth W. Westbrook, 41, Shiprock, N.M.; Staff Sgt. Aaron J. Taylor, 27, Bovey, Minn.; Spc. George W. Cauley, 24, Walker, Minn, Minn.; Lance Cpl. Alfonso Ochoa Jr., 20, Armona, Calif.; Pfc. Brandon M. Styer, 19, Lancaster, Penn.; Spc. Daniel C. Lawson, 33, Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Spc. Jesus O. Flores Jr., 28, La Mirada, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Glen H. Stivison Jr., 34, Blairsville, Penn.; Staff Sgt. Chris N. Staats, 32, Fredericksburg, Texas; Spc. Anthony G. Green, 28, Matthews, N.C.; Sgt. Christopher M. Rudzinski, 28, Rantoul, Ill.; Spc. Michael A. Dahl Jr., 23, Moreno Valley, Calif.; Lance Cpl. David Raymond Baker, 22, Painesville, Ohio; Spc. Kyle A. Coumas, 22, Lockeford, Calif.; Spc. Eric N. Lembke, 25, Tampa, Fla.; Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, Lehi, Utah; Pfc. Devin J. Michel, 19, Stockton, Ill.; Sgt. Eduviges G. Wolf, 24, Hawthorne, Calif.; Spc. Brandon K. Steffey, 23, Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.; Capt. Kyle R. Van De Giesen, 29, North Attleboro, Mass.; Capt. Eric A. Jones, 29, Westchester, N.Y.; Cpl. Gregory M.W. Fleury, 23, Anchorage, Alaska; Capt. David S. Mitchell, 30, Loveland, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, Medford, N.Y.; Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, San Diego, Calif.; Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, Little Chute, Wis.; Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, Reno, Nev.; Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, Terrell, Texas; Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, 40, Spokane, Wash.; Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, Savannah, Ga.; Lance Cpl. Cody R. Stanley, 21, Rosanky, Texas; Pfc. Christopher I. Walz, 25, Vancouver, Wash.; Spc. Jared D. Stanker, 22, Evergreen Park, Ill.; Sgt. Patrick O. Williamson, 24, Broussard, La.; Sgt. Issac B. Jackson, 27, Plattsburg, Mo.; Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, Terre Haute, Ind.; Sgt. Fernando Delarosa, 24, Alamo, Texas; Staff Sgt. Luis M. Gonzalez, 27, South Ozone Park, N.Y.; Spc. Robert K. Charlton, 22, Malden, Mo.; Pfc. Brian R. Bates Jr., 20, Gretna, La.; Civilian Frank R. Walker, 66, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Sgt. Cesar B. Ruiz, 26, San Antonio, Texas; Spc. Julian L. Berisford, 25, Benwood, West Va.; Sgt. Benjamin Sherman, 21, Plymouth, Mass.; Sgt. Brandon T. Islip, 23, Richmond, Va.; Spc. Gary L. Gooch Jr., 22, Ocala, Fla.; Spc. Aaron S. Aamot, 22, Custer, Wash.; Sgt. Charles I. Cartwright, 26, Union Bridge, Md.; Lance Cpl. Justin J. Swanson, 21, Anaheim, Calif.; Spc. Christopher J. Coffland, 43, Baltimore, Md.; Lance Cpl. Shawn P. Hefner, 22, Hico, Texas; Spc. Joseph M. Lewis, 26, Terrell, Texas; Sgt. Daniel A. Frazier, 25, Saint Joseph, Mich.; Staff Sgt. John J. Cleaver, 36, Marysville, Wash.; Sgt. James M. Nolen, 25, Alvin, Texas; Pfc. Marcus A. Tynes, 19, Moreno Valley, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Nicholas J. Hand, 20, Kansas City, Mo.; Staff Sgt. Matthew A. Pucino, 34, Cockeysville, Md.; Spc. Jason A. McLeod, 22, Crystal Lake, Ill.; Petty Officer 3rd Class David M. Mudge, 22, Sutherlin, Ore.; Lance Cpl. Jonathan A. Taylor, 22, Jacksonville, Fla.; Sgt. Kenneth R. Nichols Jr., 28, Chrisman, Ill.; Sgt. Elijah J. Rao, 26, Lake Oswego, Ore.; Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen, 31, Panama City, Fla.; Cpl. Xhacob Latorre, 21, Waterbury, Conn.; Tech. Sgt. Anthony C. Campbell Jr., 35, Florence, Ky.; Sgt. Albert D. Ware, 27, Chicago, Ill.; Pfc. Serge Kropov, 21, Hawley, Penn.; Lance Cpl. Omar G. Roebuck, 23, Moreno Valley, Calif.; Staff Sgt. David H. Gutierrez, 35, San Fransico, Calif.; Spc. Jason M. Johnston, 24, Albion, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Ronald J. Spino, 45, Waterbury, Conn.; Harold Brown Jr., 37, Bolton, Mass.; CIA security officer Scott Michael Roberson, 39, Manchester, Ohio; CIA Operations Officer , 37, Fairfax, Va.; CIA Operations Officer Elizabeth C. Hanson, 30, Rockford, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Anton R. Phillips, 31, Inglewood, Calif.; 2010: Spc. Brian R. Bowman, 24, Crawfordsville, Ind.; Sgt. Joshua A. Lengstorf, 24, Yoncalla, Ore.; Pvt. John P. Dion, 19, Shattuck, Okla.; Senior Airman Bradley R. Smith, 24, Troy, Ill.; Sgt. 1st Class Jason O.B. Hickman, 35, Kingsport, Tenn.; Lance Cpl. Mark D. Juarez, 23, San Antonio, Texas; Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Meinert, 20, Fort Atkinson, Wis.; Cpl. Nicholas K. Uzenski, 21, Tomball, Texas; Caporal Jamie R. Lowe, 21, Johnsonville, Ill.; Staff Sgt. Matthew N. Ingham, 20, Altoona, Penn.; Pfc. Geoffrey A. Whitsitt, 25, Taylors, S.C.; Staff Sgt. Daniel D. Merriweather, 25, Collierville, Tenn.; Sgt. Lucas T. Beachnaw, 23, Lowell, Mich.; Spc. Kyle J. Wright, 22, Romeoville, Ill.; Sgt. Christopher R. Hrbek, 25, Westwood, N.J.; Spc. Robert Donevski, 19, Sun City, Ariz.; Sgt. 1st Class Michael P. Shannon, 52, Canadensis, Penn.; Tech. Sgt. Adam K. Ginett, 29, Knightdale, N.C.; Capt. Paul Pena, 27, San Marcos, Texas; Staff Sgt. Thaddeus S. Montgomery, 29, West Yellowstone, Mont.; Petty Officer 2nd Class Xin Qi, 25, Cordova, Tenn.; Lance Cpl. Jeremy M. Kane, 22, Towson, Md.; Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Poole, 22, Bowling Green, Ky.; Sgt. Daniel M. Angus, 28, Thonotosassa, Fla.; Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith, 19, Hornell, N.Y.; Sergent Carlos E. Gill, 25, Fayetteville, N.C.; Sgt. David J. Smith, 25, Frederick, Md.; Staff Sgt. Rusty H. Christian, 24, Greenville, Tenn.; Spc. Marc Paul Decoteau, 19, Waterville Valley, N.H.; Capt. David J. Thompson, 39, Hooker, Okla.; Lance Cpl. Michael L. Freeman Jr., 21, Fayetteville, PA; Capt. Daniel Whitten, 28, Grimes, Iowa; Pfc. Zachary G. Lovejoy, 20, Albuquerque, N.M.; Staff Sgt. Mark A. Stets, 39, El Cajon, Calif.; Sgt. 1st Class Matthew S. Sluss-Tiller, 35, Callettsburg, Ky.; Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman, 27, Okinawa, Japan; Sgt. Dillon B. Foxx, 22, Traverse City, Mich.; Pfc. Charles A. Williams, 29, Fair Oaks, Calif.; Sgt. Adam J. Ray, 23, Louisville, Ky.; Spc. J. Pagan Bobby, 23, Austin, Texas; Sgt. Jeremiah T. Wittman, 26, Darby, Mont.; Staff Sgt. John A. Reiners, 24, Lakeland, Fla.; Cpl. Jacob H. Turbet, 21, Canton, Mich.; Pfc. Jason H. Estopinal, 21, Dallas, Ga.; Lance Cpl. Noah M. Pier, 25, Charlotte, N.C.; Pfc. Eric D. Currier, 21, Londonderry, N.H.; Lance Cpl. Alejandro J. Yazzie, 23, Rock Point (Navajo Nation), Ariz.; Petty Officer 1st Class Sean L. Caughman, 43, Fort Worth, Texas; Larry M. Johnson, 19, Scranton, Penn.; Pfc. Kyle J. Coutu, 20, Providence, R.I.; Sgt. Jeremy R. McQueary, 27, Columbus, Ind.; Lance Cpl. Kielin T. Dunn, 19, Chesapeake, Va.; Lance Cpl. Joshua H. Birchfield, 24, Westville, Ind.; Cpl. Gregory S. Stultz, 22, Brazil, Ind.; Staff Sgt. Michael David P. Cardenaz, 29, Corona, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Eckard, 30, Hickory, N.C.; Pfc. JR Robiniol Salvacion, 27, Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Lance Cpl. Adam D. Peak, 25, Florence, Ky.; Lance Cpl. Eric L. Ward, 19, Redmond, Wash.; Lance Cpl. Matthias N. Hanson, 20, Buffalo, Ky.; Sgt. Marcos Gorra, 22, North Bergen, N.J.; Starszy Szeregowy (Pfc.) William S. Ricketts, 27, Corinth, Miss.; Spc. Josiah D. Crumpler, 27, Hillsborough, N.C.; Spc. Matthew D. Huston, 24, Athens, Ga.; Spc. Ian T.D. Gelig, 25, Stevenson Ranch, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Carlos A. Aragon, 19, Orem, Utah; Sergent Vincent L.C. Owens, 21, Fort Smith, Ark.; Lance Cpl. Nigel K. Olsen, 21, Orem, Nev.; Spc. Anthony A. Paci, 30, Rockville, Md.; Spc. Alan N. Dikcis, 21, Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Pvt. Nicholas S. Cook, 19, Hungry Horse, Mont.; Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson, 24, Bald Knob, Ark.; Pfc. Jason M. Kropat, 25, White Lake, N.Y.; Lance Cpl. Garrett W. Gamble, 20, Sugarland, Texas; Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto, 26, Largo, Fla.; Sgt. 1st Class Glen J. Whetten, 31, Mesa, Ariz.; Gunnery Sgt. Robert L. Gilbert II, 28, Richfield, Ohio; Sgt. Joel D. Clarkson, 23, Fairbanks, Alaska; Chief Petty Officer Adam Lee Brown, 36, Hot Springs, Ark.; Sgt. 1st Class Carlos M. Santos-Silva, 32, Clarksville, Tenn.; Lance Cpl. Justin J. Wilson, 24, Palm City, Fla.; Sgt. Maj. Robert. J. Cottle, 45, Whittier, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Rick. J. Centanni, 19, Yorba Linda, Calif.; Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Ross, 19, Gillette, Wyo.; Lance Cpl. Randy M. Heck, 20, Steubenville, Ohio; Pfc. James L. Miller, 21, Yakima, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst, 25, Fayetteville, N.C.; Lt. Miroslav Zilberman, 31, Columbus, Ohio; Lance Cpl. Tyler O. Griffin, 19, Voluntown, Conn.; Sgt. Frank J.A. World, 25, Buffalo, N.Y.; Lance Cpl. Curtis M. Swenson, 20, Rochester, Minn.; Sgt. Roberto E. Diaz Borio, 47, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Pfc. Jonathon D. Hall, 23, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Maj. Randell D. Voas, 43, Lakeville, Minn.; Senior Master Sgt. James B. Lackey, 45, Green Clove Springs, Fla.; Cpl. Michael D. Jankiewicz, 23, Ramsey, N.J.; Sgt. Sean M. Durkin, 24, Aurora, Colo.; Spc. Joseph T. Caron, 21, Tacoma, Wash.; Sgt. Michael K. Ingram Jr., 23, Monroe, Mich.; Sgt. Randolph A. Sigley, 28, Richmond, Ky.; Sgt. Robert J. Barrett, 21, Fall River, Mass.; Sgt. Maj. John K. Laborde, 53, Waterloo, Iowa; Sgt. Jason A. Santora, 25, Farmingville, N.Y.; Sgt. Ronald A. Kubik, 21, Brielle, N.J.; Sgt. Grant A. Wichmann, 27, Golden, Colo.; Sgt. Nathan P. Kennedy, 27, Claysville, Penn.; Lance Cpl. Thomas E. Rivers Jr., 22, Birmingham, Ala.; 1st Lt. Salvatore S. Corma, 24, Wenonah, N.J.; Spc. Eric M. Finniginam, 26, Colonia, Federated States of Micronesia; Master Sgt. Mark W. Coleman, 0, Centerville, Wash.; Airman 1st Class Austin H. Gates Benson, 19, Hellertown, Penn.; 1st Lt. Brandon A. Barrett, 27, Marion, Ind.; Lance Cpl. Christopher Rangel, 22, San Antonio, Texas; Lance Cpl. Richard R. Penny, 21, Fayetteville, Ark.; Spc. Wade A. Slack, 21, Waterville, Maine; Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Davis, 19, Perry, Iowa; Capt. Kyle A. Comfort, 27, Jacksonville, Ala.; Spc. Jeremy L. Brown, 20, McMinnville, Tenn.; Cpl. Kurt S. Shea, 21, Frederick, Md.; Sgt. Kenneth B. May Jr., 26, Kilgore, Texas; Cpl. Jeffery W. Johnson, 21, Tomball, Texas; Sgt. Donald J. Lamar II, 23, Fredericksburg, Va.; Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges, 23, Ludlow, Mass.; Spc. Denis D. Kisseloff, 45, Saint Charles, Mo.; Petty Officer Zarian Wood, 29, Houston, Texas; Staff Sgt. Adam L. Perkins, 27, Antelope, Calif.; Pfc. Billy G. Anderson, 20, Alexandria, Tenn.; Cpl. Nicholas D. Paradarodriguez, 29, Stafford, Va.; Col. John M. McHugh, 46, West Caldwell, N.J.; Lt. Col. Paul R. Bartz, 43, Waterloo, Wis.; Lt. Col. Thomas P. Belkofer, 44, Perrysburg, Ohio; Staff Sgt. Richard J. Tieman, 28, Waynesboro, Penn.; Spc. Joshua A. Tomlinson, 24, Dubberly, La.; Lance Cpl. Patrick Xavier Jr., 24, Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Lance Cpl. Philip P. Clark, 19, Gainesville, Fla.; Staff Sgt. Shane S. Barnard, 38, Desmet, S.D.; Pfc. Jason D. Fingar, 24, Columbia, Mo.; Pfc. Christopher R. Barton, 22, Concord, N.C.; Sgt. Edwin Rivera, 28, Waterford, Conn.; Cpl. Jacob C. Leicht, 24, College Station, Texas

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Venus Williams French Open Upset: Was the Outfit to Blame?

One of last week's stories that made the blogosphere and interweb go boom was the risque outfit that Venus Williams wore to her opening round match of the French Open against Patty Schnyder.

It was an outfit that most people probably expected to see on Dita Von Teese and not on the second ranked player in women's tennis. Williams easily won her match with Schnyder and it appeared that we would be in store for another Williams sister final.

Then in stunning fashion, Venus was upset by Nadia Petrova in the 4th round of the tournament which made the Williams sister final disappear into thin air. Now the question that some people might want to ask, "Did the outfit cause Venus to lose some focus on the drive to the championship?"

Well, it's tough to blame an outfit for a loss but you can't blame Venus for losing a little focus due to the media building this story into something rather over-the-top. It's not everyday that the outfit on a competitor gets more pub than the actual match and with the crazy instant information world that we live in, it's easier and quicker for a story to grow out of control.

One thing that I do know is that Venus should wear whatever she feels comfortable in playing since she is a physically stunning woman. The game of women's tennis has always had that sex appeal from Anna Kournikova to Maria Sharapova to the original tennis goddess, Chris Evert. Venus was just making a statement about how she wants to be perceived not only as a woman but as a tennis player stating, "Whatever I wear, I can still win regardless."

The outfit itself was at best minimally risque if you were to see on the red carpet or at a Paris fashion show but it garnered those headlines due to the person wearing it and the fact that she's an athlete. It's a fine line to step for being a female athlete and a sex symbol, and sometimes those lines can blend together whether we like it or not.

Also to note, Venus Williams is 29 years old, if you had that body, wouldn't you want to show it off? This isn't a Lindsay Lohan/Paris Hilton situation but it sure did have the same media scrutiny following it around.

So at the end of the day, Venus Williams statement to the world was look at me and appreciate me for who I am as a tennis player and as a woman. The only problem for Venus was that the outfit itself took on a life all it's own.

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vilifying the image

Hillman says that ‘the basic disease from which our culture may be dying is man's disparagement, if not vilification, of images….accompanied by his faith in a….rationalistically ordered….civilization’. (Hillman, 1980: 186) Mc Farlane states that ‘the modern worldview of Western culture is characterized by an implicit division between the objective or physical realm of existence and the subjective or psychic realm of existence’ with the former ‘generally dominating….to the point of virtual exclusion’. This is based on a ‘materialistic worldview’ which ‘considers mind to be a mere epiphenomenon of matter’. (Mc Farlane, 2000) A similar rationalistic framework applies to traditional psychology and psychiatry and this has also influenced the way we view the psyche. Established scientific assumptions about the psyche and consciousness have implications for my study.

The prevailing model for the psyche is confined to the body and limits consciousness to the brain. (Grof, interview, 4) This is based on a similar ‘authoritarian claim’ that the ‘material universe which we experience through our five senses, is the only existing reality’. (Grof, interview, 6) An alternative contemporary model which has ‘emerged from modern consciousness research’ is much broader and suggests that the development of the human psyche extends far beyond a socially-based need for functionality. (Grof, interview with Di Carlo 2, 3)

Resting on the image and in the mind causes me some problems as a researcher. The artworks I produce are personal, abstract and will undergo their own subjective evaluation through the psyches of others. It is reasonable to wonder how I can trust the image when it is only a visual manifestation of my own imagination. I reject the view that it is just an image. Equally, how do I know that this particular image has value? Part of my methodology involves finding confirmation in dreams. Depth psychology has long accepted the idea that, 'as symbolic forms of the unconscious, archetypes can be seen in the imagery of dreams.' (Aizenstat,1995, 95) I also check the results of my research against the responses of others. If I am truly tapping into a collective reality then my work often evokes predictable reactions from others.

image: Plato's Cave, mixed media on paper, Frantom

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Illuminati Card Game Predicts Oil Spill

This is the same Illuminati card game that predicted 911. OK, it's not an exact hit as the card shows a ship sinking in the background.

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Baseball

Hockey will always be my favorite sport, but I am quickly becoming more than a little fond of baseball.  As a kid, I used to watch baseball, as well as hockey.  After coming back to sports, I started watching baseball a short time after reconnecting with hockey.  It is a good pastime during the hockey off-season.

Many people think that baseball is a very boring game.  I, however, think it is a great game for summer--and describes summer perfectly.  It is laid-back and slow with periodic moments of frenzied activity--just exactly like the season.  Sitting and socializing while in the stands, watching the field whenever something is happening, is a great activity for a summer evening.  I only wish I could be closer to Detroit so that I could get to a game or three.

For some reason, the rules and nuances of baseball aren't coming to me.  Hockey came so easy for me--I can see penalties and call the different shots pretty well.  With baseball, I want everything to be as simple as it was when I was a child:  the ball is thrown, someone swings, it is either a hit or a strike, and that's about it.  But I haven't actively tried to learn anymore about the game, either.  I just like being very passive about the game--after all, it IS summer, so I don't want to strain myself.  ;)

One thing that absolutely drives me crazy about baseball is the fact that the players touch themselves so much.  Every time I see that, I can only think "If your equipment isn't fitting well enough that you constantly need to adjust, please find some that fits!"  :D  This is something that you just don't see in hockey--but I guess it would be hard to 'adjust' with the amount of padding that hockey players wear.  Hockey players spit and blow their noses--and that is enough to make me cringe.  And, I don't watch any other sports, so I don't know if it happens elsewhere.  Maybe it's a female thing, but I don't need to see that.

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Winner of the Week: Roy Halladay's Perfect Game

Usually on Sunday, we here at Outside the Boxscore name our, "Winner of the Week", whether it be a person/team/or inanimate object.

Here is this week's winner: Roy Halladay's Perfect Game

On a day that focused on the beginning of the Stanley Cup Finals and the Lakers going back to their third straight NBA Finals, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay shifted our attention to the baseball diamond as he pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history.

Halladay who has been argued as the best pitcher in Major League Baseball only needed 115 pitches to rid the Phillies of the Florida Marlins. Halladay who became the second pitcher this month to pitch a perfect game (Oakland's Dallas Braden did it on May 9th against the Tampa Bay Rays) was at his finest in this affair.

Halladay became the second Philadelphia Phillie to pitch a perfect game since Jim Bunning did it back in 1964 against the New York Mets. The last hitter that Halladay faced was Florida pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino who grounded out to third-baseman Juan Castro which clinched perfection for Mr. Halladay.

This isn't the first time that Roy Halladay has chased perfection, during his rookie season with the Toronto Blue Jays, he almost pitched a no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers but it was eventually broken up by former Tiger Bobby Higginson.

So, congratulations to Roy Halladay, your perfect game is our, "Winner of the Week".

Stuff that Missed the Cut: Steve Nash on "Space Ghost: Coast to Coast", RIP Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper, and Is Nick Swisher a Scientologist now?

Roy Halladay Picture Courtesy of the Associated Press

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Fantasy Drafthelp: Explosion of ace pitchers

It is our hypothesis that the game of baseball has changed rapidly over the past 12-24 months in terms of ace pitchers in the game. Let’s start by examining a list of those who have definitively stepped away from the game during that span:

RETIRED (3)
^ Roger Clemens
^ Randy Johnson
^ Curt Schilling

Now, here are the ones who have, in our estimation, embodied the status of aces over the past few years:

LEGITIMATE ACES (10)
^ Josh Beckett
^ Chris Carpenter
^ Roy Halladay
^ Dan Haren
^ Roy Oswalt
^ Jake Peavy
^ CC Sabathia
^ Johan Santana
^ Justin Verlander
^ Brandon Webb

Just to show that the net is not being cast excessively wide, here is our list of those who are not, for reasons of consistency, health or both, considered legit aces:

NOT ACES (10)
^ Mark Buehrle
^ AJ Burnett
^ Cole Hamels
^ Rich Harden
^ John Lackey (this one hurts, because we have touted him so much over the past few years!)
^ Mike Pelfrey (he’s been an assassin this year, but his ERA has been above five for three of his four full seasons)
^ Brad Penny
^ Ben Sheets
^ Carlos Zambrano
^ Barry Zito

Now, here is the list of pitchers who seem to have turned the corner relatively recently to become aces:

NEW ACES (15)
^ Matt Cain
^ Yovani Gallardo
^ Zack Greinke
^ Tommy Hanson
^ “King” Felix Hernandez
^ Phil Hughes
^ Ubaldo Jimenez
^ Josh Johnson
^ Clayton Kershaw
^ Cliff Lee (kind of a late bloomer, but the numbers have been at this level since ‘08)
^ Jon Lester
^ Tim Lincecum
^ Francisco Liriano (actually only now reclaiming his ’06 status after a few years of arm woes)
^ David Price
^ Adam Wainwright

As with the established aces, we have a list of pitchers who we are not quite ready to proclaim at that level:

NOT YET ACES (8)
^ Brett Anderson
^ Chad Billingsley
^ Johnny Cueto
^ Wade Davis
^ Matt Garza
^ Jair Jurrjens
^ Ricky Romero
^ Edinson Volquez

And as an addendum to that list, we have a very short list of likely aces in the making – with the proviso that it is way too soon to put them at that level:

WAY TOO SOON (2)
^ Aroldis Chapman
^ Stephen Strasburg

Perhaps some will quibble with our designations, but even if you substitute one name for another on various lists, you will probably come up with a similar number for each grouping.

These lists bear out the hypothesis stated at the beginning: the number of legitimate aces, real #1 pitchers, has just about doubled inside of the last two years. Again, even if you dispute the 10 existing aces and 15 new aces that we listed, if you are using legitimate criteria, your numbers will be exceedingly close to ours regardless of the pitchers you have on them.

The fantasy implications are obvious in the supply-and-demand picture. Surely the most obvious one is that top-shelf pitching is the cheapest it has been since the steroid era first exploded in the mid-‘90s. Indeed, a case could be made that the anchor arms of the game will be enjoying one of the greatest heydays in the history of the game over the next half-decade – at least.

The broader effect on the game’s power is clear as well. While the HR and RBI numbers have been off the recent peak of 1998-2001 for the last decade, they have gone through ebbs and flows. With about two dozen shutdown wings now firmly in place, a sustained downward spike in overall power is likely over the past few years. Indeed, the “canary in the coal mine” for this notion is the presence of several players at the top of the HR list who are – based on all indications – riding out hot early-season rides (Paul Konerko, Jose Bautista, Ty Wigginton and Kelly Johnson). Subtract them from the mix and you have many of the usual suspects looking to top out in the neighborhood of 40 HRs – a classic pre-steroid era plateau.

So while this trend is not gaining significant traction in the fantasy baseball media, it is clearly evident nonetheless and it carries with it transformative notions about how rosters should be assembled in the next several years.

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Like Mother, Like Daughter

I believe--and I MAY be wrong--that The Oldest doesn't especially care to take after me.  I tease her often that she's 'more like me than she thinks' and she doesn't say too much.  It isn't a wonder that she WOULD be like me in many ways--after all, I DID raise her.

The other night, we were talking, and the new movie (remake) 'Karate Kid' came up in the conversation.  She very adamantly said how she was boycotting the movie--"it is an abomination to the memory of the original."  I really had to laugh because I boycotted 'Titanic' when it came out.  (I'm not sure why, but I think it had to do with my dislike of the director--and probably had a lot to do with the hype surrounding it.)  As if TWO people in this world boycotting anything makes a bit of difference.  But, we both have done this over and over again, for different reasons.  We did have to laugh--we ARE more alike than either one of us wants to admit.

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Saturn turns Direct & Neptune Turns Retro

Saturn turns direct on Sunday at 2:09pm EDT---- and Neptune turns retrograde on Monday at 2:48 pm. Yeah, I know..Happy Memorial Day.

We have been discussing the Cardinal Cross for some time. On Thursday, Uranus a key player in the cross moved into Aries, beginning its long (harsh) dialogue with Pluto in Capricorn. Now, Saturn is getting into place. On May 30 Saturn turns direct and begins its final trip out of detailed oriented, micromanaging Virgo and heads for relationship centric Libra. This on its own would be a message for everyone to straighten up and fly right. As I have said ad naseum if your daily schedule and life does not match what you value then you will have a shit storm with your relationships when Saturn moves into Libra in July. And once Saturn is in Libra it will be heading for the cardinal cross with Pluto, Uranus & Jupiter –this is the stuff that has got all astrologers saying, “buckle up.” We should expect turbulence as soon as Saturn turns direct because even though it is still in Virgo the direct motion will set the tension to the ‘on’ switch. Also, remember Saturn and Jupiter got our attention on May 22 when they were in opposition. The next time these two go at it will be in the signs Libra and Aries in August and March. So, we are put on notice that if anything upsetting, unnerving comes up now that rattles us about our relationships, if we don’t fix it now (while it is direct in Virgo) I promise you it will get fixed by the Universe in August. And if you don’t know--- when the Universe does it, it carries a very big stick. By the way, this is not just personal. Expect world news events to come out that really need to be fixed. And maybe, just maybe, we'll get lucky and the direct motion of Saturn, the most responsible, hard working planet of the zodiac will help fix the oil spill. One can hope.

Speaking of Hope---what about Neptune?


As I say every year, it is not unusual for Neptune to turn retrograde since it goes backwards every year for about six months. In this case Neptune will retrograde on May 31th. Lucky him. He is moving backwards in Aquarius pulling away from the world, as we begin our descent into the cardinal cross. And I gotta say, I don’t blame him. We are about to be pelted so hard I am grateful he is pulling away. My guess is by the time he turns direct in November we will need his comfort. We may not be loud and noisy about our faith,, but that does not mean we don't know how to access it. A whisp of a thought, a hint of something? A soft focus on our reality? Sure, all Neptunian. And remember Aquarius is one of the humanitarian signs, meaning “for the good of the group” . We may have to tune in a little harder but it is still there ready for our willingness to ask, “Who is my tribe? What do I need from them? And how do I help?” My faith is

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New Toys

In the last month I have bought myself a couple of new toys/tech gadgets.  I guess neither one was REALLY needed, but they were good upgrades to what I already had.

One day I was in our upstairs room and realized that the clock radio/CD player had died.  While I don't spend a lot of time up there, I do appreciate having a clock/radio/CD player whenever I AM there.  I had already begun thinking about upgrading my clock radio in our bedroom, so this was a good time to do so.  Once again, I did an enormous amount of research--really, the OCD is getting out of control--and decided on getting something that I can hook my music player to.  I finally decided on an iHome.

This has wound up being one of the best clock radios I have ever had!  It has TWO alarms and a display that can be seen across the room--even WITHOUT glasses--AND has the day/date on it.  The display also has varying degrees of brightness, for those who need darker surroundings to sleep.  But the best part of this is the sound--I, personally, find it pretty amazing.  My last bedroom radio was a Sony and it never sounded nearly as good as the iHome does.  I DO wish it wasn't made specifically for the iPod because there is a slot on the top that is completely useless for me.  I can hook up my non-iPod to it, which was one of the reasons I chose it in the first place.

My second purchase was a new camera.  I just bought a camera before we went to Vegas the other year, but it is quite large--about the size of a 35mm.  I felt as if I needed something tiny that I could put in my pocket whenever I left the house.  That led me to the Nikon Coolpix S4000.

This is one of the newest offerings from Nikon and it is AMAZING!  (It didn't hurt, at all, that I got a fantastic deal on a kit--which I bought for $50 less than the MSRP for the camera ALONE!)  It's 12 megapixel, 4X wide-angel zoom lens, and the LCD is a touch screen.  It is so thin that I will have NO problem putting it in the pocket of my jeans.  I am loving it.


Now, I guess I shouldn't have made the purchases right now, with my anniversary coming up, but that really doesn't matter.  I believe I know what my gift will be this year, but will wait until I actually have it in my possession before talking about it.  This will give you a reason to come back time and again to read the big announcement.  ;)

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