all-encompassingly

Heroes

hero: A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life

Here are some experiences of Iraqis while voting.

Ali:

As I got out it was still early and I saw no one on the streets but as I got near to the voting center I started seeing people in groups heading the same way. Most of them were women. I saw a crippled man and my old neighbor and his older wife leaning on their walking sticks going to vote. An old woman cleaning her door step stopped me, "Say son, can I go and vote?" She asked after she saw many people going to vote. "Sure Khala (aunt)! Everyone can". She thanked me and went inside apparently to change and get her IDs.

....

The voting center that was chosen in our district is a high school in the middle of the Neighborhood . This was the same place I went in 1996 to cast my vote in a poll asking if we wanted to have Saddam as a president for life or not. I had to go at that time. The threats for anyone who refused to take that poll were no less than the death penalty.

...

This time we went by choice and the threat was exactly the opposite. As I was walking with many people towards the center explosion hit and gun fire were heard but most were not that close. People didn't seem to pay attention to that. Some of them even brought their little kids with them! It's like the Eid but only a thousand times better.

...

As I left one of the gurads said to me as he handed me back my cellular phone,"God bless you and your beloved ones. We don't know how to thank you. Please excuse any inconvinience on our part. We wish we didn't have to search you or limit your freedom. You are heroes" I was struck with surprise and felt ashamed. This man was risking his life all these hours in what has become the utmost target for all terrorists in Iraq and yet he's apologizing and calling us heroes. I thanked him back and told him that he and his comrads are the true heroes and that we can never be grateful enough for their services.

We would love to share what we did this morning with the whole world, we can't describe the feelings we've been through but we'll try to share as much as we can with you.

We woke up this morning one hour before the alarm clock was supposed to ring. As a matter of fact, we barely slept at all last night out of excitement and anxiety.

...

We had all kinds of feelings in our minds while we were on our way to the ballot box except one feeling that never came to us, that was fear.

We could smell pride in the atmosphere this morning; everyone we saw was holding up his blue tipped finger with broad smiles on the faces while walking out of the center.

I couldn't think of a scene more beautiful than that.

From the early hours of the morning, People filled the street to the voting center in my neighborhood; youths, elders, women and men. Women's turn out was higher by the way. And by 11 am the boxes where I live were almost full!

Anyone watching that scene cannot but have tears of happiness, hope, pride and triumph.

The sounds of explosions and gunfire were clearly heard, some were far away but some were close enough to make the windows of the center shake but no one seemed to care about them as if the people weren't hearing these sounds at all.

I saw an old woman that I thought would get startled by the loud sound of a close explosion but she didn't seem to care, instead she was busy verifying her voting station's location as she found out that her name wasn't listed in this center.

How can I describe it!? Take my eyes and look through them my riends, you have supported the day of Iraq's freedom and today, Iraqis have proven that they're not going to disappoint their country or their friends.

...

I walked forward to my station, cast my vote and then headed to the box, where I wanted to stand as long as I could, then I moved to mark my finger with ink, I dipped it deep as if I was poking the eyes of all the world's tyrants.

I put the paper in the box and with it, there were tears that I couldn't hold; I was trembling with joy and I felt like I wanted to hug the box but the supervisor smiled at me and said "brother, would you please move ahead, the people are waiting for their turn".

Yes brothers, proceed and fill the box!

These are stories that will be written on the brightest pages of history.

It was hard for us to leave the center but we were happy because we were sure that we will stand here in front of the box again and again and again.

Today, there's no voice louder than that of freedom.

No more confusion about what the people want, they have said their word and they said it loud and the world has got to respct and support the people's will.

God bless your brave steps sons of Iraq and God bless the defenders of freedom.

Aasha Al-Iraq….Aasha Al-Iraq….Aasha Al-Iraq.

jaxon logan: 1986-2005

the most courageous play you will ever see in a hockey game is a defender diving in front of an opposing player's slapshot to prevent that puck from getting near his team's goal mouth. in the professional leagues, the hard, dense projectile has been clocked at speeds over 100 miles an hour.

acknowledging this, however, does not make what happened friday night at provo's peaks ice arena--a 2002 winter olympics venue and home of BYU's icecats--any easier to accept.

at the end of the second period with the icecats comfortably in the lead, BYU freshman, jaxon logan of palmer, alaska, went down to block a shot. the shot hit him in the chest and, it is now known, immmediately stopped his heart. he was able to get up and skate over to the players' bench, only to collapse when he got there. the puck he deflected led directly to a BYU goal.

the following has been posted at the BYU hockey website, icecathockey.org:

Jaxon Logan 5/14/86-1/21/05
Jaxon Logan, our teammate, friend, and brother passed away Friday night. While blocking a slap shot, Jaxon was struck in the chest by the puck which led to cardiac arrest and ultimately his death. Jaxon was a great man, talented athlete, and fierce competitor. A memorial service will be held at the LDS church on 85 south 900 East Provo, Monday @ 6 pm. All are invited. [BYU hockey website]

go here for instructions on making a charitable donation, or to leave or read notes of condolence.

jaxon may have suffered a commotio cordis is arrhythmia, or sudden death from low-impact, blunt trauma to the chest. [source--PDF]. houston astros pitcher, roger clemens, understands the nature of this tragedy, which is more common among young baseball players; he helped launch a campaign last fall to outfit schools with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that can help increase the survival rate of such incidents by 20%. [article]

other coverage of the incident is here, here, here, and here. video here. our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the logan family and his icecat teammates.

Christmas Day - 1776

Read the story of George Washington and the crossing of the Delaware in today's NY Times.

AS 1776 was drawing to a close, Elkanah Watson, a young man in Massachusetts, expressed what many Americans feared about their war for independence. "We looked upon the contest as near its close," he wrote, "and considered ourselves a vanquished people."

There was good reason for pessimism. The British had driven Gen. George Washington and his men out of New York and across New Jersey. In early December, with the British on their heels, the Americans had commandeered every boat they could find to escape across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. They were starving, sick and cold. The artist Charles Willson Peale, watching the landing from the Pennsylvania shore, described a soldier dressed "in an old dirty blanket jacket, his beard long and his face so full of sores that he could not clean it." So disfigured was the man, Peale wrote, that at first he did not recognize him as his brother James.

...

...

Pat Tillman: Sportsman of the Year

From little green footballs:

Sports Illustrated is running its annual fan poll for Sportsman of the Year, and Pat Tillman, who was killed fighting in Afghanistan after walking away from a multi-million dollar contract to join the Army after September 11, is in the running. I say this as a huge cycling fan, in a year when Lance Armstrong won his sixth Tour de France—but Pat Tillman deserves this award more than anyone else. His sacrifice shows what true sportsmanship is all about. (Hat tip: Al di Grandpa.)

Note: The voting page will automatically load a certain athlete, so you'll need to select Tillman from the athletes on the left side of the screen, and then hit "Vote."

u.s. marines in falluja

the NBC News "get" of the week -- a video sequence of the Marine in question shooting a wounded Fallujah fighter after shouting that the man was "faking" his incapacity -- has been airing at half-hour intervals as if it were the Lost Episodes of Abu Ghraib. [link] [via LGF]

at the same time, one must ask, where is the breathless, accusatory coverage of the french shooting spree in ivory coast?

Reed Irvine

Reed Irvine, the founder of Accuracy In Media and longtime media critic, has passed away.

You can visit the site dedicated to Reed and his work, where there is a more extensive biography of this great man.

Mark Steyn

If there are any all-encompassingly readers who do not regularly frequent marksteyn.com, add it to your list of "must-read" sites today. Not only is he hilarious and brilliant, but his incisive commentary is right on the money.

My favorite from a recent Steyn column on the election:

On election day, I was driving through Vermont and found myself behind a car with a Kerry-Edwards sticker and an Instead of Being Born Again, Why Not Grow Up? sticker. Fair enough, the feeling's mutual: the secular, coastal, libertine Democratic Party has zero appeal to born-again Christians. The problem is the crude numbers: 40 per cent of Americans identify themselves as born-again. So right there you've written off 40 per cent of the electorate. What have you got in return? The gay vote? Five per cent? And Bush got a quarter of that.

the choice: a helpful video

in 2000 i was out of the country and had limited access to information on the presidential election. i asked my mom to send me news clippings, and there was one, in particular, that helped me make up my mind. it was a series of baseball questions that major league baseball posed to both candidates, and then reprinted in the world series program. bush tended to give short, direct responses, qualifying them with reasons. gore seemed to go on forever trying to show how much he knew, and usually ended without taking a position on anything. who knows, maybe he didn't want to offend voters who like domed stadiums?

anyway, the side-by-side comparison convinced me that al gore was a lying, bloviating, disingenuous sack, and that george bush would say what he really thought, and be direct about it.

i've tried to find the article through lexis nexis, newslibrary.org, majorleaguebaseball.com, and even the archives of the newspaper that originally printed it, but it is nowhere to be found. the article so influenced me that i taped it into my journal. it's not in the best shape, but you can still read it. part I part II

this year, americans are faced with a similarly easy choice. and like 2000, there is a side-by-side comparison that should end all doubt. watch the video here or here. it will make your day while helping you make up your mind.

also, bush and kerry talk a little baseball here. via kyer.

Best Ad of The Campaign

For all those who love Reagan, there is a new ad that is by far the best one of the season.

Watch it here courtesy of Americans for Peace Through Strength.

all-encompassingly picks new apostle (golf clap welcome)

this summer, the church of jesus christ of latter day saints lost two beloved apostles. [link] many began speculating about who would be called to fill their shoes. one site had a poll [link].

i visited this site in the middle of august, over six weeks ago. however, i was disapppointed with the poll because the names it had to choose from did not include the one person i was sure would be selected to fill the vacancy in the council, david bednar. i'm not kidding. of course, he turned out to be one of the two men church leaders called to the position.

i even wrote an email to the guys hosting the poll to inform them of their oversight, but the poll remained as it was. the other new apostle, dieter uchtdorf, received 4% of the vote on this poll, placing him in a four-way tie for sixth. other popular choices (in the poll and in the comments to this article in times and seasons) included former BYU president merrill bateman, provost bruce hafen, seventy marlin jensen, and a number of european and latin american seventies.

over the more than 170 years since the lord called an uneducated farm boy to restore his church upon the earth, the calling of apostles has become more and more about qualifications...kind of like landing that job you've always wanted.

this guy lays down a pretty good analysis of the recent tendencies here. [link]

it is a shame that my email was never published by misfitmormon.com, because it appears that no one else on either of the aforementioned blogs picked him to get the job. i picked bednar because one day i was watching a re-broadcast of a BYU-I devotional on TV, and, i dunno, he just seemed like the obvious choice. two of the last four new apostles came from the BYU president's office, and bednar oversaw the change from ricks college to BYU-idaho, and can claim responsibility for what can only be called a tremendously successful transition.

the choice of dieter uchtdorf as the other apostle is also hunch-affirming, for a couple of reasons. first, the church is becoming more and more an international church--now with more members outside the US than within. it is only natural that this one of the new apostles would be of a nationality other than american. that he was not from latin america, however, is surprising, since this is where much of the church's growth has been concentrated over the last 30 years. instead, elder uchtdorf's appointment seems to affirm a theory of one of my (most boring) religion professors at BYU, victor ludlow. dr. ludlow theorizes often on the scattering and gathering of israel in his course on the writings of the prophet isaiah. indeed, it is one of the central themes in isaiah and the gospel of jesus christ. well, the huge growth of the church in latin america began with president spencer kimball, because he took a great interest in that people. and according to dr. ludlow, eastern europe is one of the great, unconverted areas of the globe, where some converts from the lost tribes could begin to be found. he suggests that president thomas monson, next in line to fill the presidency of the church, is the man to lead this work. ludlow notes president monson's love for these people, specifically his special work in east germany during the years of communist tyranny in that land. the calling of native german dieter uchtdorf as a special witness of christ appears to support dr. ludlow's theory of the role of prophets and apostles in the gathering of israel.

church press release, as well as other interesting, related links [here]

Marcelo Bielsa Resigns

The coach of the Argentine national soccer team resigned yesterday. In pure winning percentage he is tops in Argentina's history. Yet despite the Olympic gold medal a few weeks ago, he has been scorned by many Argentines since the collapse of the team in the 2002 World Cup.

Nonetheless, Bielsa is a class act, and a consumate professional. all-encompassingly wishes "El Loco" Bielsa all the best.

ode to summer

update: the web page has moved here. with the change, commenting has been fixed. the template is still in the early stages, but come and tell us what you think.

- - - - -

about a year ago, it hit me. i had to find one. i had to find one QUICK. all of my friends were moving on. 3 of my 5 original college roommates had gotten married. of the others, doug, had left for south america and matt had given himself to his true love in life, the united nations. my new roommates couldn't be trusted. i suspected one of using another's credit card to make a scandalous online purchase. two others reneged on their commitments (one moved home and one moved in with other friends) increasing our rent payments substantially. when i invited another to move in with me, he quickly asked to borrow my car, then wrecked it into our house and refused to pay for the damages. other roommates went to great lengths to avoid making conversation with me or each other. it got so bad that when one of my all-time favorite bands, bad religion, came to town, i had to go to the show alone.

i was at an all-time low.

i decided at some point, struggling through this time of abandonment, that i needed a "guaranteed friend". i needed someone who couldn't say, "uh, i have to go to south america", one who wouldn't eat an entire meal in the same room as me without saying a word, one whom i could trust completely.

i was officially on the lookout for the one.

there was a list of course. a short list. "bad religion fan" was a quality the one had to embody. the other items weren't quite as specific, perhaps, but just as necessary. i wanted to find someone exactly like me. and i did. (coming from someone as full of himself as i am, that is a tremendous compliment)

one night, i got a phone call from an old friend, starting the turn of events that eventually provided me with this one, guaranteed friend. the full story can be found here.

i have never met anyone like her. in the words of the bouncing souls, "no one seemed to notice how she was different but i did and i knew."

it should be like this for everyone....does everyone have this same kind of spiritual epiphany to tell them that they're getting to know their perfect match?

like that doll, my buddy (also born in the 1980s), summer is the friend i will take with me everywhere. i want to be with her forever.

'USA today' doesn't get ann coulter's DNC humor

i'll admit it: sometimes i have to reread a paragraph of ann coulter's column a couple of times. hers is certainly intellectual humor, and i may not get it the first time. i also have to do this when i'm studying the word of the lord in the scriptures--read it over again to understand the message.

does that tell you how much i revere ann coulter?

USA today asked her (a graduate of cornell university in political science, then michigan law school) and michael moore (college dropout) to write on the democratic national convention in boston this week. after the USA today editor, brian gallagher, didn't understand anything ann wrote, the paper had to fire her. human events, the organization for which ann works, has published her column along with the complaints from 'USA today'. [link] gallagher explained his policies:

[Michael] Moore will be held "to the same editing standards" as Coulter and other columnists who write for the newspaper's opinion page. [link]

in other words, they'll all be asked to be nicer to liberals? that seems to be the only problem with coulter's article to me--she was just so scathingly witty, like a stand-up comic who picks out the weaknesses of a subject and exploits them to get huge laughs. "maybe they thought they were getting catherine coulter," ann quipped. here's an excerpt from ann's DNC piece:

Looking at the line-up of speakers at the Convention, I have developed the 7-11 challenge: I will quit making fun of, for example, Dennis Kucinich, if he can prove he can run a 7-11 properly for 8 hours. We’ll even let him have an hour or so of preparation before we open up. Within 8 hours, the money will be gone, the store will be empty, and he’ll be explaining how three 11-year olds came in and asked for the money and he gave it to them.

USA Today's Gallagher: I DON'T GET IT. [link]

indeed. read the whole thing.

excellent bush quotations

"The other day here in Florida [Sen. Kerry] claimed some important endorsements from overseas," Mr. Bush told 15,000 cheering partisans. "He won't tell us the name of the foreign admirers."

"That's OK," he added. "Either way, I'm not too worried, because I'm going to keep my campaign right here in America." [source]

and this:

"Senator Kerry voted for the Patriot Act, for NAFTA, for the No Child Left Behind Act, and for the use of force in Iraq," the president said. "Now he opposes the Patriot Act, NAFTA, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the liberation of Iraq."

"My opponent clearly feels strongly about each of these issues," he added. "So strongly that one position is never just enough."

"Someone asked Senator Kerry why he voted against the $87 billion funding bill to help our troops in Iraq," Mr. Bush said. "Here's what he said: 'I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.'"

"That sure clears things up, doesn't it?" [source]

ouch. hilarious and true. john kerry was pretty funny with his "we have better hair" comment, though....yeah.

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:

Column 1
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett
Lyman Hall
George Walton

Column 2
North Carolina:
William Hooper
Joseph Hewes
John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge
Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Thomas Lynch, Jr.
Arthur Middleton

Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton

Column 4
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris
Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Franklin
John Morton
George Clymer
James Smith
George Taylor
James Wilson
George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney
George Read
Thomas McKean

Column 5
New York:
William Floyd
Philip Livingston
Francis Lewis
Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton
John Witherspoon
Francis Hopkinson
John Hart
Abraham Clark

Column 6
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett
William Whipple
Massachusetts:
Samuel Adams
John Adams
Robert Treat Paine
Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins
William Ellery
Connecticut: Roger Sherman
Samuel Huntington
William Williams
Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
Matthew Thornton

[link]

blind, sniping hatred of reagan

you'd expect it at the democratic underground forum. you'd expect it on howard dean's blog. but not here. not at VH1. i have been enjoying VH1's "the best week ever blog". but i seem to disagree with most of the other people who frequent it. there is a movement afoot to have reagan's image grace the $10 bill. the VH1 blogger merely mentioned this, and the anti-reagan venom began to spew itself freely from idiots everywhere! see here: [link]

some samples:

what is it about death that makes us rave about how wonderful the person was? "hitler died? what a shame. always had a smile, that guy. he was nice to his dog. sure, he was a mass murderer, but everyone's got their faults." [link]

what bill will they put him on? because i'll have to find a way to stop using that one. actually, the only way i'd like to see him on currency is if he's wearing rouge, and that little red dress nancy's famous for. [link]

and can you think of a reason to hate nancy? these people can! maybe the 'say no to drugs' campaign hurt their feelings:

His wife already looks like like her head should flip backwards and Pez should shoot out. How much more recognizable do they want him to be? [email]

He was president when the government decided to count ketsup as a vegetable in poor kids' lunches. Reagan opposed civil rights. But his pic on the $10,000 bill would be fitting... by the rich, of the rich, for the rich. F**k REAGAN! [email]

this is a nice tangent from Abu Graib. At least Bush has a few days to think about how to save his ass. [link]

that last one is unbelievable. i can't wait to hear the liberal conspiracy theorists: "reagan's been dead for years. the bush administration has been waiting to release the news until just now. lemme see inside that casket!" these people are incomprehensible. and this last comment:

the higher ups in this country are treating the whole situation like he was JESUS CHRIST!!! He wasn't that great a president seeing as he gave NO MONEY to help AIDS victims until a RICH white woman contracted the disease (f**k the gays, eh Ronnie?). I do NOT think he should be on any currency - unless maybe a 3 1/2 dollar bill because that's how messed up he and his values as president were. [email]

the comment appeared three times, and the spewer felt she should apologize for that:

sorry for the multiple posts. Damn IT department!

of course, we all know it's her fault, not the IT department's. just press "post" once, duh.

but why not blame it on the IT department?!! i mean, if one can pass on the blame for contracting a hard-to-get disease like AIDS to someone else, then looking incompetent on a message board can't possibly be one's own fault either. cripes, we're all victims! victims of evil, fascist republicans! the information technology department at btlaw.com must be a bunch of conservative christians! damn them!

all of this crap spurred me on to comment:

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you should apologize for your stupidity, too, jennifer. this whole thread is an embarrassment.

you people sound a lot like those berkeley kids who stormed reagan's office when he was california governor and called him "out of touch" with their needs because he grew up in the olden days and didn't have all the modern conveniences (of instant communication and air travel and whatnot) that they had. reagan thought and said, "well, you're right. my generation didn't have those things. we had to invent them for you."

i am embarrassed to be from this whiny, ungrateful VH1 generation.

reagan outmuscled and defeated communism when liberal ivy league economists were hailing its strength and endurance--and superiority to democracy.

reagan didn't ignore AIDS. he didn't "cause" it. he didn't even "allow" it to become an epidemic. by the time he left office in 1988, the federal government had spent over 6 billion fighting AIDS. that doesn't include spending in the private sector.

why do we all assume that if somebody's a republican, he's pandering to the rich? reagan inherited an economy that was reeling from mismanagement. he inherited double digit interest rates and an eight or nine percent unemployment rate. after all those disasterous presidencies of the 1970s, people were starting to ask whether america was as great as it used to be. there was talk of a "national malaise". many questioned whether the presidency was too big a job for one man.

ronald reagan restored dignity to the office, restored our pride in america, defeated communism (which was as big a threat to us then as terrorism is today), and made america better for every american.

maybe putting him on the $10 bill would encourage you ingrates to get your reagan history straight. i say go for it.

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anyway, go there and read the thread, if you can stand it. maybe a few people will manage to tear themselves away from the E channel or their TiVo'd american idol episodes to respond.

for the inspiring history of ronald wilson reagan, one of our nation's greatest presidents, see any or all of the following:

peggy noonan's when character was king

john harmer's reagan: man of principle

ann coulter's treason

or try ann's column from this week. here's an excerpt. ann highlights reagan's grasp of liberal's politically nuanced peace movement:

In the throes of the Cold War -- still hot in Vietnam -- Reagan forthrightly said liberals refused to acknowledge that the choice was not between "peace and war, only between fight and surrender." In words that would have come in pretty handy in Spain just a few months ago, he said liberals tell us "if we only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he will forget his evil ways and learn to love us." All who disagree with the "peace" crowd, he said, "are indicted as warmongers." To this, Reagan said: "Let's set the record straight. There is no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace -- and you can have it in the next second -- surrender." [link]

Great Video Memorializing Reagan

Check out www.georgewbush.com and watch the "Reagan Tribute Video" that covers some of Reagan's memorable speeches.

Langston Hughes, Part II

I was going to originally comment on Travis' post, but given the length of my comments, felt it more appropriate to post something myself...

Let's just say I see Langston Hughes in a different light. He was one of the few bright spots in middle school English class for me.

So...while I believe that he was misguided on public policy and politics, it is hard to deny that he was an incredible poet.

That said, DANEgerus strikes me as incredibly ignorant:

1) For having a bogus quote of George Orwell in the quote rotation on the masthead of his/her web site.

and 2) For taking the "Goodbye, Christ" poem out of context.

The poem was a commentary on the corrupt state of much of Christianity (especially true in the early 20th century): promoting racism, using Christ as a means to get money, etc. Try these lines of the poem on for size:

Listen, Christ,
You did alright in your day, I reckon—
But that day's gone now.
They ghosted you up a swell story, too,
Called it Bible--
But it's dead now.
The popes and the preachers’ve
Made too much money from it.
They've sold you to too many.

While the tone is a bit harsh for my liking, his point is valid. Popes and preachers throughout history have used Christianity (and religion in general) simply as a way to make money and oppress others. Considering my own religious beliefs, and as a student of history, I would have to agree that much of what the Bible teaches was quite literally "dead" in early 20th century America.

Unfortunately, Hughes failed to realize that communism was hardly a solution for inequality and greed.

google to go public

[article]

ha! you fools, nobody wants in on your stupid company!

/sarcasm

True American Hero

As most have heard, Pat Tillman was killed while serving our country in Afghanistan.

Tillman, an American hero
"Pat Tillman, 27, enlisted in the Army shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, walking away from a 3-year, $3.6 million contract extension with the Arizona Cardinals."

Remembering Pat Tillman
Among those who have commented on Tillman's death (see link):
Arizona senator John McCain

"I am heartbroken today by the news of Pat Tillman's death. The tragic loss of this extraordinary young man will seem a heavy blow to our nation's morale, as it is surely a grievous injury to his loved ones. Many American families have suffered the same terrible sacrifice that Pat's family must now bear, and the patriotism that their loved ones' exemplified is as fine and compelling as Pat's. But there is in Pat Tillman's example, in his unexpected choice of duty to his country over the riches and other comforts of celebrity, and in his humility, such an inspiration to all of us to reclaim the essential public-spiritedness of Americans that many of us, in low moments, had worried was no longer our common distinguishing trait.

"When Pat made his choice to leave the NFL and became an Army Ranger, he declined requests for interviews because he viewed his decision as no more patriotic than that of his less-fortunate, less-renowned countrymen who loved our country enough to volunteer to defend her in a time of peril. It is that first lesson of patriotism that we should reaffirm in our own lives as we celebrate the courageous life and mourn the heroic death of this most honorable American."

phil mickelson

1 for 43 never felt so good.

who is george w bush?

bush the cowboy

bush and BTO

bush can boogie

UPDATE: an irreverent description of the bush-cheney campaign in terms of traditional moral standards is here: [link]

Happy 25th!

Just want to wish my folks a Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary!

Ripley's Believe It or Not

The story on CNN this morning caught my attention:

Swimmer drives with shark on leg

But he said Tresoglavic (the swimmer) remained in good spirits throughout the ordeal. "There was a side of humor to it," he said.

christmas

certus veritas gives us the "four stages of santa claus:"

Stage 1: You believe in Santa Claus.
Stage 2: You have questions about Santa Claus.
Stage 3: You are Santa Claus.
Stage 4: You look like Santa Claus.

heh. merry christmas, everybody. i'm declaring a temporary truce with all political rivals 'til...oh say, friday so they can enjoy the spirit of the season without having to worry about how they're wrong.

remember, christmas may seem like a silly traditional cultural thing, especially when every washed-up recording artist is re-doing an already redone song that lauds the virtues of one-horse open sleighs, roasted chestnuts, wassailing, and a bunch of other crap nobody really does anymore.

people will celebrate christmas however they want, but that doesn't diminish it at all, in my mind. christ's life and his sacrifice are the most selfless, most exigent gifts ever given in the history of this world. he has miraculously thrown open a door that we could never have entered otherwise.

[some prophecy]
[some more]
[the first christmas]

so, hallelluja. let us remember to be grateful for the greatest gift.

BJ clinton versus GW bush

we got this comment the other day to our "miserable failure" post. while i sympathize with this person's situation, i believe some misconceptions taint the argument:

Sigh...

Call Clinton a miserable failure all you want, but my family moved up over his eight years, despite our struggling financial situation.

Now that Bush's changes are starting to take effect, we have to consider moving into a small trailer. We go without heat to save money.

Tell that to people in our situation. I'm not presenting vague political figures. My life is case in point. The president can engage in whatever affairs he wants, that's between him and his family, so long as MY family can keep dinner on the table. No, Bush didn't have extra-marital relationships (that we know of), but he's certainly not doing a good job at keeping families like mine living in the American condition (that of hard work bringing prosperity).

hey, i'm sorry about your situation.

but before we go calling clinton "accomplished" (look what he did for the sexual liberation of women!) let's look at the data. [link] via CS&W

bush inherited a shrinking economy from william jefferson (BJ for short) clinton. and now he's created the biggest economic boom since reagan.

The U.S. economy shrank in the third quarter of 2000, the government said on Wednesday, with figures showing that America was on the brink of recession months earlier than previously thought.

Instead of inching ahead at the first reported 0.6 percent annual rate in that quarter, GDP shrank 0.5 percent, Commerce said.

President Bush and his economic team have long insisted he inherited a recession from the former Clinton administration, and the White House may seize on these new numbers to back that claim.

and bush's economy?

third-quarter 2003 data shows the most recent measure of growth a swift annual clip of 8.2 percent.

snap! maybe if clinton woulda payed a little more attention to the economy and growing threats from islamofacism, and a little less attention to whether monica, et al were hitting his g-spot, you wouldn't have to go without heat right now. bill clinton is your miserable failure, dear. reelect bush in 2004 if you want to see things continue to get better.

george bush believes in god, and thus moral rights and wrongs. not like clinton, who is so confused about right and wrong he is willing to question the meaning of "is" if it'll get him out of a jam.

our president, their president. pictures in this post come from GOPfun.com

thanksgiving day proclamation

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 — Following is the text of President Bush's Thanksgiving Day proclamation:

Thanksgiving 2003

Almost 400 years ago, after surviving their first winter at Plymouth, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to give thanks. George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, and Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War. Since that time, our citizens have paused to express thanks for the bounty of blessings we enjoy and to spend time with family and friends. In want or in plenty, in times of challenge or times of calm, we always have reasons to be thankful.

America is a land of abundance, prosperity and hope. We must never take for granted the things that make our country great: a firm foundation of freedom, justice and equality; a belief in democracy and the rule of law; and our fundamental rights to gather, speak and worship freely.

These liberties do not come without cost. Throughout history, many have sacrificed to preserve our freedoms and to defend peace around the world.

Today, the brave men and women of our military continue this noble tradition.

These heroes and their loved ones have the gratitude of our nation.

On this day, we also remember those less fortunate among us. They are our neighbors and our fellow citizens, and we are committed to reaching out to them and to all of those in need in our communities.

This Thanksgiving, we again give thanks for all of our blessings and for the freedoms we enjoy every day. Our founders thanked the Almighty and humbly sought his wisdom and blessing. May we always live by that same trust, and may God continue to watch over and bless the United States of America.

Now, therefore, I, George W. Bush, president of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, Nov. 27, 2003, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage Americans to gather in their homes, places of worship and community centers to share the spirit of understanding and prayer and to reinforce ties of family and community.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

say thanks

the proud american girl pointed me in the direction of this project.

WND is sponsoring the opportunity for anyone and everyone to add their piece to a book they are publishing tentatively named "We Support You! Love, America" which will be delivered to military men and women overseas for Christmas. What better way to show your support than putting your own words into a book that thousands of our troops will receive and read?

You can do anything - poem, story, prayer, inspirational piece, or just words of appreciation - and WND will print it in their book where your name will be displayed in the acknowledgements section.

i've submitted something along the lines of this post, perhaps my participation here redeems me for not taking part in the 13th annual 'make a difference day'? since i ain't no poet, i just sent my thoughts. go here to submit your own.

ironic afterthought: if you are not thankful for america's military men and women, that's all well and good; but you should still thank them for ensuring you the right to be an ungrateful cretin.

remember, that's a relatively rare privilege you have.

American Flags are to Liberals as Rays of Sunlight are to Vampires

I liked the Angry Clam's take on a recent happening in Central Florida. He notes,

Some people at the University of Central Florida hate the fact that there are symbols of the country that they live in in their classrooms. So, like any good leftist, they went on a binge of property destruction and vandalism.

The Clam quotes the supremely logical response of one professor to the incident:

Professor John Cannon was angered to learn the flag in Room 405 of the Math and Physics Building, where he teaches his Calculus III class, had been torn from its staff.

"The person that did it ought to be punished. If he's a U.S. citizen, then we should prosecute the sucker for defacing the American flag. If he's a foreign student that's a guest in our country, then we should ship him right back to where he came from and we should say, 'Since you hate our guts, go join your foreign policy or your war department, and we'll kill your ass.'" [source]

That's the Clam's portion. Then there's this comment, of which I approve, but which might offend you if you have a problem with America or sympathize with those who do.

Since 9/11, I have discovered that the American Flag is a mighty talisman, able to strike mortal fear in the hearts of liberals.

If you want to ward off liberals, progressives, greens, and socialists of every stripe, driving them back like hissing vampire hordes from an upraised crucifix, just display the Stars and Stripes!

The innate fear and loathing liberals have for the red, white, and blue, has become legendary since 9/11. The slightest display of patriotism sets their knees a-knockin'! One glimpse of Old Glory has their black capes draped over their heads as--sputtering and cursing--they stumble back toward their sarcophagi.

Even a modest lapel-pin flag is enough to keep all manner of liberal canine teeth at bay. If all else fails, simply place your right hand over your heart, and repeat those magic words, "I pledge allegiance ... TO THE FLAG!" This will send even the most powerful liberal shrieking from your presence as blood-flecked spittle runs from their mouth.

Now the secret is out, and we can drive those marauding arch-liberals from our presence like so many vampires from the dawning sun.

notice, from the picture, the flags were not simply removed. they were desecrated to send a hateful message.

...which brings up another point of leftist hypocrisy: bullying homosexuals is a hate crime, but bullying patriots is just HARMLESS bullying (and if you provide the flag and the lighter fluid yourself, its not even bullying AT ALL! then its "free speech").

if the left wants to be fair, it could start calling flag-burning a hate crime. but why not drop the silly distinction altogether and simply call crimes "crimes?" while we may accurately say, "American flags are to liberals as sunlight is to vampires," we, unfortunately cannot say, "Crimes against normal Americans are prosecuted as strongly as are crimes against a few special interest groups worshipped by the left."
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This post also appears at midwestpundits.com

$500K raised for firefighters

I invite you to read this story on NHL.com. [link]

Comedian, Dennis Leary, and Bruin legends, Bobby Orr and Cam Neely, helped organize a charity game for retired NHL greats and celebrities to raise money for firefighters. They hatched the idea after Leary's cousin, Jeremiah Lucey, and five other Worcester, Massachusetts firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty in December 1999. To date, the event has helped raise over $1.3 million for the Worcester Fire Department.

The event was pleasantly devoid of politics. Well, except for presidential candidate John Kerry scuttling around, whispering to everyone he's a vietnam veteran.

The game was a shootout; the final score: 18-10. There was a lot of joking, and not just about John Kerry looking French or Tim Robbins having political views. Everyone had fun on the ice.

"[Michael J.] Fox scored a goal," Leary said. "But his big thrill came in the pre-game warm-up when he passed to Guy LaFleur from the corner. He said, 'Hey Denis, I don't have my glasses, did I just send a pass to Guy Lafleur?'

It was a little faster than most of these charity games, and a lot of dipsey-doodle.

I come off after a shift and I can barely breathe and Gordie Howe starts telling me a story about a fight he was in 30 years ago. I said to myself, 'This is great, fantastic.'"

Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, served as coach for Leary's team. Fans admitted their only disappointment of the evening was that, with Howe behind the bench, the knave, Robbins, escaped being felled by one of Gordie's famous elbows.

[this post can also be read at midwestpundits.com, courtesy of a new affiliation i have with that blog]

herb brooks

"At all levels of the game, including college hockey, Olympic hockey and the National Hockey League, Herb Brooks was a consummate teacher, an unparalleled motivator and an unquestioned innovator." --gary bettman

[off wing opinion on brooks]

[reaction]

[miracle on ice]

bob hope

for those of us of the younger generation, it is a sad thing to learn of a public figure's death and only then be introduced to the greatness of his or her life. such is the case for me in bob hope's passing. i watched a touching piece about him tonight on A&E biography. i was impressed with the gratitude he had for america's servicemen and women, a reverence that lasted his whole life long. it seems there was nothing he wouldn't do for them, and by association, nothing he wouldn't do for america. though he is worthy of praise for many things, i find particularly praiseworthy his active patriotism, his support of charitable causes, and his superhuman ability to find humor in life.

thank you, bob. i wish i had gotten to know you sooner.

some of bob hope's achievements are detailed at bobhope.com. he was awarded the congressional medal of honor. he was named an honorary veteran by an act of congress. the navy named a ship after him, and the air force, a plane.

i was moved while watching old footage of his interaction with US troops in vietnam, korea, and the middle east on A&E. i saw one clip of hope visiting with a few soldiers after a performance, where he said, genuinely "we want you to know how grateful we are for what you are doing here." he was sincere as an ambassador of good will to those homesick young people. when his wife, delores, found out that a soldier serving in kuwait lived just a few minutes from the hope's florida home, she told him "come by and visit us when we're all back home." that may not sound like much, but such kind words, lovingly spoken to a homesick soul, can really lift his spirits.

here is a small taste of bob's sense of humor:

It is doubtful that anyone in the annals of show business ever made a more endearing hit than Hope did the moment he stepped before American servicemen sick for home and quipped, "Hi, fellow tourists." --bobhope.com

"rest assured, the country's behind you 50%!" [to troops in vietnam] --from A&E biography footage.

"i've got sand in places i didn't even know i had places!" [to troops in the gulf] --from A&E biography footage.

Hope's daughter, Linda, said his impending death gave rise to one of his last jokes. When asked by his wife where he wanted to be buried, Hope answered, "Surprise me." --voanews.com

bob risked his life to make those visits (and he traveled to the gulf when he was 87!), but his devotion was not overlooked by the beneficiaries of his service. this comment, from a reader of another weblog is evidence of that:

This man entertained me and my buddies at a very dangerous location back in Nam. I never thought he and his cast would show up. We had to keep our weapons with us during the show. I loved this man as I would a father.

from what i've learned about bob hope in the last few hours, he deserves every honor he ever received. in addition to those, and in his honor, all-encompassingly will inaugurate a new category today. it will be called "people we wish we could be like" or "people we admire" or something like that....as soon as we figure out how to say it while staying true to english grammar rules.

John Steinbeck said of Hope, " This man drives himself and is driven. It is impossible to see how he can do so much, can cover so much ground, can work so hard and be so effective. There's a man. There is really a man."

dennis miller: a pragmatist, and funny

i've always thought that dennis miller is funny, but recently as i've heard his comedic rants in defense of america, i've come to think even more highly of him. he can make a logical argument and be funny about it. he's one of a few in hollywood who has what the rest of america takes for granted: common sense.

here ESPN's dan patrick interviews miller. its funny. here's a tidbit, DM on parenting:

The danger to me seems like when your kids are spending 12 hours a day building pipe bombs in the garage and you never come down the Bat pole and say, "What's up?" You know...you've got to be there. So when they say, "Let's make pipe bombs now, dad," you go, "No, we're not going to make any pipe bombs."

and on the dumbest sport:

dan patrick: dumbest sport?
dennis miller: Curling. It's like Shirley Booth on methamphetamines. It must be a really sad day in a Canadian boy's life when they say, "You know that great, glamorous sport (hockey) that our whole culture evokes? You can't do it. The same ice that they play that exciting, sexy game on, you've got to sweep it."

"Do I get to wear a uniform?"

"Nah, kid, just sweats."

there is another interview, more serious, perhaps, in the most recent weekly standard (hat-tip to croooow blog). here are my favorite tidbits:

on political parties: "I don't think of myself as a classic conservative," says Miller. "I think of myself as a pragmatist. And these days, pragmatism falls into the conservative camp. We have to depend on ourselves in this country right now because we can't depend on anyone else. We are simultaneously the most loved, hated, feared, and respected nation on this planet. In short, we're Frank Sinatra. And Sinatra didn't become Sinatra playing down for punks outside the Fontainebleau [Hotel]."

on john ashcroft and civil liberties: "With John Ashcroft, the main civil liberty I'm looking to protect is the 'me not getting blown up' one. I don't know if it's written down anywhere in Tom Paine's crib sheets, but that's my big one."

on intervention in liberia: "I think we have to send a few mall cops over, quite frankly. Who's the man in charge over there, Chuck Taylor? Didn't he invent Converse All-Stars? It can't be