Blue to Gold: ARMY Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz

ARMY Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz, twenty-eight, of Lakehurst, New Jersey, died September twenty-six, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan.

A Western New York native has lost his life in Afghanistan. The aunt of Army Sgt. Jonathan Gollnitz, Kimberly Gollnitz, said her nephew was on patrol with another soldier when they were attacked by a suicide bomber earlier this week. Both were killed.

Gollnitz was 28, and the father of a four-year-old son. He served five years in the Navy before joining the Army last year. His aunt, Kimberly Gollnitz, who happens to have the same name as Sgt. Gollnitz' mother, said he was just injured in July and hospitalized with a leg injury.

She said her brother and his wife flew out to Dover, Delaware, Thursday morning for the return of their son's remains.

When asked what she would like people to know about her nephew, Gollnitz said it would be that he was a loving man who treasured time with his family and friends.

Fredonia school officials say they were notified of his death yesterday. A moment of silence was held for him this morning. The mayor of Fredonia, Stephen Keefe,  said Jon attended Fredonia High School, but transferred to Levant Christian School in Falconer for his senior unit.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks

ARMY Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, twenty-nine, of Tucson, Arizona, died September twenty-six, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan.

A Tucson soldier, Army Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, was killed Wednesday in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Sparks, twenty-nine, and another soldier were killed in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan, when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the bomb near their patrol.

The soldiers were serving with the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The Schweinfurt, Germany-based unit was deployed in Logar province in eastern Afghanistan.

Including Sparks' death, fifty-two troops with Southern Arizona connections have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; twenty in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion of that country.

The other soldier who was killed in the incident was identified as Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz, twenty-eight, of Lakehurst, N.J.

Sparks "touched the lives of many soldiers during his time in Anvil. He is remembered as a contagious optimist who was always in good spirits. Someone that could relate to soldiers on a personal level and helped guide them through life. Orion was an outstanding trainer of soldiers and a leader who was not afraid to get his hands dirty and lead from the front. A true NCO to the end. He was a cornerstone in Anvil Troop," said a statement posted by Lt. Col. Whit Wright, the 173rd Airborne's commander.

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/09/rip-staff-sgt-orion-n-sparks-sgt.html

Blue to Gold: NAVY Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts

NAVY Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts, twenty-three, of Chicago Illinois, died September twenty-two in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

NORTH CHICAGO — The young sailor from North Chicago who died in Afghanistan on Saturday was the victim of a single-vehicle accident, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Department of Defense. Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts, 23, a 2005 graduate of North Chicago High School, was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when he was killed in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to the statement. He was assigned to the East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit. Roberts, the son of John and Janice Roberts of the 1800 block of Elizabeth Avenue, also leaves behind a sister and nephew. He was due to return from a six-month deployment in October. Navy officials told the family that Roberts was killed during a training exercise. He is the first native of North Chicago to die in the War on Terror. Twenty-eight servicemen with Lake County ties have died since 2001. Roberts, a Navy petty officer, was recalled as charming, charismatic and friendly by friends and relatives. “He was very highly thought of,” said North Chicago High School Principal Eric Gallagher, who said Roberts was a student in the school’s Academy of Finance, and that he was on the volleyball and tennis teams. Roberts was also a leader in NJROTC. He enlisted in the Navy as a high school senior and went through boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes. “He had a strong character,” recalled a close friend, Aamin Stokes, who said he enlisted with Roberts on Valentine’s Day, but later changed his mind. “He was one of a kind, an extraordinary personality,” Stokes said. “He could make any situation the most hilarious.”

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/09/rip-gunners-mate-2nd-class-dion-rashun.html

The young sailor from North Chicago who died in Afghanistan on Saturday was the victim of a single vehicle accident, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Department of Defense.

Gunners Mate Second Class Dion Rashun Roberts, twenty-three, a 2005 graduate of North Chicago High School, was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when he was killed in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to the statement. He was assigned to the East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit.

Roberts, the son of John and Janice Roberts, also leaves behind a sister and nephew. He was due to return from a six month deployment in October. Navy officials told the family that Roberts was killed during a training exercise.

He is the first native of North Chicago to die in the War on Terror. Twenty-eight servicemen with Lake County ties have died since 2001.

Roberts, a Navy petty officer, was recalled as charming, charismatic and friendly by friends and relatives. 

"He was very highly thought of," said North Chicago High School Principal Eric Gallagher, who said Roberts was a student in the school’s Academy of Finance, and that he was on the volleyball and tennis teams.

Roberts was also a leader in NJROTC. He enlisted in the Navy as a high school senior and went through boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes.

"He had a strong character," recalled a close friend, Aamin Stokes, who said he enlisted with Roberts on Valentine's Day, but later changed his mind.

"He was one of a kind, an extraordinary personality," Stokes said. "He could make any situation the most hilarious."

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/09/rip-gunners-mate-2nd-class-dion-rashun.html

The young sailor from North Chicago who died in Afghanistan on Saturday was the victim of a single-vehicle accident, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Department of Defense. Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts, 23, a 2005 graduate of North Chicago High School, was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when he was killed in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to the statement. He was assigned to the East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit. Roberts, the son of John and Janice Roberts of the 1800 block of Elizabeth Avenue, also leaves behind a sister and nephew. He was due to return from a six-month deployment in October. Navy officials told the family that Roberts was killed during a training exercise. He is the first native of North Chicago to die in the War on Terror. Twenty-eight servicemen with Lake County ties have died since 2001. Roberts, a Navy petty officer, was recalled as charming, charismatic and friendly by friends and relatives. “He was very highly thought of,” said North Chicago High School Principal Eric Gallagher, who said Roberts was a student in the school’s Academy of Finance, and that he was on the volleyball and tennis teams. Roberts was also a leader in NJROTC. He enlisted in the Navy as a high school senior and went through boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes. “He had a strong character,” recalled a close friend, Aamin Stokes, who said he enlisted with Roberts on Valentine’s Day, but later changed his mind. “He was one of a kind, an extraordinary personality,” Stokes said. “He could make any situation the most hilarious.”

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/09/rip-gunners-mate-2nd-class-dion-rashun.html

The young sailor from North Chicago who died in Afghanistan on Saturday was the victim of a single-vehicle accident, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Department of Defense. Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts, 23, a 2005 graduate of North Chicago High School, was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when he was killed in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to the statement. He was assigned to the East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit. Roberts, the son of John and Janice Roberts of the 1800 block of Elizabeth Avenue, also leaves behind a sister and nephew. He was due to return from a six-month deployment in October. Navy officials told the family that Roberts was killed during a training exercise. He is the first native of North Chicago to die in the War on Terror. Twenty-eight servicemen with Lake County ties have died since 2001. Roberts, a Navy petty officer, was recalled as charming, charismatic and friendly by friends and relatives. “He was very highly thought of,” said North Chicago High School Principal Eric Gallagher, who said Roberts was a student in the school’s Academy of Finance, and that he was on the volleyball and tennis teams. Roberts was also a leader in NJROTC. He enlisted in the Navy as a high school senior and went through boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes. “He had a strong character,” recalled a close friend, Aamin Stokes, who said he enlisted with Roberts on Valentine’s Day, but later changed his mind. “He was one of a kind, an extraordinary personality,” Stokes said. “He could make any situation the most hilarious.”

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/09/rip-gunners-mate-2nd-class-dion-rashun.html

The young sailor from North Chicago who died in Afghanistan on Saturday was the victim of a single-vehicle accident, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Department of Defense. Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts, 23, a 2005 graduate of North Chicago High School, was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when he was killed in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to the statement. He was assigned to the East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit. Roberts, the son of John and Janice Roberts of the 1800 block of Elizabeth Avenue, also leaves behind a sister and nephew. He was due to return from a six-month deployment in October. Navy officials told the family that Roberts was killed during a training exercise. He is the first native of North Chicago to die in the War on Terror. Twenty-eight servicemen with Lake County ties have died since 2001. Roberts, a Navy petty officer, was recalled as charming, charismatic and friendly by friends and relatives. “He was very highly thought of,” said North Chicago High School Principal Eric Gallagher, who said Roberts was a student in the school’s Academy of Finance, and that he was on the volleyball and tennis teams. Roberts was also a leader in NJROTC. He enlisted in the Navy as a high school senior and went through boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes. “He had a strong character,” recalled a close friend, Aamin Stokes, who said he enlisted with Roberts on Valentine’s Day, but later changed his mind. “He was one of a kind, an extraordinary personality,” Stokes said. “He could make any situation the most hilarious.”

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/09/rip-gunners-mate-2nd-class-dion-rashun.html

NORTH CHICAGO — The young sailor from North Chicago who died in Afghanistan on Saturday was the victim of a single-vehicle accident, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Department of Defense. Gunners Mate 2nd Class Dion Rashun Roberts, 23, a 2005 graduate of North Chicago High School, was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when he was killed in the eastern city of Jalalabad, according to the statement. He was assigned to the East Coast Naval Special Warfare Unit. Roberts, the son of John and Janice Roberts of the 1800 block of Elizabeth Avenue, also leaves behind a sister and nephew. He was due to return from a six-month deployment in October. Navy officials told the family that Roberts was killed during a training exercise. He is the first native of North Chicago to die in the War on Terror. Twenty-eight servicemen with Lake County ties have died since 2001. Roberts, a Navy petty officer, was recalled as charming, charismatic and friendly by friends and relatives. “He was very highly thought of,” said North Chicago High School Principal Eric Gallagher, who said Roberts was a student in the school’s Academy of Finance, and that he was on the volleyball and tennis teams. Roberts was also a leader in NJROTC. He enlisted in the Navy as a high school senior and went through boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes. “He had a strong character,” recalled a close friend, Aamin Stokes, who said he enlisted with Roberts on Valentine’s Day, but later changed his mind. “He was one of a kind, an extraordinary personality,” Stokes said. “He could make any situation the most hilarious.”

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/09/rip-gunners-mate-2nd-class-dion-rashun.html

Clinton Provides $45 Million Additional Taxpayer Dollars to Syrian Rebels

Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced forty-five million dollars in additional aid for Syrian opposition activists in the latest US push for influence in the civil war. Clinton announced the new aid package prior to meeting with visiting Syrian dissidents at the gathering of the United Nations General Assembly.

Clinton has admitted that groups on the US terror list are aiding and supporting the  Syrian rebels: "We have a very dangerous set of actors in the region, Al Qaeda, Hamas, and those who are on our terrorist list, to be sure, supporting claiming to support the opposition."

As US Solicitor General, Elena Kagan, currently a Supreme Court Justice, agreed with  the Supreme Court's upholding the broad sweep of the federal law banning "material support" for foreign terrorist organizations and with permitting the prosecution of anyone who gives any support to a terrorist group. She also discounted the "supposed First Amendment claims" raised by human rights advocates. Justice Antonin has also said that he sees no constitutional problems with the antiterrorism law. "If you provide any aid" to them, it "furthers their terrorist activity,"the Justice said.

In addition to that, Obama is allowing a US Syrian group to arm rebels, including al Qaeda:

"Administration officials say that outsourcing the supply of money and arms to the rebels maintains a crucial distinction that keeps American military fingerprints off a conflict that has already turned into a bloody civil war. 'It's not for us to determine what the donations are used for,' said one official, who requested anonymity to discuss administration thinking, describing a plausible deniability that might not be plausible to all. 'It could be for medical supplies.'"

The addition of forty five million dollars will bring the grand total of U.S. humanitarian aid for Syria to more than one hundred and thirty two million, this year alone.

Two Dead, One Injured, After Shooting in Florida

Two people are dead, and another was injured, after a shooting at a Florida Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

A charity motorcycle ride was set to leave from the Winter Springs post, Sunday morning.

Witnesses say a fight broke out, one or more people then left.

But then they came back with a group who opened fire on the crowd as they ate breakfast.

It is unclear if fire was returned.

When police arrived, they detained several people and confiscated some weapons, but never made any arrests.

Review: Looper

Looper looked great from the first preview, and it did not fail.

Joseph Gordon Levitt stars as Joe, who works for the mob in 2044, as a looper. Each looper has a location, they are given times, when that time comes a person from the future is sent back in time to their spot. As they appear the loopers shoot and kill them, that's their job.

But one day Joe's target is himself, a thirty year older version played by Bruce Willis. Can he kill his older self and stop him from ending the system? Or will they manage to work together to do it?

Time travel fans will love this movie, especially with it's two very subtle Terminator references. Action fans will not be disappointed either, the movie definitely gives it's all.

Levitt gives an amazing performance. Aided by some prosthetic help and makeup he truly does become the younger form of Willis.

Woman Shot and Killed After She Ran Into Border Patrol Agent

Valeria Alvarado was shot and killed, Friday, in San Diego, when she struck a border patrol agent.

Border patrol agents were attempting serve a warrant, on someone else, when Alvarado hit an agent with her vehicle and kept driving.

The agent ended up on top of her hood, but she would not stop.

After riding the hood for several hundred yards, the agent fired into the vehicle, several times, striking Alavarado and eventually killing her.

Witnesses say that the agents were in plain clothes, and not distinguishable as federal officers.

Alvarado's family says they want justice, for what they consider to be her murder.

Typhoon Jelawat Injures More Than a Hundred in Japan

Central Japan is reeling from being struck by Typhoon Jelawat, as it headed for Tokyo, Sunday.

Nearly one hundred and fifty people have been reported injured, from the storm, half of which occurred on Okinawa.

Ishinomaki evacuated ten thousand people while Nagoya advised fifty thousand people to evacuate low lying areas of the city.

Jelawat is moving at nearly eighty miles per hour, as it crosses Japan, on it's way to the Pacific Ocean.

The Mouth of Matuszak: Are Terrorists Trying to Meet End of Month Quota?

The morning news on September 30, 2012 brought some disturbing information.

The US death toll in Afghanistan passed the two thousand mark. This is not a statistic to be celebrated. It is a warning that the war there is far from over. The latest casualty comes from yet another infiltrator attacking US and Afghan Soldiers at a checkpoint. These attacks are designed to hamper relations and rot away at the already tenuous trust between the indigenous forces and the US military. They are planned and deliberate, many times with a target already selected.

Meanwhile, in the wake of Tariq al-Hashami's in absentia sentencing for using Iraqi forces and a private militia to run death squads against Shia'a political opposition, Iraq was again pock marked with attacks targeting Iraqi security forces and Shia'a pilgrims. Three VBIEDs detonated in the city of Taji. They targeted the homes of prominent Shia'a politicians and police checkpoints. Another VBIED detonated in the Iraqi town of Mada'in, targeting a bus loaded with Shia'a pilgrims from Iran. (Of note, other Iranian Shia'a pilgrims have been kidnapped in Syria recently). Another car bomb attacked pilgrims and Iraqi Security Forces in the town of al-Kut. There were also attacks in the former Al Q'aeda stronghold near Mosul as well as the town of Baqubah, where former al-Q'aeda Iraq leader Abu Musa'ab al-Zarqawi was killed by a US airstrike. The violence in Iraq killed a total of thirty-three people.

Meanwhile, in Nairobi, Kenya, children at a church based school were attacked by a grenade. The attack killed one child and wounded three others. This was most likely committed by the al-Q'aeda linked al-Shabab terrorist organization. Al-Shabab is one of the Islamic Terrorist groups that has seized control of southern Somalia. Earlier this week, the Kenyan military conducted a military operation to liberate the Somali town of Kismayo from the group, which maintained a stronghold in the city.

With the attacks over the past week, it almost appears as though terror groups are attempting to meet a monthly quota.

The attacks in Iraq come on the heels of a jailbreak near Tikrit that freed at least ninety criminals including several men described as "hardcore al-Q'aeda operatives". That jailbreak also involved the burning of evidential documentation and theft of source documentation identifying some detainees who were cooperating with intelligence investigations seeking insurgents and terrorists at large.

Taking other terrorist activities in the past few weeks into account, along with the UN's "general debate",  it should come as no surprise that these are not random. They are intentional and coordinated. It is as if a globally positioned subversive military group has mobilized into a world wide coordinated attack. Instead of a single, large scale, attention grabbing event, they are smaller-scale and designed towards a specific set of objectives. It almost appears as these are all military shaping operations in preparation for the next terrorist surge.



Original article at Mental Aikido.

41,000 GM Vehicles Being Recalled

Nearly forty-one thousand General Motors vehicles are being recalled.

A plastic part on the fuel pump could crack and leak fuel, which would cause a fire.

There have not been any reports of injuries or fires, the move is purely one of precaution.

The 2007-9 model of Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 and 2007 models of Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, and Saturn Ions are all effected by the recall.


It effects vehicles sold or registered in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Owners will be contacted by mail, and the part will be replaced, for free.