Friday, January 30, 2009
Holy Mother FUCK
I am not Chicken Little because the sky is not falling and robots ARE going to take over the world.
Are we really this stupid. Seriously.
Music Video Friday
When you have your own blog you can create new weekly segments, or forget to keep up with them as you please.
I was feeling this today. More this afternoon.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
No Pictures or Videos
No eye catching videos or sweet pictures (which take longer to get from google to this page than you would think) on this post.
Avi is in the tub right now and I am sitting on the bathroom floor. The length of this post (and the grammar, punctuation and spelling) will be completely dependant on how long I can write while she sits quietly.
I have neglected my writing for a while here. I burned out after November 4th. I had written so much, thought about so much, that I got tired. Finishing my semester, the holidays and what not and just being lazy have kept me from putting fingers to key board for longer than I am comfortable with.
The blog started about a year ago. The purpose of which was multi-layered. The primary purpose was, when my family all got together, I had so many things on my mind, so many things that I just had to talk about, that I would walk into a room and interrupt whoever was talking to say what I had to say, cause frankly the shit was important. I realized in my mature state that I was driving my siblings crazy. The website became a way for me to get to talk about all the shit that mattered to me, sports, politics, movies, whatever, in a way that would not piss them off, and that they could read at their own pace.
I have found my brain (Terry Gilmore's Head) to be much, much less crowded, and my relationships with my siblings have benefitted greatly.
On politics. The last two days have been amazing. To see the man go to work so quickly, and DO all the things he promised he would do right out of the gate has been awesome. To be able to go to bed at night knowing that someone was taking care of things is reassurance that an anxiety stricken mind sorely needed.
He works hard, he works long, and he is nothing like 43. I simply love it. I now understand the people who have pictures of their president on their wall. I would gladly hang a picture of O in my house.
So much has happened, it seems like so fast in my life. My baby is a kid now. Which is something I think I have taken in stride. I try to not get too upset about her growing up. My thought process has always been that if I spend all my time sad that she is getting big, I will never stop to enjoy the Getting Big part.
I made a conscious choice, at four months, exhausted, (read the myspace blogs if you don't believe me) that I would enjoy this, tired, stressed, I would enjoy it. I have a year and a half (she is a year and a half tomorrow. July 23rd, 2007. 7:44 am, it was a Monday, she had tiny hands and my uncle Greg's face, she slept through the first night, she smiled the day she was born, she fit in my hand and the gravity she pulled down on me crushed everything I thought mattered. She stormed into my life like a tornado with a nine-month warning, I am rambling I know. She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and and my hands were made to hold her, my elbows bent just so, right dad? 18 months in a heart beat. She talks now. She laughs now.) of amazing memories.
My life is in Three Dimensions. I turn around and it is there. I turn around and it is there. I turn around and it is there.
The little boy, who still feels like a little boy took lessons from Atlas and threw it all up on is not-so-broad shoulders. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes (too often) heart racing over nothing. Three Dimensions.
Avi is in the tub right now and I am sitting on the bathroom floor. The length of this post (and the grammar, punctuation and spelling) will be completely dependant on how long I can write while she sits quietly.
I have neglected my writing for a while here. I burned out after November 4th. I had written so much, thought about so much, that I got tired. Finishing my semester, the holidays and what not and just being lazy have kept me from putting fingers to key board for longer than I am comfortable with.
The blog started about a year ago. The purpose of which was multi-layered. The primary purpose was, when my family all got together, I had so many things on my mind, so many things that I just had to talk about, that I would walk into a room and interrupt whoever was talking to say what I had to say, cause frankly the shit was important. I realized in my mature state that I was driving my siblings crazy. The website became a way for me to get to talk about all the shit that mattered to me, sports, politics, movies, whatever, in a way that would not piss them off, and that they could read at their own pace.
I have found my brain (Terry Gilmore's Head) to be much, much less crowded, and my relationships with my siblings have benefitted greatly.
On politics. The last two days have been amazing. To see the man go to work so quickly, and DO all the things he promised he would do right out of the gate has been awesome. To be able to go to bed at night knowing that someone was taking care of things is reassurance that an anxiety stricken mind sorely needed.
He works hard, he works long, and he is nothing like 43. I simply love it. I now understand the people who have pictures of their president on their wall. I would gladly hang a picture of O in my house.
So much has happened, it seems like so fast in my life. My baby is a kid now. Which is something I think I have taken in stride. I try to not get too upset about her growing up. My thought process has always been that if I spend all my time sad that she is getting big, I will never stop to enjoy the Getting Big part.
I made a conscious choice, at four months, exhausted, (read the myspace blogs if you don't believe me) that I would enjoy this, tired, stressed, I would enjoy it. I have a year and a half (she is a year and a half tomorrow. July 23rd, 2007. 7:44 am, it was a Monday, she had tiny hands and my uncle Greg's face, she slept through the first night, she smiled the day she was born, she fit in my hand and the gravity she pulled down on me crushed everything I thought mattered. She stormed into my life like a tornado with a nine-month warning, I am rambling I know. She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and and my hands were made to hold her, my elbows bent just so, right dad? 18 months in a heart beat. She talks now. She laughs now.) of amazing memories.
My life is in Three Dimensions. I turn around and it is there. I turn around and it is there. I turn around and it is there.
The little boy, who still feels like a little boy took lessons from Atlas and threw it all up on is not-so-broad shoulders. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes (too often) heart racing over nothing. Three Dimensions.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Dawning of a New Day
Yesterday America tortured prisoners.
Today we do not.
Yesterday America illegally wiretapped its citizens.
Today it does not.
Yesterday America lied its way into wars based on false premises.
Today it does not.
Yesterday America did not believe in the Truths that Science can provide.
Today it does.
Yesterday America rejected the notion that the opinion the world had of us carried weight.
Today we embrace it.
Yesterday is history.
Our children's children will know what happened yesterday. I turned on the TV at 5:45 yesterday morning and the live shots of the National Mall showed literally thousands of people gathered around, taking in each icy breath because they wanted to witness Yesterday.
The Third Phase of America History began yesterday.
From Jefferson to Lincoln, from Lincoln to Obama. From Obama to...
Good Morning.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Change I can Believe In
After six years of mediocrity, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have finally cut ties with the scowling moron Jon Gruden.
After winning the Super Bowl in 2002, the Bucs have had zero consitency. Gruden, in his infinite genius has refused to build the team from the inside out by drafting a quarterback and building the team around him, like basically every successful NFL franchise has.
Never again will I have to look at this dick heads face while I wonder why an offensive genius, who famously sleeps in his office is unable to build a team that scores more than 8 points a game.
Morris (32) follows the new NFL trend of hiring young, energetic coordinators to take over instead of overpaid older coaches.
I would gladly trade the Buc's super bowl victory in exchange for a Mike Tomlin as head coach.
It's seven years late, but I will take what I can get. I am fully behind Raheem.
For Us
President Obama's Inauguration Address:
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.
Story continues below
They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
(Perfect)
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.
Story continues below
They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
(Perfect)
The Fierce Urgency of Now
The Moment.
I woke up at 3 am this morning, sat straight up in bed and was as excited as I can remember being. Part due to anxiety, part due to what today means.
I listened to the "I have a Dream" speech in its entirety yesterday for the first time in my life. Looking at my daughter, tears streaming down my cheeks, I am a part of that dream. Today is a that dream.
Monday, January 19, 2009
In Order to Create a More Perfect Union
As I went walking I saw sign there
And on that sign it said "No Trespassing"
But on the other side it didn't say nothin'
That side was made for you and me...
Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking down freedom highway
I dare anyone living to try and stop me
Because this land was made for you and me...
The next last few days, and I assume the next few, have felt like nothing that I have ever felt before. I feel like the majority of the country is taking a huge, cleasing breath after a long plunge under water.
Barack Obama is President of the United States of America.
And on that sign it said "No Trespassing"
But on the other side it didn't say nothin'
That side was made for you and me...
Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking down freedom highway
I dare anyone living to try and stop me
Because this land was made for you and me...
The next last few days, and I assume the next few, have felt like nothing that I have ever felt before. I feel like the majority of the country is taking a huge, cleasing breath after a long plunge under water.
Barack Obama is President of the United States of America.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
January 20th, 2009
I am ready for Tuesday. For 400 years I am ready for Tuesday. For 8 years I am ready for Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Challenge
I am asking my readers (all two of you) to answer my challege. I want to know one thing, one little thing, that is better in this country then it was in 2000.
The way I see it, the only positive thing to come out of the last eight years has been that they were such a complete, utter, total disaster that this country that is supposedly "Center-Right" just elected a 45 year-old liberal, black man with the name Barack Obama President.
Seriously, One Thing?
Education, foreign policy, the econonomy, the enviorment, health care, domestic policy, international relations. You name it, and it is worse now then it was then.
Keep in mind that almost 10,000 Americans lost their lives IN THIS COUNTRY during the man's Presidency. Mind Blowing.
The way I see it, the only positive thing to come out of the last eight years has been that they were such a complete, utter, total disaster that this country that is supposedly "Center-Right" just elected a 45 year-old liberal, black man with the name Barack Obama President.
Seriously, One Thing?
Education, foreign policy, the econonomy, the enviorment, health care, domestic policy, international relations. You name it, and it is worse now then it was then.
Keep in mind that almost 10,000 Americans lost their lives IN THIS COUNTRY during the man's Presidency. Mind Blowing.
Lincoln Lives
With the innauguration of "The Second Lincoln" I think it is time to entertain the possibility that Lincoln did in fact, Live.
Congratulations
Timmy's Cardinals are no longer stinky.
Sunday is going to be fun. I love Donovan McNabb, but I have to cheer for Timmy's Cardinals. He defines the term "Die Hard".
A Pittsburgh-Arizona Superbowl would be Awesome.
One Week From Today
President Elect Obama will be sworn in as our 44th President next Tuesday. I have not really taken the time to let that wash over me.
I went through a fairly long post-election burn out. I think I am coming out of it.
President smirks-a-lot delivered his final press conference of his tenure. Thank what ever god you believe, or don't believe in.
I will try to get my brain back into this in the next week.
I went through a fairly long post-election burn out. I think I am coming out of it.
President smirks-a-lot delivered his final press conference of his tenure. Thank what ever god you believe, or don't believe in.
I will try to get my brain back into this in the next week.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
B.C.S, B.S....See
(Imagine me thinking about College Football in this picture)
So any of you who know me know that I think that the current system for deciding a national champion in college football is a complete joke. Everything about it is a joke, and every excuse that is bandied about in defense of it is a joke. The B.C.S is a result of greedy universities, greedy conferences, and lazy alumni. Period. It is about money and laziness.
Any argument that is presented to defend what we currenty are force fed is a paper tiger that is easily debunked. Period.
I find myself becoming very depressed this time of year, every year. Now scientists have proven that January is the most depressing month of the year, and specifically January 22nd is the most depressing day of the year in America.(I didn't make that up). So my depression could be a combination of that fact, cuppled with a fairly severe case of seasonal depression, which is then mixed in with the realization that I just wasted five months of my life spending every Saturday glued to the TV from 11am to 12am.
The problem is, by next September I will have forgotten how awful I feel right now.
Don't get me wrong, last nights Ohio State-Texas game was fun to watch, as was Utah over Alabama, hell I even enjoyed the Rose Bowl where my lions were beaten pretty soundly it was still fun to watch. The problem is, there is no satisfying finish.
The commercials that have been running on Fox, ad nauseum would have you believe that Thursday's matchup of Oklahoma and Florida was a clear-cut case of 1 v. 2 and that the outcome would settle the matter once and for all. Their ads potray this game as if it were written in the 12th book of the Bible that on January 8th 2009 Florida, national powerhouse, led by heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow would march into this game opposed by Oklahoma, the best team in the country, led by current heisman winner Sam Bradford. The outcome of this matchup of titans would leave no doubt in anyone's mind who the best team in the country is. Or so we are to believe.
What this takes is an inhuman ability to suspend disbelief. And hobbits once roamed the world dropping jewelry into volcanos and a magic lion saved four siblings from an ice queen.
What all this hype, and the ESPN bullshit machine are not telling you is this, Texas beat Oklahoma by 20 points on a neutral field.
Florida lost to Ole Miss at home.
Thursday nights game has been spun since the teams were announced, and will continue being spun well into the weekend as the National Championship game. ESPN, Fox, and every dickhead with a microphone in between will try to convice the moronic masses that this game has decided something.
To me, all it has decided is that this system is broken, and I am god damned depressed about it.
Texas beat Oklahoma by 20 points. Texas beat Ohio State, Ohio State lost to Penn State, at home, Penn State lost soundly to USC, USC lost to Oregon State, Oregon State got blasted by Penn State, Utah went undefeated and beat the snot out of Alabama who was the Number One team in the country for a large portion of the season, Florida beat Alabama, Florida lost to Ole Miss, Ole Miss beat Texas Tech, Texas Tech beat Texas on the last play of the game, Oklahoma beat Texas Tech, and TEXAS BEAT OKLAHOMA BY 20 POINTS ON A NEUTRAL FIELD.
Did you follow all of that, cause I did that off the top of my head and am proud of it (as sad as it is that I know all of that, and have to think about what Avi's birthday is).
Point being, this system sucks. You want to keep your Bowls because they are nostalgic, keep them.
Let the four major bowls be the first round of an 8 team playoff.
Oklahoma-Texas Tech
Florida-Utah
Texas-Penn State
Alabama-USC
These games are played on New Years Eve and New Years day.
Round 2 is played this week, call the games whatever you want.
Then you get Oklahoma-USC, and Florida-Texas
Utah gets a legit shot at a championship, something that would never happen under our current system. Keep the smaller bowls, they are irrelavant now anyways, all the teams that don't make the final 8 play in their games and get their money.
I hate that I feel this crappy about something that I love so much.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The West Wing
Many of you know how addicted I have recently become to the West Wing. Every episode that I watch I try to figure out who in the Obama team would handle different parts.
Sorry for the holiday hiatus. I have a lot of things to write about now.
Expect posts on Baseball, the NFL playoffs, Politics, the Mets, and the World Baseball Classic.
And expect a lenghly rant on the "Situation" that College Football finds itself in. I am beside myself with frustration.
Happy New Year
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