It Must Be That Time of the Year

The Christmas tree is up (albeit the smaller one) and the presents are spread underneath. Elvis is crooning "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and the wife just brought me an eggnog with some of Mr. Daniels' best. The Christmas season usually starts early at the Ray household but we're still a week ahead of schedule. The tree and decorations traditionally come out the day after Thanksgiving but her nephew is in town with his young son and they won't be back for Christmas so we're celebrating early with the only child in the family.

I've been working late since the purchase by Knology so we missed the family gathering at one of the local greasy spoons. My in-laws love the local cuisine but we usually pass on it anyhow. My wife's cousin from Texas is also here for a brief time. I'm not sure if his significant other is with him this time but they seem like a fun pair. Hopefully, we'll have enough energy to socialize before everyone heads home.

Back to being a Webmaster

Well, I guess I'm back in the internet business. Please don't tell the IRS. I'm not sure if I've lost my mind or not but economics dictate that I bring in some additional income so I've hung out my shingle once again.

My problem with website construction has always been maintenance. I prefer to build 'em and forget 'em. My inspiration to return to the profession was a site built on Wordpress that really looked nothing like a blog and provided an intuitive interface for the customer to update their own site! Really cool stuff. A little research and some talk with my friend Mark Walter and the idea to build cheap websites based on the software evolved.

A quick post on YB generated some interest and Jeff Chandler volunteered to be my first customer in this arena. I took a commonly available theme and modified it to suit Jeff's needs and CRC2.net was born. It only took Jeff a few days to be updating like a pro!

I also attracted quite a few customers wanting updates on their current sites. I'm winding down updates on Uratchko Racing Engines and will soon begin updating several others. Some customers are simply wanting custom banners for their bulletin boards. No problem there.

On Call Until Thanksgiving

Knology's purchase of PCL Cable in Athens, AL was officially completed around noon last Monday and the office has been full of new faces ever since. The changes being instituted will be improvements in many ways but some of our customers are afraid of the "big boys" from out of town. They have experienced the competition in the area so their fears aren't completely unfounded. We've attempted to convince them that Knology is a different breed and most walk away satisfied.

Unfortunately, until our system is assimilated and their call center in Augusta, GA can take over, Marrazzo and I will be splitting on-call status. I'm carrying the burden until Thanksgiving and it has been a busy day. The Lead Tech's job is now open but our field techs will be very busy until the job is filled. I think we're going to need some assistance from the Huntsville office to fill the void.

Meanwhile, the anxiousness about the future of our jobs continues. I'm still not convinced that there will be a need for very many of our current staff when the Athens office becomes a hubsite. I'm still on the search for a new job. I've had a few interviews with one looking somewhat hopeful but no call back yet, a handful of rejections, and one letter thanking me for contributing my resume to their contract bid. Ain't that dandy!?!

Words of Wisdom for November 22

A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death.

- John F. Kennedy
Remarks Recorded for the Opening of a USIA Transmitter at Greenville, North Carolina.
February 8, 1963

Cartoon of the Day Deux

I'm being bipartisan today. Courtesy of Slate.

Cartoon of the Day

Courtesy of Slate.

It's official. Knology purchases PCL Cable.

The staff at the Decatur Daily can use Google! Wow. They reported earlier this week that Knology has indeed purchased PCL Cable for whom I worked until 5:00 pm Friday afternoon. I am now a Systems Analyst for Knology contingent upon passing a background check, drug test, etc. We're still really in the dark about the forthcoming changes. All the current employees were offered positions with the company but the lead Field Tech opted out to explore other avenues and I believe the part-time bookkeeper is entertaining other options as well. Both the general manager and his son, who are two of the partners in the company, will be returning for short stints as consultants to ease the transition.

Of course, everyone is nervous about their future. When the cable plant is assimilated into the Knology network, I really don't see any need for the current employees in Athens or Decatur. Knology's helpdesk is based in Augusta, GA, technical personnel in West Point, GA, and everything else in Huntsville, AL. I can only picture the Athens headend as a hub site and perhaps some of the employees being offered positions in other locations. Currently, the franchises for both Athens and Decatur require an office but how many employees would be needed? Certainly, not the current staff despite the small number. The transition will be interesting. From a technical standpoint, I'm very curious to see Knology's network and how it's managed.

Here Comes the Sun

The morning sun is streaming through an eastern facing window, one of only two that catch any sun in the winter. It makes for a chilly home during the cooler months but it's a little hard to turn the house now. It's amazing how much sunlight will bounce off an opposing wall to obscure my view of the laptop and give me a perfect reflection of my visage complete with second chin that I desperately need to lose.

The Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" is streaming across the network and the world is a beautiful place. The weather prognosticator put the high for today at 77 degrees. Rather nice for November 8th. The wife and I quietly celebrated our 21st anniversary on Thursday with take-out Chinese and a cake from Costco Publix. Unfortunately, there was no Guy Fawkes Day antics. "Remember, remember the fifth of November" will forever be etched in my brain since watching "V for Vendetta" and is a cool reminder of my anniversary. I really need one of those masks!

Apparently, the reporter from the Athens New Courier isn't familiar with Google judging from this article. I wish the world could use Google. I'm sure that it would lessen tech questions aimed my way. Anyhow, an older lady carrying a pen and notepad strolled across the parking lot from the Courier late Friday afternoon. Marrazzo and I were standing on the front stoop contemplating life and the implications of the buyout which was announced by Knology on Friday morning and was quickly being posted on every financial website in cyberspace. The reporter drilled pretty hard even commenting that she would be fired if she returned without a story. I asked her if she had checked Knology's website but, apparently, that was no help for her. If you're wondering, I'm the unidentified source that knew nothing in the article.

Enough rambling. More to follow. It looks like a rambling day.

Cartoon of the Day

Courtesy of Slate

What Constitutes Success

He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction.

- Bessie Stanley, 1905

The Pumpkin War - 2009 Edition

Once again, my wife and I have taken up our carving knives and sacrificed some fine produce to drive away the evil spirits that have crossed over to our world on this All Hallows Eve. I went with the "Siamese Twin" Jack 'O Lantern theme as demonstrated by the piece of art on the left. The little woman graced her pumpkin with an almost Homer Simpson style "doh" expression in my opinion. Once again, a great time was had by all!

Cool Quotes

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

- Walt Disney

Ten Greatest Movies of All Time

I think I've been working on this post for three years now and just can't make up my mind on the proper order and I just couldn't cut it down to ten movies either so we'll just dispense with those requirements and present twenty of my favorite movies in chronological order. I think anyone viewing this list will can guess my age and apparently 1994 and 1999 were particularly good years. Please leave comments! I would be very interested to hear your opinion.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Star Wars (1977)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Legends of the Fall (1994)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Independence Day (1996)
Good Will Hunting (1997)
American History X (1998)
The Green Mile (1999)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Matrix (1999)
High Fidelity (2000)
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Incredibles (2004)
The Prestige (2006)
No Country For Old Men (2007)

NMCA Finals at Memphis This Weekend!

Ted Pelech sent news by courier pigeon that the Camaro once again had rubber on the ground and extended a enthusiastic invitation to attend the NMCA Finals this coming weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, TN. Again, that urge hit me! Unfortunately, I've got work to do and won't be able to attend the festivities.

The family business comes first. I would really like to see Ted and Tim again. It's been a long time and I really enjoy working with these guys. They're still working the bugs out of their new combination but testing has proven encouraging. Per usual with Tim's obsessive compulsive tendencies, the car is an absolute work of art that must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. As soon as Ted releases the info, I'll post a full update on the Pelech Bros Racing website.

Rock Your Paws

Either the weight of the world is perched upon the top of my head, an atmospheric front is causing an outrageous amount of sinus pressure, or I've simply got a cold or maybe a combination? I feel like the current weather forecast. Very cloudy, chance of showers and 57 degrees. Rain or shine, the Greater Huntsville Humane Society's Rock Your Paws fundraiser was scheduled to be held at Big Springs Park today so we loaded up the car and our chosen canine representative, Pepe Escobar Ray, and headed to Huntsville.

I'm sure that the weather discouraged many from attending but it was still a good show, albeit a bit muddy in the park. We checked out all the vendors and, of course, Cassie had to find something to purchase for the chihuahuas and then we did the dog walk. Huntsville's finest had blocked off the street behind the park for the show and led the group around the mile long stroll through downtown Huntsville. It was actually very interesting with homes dating back to the early 1800's along the route. Pepe had a good walk with at least 100 new furry friends. We had originally planned to stay for the costume contest but headed home after the walk. Pepe will have to save his Victoria's Secret angel wings for Halloween.

Great New Fall Themed Wallpaper

See them all at LifeHacker.

Brainerd Optimist Dragway Hydro Racing?

Brainerd Optimist Dragway in Ringgold, GA was apparently under water after the great southeastern rainy season of 2009. This track was one of my favorites when Outlaw 10.5 was the talk of the town. Steve Longley and his family and Karen Eason are great people and I enjoyed my time there. I wonder if Steve still has the green Chevelle? I don't think this is the first time that the track has been submerged and I remember at least one car that went into the river at the end of the track. The place has a lot of history.

United Outlaw Who?

The United Outlaw Racing Series made what I believe was the association's first appearance at Huntsville Dragway a few weeks ago. I didn't hear about it until the day before while needlessly torturing myself visiting the Yellow Bullet bulletin board. Why do I visit said forum if it's torture? More on that later. I had a sudden urge to go to this race but it quickly passed. Probably at Top Fuel speed but at least Pro Stock. I haven't actually been to an event at Huntsville Dragway since 2006 when I saw the ADRL, pre-packed stands, free ticket madness. It was well over 95 degrees that July day and I was soaking wet with sweat almost instantly. Sweat and alcohol doesn't mix very well in the eyes. That's alcohol from blown Pro Mods if you're confused, not Jack Daniels, but that probably wouldn't mix well in the eyes either. I had written the ADRL and procurred press credentials but only shot the action for about an hour and headed home. That was probably the beginning of the end... again.

I just can't seem to get excited about drag racing anymore even though it was such a large part of my life for a long time. Pro Mod was becoming a tour de force when I became enthralled with straight line acceleration and I migrated towards fastest street car action when the Outlaw Pro Mod circuit basically imploded over the blower versus nitrous controversy. The same happened locally in Outlaw 10.5 action but the racing went national and grew for many years. Unfortunately, everyone jumped into the arena and the market became ridiculously oversaturated with every track starting its own program and more and more sanctioning bodies clawing for a piece of the action. Too few cars, way too many options, and far too many conflicting rules started the decline and the sinking economy dug the grave for a lot of competitors and racing programs. Few spectators, less cars, and a lack of sponsors does not a successful racing series make.

I still love to hear people tell me how my site HeadsUpReview was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I do still have somewhat of an ego and I'm really astounded when someone tells me that it was my photography that inspired them to pick up a camera and aim it at a quickly accelerating vehicle headed straight for them. It's a strange feeling. I do miss being known by the staff at every track within 200 miles and given carte blanche access to the facility. I could and probably should write a book (at least an article) about why I think the NSCA didn't make it. I was villianized greatly during that era and I'll even take credit for some of the more outrageous conspiracies just to keep my infamous status. When I shuttered HeadsUpReview, I suffered greatly from email withdrawl. After receiving 300+ messages per day, it was a little disheartening to only find a few in the inbox. Do I miss it? Not much these days. I enjoyed the racing, the technology, and (for the most part) the people. I made some great friends, ones that I'll have for the rest of my life. Those people I miss greatly. 

So why is Yellow Bullet so torturous? I can still appreciate the technology and the more visceral aspects of the sport but I fell out of touch years ago with the direction of the sport and the new players. I visit for that very small dose of drag racing that I crave but just can't obtain without an overwhelming dose of ignorance and venom that I would just rather avoid. My life is different now. I avoid stress and can't bring myself to rant editorially about something so meaningless in the greater scheme of life as drag racing like I once did. Although my life is still in utter chaos for various reasons, I have positioned myself in the eye of the storm. The breeze is soft and it's quiet. I prefer it this way.

Cartoon of the Day

Courtesy of Slate.

It's Just a Ride

I'm sitting here listening to Jem's "It's Just a Ride" after catching up with the morning paperwork shuffle but I'm positive that the lull will be short lived. Multitasking is the name of the game when you have work orders being shoved at you from three different directions while attempting to provision accounts and listening to some distraught elderly lady complain because her closest fifty friends didn't receive the junk mail she sent. You know... that same email that has been forwarded around the net for at least the last decade.

I've talked to more old work colleagues in the last few days than in the last three years. My former employer, Telos/TFE/Diebold-ISS, laid off half the staff again which puts the head count over there at less than ten by my estimation. It's really a shame. That was once a very lucrative contract and a great place to work for the most part. One poor fellow not only lost his job but also his wife in the same month. I already suspected the worst a few weeks ago when his wife ordered cable, phone, and internet at another address. I hear all of the local gossip made possible by employment with a small local cable company in a small town. You can easily get your fill hanging around the CSR's who know everyone in the town and all the latest news. The Sys Admin and myself are happy that we're not indigenous to this particular area otherwise we may be told something that we don't even know about ourselves... yet.

Although it's not common knowledge, the company that I work for is being sold. It's no secret since I've heard it around town and even from the friend getting divorced but no one is talking about it. Like I mentioned before, it's a small town. Unfortunately, I'm also looking at the ranks of the unemployed since I can't envision anything but an equipment room in the future for this locale. The interested party's largest market is in Huntsville but they really don't have any technical people there, just installers. Their technical department is based in Georgia and I'm just not interested in moving to Georgia even if an offer is extended. Such is life. So the job hunt is on!

I spent last Saturday working on my resume. Oddly enough, I've never really had a resume. I've pretty much stumbled into every job that I've had by networking. My networking (ironic) instructor from ASU referred me to this job. I brought a resume to my interview but it wasn't much. I've really only held three jobs in the 22 years since I left the farm. I hope that my new resume manages to impress someone in HR somewhere. We'll see.

Ah. The Beatles "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is next on the play list. I'm hoping that "With a Little Help from My Friends" becomes appropriate soon!

Cartoon of the Day

Visit Slate for more great cartoons.

Sen. Graham Calls Beck 'A Cynic' And Birthers 'Crazy'

I can't count the number of times that I've been deeply embarassed by southern politicians. Anyone from the deep south is already stereotyped as a barefoot redneck hick and some of our fine representatives in government just reinforce that supposition so I was very pleased that Senator Lindsey Graham spoke out today. Graham is a Republican from South Carolina and I hope that he hasn't endangered his position in the GOP with these words of reason.

"Only in America can you make that much money crying," Graham said of Beck. "Glenn Beck is not aligned with any party. He is aligned with cynicism and there has always been a market for cynics. But we became a great nation not because we are a nation of cynics. We became a great nation because we are a nation of believers."

He even called the birthers "crazy" and dispelled the myth that President Obama is a closet Muslim! Watch the video! If more of the GOP would denounce the lunacy that is tearing our nation apart then we might actually accomplish something great in this country.



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/01/sen-graham-calls-beck-a-c_n_306434.html?igoogle=1

Jon Stewart Schools Sean Hannity About History

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

Generals: Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney are scaremongering

Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney scaremongering? Perish the thought! Yes, I'm being sarcastic. The two wingnuts are exaggerating the dangers of bringing the prisoners from Gitmo to federal facilities here in the state. It's amazing that some of these protesters actually consider "terrorists" any more dangerous than the people already incarcerated in maximum security federal penitentiaries. They may want to check out the records of some of the current inmates. It's good to see these retired Generals speaking out.

“Some of the fear issues that are being raised in this are really unfortunate. It gets people excited about things they shouldn’t be excited about and impedes doing what is critical to this country. Get that damn symbol off the table,” said retired Gen. David Maddox, a former Army commander-in-chief for Europe. “We take a setback every time somebody, whether it’s the vice president or his daughter comes out and says the things that they say….We have to get out there again and just keep pounding.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27705.html#ixzz0SYXaC4be

Islam on Capitol Hill

I would have never even known about the Muslim call to prayer on Capitol Hill if it weren't for an email sent by an acquaintance of mine. Mike Harris is what most would call a conservative Christian. I admire his devotion but agree to disagree with him the vast majority of the time. His site Mike's Christian Corner not only calls the atheists to task but also the Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims and other Christian denominations.

His latest email warned of the "Islamic Invasion" that Obama has brought upon us. Apparently, President Obama is rebuilding America into an Islamic Nation. Maybe it's a clause in the health bill? Islam on Capitol Hill apparently went off without much excitement but much lower attendance than hoped. CNN reported in their coverage that Muslims traveled from all over the country, Britain, and Canada to peacefully pray.

"America is not perfect," Abdul Malik, an organizer of the event called Islam on Capitol Hill, told the crowd.

"But I will say something it took me my whole adult life to come to: America is not perfect, but I want to tell the truth: It is one of the best places in the world to live."

The requisite protesters were on hand but security carefully watched the proceedings. No surprise there. I wonder how many called themselves Christians. Of course, Mike Harris wasn't the only Christian railing against last Friday's proceedings.

And one Christian leader warned of a strategy to "Islamize" American society.

"It is important for Christians to understand that Friday's Muslim prayer initiative is part of a well-defined strategy to Islamize American society and replace the Bible with the Koran, the cross with the Islamic crescent and the church bells with the Athan [the Muslim call to prayer]," the Rev. Canon Julian Dobbs, leader of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America's Church and Islam Project, said in a written statement.

"The time has come for the American public to call Islam to account," he said.

A quick search of the internet produced quite a few articles from religious conservatives including this one from Right Side News.

Like Mike Harris, the author places the blame on Obama and took offense at the President's comments concerning the leaders of the Christian right.

"Somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. It got hijacked. Part of it's because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who've been all too eager to exploit what divides us."

That quote sounds very much like John McCain from the 2000 election, pre-Palin, when he actually has some respect for himself.

"Neither party," the senator later shouted to the Virginia crowd, "should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right."

The agents of intolerance? That's a great term and there are plenty. Some religious. Some not. It's just more hating the "other" that keeps us from uniting to help our fellow man.

The Taliban's Oral History of Afghanistan

Check out Newsweek for a very interesting article about the struggle in Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of the Taliban. It will give you a different perspective and, unfortunately, confirms some of the worst reports about the war. Here are some interesting quotes from the article.

YOUNAS: In our camp there were about 150 Arabs, along with some Afghans, Chechens, and local tribal militants. The Arab instructors taught us how to fire Kalashnikovs, especially in close-range fighting; how to gather intelligence on the enemy; and how to fire mortars and rockets accurately. It was a friendly place; we all felt a commitment to help and sacrifice for each other. At the start of 2003, the weather became bitterly cold, and the camp closed. But the commander called me back that March. He told me he was working with Nek Mohammad to arrange for one of the first cross-border attacks against American forces in Afghanistan. Even with Nek Mohammad's help, we only had usable weapons for 50 of the roughly 200 mujahedin who had been trained. But 50 of us—a couple dozen Arabs, three or four Afghans like myself, and some Waziri and Mehsud tribals—were armed and ready to go.

HAQQANI: Arab and Iraqi mujahedin began visiting us, transferring the latest IED technology and suicide-bomber tactics they had learned in the Iraqi resistance during combat with U.S. forces. The American invasion of Iraq was very positive for us. It distracted the United States from Afghanistan.

KHAN:By the middle of 2004, we were hearing rumors that the Taliban were operating once again in Ghazni. Friends and relatives in other rural districts were saying that armed men were beginning to show up in villages at night on motorbikes. Within a few months, signs of them began appearing everywhere. At first we saw shabnama ["night letters"] that the Taliban were leaving in shops, mosques, and other public places warning people not to cooperate with [Afghan President Hamid] Karzai and the Americans. By the beginning of 2005 the Taliban began targeted killings of police officers, government officials, spies, and elders who were working with the Americans. One night around midnight someone knocked on the door of our house. We were terrified, fearing that the police had come back to arrest me or my brother once again. But when we opened the door, it was one of my father's former students. He had a Kalashnikov on his shoulder and was a Taliban subcommander already. The two other Taliban he was with also carried AKs and had several hand grenades attached to their belts. This was my first encounter with the Taliban since the defeat. We invited them to spend the night. Early the next morning I accompanied them to the mosque. My father's former student read out the names of those he accused of having betrayed Islam by following Karzai and the infidels. He warned them to cease all contact and to quit any job they may have had with the government or the Americans. He ended by saying he would return in one week.

MOHAMMAD:Those first groups crossing the border were almost totally sponsored, organized, and led by Arab mujahedin. The Afghan Taliban were weak and disorganized. But slowly the situation began to change. American operations that harassed villagers, bombings that killed civilians, and Karzai's corrupt police and officials were alienating villagers and turning them in our favor. Soon we didn't have to hide so much on our raids. We came openly. When they saw us, villagers started preparing green tea and food for us. The tables were turning. Karzai's police and officials mostly hid in their district compounds like prisoners.

Read the full article here.

McChrystal: Violence "Worse" Than Expected

Asked if things are better or worse than he expected since his arrival a few months ago, the general replies, "They're probably a little worse. I think that in some areas that the breadth of the violence, the geographic spread of violence, is a little more than I would have gathered."

The increased violence has resulted in 265 civilians killed in U.S. or coalition action in the past 12 months the general says, a situation that must stop if victory is to be attained.

"This civilian casualty issue is much more important than I even realized. It is literally how we lose the war, or in many ways how we win it," McChrystal explained.

The general has halted many operations aimed too close to civilians, even if the target area was the source of enemy fire. He believes it's more important to protect civilians than kill Taliban or Qaeda fighters, because not having the support of the Afghan people is a risk he cannot afford.

"If people view us as occupiers and the enemy, we can't be successful and our casualties will go up dramatically," he tells Martin.

Relying on overwhelming U.S. firepower is not the way to proceed in Afghanistan says McChrystal.

"You know, the favorite saying…'To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.' We can't walk with only a hammer in our hands," says McChrystal.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s interview with CBS News National Security correspondent David Martin will be broadcast Sunday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m. ET. From this portion of the interview, it appears that the Obama administration may have put a very wise man in charge of the operation in Afghanistan. Considering that the Russians couldn't defeat the Afghan people in a decade with over 100,000 heavily armed troops, it stands to reason that the 60,000 strong international force currently there won't be able to do the job without the support of the Afghan people. Compounding the issue is the underlying complications in the region with the apparently corrupt "democratic" Karzai government and the obviously corrupt but "enemy of my enemy is my friend" leadership of Pakistan. We may never leave the area.

Excerpt from cbsnews.com. Read full article here

A True Christian IMHO

Lisa Gibson -- who lost her brother in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing -- sat down the other day with the man many blame for the notorious attack: Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

"I welcomed him to America," she told CNN.

The 39-year-old Colorado Springs lawyer said she and another relative of a Lockerbie victim went to see the controversial figure in New York on Wednesday, the same day he delivered a rambling speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

Calling herself an "ambassador of reconciliation," she views the encounter as the latest step in a journey to build bridges between Libyans and Americans -- a mission energized by her strong Christian faith.

"I wanted him to know there were some people out there who've lost loved ones who have a different vision and different heart," she said. "He warmly received us."

Gibson said she is motivated by her Christian faith and one of its overriding tenets -- forgiveness. However, she added that she isn't exonerating anybody.

"As a Christian, I need to forgive you. Only God knows if you are responsible," she said.

Gibson said she has tried to understand the terrorism emanating from the Muslim world over the years and dedicated her life to build a "bridge of reconciliation" with Libya.

She wrote a letter of forgiveness to Megrahi a few years ago and she said he wrote back to say he was sorry for her loss.

"At the heart of terrorism is hate and the only way to effectively battle that is with love," she said.

Gibson formed a group called the Peace and Prosperity Alliance, a non-governmental organization involved with business and educational projects in Libya.

She regards her group as a "conduit of change." Gibson said Libyans have been touched by her effort to forgive.

Gibson said her actions don't "undermine the losses or say it was OK." But she believes her slain brother would support her. She believes he'd think "I don't want my death to be in vain."

She wanted to continue her journey of building bridges by meeting with Gadhafi.

"He said he very much appreciated us coming and welcomed us," Gibson said.

Gadhafi's sanity is still questionable judging from that speech at the UN and we will probably never know for sure whether Libya's government was sponsoring terrorism but Gibson seems to have completely forgiven and that's an amazing thing, religious or not. Excerpts from CNN.com. Read the full article here.

Colbert Unveils New Strategy For Racists Who Want To Bash Obama

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This Protest Sign sez it all

Quiet our Voices

Richard Milhous Nixon's presidency ended in shame but his first inaugural address was full of hope, wisdom, and inspirational advise still very much applicable today as both sides of the political spectrum battle over health care reform. The following is an excerpt from his speech delivered January 20, 1969 and broadcast live around the world by satellite.

No people has ever been so close to the achievement of a just and abundant society, or so possessed of the will to achieve it. Because our strengths are so great, we can afford to appraise our weaknesses with candor and to approach them with hope.

Standing in this same place a third of a century ago, Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed a Nation ravaged by depression and gripped in fear. He could say in surveying the Nation's troubles: "They concern, thank God, only material things."

Our crisis today is the reverse.

We have found ourselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit; reaching with magnificent precision for the moon, but falling into raucous discord on earth.

We are caught in war, wanting peace. We are torn by division, wanting unity. We see around us empty lives, wanting fulfillment. We see tasks that need doing, waiting for hands to do them.

To a crisis of the spirit, we need an answer of the spirit.

To find that answer, we need only look within ourselves.

When we listen to "the better angels of our nature," we find that they celebrate the simple things, the basic things—such as goodness, decency, love, kindness.

Greatness comes in simple trappings.

The simple things are the ones most needed today if we are to surmount what divides us, and cement what unites us.

To lower our voices would be a simple thing.

In these difficult years, America has suffered from a fever of words; from inflated rhetoric that promises more than it can deliver; from angry rhetoric that fans discontents into hatreds; from bombastic rhetoric that postures instead of persuading.

We cannot learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another—until we speak quietly enough so that our words can be heard as well as our voices.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA: Will Ferrell & others Speak Out Against The Public Option

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Really great stuff from moveon.org .

More inspiration for all generations

On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was scheduled to appear at a campaign rally in Indianapolis, IN in his bid for the Democratic nomination for President. Minutes after stepping off his plane, he was told that the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated in Memphis, TN. He was warned by police to cancel  the rally since the area was known to be a dangerous part of town but Kennedy insisted that they go and found the crowd to be very excited when he arrived, not yet aware of the terrible news. He quieted the crowd and said the following.

Ladies and Gentlemen - I'm only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening. Because...

I have some very sad news for all of you, and I think sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world, and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it's perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in.

For those of you who are black - considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible - you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge.

We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarization - black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion and love.

For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man.

But we have to make an effort in the United States, we have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond these rather difficult times.

My favorite poet was Aeschylus. He once wrote: "Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God."

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King, yeah that's true, but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love - a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke. We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past. And we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder.

But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land.

Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.

Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people. Thank you very much.   

Inspirational Words for any generation

In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe.

Now the trumpet summons us again--not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need--not as a call to battle, though embattled we are-- but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"--a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself.

Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it--and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address
Friday, January 20, 1961

Nice 67 Y.O. male has brush with mortality

I've never had the pleasure of reading any of his books nor hearing his radio show but I've always thoroughly enjoyed reading Garrison Keillor's column on Salon. Recently, he had a stroke but was lucky enough to be able to drive himself to the hospital for quick treatment and should make a full recovery. True to form, his latest column concerns his brush with mortality and his comments on health care reform. Read the article here.

You can peruse the Garrison Keillor archive at Salon here. Enjoy!

Cool Quote

Yes, it was fun this week to watch the teabaggers complain how the media underestimated the size of their march, "How can you say there were only 60,000 of us? We filled the entire mall!" Yes, because you're fat. One whale fills the tank at Sea World, that doesn't make it a crowd.

Bill Maher

Host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher"

New episode of "The Big Bang Theory" coming Monday night!

Season 3 begins tomorrow night Monday, September 21, 8:30 PM CST as the boys return from their 3-month scientific expedition to the North Pole! Set your DVR and prepare to revel in the nerdiness of the adventures of Sheldon, Leonard, Wolowitz, and Rajesh.

"The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation" - Sheldon feels betrayed when his friends alter his arctic-expedition data, so he takes off for Texas. The guys follow him, which kills Leonard's chance for a romantic meeting with Penny.

Always hating the "other"

It has always struck me as horribly ironic that the people who should be the most tolerant among us, the Christians, have proven time and time again to be the most intolerant. It has fueled my general distrust in organized religion and forced me to question the values that were instilled in me by my mother and her family. I stumbled across one more example of supposed Christians acting in a manner quite unlike Jesus Christ.

Of course, I really shouldn't be surprised judging from the rest of the content found on the site http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/. It looks like most right-wing conservative websites with anti-Obama and pro-Israel slogans and how these people can reconcile their Christian beliefs with these stances is beyond me. The article that caught my attention was http://islaminaction08.blogspot.com/2009/09/muslims-find-new-ramadan-fast-partners.html which attacks a fellow Christian for fasting during Ramadan with a Muslim friend.

Yes, it's true that Christians are being persecuted all over the world. The same can be said of many other religions. Hindus and Muslims battle in India. Of course, Pakistan became a splinter faction of India because of religious differences. There are myriad other examples. Radical Christians like to point out the conquer and convert teachings of Muslims but I've never had a Muslim at my door pushing their version of God, just different Christian denominations.

According to Mark Driscoll, lead practicing pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle,

"Christians should have friendships with people of other faith, but engaging in other traditions' worship practices is problematic." Driscoll said that in this case, Christians and Muslims fast for different purposes and do not worship the same God. See full article at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i_eVypKpB1pgxRFGuwI-ZAKCOxWQD9APUMD80

I would like his opinion on participating in the ceremonies of other Christian denominations. What if a Baptist went to Catholic Mass? Most southern denominations that I've visited claim all the others are wrong. What if a Christian went to Temple with a Jewish friend? Surely, all that support for Israel would allow a Christian to participate in a Jewish ceremony without the gates of Hell opening.

Interfaith communication can only help our understanding of each other and the common beliefs that bind us all. These radical intolerant Christians are in the minority and are no different than radical Muslims period. It's apparently wired into our own genes to hate the "other" but we've got to fight that instinct. That freedom of choice, to rail against nature, to rail against our instincts, was granted to us by a higher power. Let's practice it.

Limbaugh: We need segregated buses

Has Rush Limbaugh completely lost his freaking mind? I would blame it on Oxycontin but he made completely idiotic statements long before his prescription drug abuse. In case you haven't heard, here's the pertinent part of the transcript of the Wednesday, September 23rd edition.

LIMBAUGH: I think the guy's wrong. I think not only it was racism, it was justifiable racism. I mean, that's the lesson we're being taught here today. Kid shouldn't have been on the bus anyway. We need segregated buses -- it was invading space and stuff. This is Obama's America.

I rode the school bus in a part of town where whites were in the minority for a total of nine years ending in 1987. There was always a pecking order and fights happened. Sure, some were even racially motivated and there was a WHITE man in the White House. There is nothing new about fighting on a school bus, the school grounds, or the empty lot down the street. I've been there and got my tail handed to me by white guys and black guys.

Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, and the rest are just entertainers and that includes the nuts on the other side of the spectrum as well. If they really cared about the general populace then they would be on the hill working to improve this country, not sitting in their golden palaces pulling in millions by inciting rage in the far right 10% and generally misinforming the rest of their listeners.

FlashForward

Since I"ve got a DVR now, I might actually be able to follow a series! Alright! FlashForward starts this Thursday, Sept. 24, 8-9 p.m on ABC. The only problem is that my wife's favorite series Bones is on at the same time. Definitely need to make sure that nothing else is set to record at the same time!

Where were you on April 29, 2010? Maybe you can't remember your future, but the characters on ABC's enigmatic new series glimpse theirs when they black out for two minutes and 17 seconds. After awakening to the chaos—freeway collisions, plane crashes, rogue kangaroos—resulting from this "global event," they must confront how their "flashforward" visions will influence how they act in the present.

Comparisons to Lost (also on ABC) are inevitable—FlashForward is a time-bending, mythology-oriented story told from the perspectives of individual characters in a huge ensemble cast—but both are exceptionally unique. Maybe it's more accurate to call Lost the wingman for FlashForward. If it weren't for Lost's success, ABC probably would not be as committed—financially and creatively—to this new epic series.

But the network has invested in the cinematic visions of show runners David Goyer and Marc Guggenheim (the creative forces behind Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Green Lantern). Blockbuster movie stars like Joseph Fiennes, Dominic Monaghan and John Cho are equally inspired by the ambitious concept—which, Goyer revealed to us, just "gets bigger and bigger and bigger."

As Fiennes (who stars as FBI Special Agent Mark Benford) says, "It stirs up a great conversation about predestination...if you could see a future that wasn't so beautiful, would you want to avoid it? Would you want to change it?"

"Those who change their futures," he added ominously, "do so at their peril."

Why I'm Quitting Facebook

No, I'm not actually quitting Facebook. I just joined the incredibly popular site around a month ago but I read this very entertaining article on Newsweek and just had to pass it along. For nearly the first five years of the site's existence and however long MySpace has been around as well, I've managed to totally avoid the whole online networking phenomenon. I could never find any redeeming features in MySpace at all so that was scratched off early. Nothing but kids (designing some of the worst looking sites that I've seen) hanging out over there and even some of the racers that I know... very embarrassing.

Rod Short turned me onto the whole Facebook idea and since Rod dug it then perhaps I would too. Rod seems to have entered a place in his life where he's very appreciative of the little things and I'm right on the border of that country myself. It's amazing how many old friends that I've found. Some that I've really missed for the last twenty years and others, like the author pointed out, that I can't even remember. Some I do remember but didn't hardly speak to me in high school so I'm not sure why they would want to "friend" me now. Some of these names look familiar but I'm drawing a total blank on some of the faces. Of course, they may be thinking the same looking at my own time abused visage.

Recently, I asked my friend Shannon about one of my friend requests and he remembered them, told me they hung out with so and so. I remember the so and so's name but again drew a blank on a face stating that I was going to have to find an annual and reacquaint myself with my own high school class. I suggested that maybe your memory does go first. He countered that our hair went first and perhaps there was a correlation? I may do some research in that area. Anyhow, read the article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/183180/page/1 .

I love Statler & Waldorf!!

Cartoon of the Day

P90X - Down for the Count

I went to see my doctor today. The lower back pain seemed different from the usual strained musculature and when my tail started going numb while driving, I thought it might be best to see the GP. As I feared, he thinks I have an inflamed disc. He suggested some steroids but I politely declined. The last time I took a round of oral Prednisone, I didn't hardly sleep for a week and felt absolutely horrible. I did accept the muscle relaxants and the orders to avoid anything that might aggravate it for a few weeks. No, I had the problem before I began P90X last Friday so the program had nothing to do with my spinal malfunction. I just don't want to make it any worse so I'm going to keep my diet clean and the calories low and shed a little fat despite the lack of movement.

P90X - Day 5

I'm not doing so good. Unfortunately, I didn't get home until 11 PM last night and sleep was the only thing on my mind. With my back in such sorry shape, the Legs & Back session might not have been a good idea anyhow. I haven't checked out that DVD yet so I'm not sure what I missed. Kenpo X is the sixth disc and is basically a cardio workout from I understand. I'm seeing my physician this afternoon (which is Day 6) to make sure that my spine isn't going to spit any discs out at Tony Horton. If I'm not loaded up with some prescription pain killer then I'll be doing my best Kenpo X imitation later tonight.

P90X - Day 4

Getting caught up here. Day 4 consists of the Yoga X DVD which is not quite what I've come to expect of yoga. It's supposed to be a long workout of about an hour and twenty minutes but I forwarded my way through the DVD avoiding anything that I feared might leave me paralyzed from the waist down. The end of the session is actually very relaxing. Some people avoid Yoga simply because of it's wimpy connotations but I was first exposed to a small handful of movements during my shoulder therapy and have appreciated it since. Taking time to properly stretch is an often missed component of many workout programs and just a small yoga session can make short work of it. Try it!

Socialized Medicine in Canada

A monitor from a major pharmaceutical company was in the office today, a lady with a slight British accent. She had apparently emigrated from Britain to Toronto, Canada where she met her husband. He had his eyes set on warmer weather so Tampa has been their home for sixteen years now. With experience with two socialized medical systems, I had to ask the obvious. Her reply was very informative.

First, she pointed out that nothing is truly free. Of course, that's granted. Taxation is very high in both Britain and Canada but citizens are entitled to free medical care and university. Man, it would have been nice to have free tuition but we'll leave that discussion for a latter time. She said the problem in Canada is the lack of services. As a nurse in one of the three large hospitals in a city of five million residents, she said that access to equipment and services considered normal to any trauma center here in the U.S. is scarce.

Her opinion is that we definitely have the best medical care in this country but the system is inherently flaw. Unfortunately, a totally socialized system hasn't been the answer in her experience. There has to be a compromise and perhaps we will be the first to discover it if we can all work together towards a solution.

P90X - Day 3

Day three was pretty much a bust. My lower back has been bothering me for a few weeks now so it's not P90X related. It's a bit disconcerting. It doesn't really feel like lower back pains that I've had before. It's very stiff in the morning but usually tolerable by the afternoon. Tolerable enough to be exercising and no real complications afterward but I've had some numbness in the glutes while driving that perhaps suggest sciatic nerve pain.

Unfortunately, I sneezed this morning and my back went from tweaked to twanged so I spent most of my Sunday laying on a heating pad. Looking through the Arms/Shoulders DVD showed more of the same. Fast paced circuit style training. The amount of sets dedicated to muscle groups as small as biceps and triceps seems a bit ridiculous so I'll probably be modifying this workout next week. I know that I don't have the stamina to finish it anyhow and I'm still ridiculously sore from the earlier sessions. Hopefully, I'll find some relief for the back pain soon.

No Country for Sick Men

The design of any country's health-care system involves political, medical, and economic decisions. But the primary issue for any health-care system is, as President Obama made clear last week, a moral question: should a rich society provide health care to everyone who needs it? If a nation answers yes to that moral question, it will build a health-care system like the ones in Britain, Germany, Canada, France, and Japan, where everybody is covered. If a nation doesn't decide to provide universal coverage, then you're likely to end up with a system where some people get the finest medical care on earth in the finest hospitals, and tens of thousands of others are left to die for lack of care. Without the moral commitment, in other words, you end up with a system like America's.

Read the full article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/215290

The astonishing twisters captured by storm-chasing photographer

Running towards a raging twister might seem insane to most people but for one artist, such perils are all in a day's work. 
Storm chaser Jim Reed has narrowly escaped death twice in his pursuit of the perfect stormy shot.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1213339/Astonishing-twisters-captured-storm-chasing-photographer-Jim-Reed.html#ixzz0RD6DGAUu

Cartoon of the Day

P90X - Day 2

Being the totally non-athletic ever type, I figured that Plyometrics would whup my tail... and I was right. I was absolutely gassed out 20 minutes into the DVD and could hardly go up the stairs after resting for 20 minutes. I'm sure that not going to bed until 3AM the night before and eating nothing but junk all day might have contributed to the dismal showing... either that or I'm just a total wuss. I'm happy anyhow! I'm moving, doing something that I've never tried before and looking for better health! Just gotta keep pushing play.

P90X - Day 1

I was afraid this program would do very bad things to me... and my fears were realized. Last night, for the first time in three years, I worked out! I considered that an accomplishment in itself so overall I'm still very pleased but my performance was pathetic. I think a person would have to be in absolute miserable condition not to pass the included Fit Test but the program is abusive! Horton cautioned me to pace myself because there were a total of 24 sets but I was done in 12 and couldn't drink my protein powder/Gatorade recovery drink mix for more than an hour. I honestly thought I was going to puke.

I'm pretty sore today and the connective tissue in my elbows took some abuse. Nothing I haven't experienced before. I tend to get very sore. Danny, my former workout partner never did. Lucky dawg. The Door Gym pull up bar works wonderfully and I think the P90X program definitely has it's place although I think you would have to be a genetic freak to put on mass using the program. I suspect that most of the guys that apparently did put on some mass in the infomercial had a substantial base already and muscle memory is a great thing. I'm certainly not looking to put on any mass. I just want to drop some fat and regain some conditioning that has gone for a LONG time. 89 days to go!

New Rule: Float Like Obama, Sting Like Ali

It's find it very interesting that some of the best political commentary comes from comedians. Bill Maher and John Stewart are my favorites. Both seem to truly appreciate the political process and genuinely care about people. Check out Maher's latest article at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/new-rule-float-like-obama_b_284151.html?igoogle=1 .

Firefighter Father Recalls Losing Sons On 9/11

I thought I had somehow missed NPR's StoryCorps yesterday morning. It usually runs right around 7:30 AM so I was wondering what was going on when the familiar opening tune began at 7:46 AM or 8:46 EST, exactly the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center. To commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, StoryCorps featured John Vigiano Jr. recalling the loss of both his sons. One was a police officer while the other was a Fireman like his father. Vigiano is obviously a strong man and, as a parent, I can't imagine the depths of his pain at the death of both his boys. If you missed it then check it out at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112676905 .

What Are We Teaching Our Kids About the President, Anyway?

Vicki Iovine expressed my sentiments on the subject perfectly. Read the article here.

Internet Vacation

We took an internet vacation over the Labor Day weekend. No, it wasn't intentional but while I was out mowing the yard, our connection to the net evaporated into so many lost electrons. A quick check of the router revealed the missing comforting glow of the NT1 LED and a check of AT&T's box outside showed no lights there either.

A call to AT&T was about worthless. They supposedly tested the line and reported  it functioning all the way to their device at the demarc. I retorted that there were no LED's visible on the device and was rebuked. OK then. Send out the tech. Charge me if its on my side. The tech finally showed up Tuesday and spent about five hours finding where some overzealous hunter had shot the copper somewhere along the approximately 22,000 feet of cable heading back to the SLIC which I can only assume is where their actual testing capabilities come to a halt. Of course, I wasn't a priority on a holiday weekend since the problem supposedly wasn't theirs anyhow.

I called them back to argue that point after the tech left. Speaking with a few people higher up the totem pole about their obvious lack of troubleshooting abilities from the CO was a further waste of my time. I will give the field tech credit though. He was professional, very helpful with answering my questions, and quite competent. None of which I can report about the supposed techs that I talked to on the phone. End AT&T rant.

The whole affair was an epiphany for me. We don't watch television but the laptop has taken it's position in our home. Mindlessly surfing the internet is no more productive. Perhaps more educational if you're not playing video games but no more productive. I actually got alot done around the house so one of my goals is to leave the laptop in the bag a lot more often, perhaps setting aside a specific time to answer email and check on the finances and sticking to it. I'm gonna give it a whirl!

Craig Ferguson on Joe Wilson's Outburst

I always enjoyed Craig Ferguson's performance on "The Drew Carey Show". Maybe it's the British accent but the guy is hilarious. Check out his monologue here.

The Last Brother

I read this editorial in the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine and wanted to share it with anyone who might be interested. Ted Kennedy was really a remarkable man despite his very human inadequacies. I hope you enjoy.

The Last Brother
by Erin Bates, Executive Editor
Rolling Stone

Ted Kennedy wasn't all that different from the rest of us. Maybe he partied a bit too much sometimes. Maybe he spent his entire life working at the same shit job, only to blow it when he got a chance at the top spot. Maybe he felt burdened at times by the demands of his family. Maybe losing so many of his loved ones broke his heart.

But we aren't allowed to think of Ted Kennedy as one of us, and neither was he. Because of his last name, and all the weight and expectation it carried with it, he was required from a young age to assume a mantle of charisma and nobility. It did not fit him well, and he did not always wear it comfortably, but he was the last brother standing, so he took over the family business and got on with it. It sucks to be the youngest of nine children, the one allowed to slack off and get away with anything, only to find yourself suddenly forced to shoulder all of the responsibility that was never meant for you.

Along the way, though, something truly remarkable happened. The kid who was filling in for his older brothers, all three of them flashier than him, all three claimed by violence, grew into the man who turned their dreams into something real and meaningful. Think of him as Jimmy Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life - kind of awkward and shy, but always there for his neighbors, always ready to stand up to old Mr. Potter, always demanding that institutions do their best to help the community to serve the greater good. If he despaired at times, and wound up drunk and on a bridge late one night, he was saved in the end by his own hard work, and by all that he had given of himself.

There is much we would not have if Ted Kennedy had never lived. In his 46 years in the Senate, he helped give 18-year-olds the right to vote and black citizens the right to fair housing. He helped give working Americans a decent minimum wage and a federal agency devoted to making their jobs safer. He helped give Meals on Wheels ot the hungry, and doctors to the poor, and equal rights to the disabled. He fought to end the Vietnam War, and he was one of only 23 senators to vote against the invasion of Iraq. He was one of the last giants of the Senate, not because he mastered its arcane procedures and good-old-boy niceties, but because he insisted that it work on behalf of the very people that it was designed by the founding fathers to restrain: the majority of Americans.

Ted Kennedy was an aristocrat, well-born and well-to-do. He served in an institution intentionally constructed to protect the aristocarcy and thwart the popular will. Yet he did what he could to use its immense power on behalf of democracy - on behalf of us. It was a wonderful life.

Fortune Cookie

"A friend is a present you give yourself."

Another fortune cookie. I think they're speaking to me this week since both Cassie and I created Facebook profiles and connecting with old friends. Kinda neat.

P90X

Thanks to my good friend Shannon Price, I now have a full set of P90X DVD's. Thanks man! I watched the intro and then skimmed through the first workout which is Chest/Back. Looks like a hellacious circuit of push-ups, pull-ups, and rows of various types. I'm going to have to head down to Wal-Mart and pick up a doorway chin-up bar and some more dumbbells. I don't think I have anything heavy enough at home. Due to my shoulders, I won't be able to do any of the wide-grip exercises but I'll just substitute more shoulder width exercises. My plan to get into shape last year just fell by the wayside for various reasons. I feel like there's a clock ticking and I need to get to work. 

After reading some reviews and info on the series, the little dumbbells might be heavy enough. P90X is supposed to be for people in pretty decent shape already. I wouldn't say that I'm a total wreck but I haven't worked out seriously in three years! Ninety days on this program might kill me or at least the first few weeks. We'll see. I'm gonna give it a try and modify it to suit my conditioning if it does prove unmanageable. Just have to remember that I'm 40 now... not 20.

Long Time. No Post.

Wow. It's hard to believe that I haven't posted since before the Presidential election. I've never been a very consistent blogger, only feeling the urge to write on occasion, very similar to my experience with magazine work. Unfortunately, that urge to write didn't correspond with the editor's deadline very often. Ahem. Anyhow, after some gentle persuasion from my good friend, Rod Short, I overcame my aversion to social networking sites and created a page on Facebook and I'm actually enjoying it. I've contacted some friends that I haven't seen in 20 years. I'll try to post more often since there might actually be someone looking now!

Fortune Cookie

"Your heart is pure, and your mind clear, and your soul devout."

Found in a fortune cookie from China Dragon. Grab a bite to eat there if you're ever in Athens, AL for some strange reason.

Scares the hell out of me.... You Betcha!

Selling his Soul for the GOP

"Neither party," the senator later shouted to the Virginia crowd, "should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right."

Those were McCain's words in the 2000 election. Now he's sold his soul to gain the support of the far right reversing his stance not only on religious issues but many others. McCain earned his Maverick badge on those issues and they've been totally abandoned in his bid for the White House.

Cartoon of the Week

Courtesy of Slate.

Cartoon of the Week

Courtesy of MSNBC.

NPR's StoryCorps

I once again have news and tunes on my commute to work. It's a long story but I've been staring at a hole in my dash where the stereo formerly resided for more than a year now. Last weekend, I pulled the factory radio/cassette player out of the closet and reinstalled it. I don't listen to music much anymore but most talk radio in the southeast grates on my nerves as well. There's just so much Rush Limbaugh or his mini-me Sean Hannity that I can tolerate.

I usually listen to NPR. One of my favorite NPR features is StoryCorps which runs each Friday morning. StoryCorps travels around the country recording the stories of everyday Americans and some are really touching. It's refreshing to hear about the loves and hopes of real people in these times of uncertainty. Check it out sometime. I think you'll enjoy it.

Palin: Greatest Question Dodger of all Time

Gwen Ifill (debate moderator): Given the events of the week, what promises have you and your campaigns made to the American people that you're not going to be able to keep?

Palin: Well, the nice thing about running with John McCain is I can assure you he doesn't tell one thing to one group and then turns around and tells something else to another group including his plans that will make this bailout plan, this rescue plan, even better. I want to go back to the energy plan....

What kind of answer is that? I won't even mention all of the utterly ridiculous "blond beauty queen" remarks that she's made in the last few weeks and the Republican base still loves her! God help us all.

My sentiments exactly

Read Campbell Brown's commentary on CNN. I too would very much like to know how this $700 billion pillaging of the middle class will affect the campaign promises made by both parties. I know that it's a hard concept to grasp for some reason but you can't spend money if you don't have any. It eventually becomes a problem even if you are the federal government.