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Showing posts from 2003
The lexicon of Alexandra.... I sit and listen to the words that my daughter is saying, and I am amazed at how much she has grown. I remember when I held her for the first time, I thought about all of the "firsts" that we would experience together. Namely her first word. In a way, I had imagined that it would be some glorious moment out of the blue where I would here her say something clear and coherent out of the blue. "Hey Renee! The baby just said, 'machine oil!' Yeah right.....Now that she is saying words, I can't recall what her first one was, or when she said it. It turns out that Alexandra understands most sentences and phrases that I use. The only problem is that I can't understand what she is saying. In fact, all of the cute cooing and gurgling that I thought she was doing just for the heck of it was more than likely an attempt at communication. Unfortunately I was too dull to catch on. However, as of late I have made it a point to
Am"Bush"ed Our President went to Great Britain in hopes of bolstering a continued alliance and support from our neighbors from across the pond. There seems to not only be a great deal of Anti-Bush sentiment, but Anti-American sentiment as well. While I would agree that this is not as bad as what we have to deal with from the French or the Germans, but it is scathing nonetheless. I won't give you my opinion as to whether or not we should have deposed Saddam Hussein as leader of Iraq, but I will say that the United States is in a position where we absolutely cannot pull out. We have to keep going forward. This past drill at my National Guard Unit, we were assisting one of our line units who has been activated for deployment. So, a second trip to Iraq seems like it could some day become a reality for me. I would really hate to go, but I would. One thing that I have to say is that I wish that the world would pull together and look at the good that can come out o
Mike Check It seems that Michael Jackson has once again been accused of inappropriate contact with a child. I was really incensed when the investigation of the previous allegations against Michael halted after the parents in question received a settlement. In my opinion if you have reason to believe that an adult had some sort of sexual contact with your child, and you will accept "hush money", then you may as well don the red coat, white hat with blue feather, and drive a Cadillac with Zebra skin seat covers. To me, the first claimants were nothing but pimps. There is no amount of money on earth that could appease me. If I couldn't get my hands around Mike's throat I would want him in jail. We, as black people, have the tendency to circle the wagons when "one of our own" is threatened. However, wrong is wrong, no matter what. I know that some people are wrongly accused of crimes, but a great deal of the time "where there is smoke, there
The Doves and the Hawks... The Doves and the Hawks have squawked just a wee bit too much for me as of late. With troops getting killed by the day, I think that we are past the point where we argue about whether or not this is a just war. The fact of the matter is that no matter what the cause, we are in it, and we cannot just pack up and leave. I really think that the focus needs needs to be on how we are going to straighten this mess out. Oliver had a nice piece on his weblog about how many of the so-called hawks mustered support for the war from the safety of their keyboards. While I did find this to be amusing, I noted that some bloggers who claimed to have been in Iraq at some time took offense to that matter. In fact, there was one poster who commented on Oliver's blog named "Gimp". From the way Gimp described himself and told of his failed attempt to enlist, we can see that his moniker was aptly selected. Anyway, gimp called him a few names, and brough
Not nice.....but she spoke.... This morning my daughter was extremely fussy and whiney while my wife was doing her hair. She squealed, and strained, and whined and cried out trying to free herself from my wife's grasp. She has become quite willful as of late, and doesn't like to be held for very long. She really hasn't tried to articulate any thoughts to us verbally, more often than not, she will attempt to repeat things that we say...."Say, Mommy?...Say, Daddy?.....Say, Cookie?" You know how it goes. The teacher's at my daughter's daycare have a policy of not saying, "NO!" When they have to calm a child down, they simply say, "Not nice". They do this by shaking their index finger in a disapproving way and shaking their heads. Obviously my daughter has been called down quite a bit, or else has witnessed another child being disciplined. (I choose to believe the latter, because my daughter is obviously the best child in the w
Traffic school actually taught me something.... I was the proud recipient of a speeding ticket a few months ago, and I was required to attend traffic school. All day today I sulked while thinking about the roughly four hours in which I would have to be subjected to gory traffic films and monotone lecture of the instructor, and the incessant protestations of "I shouldn't be here" by fellow attendees. What I found was absolutely nothing of the kind. My instructor only identified himself as "Mr. Peach". Mr. Peach chose to talk about life in general for the majority of the instruction time, and he loosely associated it with driving responsibility. Of all of the things he spoke about regarding life, the thing that stuck out in my mind was his insistence that patience and wise decision-making was the key to a happy life. He stated that he thought that the 60's were a time of rebellion, the 70's were a time of disillusionment, the 80's were a
Oh shutup Mayor Bloomberg, you need your ass kicked too!! [Man, read this article about how NY Mayor Bloomberg said he would have prosecuted Pedro Martinez for throwing Don Zimmer to the ground. This is B.S.] SAD STATE: Teary-eyed Yank coach Don Zimmer yesterday says, "I'm embarrassed for the Yankees, I'm embarrassed for the Red Sox, I'm embarrassed for . . . my family." - N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg Whatever dude...you're embarassed because you came running out on that field like you were an extra in "Braveheart", and you got manhandled on national television. I know that this is the PC world where everyone is touchy feely and we can't hurt anyone's feelings, but this is ridiculous. Mayor Bloomberg had the audacity, the gall, the utter nerve to say that Pedro Martinez would have been prosecuted for throwing Zimmer to the ground during the fight. What about Zimmer? He decided to attack Martinez and was slung to th
Man...what the hell is going on? I was searching for something to watch on television the other day and flipped to the cable guide. As the endless channels of drivel slowly scrolled by, the "Playas Guide to...." caught my eye. Out of a morbid sense of curiosity I flipped to MTV or VH1. Hell, I can't tell which is which anymore, except I think VH1 actually plays music videos........ Anyway, this show called the "Playas Guide", basically critiques movies, songs, television shows, or actual events that influence "Pop Culture", On this particular day, being that the 20th anniversary of a famous Brian DePalma film had rolled around, they were critiquing Scarface . The panel of sophisticates included none other than, Scarface, Ice Cube, Raekwon (Of the Wu Tang Clan fame), and a few other rappers whose faces blend into the myriad of typecast studio machismo. What was most disturbing was the fact that all of these people talked about this movie as i
Pimp Juice anyone? I really can't believe that this is going to hit the markets. While I do admire the business savvy of today's stars, I think that we have become to complacent with the moral relativism of our society. Pimp is a bad term, no matter what the connotation. And, the idea of our youth, more importantly, my kids walking around with cans of "Pimp Juice" makes me shudder. Look at the can..... The font inscription is reminiscent of those oh-so-unforgettable, but yet we would love to forget 1970's. Too bad that kids nowadays look at the word "pimp", and they think of something "cool", "hip", or "stylish". I think it is really pathetic when you think about who a real pimp is, and what a real pimp does. pimp ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pimp) n. One who finds customers for a prostitute; a procurer. intr.v. pimped, pimp·ing, pimps To serve as a procurer of prostitutes. I needn't w
A very, very, very bad Daddy...... Second child caught in apparent murder-suicide dies Police: Father intentionally drove SUV into truck Tuesday, September 16, 2003 Posted: 6:36 PM EDT (2236 GMT) You can view the article in its entirety here . Stories like this utterly disgust me. This guy is worse than Susan Smith, if such an analogy is even possible. Apparently this guy was going through a divorce with his wife of 10 years, and things were not going his way. In an apparent suicide note he laments about not getting a job, and makes the bizarre statement that if he is not there to raise his kids, then "nobody would". I cannot imagine a person being cruel enough to hurt a child. Any child, let alone your own flesh and blood. Apparently he drowned his two year old daughter and attempted to drown his 4 year old son. Then the genius takes the other two kids in his SUV and pulls out in front of a tractor trailer that is hauling cars. Un-be-liev-a-ble. He
Two years and counting... Today is September 11th, 2003. Most of us realize that this is the second anniversary of those horrific attacks that killed approximately 3,000 American citizens in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania. Since that time, American Forces have swept across the Middle East, toppling tyrannical regimes and attempting to bring peace and order to the region. "The War on Terror". That seems to be the catch phrase that everyone uses to describe what many believe is protection against radical islamic extremists. However, we are not winning the war, not on terror at least. Yes, we did beat the Taliban, we crushed Saddam's best troops, and we have begun to round up lunatic after lunatic. However, we are still terrified. So much so that we question the sincerity of our government's efforts. We are terrified about money, terrified about how thin our Army is being stretched. We fear that today there could be an attack by Al-Qaeda that could commem
Bad Daddy... Okay, the only reason that I am sharing this experience with you lucky viewers is the fact that I finally had the nerve to tell my wife about this. I often hear about people doing such ridiculous things as "forgetting to take their kids out of the car in the summertime, and coming out and finding them dead in the car seats later in the afternoon." I often scoff when I hear these reports and say, "How could you forget your child in the car?" Well, I had a similar situation, although I did not forget my child in the car, or anywhere else for that matter, but I thought that I had forgotten her. My wife went out of town to visit a friend of hers from College. The boys were at their grandmother's house for the week, so it was just me and my daughter Alexandra(Alex) for a few days. Since we were running low on food, I decided to go grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. After I wandered aimlessly from shelf to shelf for about an hour, I figured I h
Is it ever enough? We often ask ourselves and others the question. "Is it ever enough?" This is very poignant. Do we ever do enough? Do we ever do enough for others? Are our expectations ever met? Do we meet others expectations? I suppose it is all relative, both in situation and in perspective. I wonder will it ever be enough, I wonder that on a daily basis. Will my expectations ever be met? Are they too high? Are the demands that I place upon those that are close to me too much? Perhaps, but hell....who knows? Do I do my part? Of course everyone always feels as if they do their part, but really? Aren't self-evaluations the most deluded and skewed? Over the past few weeks, a number of things have happened that are of some merit. I was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Army National Guard. My daughter turned a year old. I started back working on my Master's degree. I started working on a Management Trainee Program, and there may
The evolution of trash talking... I always wondered why people talk trash so much in regard to sports. Warren Sapp appears to be the undisputed king of trash talking. He has often been seen standing over his victims spewing taunts about what horrific damage he has done to them after he hits them. I always thought that this was perhaps the machismo of high paid professional athletes, and the lax standards of sportsmanship that the NFL allows. But, while helping coach Devons JV youth football league team I see that the trash talk starts much earlier. In fact, you needn't be a superstar who always performs, you only need to do one good thing at any given time to talk trash. You could be the kind of receiver who ordinarily couldn't catch a cold, but if you happen to catch a pass and get by the corner back then you have license to talk trash. Here are some of the things that I have heard uttered on the field by nine and ten year olds. Runningack: I shook you like a we
Feel homesick...just don't feel unappreciated. You most certainly are not. Unfortunately it seems that there are aggressive actions perpetrated against our troops on a daily basis. The length of time the troops have been there, and the different type of action that they have had to endure has made it very difficult for them to stay motivated. Reporters are telling us about how their hearts aren't in it. People can point the finger at Bush I suppose, everyday I hear the growing discontentment with the lack of substantive proof of weapons of mass destruction. My, oh my. Who would have thought that we would ever be back in Iraq. Much less occupying it with troops. Troops that are facing a faceless enemy who employs guerilla tactics. I can't imagine what the men must be going through. Having to worry so much everyday, and having to see their fellow soldiers killed and maimed. They do what they can to keep one another's spirits up, but that nagging feeli
Keri is so very.....dangerous I woke up this morning and took a shower. Once I got out I looked around for my lotion. No Vaseline Intensive care to be found. I saw a bottle of Renee's Keri lotion and smelled it. Hmm.....not girly smelling at all. This will work. I applied a generous amount to the palm of my hands and began working it into the skin on my arms, back of my hands, and my face. Man. That stuff goes a long way, I had too much on, so I had to towel off again so I wouldn't be too greasy. I finished getting the kids stuff together and headed for work. As I sped along the interstate, I decided to roll the windows down and save the AC. Apparently there is something in the air that I am allergic to, so I sneezed a couple of times, but not too bad. After I sneezed I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. Suddenly my eyes began to burn and sting, then they began to water. I wiped the water from my eyes with my hand, and they began to burn twice as bad.
Last monthly drill... Believe it or not I am at my monthly drill for the National Guard. This is the last monthly drill that I will be involved in before I head to Phase III of OCS. We are here updating administrative information, so I have access to the internet. I am kind of worried about how things are going back at home. My wife is helping her family with a family reunion back in Lexington, and I am not sure how much work is going to fall on her shoulders. There are a lot of things that need to be done, and I wish I was there with her now to help out. This is one of the drawbacks to my reentry into military life. Before, when I was young and single, I hadn't a care in the world as to where I went, or how long I went. I do enjoy military training, however, I am always wondering what my family is doing. This year when I go to Phase III training, I will be feeling a lot better than last year. Last year my wife was 7 months pregnant, and I was terrified that she was g
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Alex... The other night I borrowed a DVD copy of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" from my brother-in-law Roger. I sat on the couch in the TV room upstairs and began to get lost in the action of the movie. One thing cool about DVD's is the fact that you can change the languages spoken in the movies. Nowadays the language change is almost seamless as compared to the voiceover material of the 1970's Kung Fu flicks. So I sat upstairs watching it, and Alex sat on my lap sucking her thumb and staring intently at the television screen. She lost interest and began to whine and clamor to get down on the floor. I set her on the carpet between my feet, and she began to play with a stuffed animal. Suddenly during a high-flying action scene Alex stood up and held onto the edge of a clothes basket and began to yell at the characters flying and fighting across the screen. She lashed out quickly with her foot and fell on her back. I scooped her up
Happy Birthday, Renee! Today is my wife's birthday. I already gave her a gift last night, I bought her a copy of Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History". Unfortunately we couldn't wake up together this morning, she spent the night at her mother's house to give her a hand with the preparations for this weekend's family reunion. The one thing that her mother wanted us to do was to change the linen on the bed in the spare bedroom. I am betting that this bed is well over 120 years old. Renee's grandmother and all of her siblings were born on this bed, and it has been handed down from generation to generation. The actual matress sits much higher off the ground than most beds do, and it is an odd-size. It's size rests uncomfortably between a queen and a full size. Renee and I went into the back bedroom which had been closed so as to save the amount of space that the window air conditioner had to cool. The moment we opened the door, a bla
Strom Thurmond is dead... Many people are observing the passing of Strom Thurmond with mixed feelings. A lot of my friends seem to be rejoicing as if an evil dictator has been deposed. If we look at his past words and actions, it is easy to see why some blacks may not think too fondly of Strom Thurmond. I am not sure what to think, actually. As a Christian, I know it is not good to harbor hate for anyone, no matter how reprehensible their behavior has been in the past. I was reading a Slate article about him, and they spoke about how no official apology for his past behavior was ever rendered. However, there seemed to be an "unspoken" apology that his fellow conservatives voiced for him over and over. What was once an unspoken rumor of his biracial daughter has come to light in news services as well. It would seem that his past disdain, or need for seperation from the black race was not quite so urgent at one point in time. He fathered a child with a black ho
Spike TV! It would seem that the number of disgruntled men who have been forced to sit through reruns of "The Golden Girl's" with their Lifetime-Identifying wives is over. Now, men are getting their own channel. TNN formerly the Tennesse Nashville Network has changed to The National Network and is poised to change once again into Spike TV . A channel where men can watch wrestling, monster truck pulls, action cartoons called Striperella. The channel will also run reruns of shows such as CSI, and Star Trek. But, there is a monkeywrench in the works at Spike TV. It seems that Spike Lee feels like the channel is trying to capitalize off of his celebrity. He claims that the show is trying to benefit off of an assumed allusion to something that has to do with him. He is presently suing. If you look at the picture above I think we should sue him for that blazer-shirt ensemble he has on. Additionally, I think his suit is baseless. When I think of Spike Lee,
If I could just get my hands around his neck..... Now everyone has heard of "deadbeat dads", but this guy takes the cake. Apparently he went to visit the mother of his child, (baby mama), to implore her to date him again and she refused. So genius kidnaps her, drives her around, and then takes her back to the apartment. A huge argument ensues and he dangles his own daughter out of the window. She calls 911, and he tosses his own flesh-and-blood, out of the 7th story window . Miracle of miracles some tree branches slow her fall and she lands in a small square of mulched earth beneath the tree. The mother gets a kitchen knife and stabs him, and he runs from the apartment, scoops up the baby, and takes her to the hospital. Police find him there and arrest him. By God's grace the baby only had cuts and bruises. I really don't know how to express what I am feeling when I think about a 10 month old baby being thrown from a 7th story window. My daughter
Fiery Protest... I believe in the people's right to protest, if the protest is constructive. I have never understood riot politics in which some group tears up their own community in outrage over a ruling or an event. I understand that frustration may lead to violent behavior, but I don't condone it. But in the case of the Iranian self-immolating I am at a loss. Iranian Protestors are setting fire to themselves. I am not sure what this is accomplishing besides making bystanders say, "Jesus Christ, that guy just set himself on fire."
Damn...and that was rated PG-13? I just got finished watching "The Ring" a few moments ago. I really didn't feel as if I needed to turn on any lights, but it was definitely suspenseful. That is the first movie in a loooooooooong time that has made my heart race. Kinda cool...heh.
I'm too big for my safe place... When I was a little boy, sometimes I would become very afraid. Sometimes for a reason, and sometimes for no reason at all. I would sit very still and curl up and wait for the danger to pass. More often than not, my father would come. I knew safety was on its way when I heard the sound of combat boots and smelled Kiwi shoepolish and aftershave. He would swoop me into his arms with no effort at all and begin to walk with me. I suppose with all of the years that have passed since he has done that, the content of his words surely would have escaped me. But, truth be told, it was never his words that comforted me. I rarely listened at all in fact. It was the prickly feeling on my cheek, the broadness of the shoulder that I rested my chin on, and the amazing feeling of comfort as I sat in the crook of his arm, that soothed me. I would rest my head on his shoulder and savor the vibrations of the baritone that I knew so very well. I would lo
OCS Graduation... In the next 73 days I have a PT test and a 10 day war to complete, after that I will be a Lieutenant.
Ho Hum...... Man, I tell you I feel like I am on a treadmill that just won't stop. My days and weeks are going by like a blur and I feel as if I am getting nothing accomplished. I suppose if finances were in a better way things would be different. My focus is gone as well. I can't seem to get some of my priorities straight either. At this moment it is a quarter til eleven and I should be packing the rest of my gear for National Guard this weekend, but instead I am on the damned internet. Nothing seems to be going right as of late. I suppose my father had to go through a time or two like this as a young father/husband, but there appears to be no end in sight. My emoticon at the bottom of this webpage boasts a troubled mindset, and it has remained that way for the last few weeks. No matter how happy I may appear to be, I remain troubled all of the time. There are just sooooo many things on my mind at any given moment that I feel like I can't give due attention t
Bling? Man, I am really tired of not being able to have ALL the things that I need, and SOME of the things that I want. Don't get me wrong, I am far from the superficial person who guages success by possessions, but I need more. I need more money, because I have more needs. It is really as easy as 1...2...3. I have one house and wife, two cars, and three kids. There you go. I have been looking for more income to buy some of the things that I really don't need, but kind of want. I don't like the budget just barely making it, I don't like choosing low grade gas because I know I need to buy baby formula. I just never imagined that after a college degree, and a quasi-lucrative career choice that things would be this tough. I suppose I needn't complain too much, just like my mother always told me, there is always someone in the Sudan that is worse off, but I am worried about the here and now....namely me. It doesn't make me feel good when my kids ask fo
AC Milan wins!!!!!!!! Well, Juventus was favored to win, but AC Milan edged them in penalty kicks. Dida, the goalkeeper for AC Milan deserves a lot of credit. Although AC Milan scored a goal in the 17th minute, it was called back because of a questionable offsides whistle. So, we went through two sudden deaths, and finally to PK's where AC Milan edged them 3 to 2. Did stopped THREE shots. It was really incredible. It seems nobody thinks of the goalkeeper unless he misses a save. Here is the article about Juve's defeat . I would have to say that I like love Italian Soccer almost as much as I love Brazilian soccer. AC MILAN...AC MILAN!
Racism as a cause for plagiarism? Questions have been raised in the media about whether Blair had been able to keep working at the Times, despite a record of mistakes, because of his race or connections with top editors. The newspaper, whose managing editor, Gerald Boyd, is black, is trying to diversify its staff. Also, Blair is friendly with a staffer from Poland, home country of editor Howell Raines' wife, raising the specter that he received special treatment. It seems that the scandal at the New York Times is taking another turn, ostensibly for the worst. Jayson Blair has apologized for his misdeeds to some degree, but blamed substance abuse, race, and personal problems as the cause. What is indeed strange to me is the way that he is attempting to mass market his improprieties in movie and book deals. He is somewhat put off by the assertions that he was allowed to stay at the NYT because of his race. He tries to liken himself to Stephen Glass, and even made a stateme
Pentagon calls BBC's Lynch allegations 'ridiculous' The BBC report quoted witnesses and hospital officials as stating the United States knew that there were no Iraqi forces at the hospital when it conducted the commando raid, and that the United States special operations forces had used Hollywood theatrics, including blank ammunition, to make a show of rescuing private Lynch. When will all of this nonsense end? It seems that the BBC would have us believe that the entire Jessica Lynch rescue operation was a farce. While when people hear words and phrases like Commando Raid, Ranger, SEAL, Special Forces, Delta Force, Covert, and Marine they tend to think of the melodramatic Chuck Norris or Sly Stallone type action. In all actuality this was indeed a commando raid. Meaning that specially trained infantry were used to get in and get out quickly. Additionally, this was a rescue, regardless of whether there was nobody there or not, we reaquired our personnel from for
Reloaded..... Despite what the well-paid film critics say, I thought the movie was awesome. I don't recall who it was, but it stated that not enough time was spent in character background and development. Well, that may be true, but I was not planning to go watch Citizen Kane, I wanted to see some ass-whipping. And boy did I see it. The Wachowski brothers raised the bar this time. I won't go into specifics on the movie but it is well worth the money. When the movie ended with the words [TO BE CONCLUDED]. There were audible signs of dismay, I was ready to sit there another two hours to see how everything panned out. Trust me, go see it.
Things that make you go....."awwwwwwww!" My goodness I have cute children. I thought about this tonight when I received some pictures of my daughter in an email from my father. Of course cuteness is all relative. I can't think of many people that would say, "Damn my kid is ugly." But, being as objective as possible I would have to say that my kids are cute. Here is an example. That was a picture from Easter. Check this one out from last weekend...
Breaking News: The United States Army is on the verge of defeat.... [Donald Rumsfeld is planning a force restructuring of the Army and wants to phase out the heavier aspects of the standing divisions. He has accepted the resignation of the former Army Secretary, and appointed a retired Navy Captain who was formerly the Secretary of the Air Force. Notwithstanding traditional inter-branch rivalries, this is the equivalent of a slap-in-the-face, and a kick in the groin.] For the most part the United States Army had enjoyed a heralded position as "The most powerful fighing force that the world has ever known." I can't remember who said that, but they weren't wrong in their estimation. During the history of the Army aside from a few tense and dangerous times, the Army has only speculated about "when" its particular objectives would be secured, and not "if" they could be secured. But it seems that the Army has come up against its most formid
Gov. Bush orders guardian for rape victim's fetus... ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- In a move that angered abortion rights advocates, Gov. Jeb Bush ordered state lawyers Tuesday to appoint a guardian for the 6-month-old fetus of a mentally disabled woman who was raped. This article confuses me. I am not sure of what the legal ramifications of appointing a guardian for an unborn fetus are, but what comes to mind is that perhaps nobody will be able to force the woman to have an abortion. Obviously whoever impregnanted this woman is sexually depraved and needs to be locked up for this heinous act. However, the amount of energy that abortion rights groups are exerting in this matter really surprises me. "He ought to be ashamed of himself," said Howard Simon, executive director of ACLU of Florida. "That he would personally step in and take responsibility to coerce a developmentally disabled rape victim to carry a pregnancy to term." I have never been a
The itsy bitsy spiiiiiiiider....AAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH! Last night I was upstairs in the TV room watching a movie. Suddenly a movement on the ceiling caught my eye. I looked up and saw a little black spider walking across the ceiling. I stood up on the couch and grabbed a shoe and made ready to hit it. Apparently the spider caught sight of me moving and paused. As he was walking away from me on the ceiling he pivoted 180 degrees and stopped. Once I raised the shoe to hit it, he launched himself off of the ceiling......right toward my face. I squawked and fell back on the couch. After flailing my arms, and shaking my shirt out as if I was on fire I checked the floor and the couch to see where he had gone. No spider to be found. Thinking that I must have scared him off I sat down on the couch and started watching the movie again. Suddenly I caught something out of the corner of my eye and looked at the corner of the room. Nothing. I started watching TV again, and detected mo
What the hell was he thinking? It seems that another government servant has performed traitorous actions against his county, all in the name of Lust! It seems that a career FBI special agent was the unwitting pawn of a Chinese Double Agent. They had a 20 year affair in which she wooed him with sexual favors and managed to pass on classified information to her own government. Seems like something out of a Bond film doesn't it? Unfortunately for us, this wasn't the typical Bond film. The good guys don't always win, the bad guys don't wear black hats, and the femme fatale sure isn't a Bond Girl. Aside from putting national security in jeopardy, ruining his retirement, and setting himself up for a lengthy prison sentence, this fool cheated on his wife with this: Don't get me wrong, I believe in the sanctity of marriage and the importance of trust and monogamy. I don't feel that if the girl had been attractive his culpability would be any less d
The things we take for granted... I stayed home with my daughter today because she was a little under the weather. I played with her most of the day and only took time to watch TV while she was napping. I was watching The Learning Channel and saw a personal story about a 9 year old little girl that was born with a cleft face. She had been subjected to surgery upon surgery and was still disfigured. On top of all of that, the poor little girl had been born addicted to cocaine and her mother abandoned her at the hospital. It showed one of her operations from start to finish, and it profiled her amazing courage. Because of her condition much of the interview was subtitled as it was difficult to understand her. I realized at that moment how beautiful the little girl's spirit was, and how blessed I was to have a baby who will not have to undergo that ordeal. I looked at Alex and marveled at her perfect little nose, flawlessly smooth skin, and chubby cheeks. I remember that
If ever there was a case for the death penalty... Malvo described originally setting his aim on Franklin's husband, but he said the husband moved, prosecutors said. Malvo described shooting at a child skipping across a parking lot, described "leading" the child with his gun, but missing him -- barely. He said the child swatted about his head, mistaking the whiz of the bullet for a bee. "I might have parted his hair," Malvo is alleged to have said. Apparently a judge has ruled that John Lee Malvo's confession may be used almost in its entirety. It seems the prevailing question has been whether or not Malvo was still under the protection of his Maryland attorneys. It also seems that Malvo began to get quite talkative with a homecide detective and an FBI agent who flattered his ego somewhat. I am sure that there will be a lot of questions regarding the legality of this, but the boy has admitted to two killings. Additionally the aforementioned quote
Celebrity quotes about the war..... "I don't believe war is a way to solve problems. I think it's wrong. I don't have respect for the people that made the decisions to go on with war. I don't have that much respect for Bush. He's about war, I'm not about war - a lot of people aren't about war." -- Avril Lavigne [Let me see, she is 17, so that means she was five when the first Gulf War occurred. She hasn't finished high school, yet the words of a 17 year old on U.S. foreign policy are supposed to be taken as profound? Anyway, isn't she from Canada?] I found a funny page here that rebuts quotes from some of our Hollywood celebrities it was a laugh riot! Check them out yourself.
Revisiting the Axis of Evil..... George Bush infuriated many by branding N. Korea, Iran, and Iraq an "Axis of Evil". There is no doubt in my mind that this was used to correlate our war on terror with the threat that the Axis Powers of WWII. The axis of evil has now entered the lexicon of politics and is quoted by the most staunch advocates and opponents of military action in the Middle East. While the reaction to the horror of September 11th bolstered a sense of nationalism for many in the United States, it also fueled the "I told you so", argument of people who feel that the U.S. foreign policy is too intrusive. While many of the war naysayers have taken particular glee at the fact that no WMD's have been discovered, we cannot discount the words of the "father" of their WMD program who claims that the weapons were destroyed right before Gulf War II commenced. (See, I am using names as propoganda too!) It has been proven that all three s
When you play with fire...... This is one of my favorite sequences of priceless pictures on the internet. I won't bore you with that worn out satire of the Mastercard commercial, but this shows you what Anti-Americanism can get you. This picture is highly symbolic. "Burn you Imperialist Infidels!" This is fanatacism. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" This is fanatacism on fire...... Any questions?
Sinead O'Connor is retiring from the music business.... "As of July 2003, I shall be retiring from the music business in order to pursue a different career," wrote O'Connor -- who distinguished herself in the 1990s as much with her shaven head and brash opinions as with her music -- on a Web site devoted to all things Sinead. "> [READ MORE] Well, let us see. She had a number one album, solely because of one hit that was written by Prince. "Nothing Compares 2 U". She refused to perform at a concert if the Star Spangled Banner proceeded her. Despite the fact that she found fame in the U.S. And let's see, she tore up a picture of the Pope, and was surprised that she was booed off the stage at her next event. At this point, I am making a sincere effort to think of anyone that I can think of that actually gives a damn about Sinead O'Connor or what she does....... O'Connor wishes to live a 'normal' life. Well Sine
A mediocre attempt at writing tonight... *yawn* I typed out a poem, but after reading it, I realized it sucked and deleted it. You can check me out at my best and worst here. Vibe Page These poems are over a span of about 5 years...I used to have more, but lost them. Feel free to give me your opinion, but if you dis me I will cuss you out. I ain't playin'.
I am a certified geek... I actually know that I am a certified geek by the list of disturbing geek attributes that I now have. 1. An affinity for any type of electronic or computer gadgetry. 2. The idea that it would be cool to own a pair of night vision goggles. 3. My adoration of Japanese Anime, Kung Fu Movies, and War Movies. 4. The fact that I know what a lot of computer acronyms stand for. 5. This blog is not the only web presence that I maintain. 6. I do see at least a practical purpose for a pocket protector. 7. I wish my son liked to play adventure games as well as sports games on Playstation 2. 8. I would rather watch the Discovery Channel, CNN, and C-Span instead of Reality TV shows. 9. I'm good at Jeopardy. And finally.....[drum roll please] 10. I know how many days it is until the Matrix Reloaded debuts! [Neo is a bad ass!]
Gay Pride Beating House arrest in gay pride celebration beating [Click above to view full story] Hair, 26, suffered a skull fracture, a split sinus and tooth damage; Sonny Gonzales, 35, received a head laceration; and Scott Boswell, 25, got a split lip. Let me preface this post by first saying that nobody deserves to be harassed or assaulted for their sexual orientation. Stereotypes about a gay man's feminine ways, and lack of prowess in sports and fighting notwithstanding...... how in the hell does one man inflict such damage upon three men? It seems that three 15 year olds could subdue a grown man if they worked together. Did they fight like girls? If they did, it would seem that they could have stopped him by sheer numbers. 3:1 I know it sounds horribly sexist for me to say, "Did they fight like girls?", but even if they did it would seem that they could have stopped this attack. I remember as an elementary school kid, the "furious windmi
Easter Sunday Easter Dinner at Kelly and Renee's house was a monumental success. We had people from both sides of our family come and spend time with us. In all, we had about thirty people running around our house yesterday. The kids had a great time even though they expressed outrage at having to leave church clothes on for so long after mass was over. They just didn't see the importance of having pictures taken on Easter Sunday. Despite the resistance, not only did they keep the clothes on but they stayed CLEAN before the pictures were taken. We have tons of food left over, and I cannot wait to sink into some leftovers at lunch time. Great Easter it was.
You mean Bob Hope is Still Alive ?!?!?! I had just assumed he was dead because I had not heard anything about him for so very long. This article is talking about how he will be celebrating his 100th birthday in a few days. Man, oh man. Talk about longevity. I'm not sure if I would want to live to be 100 though.
Good Friday It is so funny how prominent holidays bring back a rush of memories from my childhood. I remember how the nearing of Easter Weekend brought about an obligatory trip to Bacon's in Louisville for an Easter Outfit. Those days seem so far away now, and I relive the joy vicarously through the laughter and smiles of my children. Easter Weekend gives me fond memories of the church that I grew up in, the service, boiled eggs, and having to explain grass stain in the knees of that brand new outfit. I understand that it is supposed to be raining this weekend, and it almost seems illegal. Perhaps it did, but I cannot recall a single Easter in which the sun (Son) was not shining. This Easter will be my daughter's first one, she turned 8 months old just a few days ago. Though she will have absolutely no recollection of the upcoming events, I am very excited about this for her. The rush of relatives in and out of the house, as well as the thousand and one pictures t
Where's Daddy? As the family sobbed, Brig. Gen. Maston Robeson presented a folded American flag to Pokorney's widow, who handed it to her daughter. Taylor clutched the flag as she accompanied her mother to the casket. As they turned around, the girl asked her mother, "Where's Daddy?" [Click for full article] I thought about the consequences of military service this morning when I was waking my children for school. I just imagined how I would feel being deployed and unable to see them any time that I wanted to. My oldest was sick today so he stayed in bed, my five year old got out of bed and stumbled down the hallway toward the bathroom. I woke my daughter, (who is destined to be a morning person), and marveled at how 3 seconds after having been awakened she started to smile. As I went about my morning routine which consists of finding clothes, (my own included), and making bottles and pouring juice. I had to wonder what sort of impact my being away w
Where are you Laci? In some ways I really hope you haven't been found, but this article is very foreboding. It seems that police have found the skeletal remains of a woman, and a full-term baby boy washed up on the beach in Richmond, California. Coincidentally, it is only 2 miles from the spot where Laci's husband Scott went fishing the day she disapeared. I must say that I have a great deal of skepticism about his story. I find it strange that a man would leave home on Christmas Eve to go fishing, period. Additionally, to travel a great distance away from home and to leave your 7 month pregnant wife at home ALONE? Sounds very strange. Of course when it came out that he was having an affair most of his credibility with the public, and with Laci's family was shot to hell. I really hope I am wrong about this, and wouldn't it be great if we could find her alive somewhere with a perfectly healthy baby? I suppose the Elizabeth Smart case gave everyone a grea
Feelings after the war... For all intents and purposes the war in Iraq is over. Unfortunately I believe that more servicemen are doomed to die because of sporadic fighting, looting, suicide attacks, and the few kooks that are loyal to Saddam. But I wonder, even when all is said and done, will people ever feel this way about the end of the war? I have to wonder, because there seems to be a growing amount of dissent among the American population because we have not found the "smoking gun" as of yet. All I can say is be patient, and continue to pray for our troops. Lastly, before we begin the exaltations remember what price some people have paid in honoring their oath to our country. Here we see soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division remembering a comrade killed in a rocket attack. While I am glad the regime has ended, I have to admit that it is a bittersweet feeling.
Burns me up... This guy needs to be horsewhipped. Not only is he unfamiliar with United States battle doctrine, he chose to take potshots at women in the military and the state of West Virginia. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there is a sane, civilied, and respectful way to convey almost any opinion. Apparently he didn't bother to explore his options.
This is only the beginning... CNN has shown the poster boys of U.S. military might at their proudest. Man, say what you want to about those Marines, but not only are they always in the thick of things at battle, they are also johnny-on-the-spot for the Life Magazine shot. I mean, we all knew that it was a matter of time, albeit indeterminable, when Baghdad fell and celebrations would start, but I had never considered what the pictures would be like. Just seeing the Mike 88 pulling the statue of Saddam down seemed to be a picture that will be shown over and over again for decades to come. Hell, the Marines already had the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima and now this. But, you know what? They deserve it. As a matter of fact they all deserve it. Think of the picture of the Navy Sailor who grabbed the woman out of the crowd in New York and laid the kiss of the century on her. Do you all remember seeing that photo? That one was a classic. There are just photos that seem to en