Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Stuttgart's Schlossplatz

Schlossplatz is the largest square in Stuttgart, Germany and the "New Castle" you see here is the former home to the Duke of Wurttemberg built between 1746 and 1807. To read more about this site, click here.


During the brief jaunt through the Schlossplatz with a friend who lives close to the area, she tells me this building is the local stock exchange.
Do you ever wonder why so many people just hanging out during the middle of a workday?


This is a close-up view of the gazebo in the middle of the square. Notice the fancy waiters with the bow ties.


Next to the stock exchange is the postmodern art museum building that stands out amongst classics.


- Karen

Wednesday Heroes

This Week's Post Was Suggested & Written By Mary Ann

sgt. Kenneth G. Ross
Sgt. Kenneth G. Ross
24 years old from Tucson, Arizona
7th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment
September 25, 2005
U.S. Army

"He believed in serving his country," said Ross' father, David C. Ross. Gary Anderson, Ross' best friend and an Army infantry veteran who served nine months in Afghanistan and 11 months in Iraq during his active duty stint, was a classmate of Ross at Marana's Mountain View High School. "You know, I heard this news of Ken and I broke down and cried hysterically," said Anderson, now a firefighter for the Ak-Chin Indian Community in Maricopa. "He loved everyone; everyone who came in contact with him loved him. He'd always help everyone out that he could."

A 1999 graduate of Mountain View, Ross played drums in the marching band and orchestra, his father said. Ross enlisted in the Army right after graduation. "He just wanted to take part in history," Anderson said.

At the time of his death, he was a helicopter mechanic — acting as a door gunner on his last mission, his father said. SSgt. Ross was killed when his helicopter went down southwest of Deh Chopan, Afghanistan. Also killed in the crash were Sgt. Shawn A. Graham, Warrent Officer Adrian B. Stump, Sgt. Tane T. Baum, Chief Warrent Officer 2 John M. Flynn and Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart.

Along with his father, SSgt. Ross is survived by his mother, Mary Ross, 57, and his sister, Stephanie Ross, 30. "I know his last thoughts were for everybody else and not for himself," Anderson said. "I know he wanted to make sure everybody was safe and would go home."


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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Operations Specialist 3rd Class Leonel Yanez
Operations Specialist 3rd Class Leonel Yanez
U.S. Navy

Operations Specialist 3rd Class Leonel Yanez (Right), from Huntington Park, Calif., monitors a radar screen in the Combat Direction Center aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis is on a scheduled six-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Adventure at 37,000 Feet

On my recent trip to Germany, what does one do during an 11 hour flight? After a few hours of fidgeting in my seat, we were then flying over the Gulf of Boothia. Have you heard of this location?


And, we were going very fast and very high in the cold air.


I started to roam around the plane. Going down a flight of stairs were 6 restrooms stalls. This is a fairly unique layout since stalls are usually located on the same level as passengers.


On the same level as the stalls was a small snack area where passengers get pick up snacks and drinks.


Meanwhile back upstairs, most passengers were either asleep or watched movies on their tiny monitors in the dark.


- Karen

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Before and After

A view at a moment in time.


The same view about an hour later. The fog has rolled in.


Note: Thank you for reading my Golden Gate Bridge series. By now, I am sure you must want to read something new so I will save the rest of my adventure to post on a later date. I will be in Germany for the next week and if I have a chance, I will try to post about my travels.

- Karen

Wednesday Hero

Pfc. Alan R. Blohm
Pfc. Alan R. Blohm
21 years old from Kenai, Alaska
425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
December 31, 2006
U.S. Army

Alan R. Blohm enlisted in the Army in 2004 because "He wanted to serve the country," his brother Jeremy said. "His grandfather had been in the Army, and it's just something he wanted to do."

Blohm graduated in 2004 from Bay City Western High School, where he was a 250-pound defensive player for the football team. Blohm's size prompted coach Jim Eurick to nickname him "Biggins Blohm," his brother recalled. "I know he paid the ultimate sacrifice with his life," Mark Boileau, Blohm's former school Principal, said. "We know Alan will be in a better place because of the sacrifice he made, because of his love for our country."

PFC. Blohm died of wounds suffered when an IED detonated near his unit while on combat patrol in Baghdad Besides his brother, he leaves behind his parents and a younger sister.


Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com & The Iraq Page

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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Monday, April 13, 2009

At The Other End

At the other end of the bridge is a statue dedicated to Joseph B. Strauss, the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge.


The plaque at the bottom of the statue reads...


A cross-section view of a cable used on the bridge. If you like numbers or architecture, the statistics should interest you.


A gift shop right at the end of the bridge. Can you say "captive audience"? The little shop was pretty crowded.


Right behind the gift shop is the toll plaza. It is $6 when traveling southbound towards San Francisco. Northbound is free.


- Karen

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Golden Gate Bridge Walk

Continuing with my walk across the Golden Gate, this little extension out over the ocean gives a different perspective of the bridge.


I saw this guy poking his head through the sunroof. It looks like he is filming the trip, but I think there is a law against poking ones head out of a sunroof in a moving vehicle not to mention dangerous.


A tourist during a photo-op on the bridge.


In the next three photos are things I saw during my walk. A locked portable toilet.


I am not sure what this is, but it looks like a "cage" workers would use to lower or raise themselves over the side of the bridge.


This looked like a huge storage bin hung over the side of the bridge.


Happy Easter,
Karen

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

A Stroll Beneath the Surface

A few weekends ago, I decided to take a stroll on the Golden Gate Bridge. After living in the Bay Area all my life, I have never attempted this trip.
To my surprise, I was not aware that one side of the bridge's walkway, the West side, is reserved for bicyclists.
Is it me or is this sign confusing?


I decided to take a stroll to the West side to see what it was all about. To get to West side from the vista point shown in yesterday's post, I had to walk down this narrow staircase.


Here I am strolling underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a little unnerving hearing the clanking of metal as cars, tour buses, and trucks whizzed directly above me.


This is a view of the bridge through the chain link fence.


This is the view from the West side walkway. I did not stay long due to pedestrian restrictions and I did not want to be trampled by an onslaught of oncoming bicyclists.


- Karen

Wednesday Hero

Cpl. Aaron L. Seal
Cpl. Aaron L. Seal
23 years old from Elkhart, Indiana
6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve
October 1, 2006
U.S.M.C

With sleet gushing from gunmetal gray clouds, some 30 Marines standing in three trim lines saluted the U.S. flag that four of their brethren used to christen a new pole.

A large engraved stone set at the base of the 38-foot pole explained the occasion: "In memory of Corporal Aaron L. Seal. Who gave his life for our country. 1982-2006."

The Marines from Engineer Company B joined several dozen community residents and well-wishers at a ceremony Wednesday honoring Seal, the 23-year-old Elkhart reservist who died last fall in Iraq. Seal's family also attended the 20-minute tribute at Elkhart Community Schools' administration building adjacent to Memorial High School -- the fallen Marine's alma mater.

Read the rest of the story here.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point

The Golden Gate Bridge has two vista points. One on the San Francisco side and one on the Marin side. The view you see here is from the Marin side looking towards San Francisco. You can see the Sutro Tower antenna in the distance.


These are on-site coin-operated binoculars. I suspect very few people bring binoculars with them while on vacation so these would come in handy.


With only 12 Lone Sailor memorials in the United States to honor those who served their life at sea, this one happens to stand close to home and I never knew. The first one I saw was in Washington, D.C.'s Navy Memorial.
To find out more about the Lone Sailor statues, click here.


Here is another view with the statue with the bridge in the background.


- Karen

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Inside Musee Mecanique, Part 2

Shake the Wizard's hand to determine your sex appeal.


This is a close up of the Wizard's dial. Have you determined which one you are?


Do you feel you can take on this wrestler? Go!


- Karen

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Inside Musee Mecanique, Part 1

In continuation of my Saturday post, here are a few of the odd coin-operated arcades inside the Musee Mecanique.


The instructions on this one reads "From a Roman legend: The one who dares putting the hand into this mouth must be sincere or the hand may not come out!"
Do you dare?


Put a coin in this one to see an English Execution. Violence for 25 cents (0.18 Euros), is it worth it?


It was strange to see these 2 movie machines side-by-side. Does one have anything to do with the other?


Which one do you think you are?


Enjoy,
Karen