Remembering Zep Again – Patriot Day 2008

In the true spirit of “Never Forget” we re-post our original tribute to Mark Scott Zeplin, one of the 2996 victims killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. There were 2996 victims killed, but we were all victims of the pain inflicted by the attacks. Here’s our original “2996” tribute on this Patriot Day, 2008.


Damsel and I are very proud to be able to honor Marc Scott Zeplin on the fifth anniversary of 9/11/2001 and to be part of the 2996 Project.

Zep” is what his friends called him. Zep was one of the 2996 victims who perished in the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Marc Scott Zeplin, age 33.

Place killed: World Trade Center. Resident of Harrison, N.Y. (USA).

Marc Zeplin worked in the World Trade Center offices of Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services company. Reading what Marc’s friends and family have written about him, Marc was well-liked and respected by peers, friends and others who wrote words about him following his death.

The following is from Zep’s tribute at the memorial site that his company set up to remember their employees that were lost in the attack:

Date of Birth: January 12, 1968

Department: Equity Sales

A group of friends named and registered a star in the heavens in memory of Marc Zeplin. How fitting as he was a star in the eyes of so many.

Successful as an equity trader, he formed close relationships with his clients but he was foremost a family man. Marc was very caring and devoted to his wife Debra, sons Ryan (3 yrs old) and Ethan (10 months), parents, sister and in-laws. He adored his children and treasured the time he spent with them. Marc was very proud of the new home he and his wife built in Westchester and enjoyed the change from urban to suburban living.

Raised in Long Island, Marc attended Oceanside High School and the University of Michigan where he also continued to earn a master’s degree in the acclaimed business school. Marc’s first career calling was sports casting. He loved sports of all kinds and enjoyed broadcasting games in Michigan during his college years. However, when he returned to New York, he found immediate employment in the financial world and soon after started at Cantor Fitzgerald where he became a partner.

Marc was truly a “master of the word.” He knew how and what to say in order to put you at ease, make you laugh or help you resolve a problem. Marc loved people. He had many friends and demonstrated a zest for living life to the fullest. He was tops in every way. He even worked at the top. The right position for so many years unfortunately was wrong on only one day – September 11, 2001.

Debra Zeplin and Leora Zeplin, Marc’s Wife and Mother.

New NRA Website

There is a new website up to address the political views of Barack Obama. The NRA makes information available that highlights Obama’s anti-second amendment views and the lies he tells to ‘make them go away’. From the new site GunBaNObama.com:

“So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them….” — Barack Obama, April 2, 2008

Barack Obama has made it clear – he believes gun owners are dangerous and that guns should be banned. If he is elected President, he could name new Supreme Court Justices who will try to overturn the recent court decision and strip our rights away.

I like the good photos they posted of the Democratic Presidential Candidate:

nobama

In the Cactus Garden

Saturday, during our visit to the Botanic Gardens, I took this shot of this cluster of cactii with a palo verde tree behind it. In spite of all the spines, this section of the garden is one of our favorites.

cactus garden

Sunday Target Practice

Sunday is our day for the range. In spite of the fact that we’re great NFL junkies (yes, both of us), we go off to the range while the early games are still underway (they start at 10AM here on the west coast). We miss the first half, but make it home to clean the guns while watching the second half.

We didn’t bring the shotguns today because we were going to use the session to try and improve our marksmanship with the handguns. We made a little headway on that by trying out some of the grips and tips posted by the gunbloggers that went to Blackwater to train with Todd Jarrett. We both noticed a little improvement, but we have a way to go.

Damsel shoots her Warthog and S&W 686 in the video I spliced together today. At one point while shooting the Warthog, she turns to tell me that the hole pattern on the target looked like a happy face. Remember Mel Gibson’s session at the range in Lethal Weapon? In the other part of the video, it looks like only a couple of the seven .38 special rounds produced a nice plume. Actually, they all did, it’s just that the 30 frame per second rate on my camera sometimes misses the millisecond duration of the plumes.

As always, it was fun.

Garden Butterfly

During our visit to the South Coast Botanic Gardens today, this little butterfly perched near the dahlia exhibit. We don’t go to the gardens only for the flowers; we love to see the hummingbirds, butterflies, dragon flies and whatever else happens to come our way.

butterfly

Click the image for the 1024×768 pixel version.

RNC Best Quotes

RNCHere’s some of what we consider the best quotes from the podium during the Republican Convention.

Mike Huckabee:

Let me make something clear tonight: I’m not a Republican because I grew up rich. I’m a Republican because I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me.

Mitt Romney:

I spent 25 years in the private sector. I’ve done business in many foreign countries. I know why jobs come and why they go away. And I know that liberals don’t have a clue. [Democrats] think we have the biggest and strongest economy in the world because of our government. They’re wrong. America is strong because of the ingenuity and entrepreneurship and hard work of the American people.

Fred Thompson:

We need a president who understands that you don’t make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer, and you don’t lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history. Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they are not going to tax your family. No, they’re just going to tax “businesses”! So unless you buy something from a “business”, like groceries or clothes or gasoline… or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small “business,” don’t worry… it’s not going to affect you. They say they are not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the “other” side of the bucket! That’s their idea of tax reform.

Rudy Giuliani:

We agree with Joe Biden. Tough times require strong leadership, and this is no time for on-the-job training. Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy.

Sarah Palin:

Though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, ‘fighting for you,’ let us face the matter squarely. There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you… in places where winning means survival and defeat means death… and that man is John McCain.

John McCain:

I’m not running for president because I think I’m blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

Hat Tip and image credit to The Patriot Post

Watching the Palin Speech

I’m busy enjoying Rudy Giuliani’s speech at the RNC. I didn’t think anything could top Fred’s speech last night, but Rudy’s giving it a go.

Meanwhile, while we will be watching Sarah Palin, you can enjoy this nice panoramic view of Damsel looking into Canyon de Chelly . . .

muertito.jpg

Click to see the panorama full size.