Kelly Smith Weblog Aficionado: Just a guy vs. Life

World AIDS Day.... December 1st, 2004

33... Today is my birthday, and I think that this ought to be my year. I am not into numerology or any of that crap, but I think 33 is a lucky number. My biggest hero did a heck of a lot during his 33rd year on earth. Now I KNOW I can't make as much of an impact as he did, but I am going to try and make the biggest impact that I can. I promise to make a reflection post on November 29th, 2005 to reflect on everything I accomplished during that year. I feel it in my bones....this is going to be my year. Happy Birthday to ME!

The end of a great weekend.... Well, like all good things, this weekend had to come to an end. Despite the hectic schedules and the cooking and cleaning, this weekend was thorougly enjoyable. Sam and Erica took off this morning and headed home. Erica and Renee have known each other for the last5 15 or 16 years. For them, each reunion is a point where they can pick up where they left off. Happily enough, I get along with Sam very well so we can entertain ourselves while they catch up on old times. Wednesday night when they came into town, we stayed up until aobut 3:30 a.m. talking. That made for a very difficult Thanksgiving Day. After all of the cooking, cleaning, serving, eating, and laughing I was completely wiped out. On Friday, Renee had planned a big shopping trip for all of us. Naturally, Sam and I balked at shopping and ended up in the house with the kids......all....day....long. That evening when they got back from shopping we finally got to leave the ...

Thanksgiving..... Thanksgiving dinner was a success. Renee and I hosted this year, and I must say that it went off well. We had fried turkey, baked chicken, greens, baked yams, pretzel salad, and corn pudding. I alternated between eating and sleeping most of the afternoon. Here is a picture of the table before we ate. I really enjoyed having everyone at my house. Before we stuffed ourselves we got together for a quick photo. After all was said and done we sat around and talked and had a few drinks. I love this time of the year. Oh yeah...can you guess who had too much turkey?

Look who is coming to dinner... Here is some holiday news for everyone. I am assuming my rite of passage as an adult, parent, and independent person has come to fruition. My wife and I are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. Some guests that are coming besides family are some friends of ours. Sam and Erica, and their newborn daughter Olivia. Sam missed Erica's entire pregnancy and birth, but he is making up for lost time as you can see in this picture. My wife, Renee, and Erica met in college and have been friends ever since. I only met Sam through my marriage to Renee. Sam is a Captain in the Marine Corps and has recently come off deployment to Iraq. Sam did not go to our Alma Mater, he went to the University of Minnesota where he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha , I went to the same school that Erica and Renee went to, and I pledged Kappa Alpha Psi ....if you know anything about black college Fraternities you would realize that Kappas and Alphas are li...

This picture could be worth a bunch.... Here is a picture of my son, Devon. He is working as a ball boy for Lexington Catholic High School. He started on the middle school team as a 6th grader. He wants to be a superstar. Of course, he already is in my book. Good grades, good attitude, and an excellent athlete. He says he will play in the NFL. Of course, what little boy hasn't said that? But I encourage his dreams nevertheless. Of course that picture is already worth a million dollars to me.

Days that will go by quickly.... There has been a lot more that has gone bad than good lately. But, nevertheless, there are always moments like this that make me forget that there is such a thing as worry or trouble. I took my daughter to the park, and it was just amazing to think about how much she has grown in the past two years. I kind of had a knot in my throat to think that the day will soon come when she is too big to pick up and carry around. Time flies .....

Brawl between the Pistons and Pacers.... I have long grown weary of the antics of some of our professional athletes. To me, quite a few that come to mind are, over-paid, uncouth, arrogant, delinquents that think that the whole world revolves around them. I suppose that it is the adoration that fans of professional sport shower upon them that reinforces this idea that they are somehow "heroes" for what they do on the court, or on the field of play. In my opinion, the only "heroic" professional athletes are the ones that distinguish themselves both on, and off the court. More often than not, all the news that we hear about a professional athletes prowess off the court entails, violated women, brushes with the law, and drugs and alcohol. To be fair, this doesn't necessarily portray a large percentage of athletes, but this is what we hear about the most. Following the brawl between the Pistons and Pacers, there were many people that were calling for ...

The silent ovation for Condoleeza Rice... George Bush has nominated the first black woman to the position of Secretary of State. She is succeeding a black male named Colin Powell; generally an appointment like this would bring a great deal of air time in the media, but as we see there is little fanfare about this appointment. To me, this is an indication of many things, but here is what comes to my mind. 1. People aren't comfortable with the GOP being innovative and progressive when it comes to race. 2. Despite what many people think, black people are not a monolithic body that considers the success of one to be, "one for the team." 3. People aren't ready to praise a President for installing a cabinet that "looks" like America, unless he's a Democrat. I noticed this long ago, but some of the most outspoken right-wing media voices have complained about it. As a matter of fact, Andrew is discouraged that no credit has been given to o...

The Marine in Falluja... The Marine in Falluja will undoubtedly become the face of what is wrong with this conflict we are engaged in. I wonder how the investigation will proceed? Eugene Volokh from The Volokh Conspiracy has these ideas about the events. Read here in another window. Don't get me wrong, I have my suspicions about the justification for this shooting, but I also know that I don't know what was going on previous to the shooting. More to come later.

A Picture I came across... Here is a picture of me at a Morale Call when I was TDY at Ft. Gordon. Maker's and Coke.....mmmmm....

I can't believe it.... Apparently there are are a lot of Americans who are considering immigration to Canada. While I am sure because this was a very close Presidential race that many people are still a bit emotional, we have to ask ourselves whether or not we should really be sad about the people who want to immigrate. A person who would jump ship when things don't go exactly as expected is not American to me. Just my opinion, though.

The battle in Fallujah... I am not sure how many US troops have lost their lives in the battle for Fallujah, but I have had a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach since it began. I hope that they can secure the city and that the insurgency will subside. I know that we will be in Iraq for a long time, but I wish the effort wasn't so costly. I don't think that we are meeting the level of resistance that we had anticipated, but one life is valuable to lose. On either side actually. Don't get me wrong, I would rather hear about insurgents dying than our troops, but I do have to say that the effects on the civilian population and infrastructure worry me as well. Pray for our troops....

Ready to sing.... She is ready to sing, but what we don't know is for whom she is going to belt out a tune. Are we going to have to wait 11 days for this. Here we are in the most technologically advanced nation in the world, yet we have a mess for two Presidential elections in a row? Stay tuned... 12:45 PM It would seem that John Kerry will be giving and getting a serenade in about 15 minutes.

Marriage Amendment...as if we needed one... An Amendment to the Kentucky Constitution has passed that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. While this doesn't specifically mention sexual orientation, it not only has a tacit, but an implicit impact on the same-sex union question. The amendment passed by an overwhelming amount, the last I saw it was approximately 79% for the amendment to 21% against it. The vote that I cast was a "No" for the amendment. As a Catholic Christian, my religious views do impact some of my political views, and homosexuality is one thing that is frowned upon by most any recognized church. However, I think that this is one thing that the church should stay out of. Accordingly, I think that we should leave a lot of our religious views out of discussions like this as well. While I do have to admit that I understand the thought process of those who voted for an amendment to define marriage, I also have to say that I am grea...

To Vote, or not to Vote... Despite the high number of newly registered voters that we have, I am pessimistic about a significantly higher number of youth and blacks that vote today. I hope that they, and anyone else who is eligible to vote...but chooses not to...will remember this picture. The current exit polls posted by Slate show Kerry squeaking so far. Here is what they have listed. Florida Kerry 50 Bush 49 Ohio Kerry 50 Bush 49 Pennsylvania Kerry 54 Bush 45 Wisconsin Kerry 51 Bush 46 Michigan Kerry 51 Bush 47 Minnesota Kerry 58 Bush 40 Nevada Kerry 48 Bush 50 New Mexico Kerry 50 Bush 48 North Carolina Kerry 49 Bush 51 Colorado Kerry 46 Bush 53 We shall see what the evening unravels for us. I will try and post again soon.

Five days until the election.... It is hard to believe, but five days from now we will be crowding the voting booths to decide who is going to lead this great country of ours for the next four years. You can either go with the incumbent.... Or you can go with the challenger.... Who are you going to vote for?

Daydreaming about money.... I want to be rich. I don't mean rich so that I could be on MTV cribs giving a tour of some gaudy South Beach dwelling. I want to be wealthy. Wealth that makes your name famous in the old money circles. I want to be romantically wealthy, you know, the cocky, arrogant, Thomas Crown sort of wealth. The kind of wealth that makes the irritating things I do seem like romantic eccentricities. I want to be wealthy so that the only thing that keeps me from indulging my children's every whim is the desire that they not be COMPLETE spoiled brats. The kind of wealthy that would let me take my wife to the Carribean for two weeks on a day's notice. I want to be the kind of wealthy that affords me anonymity. The kind of wealthy that lets everyone know your name, but not know what you look like. I want to have inexplicable tastes that most people cannot pronounce. I want the sort of wealth that educates me and makes me understand what the other ...

Atmore, Alabama... My parents were born and raised in Atmore, Alabama as obsure as that locality may be to most people who read this weblog, it is as equally difficult to convey to you what the name means to me. Atmore. As a child I would visit this place once, twice, perhaps three times a year to visit my Grandmother, (Mommie Essie), my Grandfather, and my other family. Being a military brat afforded me the opportunity to travel across the country and throughout Europe as a child. But, it kept me from having constant contact with any relatives outside of my immediate family. For me, visiting Atmore was the bridge that connected me to a sense of self. I had access to cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents. But, as I grew older Atmore came to have a new meaning for me. Atmore was no longer the place where I went to visit those special people who knew everything about me. Atmore was the place where I came to attend their funerals. Last Thanksgiving I went to Atmore to...

A glimpse of beauty.... I just took an impromptu picture of Renee, and I thought it was beautiful even though you cannot see her entire face. This is the way she looks after a long day on the road traveling with the family, cleaning house, cooking dinner, and settling down on the couch to watch television. Though it may not seem like a glamour shot to some, this is the beauty that I appreciate the most. I'll appreciate it for many years to come.

June 24th, 1907 - October 15th, 2004... My Grandmother died....I don't have words today. The span of four generations is in this picture, that is about all I can do. (I love you Mommie Essie) UPDATED: October 23rd, 2004 I am working from my laptop in a hotel room in Indianapolis. Renee and I are up here for her cousin's wedding. It was really nice, the whole time I thought that it was so much nicer to get together with family for a wedding or child birth, than what it is to get together for a funeral. Mommie Essie's funeral wasn't the gut-wrenching experience that I thought it was going to be. I was sad, but I was happy in the fact that she lived 97 years of relative health and happiness. It was not surprising that there were so many people at the funeral. I have to admit that I was a little jealous to hear that so many people called her, "Mama Essie", of course that is a cheap takeoff of the real thing, "Mommie Essie"...

War of Words..... (from CNN.com) In the magazine article, a largely analytical cover story by Matt Bai, Kerry is asked "what it would take for Americans to feel safe again." (Special Report: America Votes 2004) ''We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance,'' the article states as the Massachusetts senator's reply. ''As a former law enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life.'' Though this was not a completely innocuous statement or a lightweight subject, I am not sure that his statement is tantamount to not knowing the...

Well damn..... I wouldn't want anyone to think that I had become motivated and changed my blog layout. A bug wrecked my other scheme, and blogger support said that this is all that they can do for me. Oh well, maybe I will work some images and a better layout up this weekend. Take care.

Some sounds are worth keeping.... I was cleaning up the old messages from my cell phone and decided to commit the contents to my weblog. The first message was from way back in the summer. It was so cute I decided to save it a while. I had met my wife and kids in Pigeon Forge for a weekend getaway from training, and my daughter called my cell phone with my wife's cell phone and asked me to talk to her. When I picked up mine and answered she was ecstatic. The second message was my wife calling me so that my daughter could sing a song to me. I was either on duty or in the classroom so my voicemail caught that one as well. She wasn't quite two, so the way she can sing is kind of amazing. The third message is from a guy who wanted to borrow some teaching materials for a SINCGARS class I had taught....no big deal. The last message was actually from today. A friend of mine who I went to OBC with returned a call to me while I was at work. He is on leave before he goes to...

Home Stretch... I'm taking a break from packing gear to ready myself to go to the field. I think it is going to suck, because we will be getting the leftovers from the hurricane. Oh well, every day is one day closer to going home. I talked to my wife today, and it seems that there is so much going on at home that I am missing. I can't wait to be back in my own house sleeping in my own bed. Four and a half months of TDY is just a little much for me. I shouldn't complain, I could be going back to Iraq. A good deal of the guys I am training with are on their way to either Kuwait or Iraq. I wonder what it is going to take to finally quell the unrest we are experiencing in Iraq? I hate to hear about fellow servicemen dying every day. I also hate to hear about all of the terror attacks going on around the world. I hope this mess isn't still going on when my kids come of age.

Remembering.... September 11th seems like it just happened yesterday, but so much has happened since then. I really don't know what to say. I just wish the world was a better place right now.

Who am I to complain? I spent the majority of this weekend on the road between Ft. Gordon and home. The trip is approximately 525 miles which means for several hours on the road. On top of that, there is ongoing road construction that I deal with every time that I make the trek home. I just went home last weekend for my daughters birthday, and to celebrate a belated wedding anniversary. After making that journey the week before, I really didn't feel like going anywhere this past weekend. I remember my wife told me that my son Devon's first football game would be this past Saturday. Not a major thing to some, but this was my son's first middle school game, he is starting on offense and defense and is immensely proud. She suggested that my showing up unannounced would be a big thrill for him. I told my wife that I might come but I was not sure. The last few days of training had been fraught with tension, fatgigue, and frustration. I had a back and leg injury d...

Information Technology II I am sitting in the breakroom at the IT building after taking a quiz. Tomorrow I will have my final exam, and I will be done with the School of Information Technology. I will be sorry to see this time period pass. We go in at 0830, and we end at approximately 1600. Soon we will be going to Basic Electronics back at Greeley Hall and I think we will be back to the 1700, 1730, or even 1800 release days. I talked to my wife last night, and she told me that she was safely back at home with the kids. I could hear my daughter screaming in the background, and I could hear my sons running wild. I really wish I could be with them. The week that my wife spent with my really whet my appetite to be back with them again. Well, I suppose we are about midway through the course, so I shouldn't be complaining too much. Well, that is all for now...back to class.

Missing you... Renee, Just in case you ever wonder, you are my everything. I love you with all of my heart. Thank you so much for coming to visit, now that our ways had to part, I realized how you have made me whole.

Mack... I marveled at your strength, The way you smashed bricks to dust. Grinning over warm gin, working side by side next to Dad. Vain stories told by the dozen, in a crude way, of the blessed younger days, Vietnam, street women and cheap wine. Every day you always had a smile, You always did something for somebody, for nothing. You were good, but you were bad. Nobody ever tried you, Nobody ever would. Damn...it's so ironic.... Even Cancer couldn't do, what a sharp curve on a highway could. Dkelsmith My dad's best friend died in a car accident down in Alabama this past spring. His name was Mack Bowie. I don't know what made me think of him this evening, but nonetheless I have been thinking about him for the last few hours. Mack was younger than my father. I am not sure how old, but perhaps in his late 50's or early 60's. Mack was a strong man, I remember when my Dad was remodeling our house,...

Melancholy... Main Entry: melancholy Function: adjective 1 a : suggestive or expressive of melancholy ..sang in a melancholy voice.. b : causing or tending to cause sadness or depression of mind or spirit : DISMAL a melancholy thought2 a : depressed in spirits : DEJECTED, SAD b : PENSIVE I would have to say that merriam-webster.com cannot adequately capture the feelings I have with any word. But, I suppose melancholy is the most adequate description available. I have been sent TDY to Ft. Gordon and that equals approximately four and a half months away from my wife and kids. Renee came down last Monday to visit me, and now she is preparing to leave. This has to be one of the fastest weeks of my life. I hate the fact that she is leaving, but I know that she has to go. I miss her, I miss the kids, I miss all things familiar to me. I do have to admit that this time away has given me new perspective on my relationship with my wife and my children. I suppose that I hav...

Taking things for granted... I suppose the worst thing that people do is to take others for granted. But, I can look back on my behavior towards my wife and kids and easily say that I took them for granted. I see that now that I am not in a position to be around them all the time. I suppose I took all of the time that I could have been spending with my kids for granted. I can't think of the number of times I was tired after getting home from work, and I turned down an invitation to "come play" with my kids. How many times could I have sat and played with them instead of laying down for a quick nap. I also look at my relatioship with my wife and wonder the same thing. It is just amazing to think back on the number of times that I would be in my own world, doing something I wanted to do instead of talking to her. It is so easy to read a book, watch television, fart around on a weblog , or otherwise not interact with my wife after a long day. I suppose I ...

Early Handover It seems that the sovereignty of the Iraqui people has been handed over to them early. Regardless of what anyone says, I think that this was done to make sure that the insurgents could not stage a coordinated large-scale attack on that day in order to take away from the proceedings. Of course, I don't think that this symbolism will do anything to deter the insurgency. We have Al Quaeda, Ansar al Islam, the Fedayeen, Saddam Loyalists, Al Sadr's followers and many other foreign fighters who have crossed the border out of neighboring countries solely to inflict damage upon coalition U.S. Forces. I see us being in the Middle East for a very long time. I am not sure how well established the so-called Iraqi defense forces will be if we were to leave. I don't think that this symbolism will do anything to deter the scheduled beheadings either.

Father's Day Weekend... Despite being TDY, I was still able to see my wife and kids over Father's Day weekend. Because my Fraternity Brother was getting married in Columbus, Ohio, I flew to Cincinnati where Renee and the kids met me. We stayed the night and went on to Columbus in the morning. It was so wonderful to wake up and hear the boys arguing over the TV, and Alexandra fussing over her Finding Nemo toys. You just don't know how much I miss them. Though I talk to Renee and the kids a few times per day, it had been almost a month since I had laid eyes on them. Some of the ordinarily subtle changes in Alex's behavior and growth were blatantly obvious when I saw her. I can really see a lot of myself in her, and she is starting to get so tall. Robbie seemed to have grown a bit as well, the difference in height between him and his older brother are becoming less and less....much to Devon's chagrine. We ended up eating a Father's Day brunch at th...

Happy Birthday U.S. Army Today is the 229th birthday of the United States Army. Happy birthday to all of us, and good luck to all of our Soldiers who are in harms way. Not to forget, today is Flag Day as well, did you fly your flag today?

Ronald Reagan is dead... Last night I was enjoying a great day off from our rigorous training calendar when I saw the newscast that told of President Reagan's passing. Immediately I was bothered by it, and I wasn't sure why. Of course I think that any person's passing should be observed with respect, it seemed like I felt his death on a personal level. Of course, I am a registered Democrat, and an ideological and political moderate. I did like Reagan's stance on the military, though. After I thought about it, I realized that I literally grew up with Ronald Reagan in the White house. I vaguely remember some of my father's complaint's about Jimmy Carter. I also vaguely remember the remarks that people used to make about him being a "peanut farmer." But, I became more aware of the world around me, and world events when Reagan was in office. He is the first President that I can remember observing. I can remember being in 3rd or 4th grade wh...

TDY Blues... "TDY (Tee-dee-why) Army acronym for Temporary Duty, not to exceed 140 days." I hate having duty assignments or service school requirements that put me around a bunch of trainees. I swear I had to return at least 250 to 300 salutes today. I don't have time to blog. I need to shine my boots. Man, I miss my wife and kids....

I am sick of kids... This morning, like a lot of other mornings I showered, shaved, and dressed listening to the incessant back and forth between two little boys. As a husband, father, and worker I really don't like starting off my morning with a bunch of foolishness. I'm an adult I don't have time for such things. No matter what the issue is with these kids, it gets blown up into something dramatic. I know I shouldn't be like this, but I am tired of their little asses. I can't go into the specific details of what this argument was about, because quite frankly I don't know. The real issue was lost in the name-calling, denials, and excuses. Once the argument reached a fever pitch I had to break in. I said, "Oh the both of you little bastards need to shutup! You make me sick!" I turned off the television and stormed out of the bedroom. Devon and Robbie were sitting there eating there cereal and I said, "Are you two ready to head out ...

BET Member of the week... BET Member of the week is your's truly, Dkelsmith. Thank you...thank you....thank you..... I don't think I get anything cool like a free tee shirt, but the exposure is pretty cool. If I had been thinking I would have asked for a referral link to my weblog. I would like to be able to generate more traffic to my blog. Of course, I think that has a lot more to do with the fact that I don't post daily, and perhaps the subject matter I cover isn't really compelling. While I do like to touch on politics and the military, I like to focus a lot of attention on family life. Since I am not part of a dysfunctional family none of the interesting subjects like drug use, domestic violence, infidelity, or anything like that applies to me or any of my little family. Oh! speaking of family, my oldest son got All A's and B's for the third consecutive 9 weeks period, my younger son, got all S's and E's on his kindergarten report car...

John Kerry: Black like me? "President Clinton was often known as the first black President. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second."...[John F. Kerry] I was cruising some of my favorite blog reads and came across a spot on Oliver's site that talked about John Kerry and his mission to connect with all populations of U.S. Voters. In a quotation from USA today, it referenced that quote with this line.... "Kerry signaled his resolve to cement his support among blacks this week when he told a radio interviewer, "President Clinton was often known as the first black president. I wouldn't be upset if I could earn the right to be the second." I was mildly amused when I heard about Tony Morrison referencing Clinton in that way. Don't get me wrong, I liked Clinton despite the attention to his personal life and business dealings. However, I was taken aback by how the idea of him being a "Black President" ...

And then there was one... Despite remaining attuned to the decorum of the Democratic nominee process, John Kerry is the last man standing in the Democratic Selection Process. Sharpton and Kucinich have not called an official ent to their campaigns, Dean quit but his name is still on the ballot. If I was Kucinich I would be mortified that I was dead last, even if it even is a field of three. http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/03/04/elec04.prez.edwards.suspension/index.html

The reason I have not supported gay marriage.... I don't support gay marriage for one reason, and one reason alone. I discovered that I had a prejudice bias against the homosexual lifestyle. Don't worry....you haven't run across a racist, homophobic, sexist individual's weblog, I am simply stating the reason why I don't support it. I never made a conscious effort to like or dislike homosexuals, I suppose that there was always a level of unconscious indifference regarding them. I was always quick to say, "Hell, I'm not homophobic, what someone does in the privacy of their own bedroom doesn't bother me." But for some reason the gay marriage issue has, and I had to do some soul searching in order to find out why. I suppose that the urge to chastise homosexuals starts at an early age. I knew to call the boys who could not run fast, catch a ball, or take a punch without crying, "sissies" when I was in grade school. In later year...

Boulder Colorado... Sixth rape allegation surfaces at CU I just don't understand what is going on in Boulder. Everything from the alleged sex parties to lure recruits, to the unreported six elleged rapes, to the football coach. I went to Boulder for 4 days in 1999, and I have to tell you that I loved the place. I walked around on the University of Boulder campus quite a few times. The one thing that surprised me greatly was the fact that there were absolutely no overweight people there. Everyone was jogging, walking, roller-blading, and working out. The campus was absolutely beautiful, the air was fresh and clean, and there was no smoking in any public facility. Shoot, I thought I had found paradise. I don't doubt that there are some shady goings on in Colorado, but I do wonder why these rape allegations have not come out until now. I don't completely dismiss the veracity of these claims, but I do submit that SOMEBODY had to know SOMETHING. I pray to God...

Just a few words... My daughter is learning to communicate, so I thought I would try and record some of her speech. If you aren't ready to say, "Awwwwwwww!", then don't click my audblog link. audio post of Alexandra saying a few words powered by audblog

And the dirt goeth... It seems that the report about an alleged affair between John Kerry and an "intern" was much ado about nothing. Both Kerry and the girl as well as her family categorically deny everything. Newspapers in the UK ran wild with this one. Some people complained of a media "blackout", but I think that to the contrary it was "responsible" coverage. Not that Matt isn't responsible. But, I think that he would have been happy to have brought out to party shaking scandals all within a 15 year period. Not that he has any particular interest in bringing out some dirt on anybody, especially the Dems. Well, we are poised to see how Kerry, Edwards, and Dean do in Wisconsin. Kerry is already heavily favored, and now one of the issues that should be in the back of Dean and Edward's mind is, "How do I gain points and delegates in this race without doing damage to the party as a whole." I submit that they need on...

The Dirt Cometh... There is a developing story on the Drudge Report that points to marital infidelity on the part of Senator John Kerry. Additionally, some thirty year old photos surfaced that show Kerry and Jane Fonda (albeit they were not seated together) at the same Anti-war protest. He is the frontrunner, and seems to have been gathering momentum, but there is nothing like a trist with a mistress and a link to Hanoi Jane to throw a monkeywrench in the works. We will have to see what the future holds. [developing story] Reference Link

9-11 Public Forum to include Clinton and Bush? http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/12/911.commission.ap/index.html Just an interesting tidbit. The Commission is going to seek to have testimony from: George Bush(43), Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, John Ashcroft as well as their counterpart/predecessors from the Clinton Administration. I wonder what kind of details we can piece together?

Decapitation attempt? (CNN) -- A convoy carrying Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East, was attacked Thursday during a visit to Iraqi defense forces in Fallujah, U.S. officials said. No one was injured. Abizaid was accompanied by Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division. Color me funny, but I don't think it is a good idea for more than one general officer to be in the same aircraft or ground vehicle at a time. Despite all of the problems that the U.S. armed forces have encountered in dealing with insurgents, we have still shown ourselves to be a strong and unwavering force. However, those Iraqis who are sitting on the fence in regard to how they feel against the Americans may have found a "successful" attack on the Americans something that would draw them into insurgency. No bones about it, if you kill the CentCom commander and the CG of the most powerful and mobile Airborne Division in the wor...

Jazz anyone? Last night, I went to the Kentucky Center for the Arts to see Jazz luminary Wynton Marsalis, and the Lincoln Center Jazz orchestra. I have heard live jazz music played before, but this completely changed my perspective of Jazz music. Marsalis is the winner of 9 grammy's and a Pulitzer prize. He took the stage and introduced everyone in an archetypal husky, but cool Jazz speaking voice. All we needed was for him to have shades on and be puffing on a cigarette. Man, the guy is an absolute musical genius. Last night they played some of the definitive works by composers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus. They did do a few contemporary pieces as well. Marsalis broke this down into the "New Testament" and "Old Testament" of Jazz. The crowd, including me, was held spellbound by not only the high caliber musicians, but the historical anecdotes that he offered about the pieces an...

Black History Month: A look forward February is Black History month, a month that is both reviled and despised by some in this country. There are some whites who feel that this is "yet another undeserved, or unneeded handout to black people." Some people feel that this is special pandering to blacks that further confirms the "blackmail" that is being exacted upon the country as a whole for the slave trade. To many people, the "shame" of slavery is paralyzing us because to speak out against special consideration or acknowledgement of black oriented events is tantamount to racism. I just want to say that when we look at the Black experience in America, it can be said that at one time, people thought that we had contributed nothing of any merit from 1619 to 1926. Hence, the start of Black History Week. Because it has gone through several changes, I think the the reason and the relevance for this observation has been lost. Though, I think the need for...

Does Aaron McGruder have a right to be hostile toward Condoleeza Rice? Because this is the United States, I would say, "Yes" with absolute certainty. Because we are Americans we don't have to go along with the policy of our government. We are free to protest, we are free to question, and in some cases we are free to refuse. I think that is one of the greatest things about this country....that one word that is dear to all of us...."Freedom". The creator of the popular "Boondocks" comic strip reportedly caused some discomfort at an anniversary dinner for the Nation magazine here last month when he told the mostly anti-war audience, "I've met Condoleezza Rice and called her a murderer to her face." Late last year, McGruder made Rice's love life the topic of his comic. "Maybe if there was a man in the world who Condoleezza truly loved, she wouldn't be so hell-bent to destroy it," one of his "Boondock...

It is impossible for me to babysit my own kids.... Strange title, huh? Well, it is true. It is impossible for me to baby sit my own children. The reason that I say this, is the fact that people sometimes give men undeserved credit for watching their children, or caring for their children when their wives are away. I submit that a man NEVER babysits his own child. He merely continues to act in the capacity of a father. If a woman is out in public with her kids, do people assume that she is "watching them", just because her husband is not present? Still confused? I will try and illustrate this... Not too long ago my dear mother-in-law passed away. Understandably, my wife has been stressed out handling arrangements and overall dealing with her loss. Some of her friends came into town and decided to take her out shopping and hanging out on a Saturday. They were gone most of the day and came back in the evening. To my relief, my wife looked more refreshed, and...

Afro-Saxon An Afro-Saxon is a white person, who despite his genetics, tries his best to dress, talk, and act, like the stereotypical "Homeboy". Here is a transcript of my lunch order. He will be called a White Afro-Saxhon Homeboy. (W.A.S.H) The guy I saw had light brown hair, blue eyes, and was obviously caucasian. I will call him W.A.S.H. I walk up to the counter..... [W.A.S.H] "Whuddup Homey, whut can I git foya today?" [Me]... pausing in disbelief ...."Umm...I'll have a large Philly Cheese Steak with pizza sauce, and hold the onions. I also have a coupon for a free small one." [W.A.S.H] "Cool..cool...You want fries or sumpin else wit dat?" [Me] "Yes, I'll take a small fry." [W.A.S.H] "You don't want no drank?" [Me] "No thank you." [W.A.S.H.] "You fa sho? The lemonade be TIGHT!" [Me] "No thanks, I'll just have the sandwiches and fries....

Bland assurances... I am not sure what you thought of the State of the Union address, but it was far from the speech that I expected from a President seeking reelection. From what I deduced, he is banking his reelection hopes on the fact that nobody wants to switch Generals during a war....even an unpopular war. In the beginning the doves squawked about us waging war unilaterally against Saddam, and continued to squawk and coo that we would stand alone in the end. The high point of his address did stymie the anti-war crowd with a laundry list of countries that have contributed troops and resources to the war effort, he gave no real time table for transition of power, or reduction of force in theatre. In regard to the economy he gave a lukewarm assurance to fiscal conservatives by stating that discretionary spending would only increase by 4% over the next year. Additionally, he held on to the notion that tax cuts and other Reaganesque measures such as spending increases would...

Radicals amaze me..... The attached rendered photo of the Time magazine photo of military personnel as the "Person of the Year" shows exactly what some people think of our military. I will finish elaborating on this shameful photo later on. I got this from the DC Independent Media. http://dc.indymedia.org/media/all/display/17011/index.php?limit_start=24 I wonder why they are so independent? In speaking to a lot of Americans, it can easily be said that not a lot of people are happy with the way things are in America, and throughout the rest of the world. Many of the problems that Americans talk about are attributed to the President. I am not going to go into my personal thoughts about his culpability in our floundering economy, but I do have to say that I am not one to believe all of these sinister plot conspiracies. I have heard preposterous notions that went so far as to say that he was "responsible" for the WTC bombing just so he coul...

Update As you can see I have not blogged for nearly a month. This is not because no major events have happened. Quite the contrary, so much has happened that I couldn't find time to commit it online, though I have chronicled a great deal of things in my journal at home. First off my Mother-in-law passed away after battling cancer. She died on the 22nd of December. This is something that hurt me deeply. She and I had the atypical Mother-in-law to Son-in-law relationship. I can't imagine that it was possible for her to have treated me any better. I did my best to be a supportive husband to my wife during that time, and obviously I was worried about my children. But, I felt like I was a complete wreck at the time as well. We carried on with Christmas, and though it was a sad time, reminiscing about her carried us through. That is the way that she would have wanted it. She will certainly be missed, her kindness, her generosity, her laugh, her smile, her presence. Ev...