Black Friday Cometh

As Thanksgiving approaches, the television and newspaper ads tout the “Black Friday” sales. For me, Black Friday brings a sense of dread. Who would want to venture out to the malls and the stores to do battle with vicious, cold-blooded, bargain hunters? I would rather eat shellfish.

One year, though, I did venture out at 5 am on a Black Friday. It was about a week before Thanksgiving when Willa was about four years old. Our television was not working well. I can’t recall the exact nature of the problem. It was some annoying outage of audio or video that occurred with increasing frequency.

Being male, I figured the best thing would be to fix it myself. This always seems like the best option. I work pretty cheap. On this occasion, I earned my pay.

Shelly was not home the day I set about “repairing” the television. I gathered my seldom-used tools in the living room and tilted the television onto its screen. I removed the back of the television. At this point, Willa became utterly engrossed in the proceedings.

I took everything that I could out of that TV. Unable to diagnose the issue, I put everything back. I thought I had systematically taken it apart and replaced just as it had been before. Of course, the television didn’t work, not even a little. It wouldn’t even work in the annoying fashion it had worked before.

So we took it all apart again. And we tried to put it together again. About midway through our third rebuilding effort, my lovely wife walked through the door. Television parts were strewn all over the front room. Willa, who was aflame with enthusiasm for our project, ran to the door, “Mommy! We took the TV apart!”

“I see,” my wife replied with an expressionless face. Only her eyes gave away the disappointment she felt as she realized her misfortune.

My assistant and I never were able to make the television work. My wife didn’t say much about the episode beyond the sporadic “Why did you take the television apart?” until a few days before Thanksgiving. As I nestled into bed one evening, she rolled onto her side. Her elbow supporting her head, she said pointedly, “You know you’re going to get me a television Friday morning don’t you?”

“Right,” I replied with an expressionless face.

Jay the Barbecue Chef

This is a real picture. My buddy Jay tried to grill him up some ribs last fall . . . yummmm.

Your Liberal Media

Here's your liberal media at work again. The media, including NBC and the New York Times reports that ballots in the Minnesota Senate race have been kept unsecured in the trunk of a car. How do they know? They heard it from Norm Coleman's lawyer! Norm is the Republican candidate in the race. And they didn't mention that Minnesota's Republican governor says there is no evidence of anyone trying to steal the election.

This is What I'm Talking About!

This is the kind of thinking that is going to change the world! And there's more here!

The Election

I thought I'd give the email thing a shot so this is parially a test.

But as far as the election goes...I'm relieved it's over, and more importantly, I'm relieved that Obama won.  I don't know how anyone could defend their vote of McCain after his selection of Sarah Palin as VP.  I mean......COMMON!!!!   Is she the best the Republican party can offer!!!!  She's the best you got???????

A Change is Gonna Come

My man Boz sent me this. Enjoy!

The Hope of a Better Day

Folks, we made history tonight. Our country will be so much better for it. We have redeemed ourselves a bit in the eyes of the world.

Over the last eight years, the Bush Administration shredded the Constitution and decimated the middle class. They have instituted a preemptive war doctrine (Did you get that Ms. Palin?) and used torture in the name of all Americans.

Tomorrow, though, dawns a new day. The man leading the way has long worked for those less fortunate. He has helped folks rebuild tattered lives. He has defended the Civil Rights of fellow Americans.

I believe this man will work to help those who need it the most. I believe this man is up to the challenge.

The time for change is now.

KU Farce

Here is a video made earlier this year during March Madness. Afterwards there are some good out-takes worth watching too.

This is what we need . . .

How much would it be worth to you to never go to the gas station again? Or to never get a tuneup? Or to stop polluting the environment for good?

Gas Tax Holiday

Cutting the gas tax would be a gift alright. But not for consumers. It would be yet another gift to the oil companies.

It is almost as dumb as the tax rebate stimulus plan. They should be forced to write on the tax rebate checks - "You are borrowing this money from your children and grandchildren. Enjoy!"

No Lyrics Left Behind

In response to seamheads last post, I have decided to dust off some old lyrics and see if I can get some feedback and maybe through some blog team work come up with a completed song. Anyone can play this game so don't be shy, all ideas and criticisms are welcome. Awhile back I tryed this with my own blog page and came up with a great song about long nipples, so hopefully we can do something similar, but without the nipples.

The problem with me starting this is that all my unfinished songs where written while I was drunk and ticked off at some girl, so they all have a bit of a drunken pissed off air about them. So after officialy warning you here is my first installment of No Lyrics Left Behind:

(I don't have a title)

Don't you want me here
Don't you even care
I spend my ever dwendling years
searching for the source of my tears
don't you even care

I thought you were my friend
guess I didn't understand
opened my heart and gave my soul
thinking you'd never let it go
guess I didn't understand

And if I'm crying at your feet
it's because of trust not cause I'm weak
you've had a hard life I can see
please don't take it out on me
sorry I'm crying at your feet.


again, I appologize for the drunken pissed offedness, and the fact that it's only a few verses.

A Little Bit of Magic

This is the kind of thing that makes the internet wonderful. Rosanne Cash walks us through co-writing a song with Joe Henry. Plus you can listen to a "first draft" version of the song. I love this!

History Lesson

Here's a great post about about why torture is both wrong and ineffective. There are links in here to American World War II interrogators telling how they interrogated enemy soldiers without compromising their humanity and the principles of our nation.

EARTHQUAKE!!!!

I knew something was terribly wrong. I woke up. My wife was holding me - on purpose. The bed was shaking. Seems like a dream come true, right? In reality, it was an earthquake.

The house was shaking. The first thought was, "My it's windy." Then after about six or seven seconds the wind never let up.

Shelly was panicking. "What's going on?"

"An earthquake!" I said. I'm an earthquake survivor having survived one in September 1990 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Of course, everyone survived that earthquake. It did give me the experience to recognize this one right away.

Our nine-year-old daughter was in our room the instant the shaking had stopped. "What was that?"

"An earthquake!" I said.

Of course, my wife didn't believe me until the early morning news anchor told her I was right. She couldn't believe an experienced earthquake survivor.


UPDATE (9:58 am) Aftershock!!!!

Meet the Press

Is ordering orange juice in a diner wrong? Or is our Press Corps full of morons? You decide.

Here's Your Republican Candidate for President

McCain doesn't think much of the work ethic of Americans.

Free Beer

Don't miss the party Saturday! If you need more info, please email or call! There's also golf on Saturday if you're interested

My First Album Cover

This is a shot of my first album cover. I hope to make a CD sometime within the next 3 or 4 years.

This is Disturbing

Here's your choice:  

1)  a 26 year-old shortstop with a .347 OBP in his first year in the majors.  It's a small sample, but his minor league numbers suggest he may be able to stay close to that OBP.

2) a 28 year-old shortstop with a career .295 OBP in 2751 Major League At Bats.  This guy has proven again and again that he cannot get on base.  He will never get on base.  Some may say he should only be a utility infielder.  I submit that he is too offensively inept to be on a Major League roster.

Of course, Tony La Russa has chosen #2 to be his starting shortstop.  When you pair him with 2nd baseman Adam Kennedy, you have the worst middle infield in all of baseball.

We're in for a long, long season.

The Most Important Post You'll Ever Read

For all you golfers out there this is the most important golfing lesson you can get! And it's free!!

Rog's Birthday Bash

As a tribute to Roger and the fact that he has a whole place rented out for his 43rd birthday party, I propose that we should do a "Roger Roast". Just like those ones on the comedy channel where we each just take turns getting up and ripping him (good heartedly)a new one.

Shoot me a message if your interested or leave one here, and I'll see what I can do about putting something together.

paulntheviolentfarmers@yahoo.com

All He Wants

The New York Times reminds us:

What Mr. Bush wants is to be able to listen to your international telephone calls and read your international e-mail whenever he wants, without a court being able to prevent it or judge the legality of his actions . . .

Finally, Mr. Bush said it was vital to national security to give amnesty to any company that turned over data on Americans without a court order. The purpose of this amnesty is not to protect national secrets — that could be done during a trial — but to make sure that the full damage to Americans’ civil liberties is never revealed. Mr. Bush also objects to a provision that would create a committee to examine his warrantless spying program.

Isn't that the Truth?

From Tom Tomorrow:

Remember what Kurt Vonnegut said:

There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don’t know what can be done … This is it: Only nut cases want to be president.

Party

The time is drawing near. You're all invited to a big party. I'm having my 21st Birthday Party on April 5th at the Chatham American Legion Hall. The festivities will start at 7 pm. Feel free to bring appetizers, munchies, or dips. We'll have some live entertainment. There will be a cash bar too.

There's a lot of fun Lincoln stuff here in the Springfield area if you want to make a day or weekend of it. There is also a possibility that golf might break out during the day on Saturday.

A New Perspective

Bad things sometimes turn into blessings.
You find out important things.
You've touched some lives.
People who face tough battles everday
hold you in their hearts.
All this time they've appreciated you
for the work you've done.
Maybe you never even realized
how many people
hold you in their hearts.
Bad things sometimes turn into blessings.

Some Days are Stone

Some days the sky falls right down on you.
You're lying there with pieces of sky all over you
wondering if you're going to be able to get back up.

Welcome Back to the Same Old Place that You Laughed About

Another four inches of snow dropped on Chatham today. Winter has reached farther into the calendar this year. March has always been a blustery, sunny, and rainy month with rare snowfalls. A couple in our church celebrated sixty years of marriage this week. The husband told the congregation, "It rained and snowed and sleeted and was sunny that day." If ever a day predicted the joys and calamities encountered on the marriage trek, their March wedding day would be the one.

Not too many days ago, about three inches of snow dropped on our fair city. I was at work while Jack Frost worked his magic, and I arrived home to find our driveway already cleared of snow. I knew that the girls would be home shortly after me. Grabbing a shovel I puttered around the driveway. When the van pulled in, I wearily removed my cap and wiped my brow attempting to evoke the illusion that I had cleared the drive. My wife has been married to me for almost a decade now. She did not believe for a second that I had shoveled the drive.

Today, we returned the favor. After shoveling our driveway, we shoveled a couple extra ones including the one owned by the person suspected of stealing the snow from our driveway not too many days ago. As we shoveled, the girls played in the snow pausing occasionally to fire snowballs at me. For an hour or so the edge was off my intense desire to see winter blow away on the spring breezes.

It's a Sad Day in Title Town

It's a sad, sad day for the Packer fans. Considering how well Brett played last year, it will be even harder for the fans to take. Theses legends don't usually end up on the home team. Fans must savor the moments the legends bring. These moments are treasure to sift through when the wins are few.

My wife has pushed me to start blogging again. I think it's time. With all that's going on in our world and the Cardinals preparing for another baseball season, I definitely have thoughts to share. I hope some of the folks who used to share with us will migrate back as well.

Basically, I'm restarting this blog in honor of Brett Favre and the joy he has brought my wife, her family, Packer Fans, and of course, football fans like myself who enjoy watching the great players no matter what uniform they wear.

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

Look what I got her for her birthday! I found it on clearance.

Rick The Man

Whether or not Rick Ankiel becomes a Major League star, he is definitely more fun to watch than Juan Encarnacion.

Another Important Story

Folks, Global Warming isn't a liberal scare tactic. If you ignore the corporate shills, you'll find the consensus as universal as is possible in the scientific community.

Five Big Lies

This is an important story.

Unhappy Returns

Once again I return to work to find my cubicle vandalized. In May, I went to a conference and returned to find my cube defaced. Monday I returned to find it even worse. The Cub fans had turned my cubicle into a Wrigley Stadium replica complete with brick, ivy, and the basket that catches home runs. Of course I had to rip through a bunch of Cub banners to even see the Wrigley replica.



Luckily, one of the culprits is on vacation this week. The contractor is already working on his cube.

Gone Camping

We are headed off into the woods this week. We should have another Isa Report when we return. We are headed to Door County and Peninsula State Park on the peninsula between Lake Michigan and Green Bay.

The Lastest Isa Report

After her mother's bedtime prayer, Isa said that she wanted to say her own prayer. So she said, "Hey, God! Thank you for the new toilet. Thank you for the new children at church. Thank you for our new house."

"What toilet?" said her mother, Michelle K.

"Amen." Isa said quickly. "Is God in your stomach?"

"Yes." said Michelle K. "He is everywhere."

"Does he pull hair?" said Isa. Then she said herself, "Nooooooo. He loves you. Only big sisters pull your hair when she's mad at you."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not pull her hair.

**This Isa Report has been authored by Willa.

Sometimes when I'm Falling, Flying . . .

Did you see it last night? It was fantastic. The Library of Congress honored a hero of mine. Paul Simon was given the first Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. A fantastic array of artists from numerous genres were on hand to perform versions of Paul Simon songs.

Since my youthful discovery of my parents' "Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits" cassette, Paul Simon's music has been an integral part of the soundtrack of my life. I have sung Simon and Garfunkel tunes with many of my oldest friends. I sat in the very top row of the Fox Theater with one of those old friends while the songs from "Graceland" and the smell of marijuana washed over us.

A few years later, I went to what was then called Riverport with a bigger group of friends for the "Rhythm of the Saints" tour. My favorite song that day was a fantastic version of "An American Tune."

Now, I haven't seen Paul Simon live since that day at Riverport. But his last album has a song that really speaks to me. It's called "Father and Daughter."

I'm gonna watch you shine
Gonna watch you grow
Gonna paint a sign
So you'll always know
As long as one and one is two
There could never be a father
Who loved his daughter more than I love you

That's a Winner!

While I slumbered the Birds evened the season series with the Royals. I watched the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't stay awake for extra innings.

For one day, all is again right in the universe.

Is It Wrong?

Another note about last night's game: During Juan Encarnacion's at bats last night, I was rooting against him extending his hitting streak. Is that bad?

They flashed some funny numbers on the scoreboard when he batted. His average during the streak, .288. He had exactly 21 hits in his streak. I guess that's about as bad as you can hit and still have an 18 game streak. Sounds like a lot of 1 for 4 nights.

Anyway, last night I used Karma to put an end to the anomalous streak.

Cards Even Series

I was in the eleventh row of section 155 last night. My buddy Chuck scored some awesome tickets at work. We were between the end of the home-plate screen and the Royals Dugout. A perfect angle to see Chris Duncan' eyes light up on meat ball delivered by the Royals' Scott Elarton.

Ole' Abner delivered a perfect evening for baseball. The temps were in the low eighties at the first pitch. There was a bar selling Schlafly's near our section.

The game lasted only two hours and ten minutes. I was home and in bed by 11:30 pm.

I ran my record to 2-1 on the season.

The Isa Report

June 18th, 2007 - Subject: Courage

Splinter Courage

Isa was brave (and squirmy and screamy!) when she had to get a splinter taken out of her foot last night.
Reporter Willa has all the details.
When I got there to do the weekly Isa Report, Isa was screaming.
I had to do this report on myh own, so I decided (since EVERYONE was busy) to not talk to anyone. It would bother them. I helped out too.
We FINALLY got it out. Isa refused a cookie. Was she sick?

The End

***This report has been brought to you by Willa. We are hoping this will become a regular blog feature. We encourage other young authors with siblings to write as well.

Cardinals 7, Royals 3

Looks like tonight will be the rubber match in the I-70 series. The Cards prevailed yesterday behind some solid pitching from Adam Wainwright.

Go tell Andy how it will turn out tonight!!

Check This Out

Wikipedia is the coolest!

I have to say this . . .

If you loved watching Magic and Bird play, if you loved watching Jordan, you need to be watching LeBron play. It is akin to watching a flower bloom right before your eyes.

LeBron is amazing. He is the next great player who can transcend the game and the league the way Jordan, Bird, and Magic did.

Tonight he scored 48 points including the last 25 Cavalier points. It was stunning.

Cards/Royals update

St. Louis 21 29 .420 6.5
Kansas City 19 35 .352 14.5

Notice the last column. The number is how many games out of first place the team is. A small number indicates a more meaningful season (or some might say, a weak division). No matter how you interpret the numbers, one team is still playing for something, and the other team is merely playing out the season.

Something Must Be Done

When the free market begins to work in favor of the consumer, something must be done. The Bush Administration will not allow the free market to take advantage of Big Corporations. As I have told conservative friends of mine before, small business and individuals both get the shaft from the Bush Administration. This is a perfect example of both groups getting the shaft.

The Wizard

A big group went to see the Cardinals Tuesday night to celebrate Dave's 40th birthday. We turned the Birds around that night. We stopped the six-game slide and had a blast.

Here are Willa and Isa hanging with the Wizard. I will post some more pics as soon as Dave sends me a few.

Baseball

In response to a loony commenter, I want to post the following:

Team Winning %
St. Louis Cardinals .419
Kansas City Royals .404

We will keep an eye on the developing situation.

Happy Birthday, Dave!

Here's a shout out to the newest member of the old man's club. Dave is still going strong at forty. He doesn't slide the trombone like he did when he was younger, but he didn't know what he was doing back then anyway.

The Bush Administration

The administration cares about nothing except political power. They have forced perceived political enemies from government. They will do anything to reinforce their political power.

The War

The next time I hear or read someone say that we are losing the war because of the 'Liberal Traitors,' I want them to read this.

More on Falwell

Here are some of Falwell's own words.

Falwell Dead

Our good friend Travis has an awesome take on this.

BBQ **UPDATED FOR CORRECT DATE**

It's that time of year again when I go out on limb and have a BBQ and hopes people will show up. The last two years have been great, but hot. This year Misti and I are hoping this will work with everyones' summer plans a little better by having it on Memorial Day weekend. More specifically May 26th. Golf will be in the morning and afternoon followed by a BBQ and live music that evening on Harper Hill overlooking the banks of the Cuivre river and the beautiful Davis skyline. Price of admission is merely a side dish. Misti and I look forward to this every year, and for some of you it is the only chance all year we get to see you. Just shoot us and e-mail and let us know if you can make it. Hope all is going well and we look forward to seeing you Memorial Day weekend.


Sweetlou.

Is This Child Abuse?

I returned to work after a conference in Milwaukee. My cubicle had been vandalized in my absence. I thought you guys might enjoy the pictures.

I attended the Brewers/Cardinals game at Miller Park Wednesday afternoon. Brewer fans are very nice. They seem to hate the Cubs as much as we do.

The Cardinals were terrible though. After Jim Edmonds and Chris Duncan our outfield is a complete disaster. We have a bunch of guys who either can't hit or can't field and in some cases, can do neither. We need to deal for a quality outfielder and get J-Rod up to the big club to strengthen the bench. And then we can start working on all the other problems.

The Brewers look very good to me. If they can keep getting quality starts from the pitchers they will have a very good chance to win the division. They have terrific group of young position players on the infield including a third baseman who is still in the high minors. (Remember to click the photos to get the full effect.)

What You've Been Waiting For!!!

Yes!!!
The Drunken Haiku contest is back on the blog of Paul and The Violent Farmers!!!

Question . . .

Riddle me this. If the President can attend funerals for some of the victims at Virginia Tech, why can't he find time to attend the funeral for one of the thousands of Americans killed serving in Iraq?

Meet Joe Murray

Here is a fantastic interview with a man who used to write articles condemning homosexuals for the American Family Association.

Where was the Biblical authority for the condemnation that all homosexuals were to burn in the fires of Hell? In order to answer that question, I decided to take an in depth study of the Bible to determine if what these conservative theologians were preaching was sound.

As I studied the Bible, I found that the word "sodomite" that was used in Corinthians and Romans referred not to all homosexuals, but largely to the promiscuous behavior of the Roman/Greek bathhouses and the use of boy prostitutes.

Take for instance, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, a verse commonly referred to support the argument that all forms of homosexuality are immoral. As I understand it, the Greek word translated as "boy prostitutes" may refer to catamites, i.e. the boys or young men kept for purposes of prostitution and the term translated for "sodomites" refers to all homosexual males who engaged in such practices with such boys. In other words, the condemnation of homosexuality in that passage, thus, refers only to homosexual males who engage the services of boy prostitutes-it is a very narrow definition.

This guy is a wonderful example for us all. It is so easy for us to hold on to our opinions. It is hard to truly examine our positons with a critical eye.

Wrestling at the Chase

Thinking of Converting

Andy points out this amazing church!

Newest Cardinal Apparel

Al Franken? Michael Moore? Nooooo . . .

This man agrees with me.

"Congress abdicated its oversight responsibility," he says. "The press abdicated its responsibility, and the American people abdicated their responsibilities. Terror was on the minds of everyone, and nobody questioned anything, quite frankly."

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel agrees with me. We don't agree on much, but this is a definitely a big one.

Make sure to read this. This is fine profile of the Senator from Nebraska.

Down by the River

Look who came to Springfield!

Aunt Eva

Did any of you know this lady? I'll bet she had some good stories to tell.

Good Reading

Here is a fine column. If only we could redo that 2000 presidential election.

**UPDATE** It turns out the author of this fine column is one of the reasons why America lost the 2000 election.

Put me in, Coach!

River has graciously volunteered to keep Jimmy (Edmonds) company for a couple of weeks! Note that River has the ball in his left hand. That's the way Uncle Roy says to go, and it helps that River's mom is a lefty.

Condolences

On Friday, February 16th, my parents' household changed dramatically. After 20 years of being a big part of their lives, Chelsea Cat went to play with my grandparents over the rainbow. She will be missed greatly, but she will also be remembered with smiles and gratitude. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. Isa will miss her napping partner. We love you!

Shelly :)!

"You Don't Have to Worry About Me. I Won a Contest."

Six weeks ago my coworkers and I began a contest. Not the kind of contest alluded to in the title. This contest was modeled after the Big Loser show on television. Basically, the contestants attempt to lose the largest percentage of their original weight. Being heavier than I wanted to be, I decided to let my overly competitive instincts serve me in positive way for a change.

I must confess that many things fell perfectly for me. Within hours of learning about the contest I discovered that our church would be putting together a basketball team to participate in a local church league. Also, a brand new fitness center opened about a mile from our house. I volunteered to play on the team and joined the fitness center.

Working out wasn't the only thing I did. I changed the way I eat. I increased the number of meals I eat. That's right: increased. Increasing the frequency of the meals helps speed up the body's metabolism. Of course these meals are much smaller than previous meals, and I also choose the foods more carefully. I will never eat fast food fries ever again.

The most important thing I did was start drinking the recommended amount of water for my weight, and activity level. Your body needs to be well hydrated in order to operate efficiently. This includes efficient digestion and fat burning.

While this was a competition, the best thing about it was the camaraderie that developed. I have developed relationships with coworkers that I barely knew. Everyone sent out relevant web pages and articles that could help others. Everyone vocally supported other contestants. It helped create an environment of support and goodwill.

Our contest ended on Friday the sixteenth. We've decided to take a week off and start another one. This one will last three months instead of six weeks. We've added a twist. Anyone who loses at least five percent of their original body weight automatically gets half the entry fee back. We hope this will increase motivation for those who may not be near the top three money positions as the contest winds down.

Now, all of you who know me figure that I wouldn't have penned this post if my purpose was not to gloat. You know me all too well. I won the first contest by losing 21 pounds. I plan on losing 15 - 20 more in the next contest.

The gloating is secondary, though. I feel so much better. I enjoy the folks at the office more. And I scored a bunch of points in our basketball game tonight.

Hillary Should Have Listened

He was just a State Senator from Illinois at the time. If only some of our leaders in the Congress and the Senate had listened to his words.

Now let me be clear: I suffer no illusions about Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power.... The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors...and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.

I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.

I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars.

Why the Anti-Hilary Venom?

Her speech explaining her vote for Senate Resolution S.J. 45 indicates to me very sound, conscientious reasoning on her part based on the information available at the time. Read it for yourself. Yes she voted for the resoultion, but she clearly calls for the use of force as a last resort and urges action through the U.N. . It now seems obvious that she, Congress, and Americans put too much faith and trust in the hands of the bumbling, semi-literate stooge that happens to be the 43rd President of the United States. She also makes the point that Saddam Hussein was a ruthless dictator that had murdered thousands of innocent people in Iraq and Iran, which I believe justified his removal from power.

As far as I can tell, she has been fairly consistent on the issue, more so than the current administration, and like most American citizens, believes it is time for the President to own up to the fiasco and focus on the War on Terror rather than pursue this dubious war in Iraq.

Iraq War Debate

It seems reasonable to me that the Iraq War Debate would be about the administration's new plan. The American people deserve to know what they plan to do differently to make this surge work. The majority of Americans believe we need to get the troops out of Iraq. They deserve a debate that explains why this surge would be a better plan.

This seems like a reasonable expectation to me. However, the Republicans believe differently. Here is a quote from a letter sent by GOP leaders to Republicans in Congress.

Democrats want to force us to focus on defending the surge, making the case that it will work and explaining why the President's new Iraq policy is different from prior efforts and therefore justified.

We urge you to instead broaden the debate to the threat posed to Americans, the world, and all "unbelievers" by radical Islamists. We would further urge you to join us in educating the American people about the views of radical Islamists and the consequences of not defeating radical Islam in Iraq.

A New Direction

Congressman Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania is one of the heroes. Read what he had to say in the Iraq debate today.

Sad State of Affairs

Torture is wrong. It is devastating to the person being tortured. And as we see here, it is devastating to the person doing the torturing.

I have never said that the Bush administration is evil. This story, though, bothers me greatly. It is despicable to treat humans beings in this manner. It is despicable to force other human beings to do the dirty work. Behind them, this administration leaves broken lives, Iraqi and American.

Whether you believe we should have invaded Iraq or not, the conduct of this war is beyond incompetent. It is a disaster. It is a festering sore on America's soul.

She'll be missed

We lost one of the voices of reason in the media this week. These voices are dwindling. America will miss Molly Ivins.

More Photos!

We received this from Aunt Sarah.

Pictures!

Born on December 22, 2006 at 7:57 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs and was 19.5 inches long. Isn't he beautiful?

Unto us a Child is Born

Last night, David Harrison Reeves III was born. His nickname is River. River and his Momma are doing pretty well. We'll post more details and pictures as they arrive. Aunt Sarah missed the birth by seven minutes.

What a great Christmas present! All I got Shelly was a mixer.

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

Good Reading

Here's a new column from Joe Galloway, co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once . . . And Young." The movie is good too. I think it's one of MD's favorites. It is the story of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment in the Ia Drang Valley in Central Vietnam in 1965. Galloway co-authored the book with Hal Moore, the commanding officer of the unit at the time.

Request Permission to Join the Validity Committee

Please, tell me someone else out there saw "The Office" last night. It was hilarious. If you haven't seen the show you're missing out.

Pop Culture World Series

My roommate Josh, Webmistress Aimee, and yours truly, have been accepted to compete in VH1's Pop Culture World Series!!! We travel to the Windy City on the weekend of February 3rd to kick some pop culture asses.

Now I need your help. Our original name was going to be "A Chinese Viking Named Aimee", but the name axers at VH1 rejected it, so they went with our back up "Domestic Blend". I think that name blows, so I've decided to have a contest to give our trio of dogooders a new name. It should probably have something to do with pop culture, but if it's catchy enough we'll go with anything.

...and if we use your name, you will receive a team shirt that proudly displays said name on the front.
This time you will for sure actually receive the prize, because VH1 says we gotta dress coordinated, so the shirts will have to be made.

Listen to the Mighty Trojans

Here. Live on the internet. I got this site from these other blogs you may find interesting.

Iraq Assessment

Senator Chuck Hagel gives us an honest assessment of the Iraq situation and what the US needs to do. The Republican leadership in the Senate is not like their counterparts in the House of Representatives.

The Truth Starts to Ooze Out

This commentary, as the author says, is twelve years late. The Republican leaders of the House of Representatives over the last twelve years are an unsavory bunch. Over this period, the will and the welfare of the American people have been their least concern.

The American people have given the Democrats an opportunity to take this country in a new direction. I hope they don't fritter away this opportunity amid scandal and hypocrisy as the House Republicans have done for the last twelve years.

Hooray!!

The Cards sign Shelly's favorite player for two more seasons!!!! That means no more Juan Pierre nightmares for me!

Speaker Pelosi

Turns out that all those stories about Nancy Pelosi being a "San Francisco Liberal" are mostly made up. Come to think of it, the "San Francisco Liberal" is a fictional demon designed by Newt Gingrich to frighten folks who hate homosexuals.

The Administration is Incompetent

If you heard me say these words they'd probably go in one ear and out the other. But what if Richard Perle and Kenneth Adelman said it? These two men were neocons on the Defense Policy Board. They were both Pentagon advisors who believed deeply in the Iraq war. Adelman pulls no punches in his analysis of the administration.

"I just presumed that what I considered to be the most competent national security team since Truman was indeed going to be competent," Mr Adelman said.

"They turned out to be among the most incompetent teams in the postwar era. Not only did each of them, individually, have enormous flaws, but together they were deadly, dysfunctional."

What he said . . .

I am a bit more leery of the Democrats than Travis, but mostly I agree with this rant.

Anyone Catch This Documentary?

I sure would like to see this if anyone recorded it. We talked about this issue before on here. If the company makes a voting machine, won't show you the code, and won't produce paper confirmation of the ballots, do not trust those machines. It is simple to fix an election with such a device.

If you vote in a place that has a electronic voting machines ask them for paper confirmation. Ask them if they have the source codes for their machines. See what they say. In the future, we will discover that elections have been fixed with these devices.

That's a Winner!!

The picture is from Thursday night, but the result remains the same. What a postseason! How about David Eckstein winning the Series MVP? No one deserves it more.

I will post some more about my trip to the World Series this weekend. But for now, Go Crazy Folks! Go Crazy!

World Series

I'm off to game four of the World Series with Roy, Sarah, and Parke. We're going to try to stay warm and dry. I'll get some pictures.

Go Cards!

What really matters

Pat Tillman's brother celebrates Pat's birthday with a stirring commentary on the current political situation. The elections are no longer about who should get the biggest tax cut or who should pay their fair share.

These elections are about the soul of our nation. Remember Kevin Tillman's words.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don't be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity.

HELP!

We need a private detective! We need to investigate the inexplicable disappearance of the Cardinals Chris Duncan.

In the ninth, I was waiting for him to come out of the dugout and hit. I thought he would hit for Preston Wilson. But he didn't. We were lucky though. Doug Jones hit Wilson with a pitch. I thought for sure he would hit for Molina. But he didn't.

Tony must have been scouring the clubhouse trying to find him. Surely, he would have used the big lefty against a right hander if Duncan weren't missing in action.

Ol' Abner Has Done It Again

What a game! Baseball is like no other game. The intensity ratchets up on every pitch during a big at bat. There were big at bats a-plenty last night.

Yadier joins the ranks of Tom Lawless as an unlikely hero in Cardinals postseason lore. The young catcher sent us all to bed smiling.

I hope they sign Jeff Suppan for next season. He has defnitely stepped us pitching in big games.

Enjoy the series. It's like the Lasorda World Series ads, I live for this.

Game Seven

There is nothing like a game seven. Of course, I was really hoping they'd pull it out in six. Grab your lucky penny. Squeeze your rabbit foot. Put on your lucky hat and your lucky socks. I'm also going to pick up a lucky six-pack.

We can't complain about the pitching matchup tonight. I hope Suppan can do it again.

It's going to be a long day.

The Frozen Tundra

Shelly and I attended our first game at Lambeau Field on Sunday. It was a great experience. It was football in all its glory. No Dome. No fake grass.

This statue stands outside the newly added atrium. Apparently, this guy coached the Packers for a few years and won a few games.

We saw a typical Packers game. It ended with Favre driving his team down the field. Unfortunately, his line let him down, and the Rams forced a game-deciding turnover.

Favre is definitely not done yet. He made some terrific throws with Rams defenders circling him. He made a couple of throws that only he could make.

Bulger played well for the Rams, too. If only they could figure out how to score in the red zone.

Shelly pretended I didn't exist for about three hours. I still don't understand why.














Here's my brother-in-law, Tom, in front of a mural of his favorite linebacker.

What a Weekend!

What a great weekend! All my teams won! Denver! St. Louis Rams and the Cardinals! The Missouri Tigers rumbled to 6 - 0! Did I mention that I witnessed the Rams game from the friendly confines of Lambeau Field!??!

Tomorrow, I'll have some photos for you from Lambeau. My wife was as giddy as a child at Disneyland.

I sure hope the Birds have another miracle in them this week. Meanwhile, watch this video courtesy your 2006 Missouri Tigers.

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.