Back from Chicago

I made it back from Chicago. What an exciting week it was. I saw Jeanne and Jeff perform at Jeanne's 40th Birthday show. It was a great time. I have a couple of clips from the show. I'll try to post them in the next few days.

I saw another show, took in a White Sox game, and ate some great food. I think I managed to put on some pounds despite walking several miles a day.


The best part of the week, however, was getting off the train back in Springfield where a couple of girls ran up and embraced my legs.

Off to Chicago

Tomorrow, I 'm riding the rails. I'm off to Chicago for a week. My job puts me in Chicago, and the timing couldn't be better. I'm going to be attending Jeanne Arrigo's 40th birthday show at the Speakeasy Supper Club in Chicago. Opening for Jeanne will be some dude name Jeff.

If I don't forget my camera, I'll try to get some shots for the blog. Maybe I'll be able to catch a video clip as well. My digital camera is pretty cool.

If you're not doing anything tomorrow, hop a freight train to the Windy City. You won't regret it.

The Stories

Misti's comment on the last post prodded me to post this link. It is a link to an NPR project called StoryCorps. Not only are there stories from 9/11 families, but there are stories from Katrina victims and stories about the trials and tribulations of ordinary Americans.

Misti is right about these stories. They are more important than a movie casting blame. They make us realize how important it is to look at these events with an unjaundiced eye. When the politicians err, real people pay the price.

Interestingly, ABC has issue a statement about the movie in response to the criticism. It says the movie is not a documentary, but a docudrama with fictionalized scenes. Is there any good reason to produce a movie about 9/11 with fictionalized scenes? I think Misti is right about this movie. I'll be doing myself a big favor if I don't watch it.

ABC Pushes Right Wing Myths

The New ABC movie "The Truth About 9/11" is not going to be the truth at all. It is purportedly based on the Report of the 9/11 Commission. However, some of the scenes directly contradict the report.

Any doubt about the true goal of this piece is swept away when one considers the who received advanced copies. Former President Clinton was denied a copy. Obfuscator-in-Chief, Rush Limbaugh, however, received a copy.

A key scene of the movie points to the failings of the Clinton administration. Former Anti-Terrorism Chief Richard Clarke points out the scene is entirely fiction. In fact, the scene is based on a right-wing myth that the Clinton administration had the opportunity to kill Bin Laden and backed down.

Sandy Berger never said the things his character says in this movie. The instance alluded to in this scene was called off by the CIA Director George Tenet who was appointed before Clinton was President. They could not confirm the intelligence, so he called off the attack on Bin Laden. There is no way to know if this call was right in this instance or not, but shooting missiles based on single-source intelligence is not a good idea.

There are more errors in this movie: enough to make you question the motives of the folks who produced it.

A prime time television analysis of this important event needs to be free from partisan stain. To foist this fictionalized piece on the American people is more than a disservice. It is un-American. It will only serve to deepen the divides that have grown so wide under the Bush administration.

**most of the links above are from Thinkprogress.org
**if you follow these links you will find them well-sourced

Racing Around the Bases

Here are three cousins racing around the bases Sunday at the new Busch Stadium. Heading into second is Parke. Willa is behind him, and Ben is trailing the pack in the little Pujols shirt.

It was a great day for the kids to be at Busch. Earlier, Albert had trotted the same path three times with the crowd roaring.