Chicago @ MindSay 
baseball
By Meghan Vittrup
American Forces Press Service
June 24, 2008 - Veterans can once again enjoy an afternoon cruising Lake Michigan, sharing tributes and building relationships thanks to one Illinois group. Kup's Purple Heart Cruises began in 1945 when Irv Kupcinet also known as "Kup," a Chicago Sun Times columnist, wanted to do something for servicemembers coming back from World War Two.
The 50-year tradition ended with its last cruise in 1995. Twelve years later, David Kupcinet decided to re-launch his grandfather's renowned Kup's Purple Heart Cruises.
After fours year of planning the successfully re-launched cruise took place July 31, 2007.
Kupcinet said the cruise is a way to show appreciation to veterans for their service to the country.
Kup's Purple Heart Cruise is an "effort to highlight citizen support for our military men and women and communicate that support to the members of our armed forces at home and abroad," according to a news release from the group.
Last year, Kupcinet said, it took three and a half months to fill the 500 spots on the cruise, but "it was so successful last year it took three and a half weeks to hit capacity this year."
The cruise is not only for veterans but also active-duty servicemembers. Kupcinet said veterans range in age from 19 to 91.
"The most interesting thing was seeing the relationships built between old time veterans and [Afghanistan and Iraq] veterans," Kupcinet said. "The connection between ... veterans in their 20s and a guy from World War Two, for example, is really a pretty amazing thing to see."
"These relationships are long-lasting relationships," said Dan Casara, a Purple Heart recipient and participant in Kup's Purple Heart Cruise. He was wounded Sept. 23, 2005, when a roadside bomb flipped his tank. He said he tries to use such events to network, meet new people, and build lasting relationships that will turn into friendships.
Kupcinet said it is a great experience to see both young and older veterans interacting and still holding on to deep military ties and traditions, including the playful arguments over which branch of the military is the strongest.
"It's also very funny to see the branches still mess with each other even so many years after they've been in service," Kupcinet said. "We had an 89-year-old Marine and 90-year-old sailor in the Navy, and at those ages they were still messing with each other about who was tougher."
The Purple Heart Cruise event takes place in two parts. The first part is the pierside send-off ceremony that includes presentations and speeches from the honorary chairman as well as dignitaries. There also are military and Defense Department tributes to the veterans, Kupcinet said.
The cruise itself is the second part of the event; it is a four-hour cruise on Lake Michigan that includes of food, entertainment and camaraderie.
"It was really nice," Casara said. "It was refreshing to see other Purple Heart recipients, ... whether they were of this conflict or prior conflicts, to come out and enjoy themselves."
This year's Kup's Purple Heart Cruise will take place July 31 at Navy Pier in Chicago.
Kup's Purple Heart Foundation is a supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program that seeks to focus public support for the men and women in the military.
JT Concert review!!
check it out, I wrote a review, and it was published online!!!! With the good help of my bestie, Mel!!!!!!! bowlinchic867 yay for us :) So anyways, it's a review on the Justin Timberlake and Pink concert in Chi-town!!!!!! 
So READ IT or else........ 
!!!! lol
Walsh Construction, Chicago, Ill., is being awarded a $71,566,848 firm-fixed price contract for the construction of a four-story addition to the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, Ill., the first joint Veterans Affairs (VA)/ Navy care facility. The work also provides for some demolition and renovation work for tie-in connections to the VA Medical Center, North Chicago. Work will be performed in North Chicago, Ill., and is expected to be completed by July 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Midwest, Great Lakes, Ill., is the contracting activity (N40083-08-C-0059).
Northrup Grumman Corp Integrated Systems, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $48,288,640 firm-fixed-price contract for 20 center barrels, 6 nacelles; 5 for the U.S. Navy and 1 for the Government of Finland’s F/A-18 A/B/C/D aircraft. In addition, this contract provides for loose and miscellaneous parts. This contract combines purchases for the United States Navy ($47,233,536; 98 percent), and Government of Finland ($1,055,104; 2 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (85 percent); and St. Augustine, Fla. (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $2,508,499 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-08-C-0052).
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Linthicum Heights, Md., is being awarded a $28,216,207 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract. The modification is to extend the schedule by eight and one-half months and increase the level of effort for the Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) system development and demonstration. At this time, no additional funds are being obligated. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Md. (75 percent) and East Syracuse, N.Y. (25 percent) and is expected to be completed December 2016 (if all options are exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity (M67854-07-C-2072).
Oshkosh Corporation is being awarded a $9,928,694 delivery order #0056 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-04-D-5016) for the installation of reducible height armor kits on Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) variants. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla. (94 percent) and Oshkosh, Wis. (6 percent), and work is expected to be completed by June 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Seminole Energy Services, LLC*, Tulsa, Okla., is being awarded a maximum $62,306,346.00 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for direct supply natural gas. Other locations of performance are Missouri, Colorado, Kansas and Arkansas. Using services are Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, federal civilian agencies and Haskell University Indian Nation. The original proposal was Web solicited with 37 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2010. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-08-D-7515).
CACI-WGI, Inc., Chantilly, Va., was awarded on June 13, 2008, a $15,620,733 time and material contract for operational support services to the Joint Improvised Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) Joint Expeditionary Team. Work will be performed in Iraq and Afghanistan and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four bids were solicited on May 7, 2008, and one bid was received. U.S. Army Research, Development & Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-08-D-0027).
Head, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, was awarded on June 16, 2008, an $8,513,719 fixed price construction contract for an extension to the runway and an additional parking apron. Work will be performed in Martinsburg, W.V., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 1, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on April 11, 2008, and two bids were received. National Guard Bureau, United States Property and Fiscal Office, Buckhannon, W.V., is the contracting activity (W912L8-08-C-0008).
I fell in love with Chicago, definitely. I got off the plane, and it was all I could do to not bend to the ground and kiss it, the way I'll do when I finally get to Eretz Yisrael, or maybe the next time I get to New York.
I fell in love with the sailor who was on standby while I sat and knitted, waiting 5 hours for my friends to show up. I know that's really shallow, and I've neeeeeeeeeever been 'man in uniform' crazy, but I couldn't look away from this gentlemen. I really think it could have worked out between us :).
I fell in love with our hotel room. It was bigger (and nicer) than my house.
I fell more in love with Val, Dan, Em, Veronica, Bree, and Symone. I am so blessed to have these people in my life. Next year, I feel like C.I.P. will not be as intimate, since we're doubling in size. Even though it's a great group of people joining, I can't help but thank my lucky stars that this trip was with the original bunch.
I fell more in love with Anne Marie for having us over and making us dinner. After not getting to really eat the whole weekend, she was her usual amazing chef/baker and we all ate like GODS. And their apartment is gorgeous, and David remembered me (which is important, in my mind). We miss them SO much. I love that I can look at Bree and Anne Marie and not see a neon, flashing sign overhead that says PROFESSOR! PROFESSOR! Instead, I see FRIEND! or AMAZING PERSON! or MENTOR!. Feelings like that make me feel like all the money I spent at NYU was worth more. I could have gone to a million different schools, but I wouldn't have this.
I fell more in love with Natlija. Natlija is Anne Marie and David's 5 (a week away from 6) year old daughter. I cannot believe how tall she got, or how smart she is. I mean, when we got there, she sat us all down on the floor in the living room to give us a presentation. Most little kids who do that will present a sillly dance, or sing a song. Do you know what Natalija presented? A TRI-FOLD SCIENCE BOARD, ON WHICH SHE HAD A SCIENTIFIC QUERY. She actually posed the question, "Which kind of gum lasts the longest?" and then did a hypothesis, trials (2 for each kind of gum, to make sure), a summary of her results.... did I mention she's 5!?!? And she presented to a room full of elementary school teachers. We were all FLOOOOOOOOOORED. She also gave lessons about being 'FANCY'. For instance, yellow is plain, but gold is FANCY. Leather is plain, but patten leather is FANCY. Glasses are plain, but sunglasses are FANCY. She also labeled EVERYTHING we ate, or ate with. I'm sure she got SOME help spelling the word 'knives', but on her own, she was able to spell 'Veronica'. The only help she got was we told her it was verOnica.
At dinner, she decided I was her favorite, so she smushed onto the table with me to eat. And I tricked her into eating her vegetables AND I taught her a math word. I think Anne Marie was proud (she was our math teacher at NYU). I taught Natalija about estimation, and then I asked her to estimate how many bites it would take to eat her salad. She actually got the salad, and the cornbread guesses right, and was one off on the black beans.
I fell in love with the bartender at the club we wound up at. I truly feel that would have worked out better than the sailor would have. I mean, he blew me a kiss (mainly because I signed him 'thank you' after he gave me my water, and it SORTA looks like I blew him a kiss, but when I went back for a refill, he blew me one...and that's the only part of the story that matters ;)). It could have been PERFECT. w00t.
I fell in love with conferences. My group did soooo well, and we had a big turn out considering that in the 2 other sessions, there were some big name people. I also got over my fear of public speaking just enough to participate in discussions in 2 of the different break outs (there were only 4, ours included and I HAD to speak at that one!). I thought what I was saying was really obvious, but apparently, it wasn't. Bree made a huge deal out of it. She said she was proud of me. That means a lot. I think it was good that I shared. I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable fully talking in a group like that, but I think I'm slowly starting to trust myself more. To believe that I'm not an idiot who has nothing of substance to say. During Edwin's NYCoRE presentation about the Camouflagged book, I was able to point something out I noticed, and it started this long conversation, and I got really happy that it started from something I said. I generated it. I know not EVERYTHING I say is going to be that good, or cause that much talk, but this did. Even though I don't think I did that much for my actual presentation, I did help. I WAS part of this.
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