Soldier Surprise Puck Drop - Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins have done it again, check out this pre-game ceremony from tonights game Vs. The Buffalo Sabres. This is not the first the time Bruins have done something special for our military, you can check out a previous write up I did "Why I respect The Boston Bruins & Bobby Orr"

Enjoy and Thank You Bruins

Here is the interview with the family after the game.

These graceful, weathered hands that fought

This picture is so simple yet speaks volumes to me.

These graceful, weathered hands that fought so valiantly for all the rights and freedoms that we enjoy today may have had to take a life, they may have carried an injured soldier.... and they likely also gently held their wife's hand, rocked their babies to sleep, and tickled many grandchildren.

Now they clutch a cane. I can't see your face. I don't know who you are. I don't know your story and can only imagine all that you have seen, done & survived. Yet, I feel overwhelming gratitude and respect for you and all that you stand for.

Thank you to the Peacekeepers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Thank you to the Peacekeepers who came home unquestionably changed and continued to contribute to our world.
Thank you to the Peacekeepers that courageously continue to risk it all so that we may all continue to thrive in the greatest country in the world. The True North, Strong & Free. THANK YOU. I will never forget.

by: Angie Wagar

MEXICO CITY TATTOO CONVENTION, OCT. 29 & 30, 2011

Mexico City Tattoo convention organizer Tony Serrano from Tatuajes Mexico, asked us to do a machine seminar. There were 16 artists in the class. We covered everything in our book and more. The goal is more than just to educate artists, for us, it's important to find people who are on the same page and want to be a part of the solution and NOT part of the problem. First you need to wake up and see that there is a problem and then tear it down bit by bit.

"HOW MANY OF YOU MAKE YOUR OWN NEEDLES?" Looks like 2 or so.. the rest?

The way to maintain quality control over every aspect of your tattooing is to understand every aspect of your tattooing. What you're actually doing when you step on the footswitch, when you put the needles in to the skin, the types of needles you are using, the quality of the pigment. Almost all tattoo supply companies don't care if you're doing good work with the products they sell. Almost all tattoo supply companies don't care if the products they sell are truly functional. Almost all tattoo supply companies don't understand what they are really selling. Almost all tattoo supply companies have never used the products they sell. Almost all artists trust these suppliers to supply them with quality functional products... these suppliers buy and sell products manufactured by people who do not tattoo, people who do not understand what functions are necessary in a tattoo machine. This is only a small part of the problem. Now, hopefully, these 16 students will not be taken by the hype in this unregulated business oriented supplier / artist relationship.

Art, Steve, Pablo Porno and Enrico Colombres.

While we were busy at the booth, selling machines, repairing machines and tattooing...

Juan "super" Arreguin was busy trying out his new prototype model machine, and having great results!

David "Scrappy Uno" Garcia was tattooing with his own model Scrappy Uno machine ...

Manuel "Master" Servin was tattooing also...

L to R: Pablo Porno, Scrappy Uno, and Master... All first place winners! Portrait, tattoo of the day, realism... the best of the best.

Congratulations to all 3 of these artists, we are proud to have them on Godoy Machines.

Meanwhile... Javier "Jade" Campos, was winning in Ecuador & Lima Peru with his own Javier Campos model machine!!!

The talent at this convention was incredible, the organization was perfect, the entertainment excellent.. thanks also to Tony Serrano for being a great host. And Enrico Colombres from Godoy Machines South America for being part of our crew.

Today I went back to school

Remember when you were in high school and you had that one guest speaker that would come in to talk to your school nearing Remembrance Day that would always stick with you for the rest of your life. Well today 17 years after graduating high school that happened to me.

I was invited to Crescent Heights High School in Calgary, Alberta to hear Cpl Vince Fowlers Remembrance Day presentation to grade 9 to 12s. The gymnasium seated about 1200 students which found their way to their seats pretty quick.

After singing O’Canada, a song by the school choir and a reading of “In Flanders Fields” by a student Vince Fowler started his presentation.

He told his story of how when he was in grade six and he saw a photo of a soldier jumping out of a plane he knew right then he wanted to be a Paratrooper. He as a member of the PPCLI served in Somalia and showed some photos from his time with the Canadian Forces.

He then made an observation that only about 10% of the students were wearing poppies even though there were students giving them out at the door and put the question out as to “Why Not”

Vince then started showing photos of celebrities on his slide show and quizzed the students as to what they knew about Tom Cruise, Henry Burris, Lady Gaga and then when Justin Biebers photo was put on the screen there was a chorus of screams from the females in attendance. People were rattling off all the answers and then he put the photo of a WW1 veteran on the screen and ONE student out of the 1200 in the gymnasium knew who this man was. He was a fighter pilot that died serving our country and was an alumni of Crescent Heights.

Vince then after noticing some students were starting to get a little restless asked the entire gym to close their eyes and imagine the one person they loved the most was on the phone with them from Afghanistan. Telling them how they were getting leave early and would be home for Christmas but not to tell the family.

Then in his slide show presentation came the sounds of an IED exploding, followed by machine guns and then said to everyone in the gym “That person you were just speaking with is gone” you could hear a pin drop. Looking around there were some students is tears as people don’t really take the time to think about whether you are for or against why our troops are in Afghanistan they are somebodies father, mother, brother, or sister.

He then went to a group of girls in the school and asked them if they enjoyed going to school and told them they couldn’t go anymore. Asked them if they disagreed with him and he said if this was Afghanistan before our troops went there you would be killed not only for wanting to continue to go to school but for going against the Taliban.

I’ve been running Thankasoldier.net and other efforts for our troops for almost five years now and today hit me. If you had asked me before today if anyone notable went to my high school i would have told you Allanis Morrisette and Dan Akroyd but now after today I will be searching to see what veterans went to my high school and look up the history of that. For that I wanted to say thank you to Cpl Vince Fowler for making me realize that. For that few seconds, I felt like I was back in high school and had some home work of my own to do.

For me Remembrance Day has always been a special day and especially in the last few years, meeting so many families of our fallen soldiers and introducing them to each other. I am by no means perfect, I’m human and today’s presentation has made me look at Remembrance day in a whole knew light.

I can only hope that some of the students that attended that today were as affected as I was, and judging by the looks on their faces when it was over and hearing some of the conversations taking place, I know they were.

MCpl Elton Adams - What A Soldier Left Behind

MCpl Elton Adams – What A Soldier Left Behind

MCpl Elton Adams was born and raised in Roddickton, Newfoundland, Canada. At the age of seventeen Elton Adam enrolled inthe Canadian Forces. During his first six years was employed with the First Royal Canadian Horse Artillery in Shilo Manitoba. While serving with this Regiment worked in both B and C batteries and ventured to Bosnia on Roto 7. It was also at this time hestarted to write his own music.

While with the Artillery he played and sang for the troops all of the time. In Bosnia his band, “Guns and Hose’s”(this was our band name because the Artillery had the big-guns and we practiced in a Fire hall—hose’s) opened up for the CANCON show. Domestically, he had a band called, Dirty Laundry and performed for almost all of the Regiments functions, private parties, and local bars.

he has served his country for over eight years and a Military Police-Officer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. With only two years in the Military police trade received notification that he was to embark on a seven month tour to Afghanistan. Further, he would need to complete 8-months of work-up training in Edmonton before the tour began.

One of the songs Elton wrote, “What a Soldier Left Behind” was heard by his supervisors and the response was extremely positive. It lead to performing at our farewell parade on January 17th 2008. There were over 2000 personnel present for the parade, both soldiers and their families. The song became and is still growing into a big hit amongst the Canadian Forces community. Elton was presented with my Colonel and General’s commendation for the song.

“On March 20th 2008, I performed, “What a Soldier Left Behind”, in Afghanistan with Canada’s beloved rock band, Blue Rodeo, at our “support the troops” concert, again the response was incredible. Elton received General Hillier’s, (our retired Chief of Defence Staff) commendation and I received many thank-you’s from my fellow soldiers, civilian employees and retired NHL Players (Doug Gilmour sent me a signed jersey) who were present at the show. It was unforgettable. Now that I’m back from Afghanistan I have finished recording my first album at Denmark Productions and I have just signed a major deal with music distribution company Matchbox Recordings. Matchbox Recordings will be releasing my album in the UK on March 2, 2009. ” - Elton Adams

Calgary Liquor store has a special Remembrance Day Message

A friend of mine today pointed me to a online liquor store website in which their holiday flyer had an important reminder for Remembrance Day. When John Mcrae penned the words to "In Flanders Fields" there was no mention of beneath the liquor bottles row by row the poppies grow. I went out after seeing this and picked up a copy of 'The Calgary Herald" and sure enough here was the Remembrance Day Flyer for this Liquor store which made me sick to my stomach to look at.

Now I am one person who believes in freedom of speech and our veterans give us the freedom to say what we like, and yes this ad may be a ironic play on words, however at the bottom of the ad which is in every copy of The Calgary Herald today there is a poppy growing in the field of liquor.

There are six locations listed in this ad in Calgary, Alberta all of which I know will never get any of my business. I've included the bottom of the ad with phone numbers to all locations incase anyone would like to give them a call and tell them your thoughts. I could not find a contact us link on their webpage.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Remembrance Day Tribute

The Maple Leafs are by far one of the most loved and one of the most disliked teams in the NHL, however one thing everyone can agree on is their support for our veterans and currently serving soldiers is 2nd to none in the NHL.

Every home game Luke Schenn gives two tickets to a military family and during the third period of each game they are honored on the big screen in a segment called "Lukes Troops". The Leafs have also held many "Military Appreciation Nights" and last year released a line of military related Leafs gear with 25% of proceeds going to the Military Families Fund & The Leafs have also gone on morale visits to soldiers serving in Afghanistan

Tonight was another example of this with their Remembrance Day Tribute before their game against the Florida Panthers.

I am proud as always to be a Maple Leafs fan and ceremonies such as this make that a little easier