Thursday, January 22, 2009
5 Years Ago Today
I married my Best Friend Cathy. We were married in the Redwood City Courthouse weeks before the Scott Petersen Trial started (so we avoided the whole media circus) at that same Courthouse. Liv was 8 years old I believe and was part of the ceremony; she wanted to carry her stuffed cat instead of flowers. It was cute. Our reception was at Fresh Choice and we spent our Wedding Night at Chuck E Cheese (figured treat Liv a bit since the whole day was about us). It was actually nice because while Liv was playing the games and such, Cat and I sat in the booth relaxing after a hectic day. I love you Cathy even more as the years go by. Here's to many more.
Narrow Minded People
I'm still coming down off of the high that was Tuesday's inauguration, but not everyone in this great Nation was so elated. It was fairly sad to say the least, here in my office they made an announcement that the IT guys would have the live streaming webcast of the inauguration playing in the training room. Out of 150 employees, most who will benefit from Obama's tax cuts, only 8 showed up. A few others were watching History being made from their desks, but really it was about a dozen people total. The rest; still dining on their meal of sour grapes and sipping a nice hot mug of "oh woe is me". People on the street were interviewed and some of the typical mouth breathers said shit like "well he should really re-take the oath....he screwed it up so it's not official..." Or my favorite "he's not MY President..." Really dumbass? Who's President is he? If he's not your President, then may I see your citizenship papers please...oh you were born here? Guess what Hillbilly...he IS YOUR DAMN PRESIDENT...so SUCK IT!!! Such talk of succession coming from a Southern State....why that's never happened before......if it comes to that again, I am hearby volunteering to be a spy for the North...right now. Actually more like a spy for the West. First off, the Chief Justice screwed up the Oath not the President. The President paused to let the Chief Justice get it right but it just came out wrong. To be official, the oath was retaken on Wednesday. There whiny bitches....you happy now??? Oh, hey did you notice that Koran Barack and Michelle were holding...you know the one he took his oath on? Oh wait, it was the Holy Bible that Lincoln had used to take his oath on......to all the morons I heard say that and actually believed that; don't you feel real stupid about now? Probably not as you didn't feel stupid then nor will you ever feel stupid. Now you've got Rush and other mouth breathing, irrelevant Neocons mocking the Inauguration and people's overwhelming feelings of elation and hopefulness. These short sighted, narrow minded asshats want the man to fail....they want our Country to come crashing to the ground. And you dickheads claim to be Patriots. Yeah right, my ass is more Patriotic. I see the pictures of the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. The firehoses being sprayed on young, Black people who just wanted the same rights as every other human being in this damn Country. I see the racists, narrow minded White Southerners riding down the streets flying the Confederate Flag......these same assholes years later have the audacity to tell me it's "Heritage not Hate". Yeah, keep telling yourself that. I bet it's the only way you can sleep at night. Here's your Confederate Heritage: Slavery, hatred, racism, open rebellion against the Country you claim to love so much, narcissim, arrogance, ignorance, narrow mindedness and defeat. Yeah that's such a great Heritage to be soooo damn proud of. I dropped a friend of a friend from my facebook list for his moronic comments. On the day of Hope and Elation he posted on his wall "Why do people put their faith in Obama when it's God they should be putting their faith in...." he went on with some other drivel which I quickly ignored. I wanted to reply, but figured I'd just drop the dude. Here's my reply to that. God doesn't run this Country. God doesn't care about this Country or any other. God is probably really pissed off at us for the way we've treated each other and others for the past decade or so. God isn't going to lower my taxes or help my Kids get through college or lower the cost of Health Care. No, a human being is going to do that. God doesn't give a rats ass about politics or the United States of America anymore than he does about other Countries. To these 22%ers and other narrow minded people who chose to ignore history on Tuesday, I say this: I feel sorry for you; I really do. You have officially become irrelevant. The world has moved on, and you chose to be left behind (hee hee....I bet they hate that fact especially the Fundies and Bible Thumpers). The world has chosen to look past skin color for once in the history of Mankind and bestow great responsibility upon someone who has proven, so far, to be a smart custodian of said responsibility. To the doubters and closed minded people I further say this: enjoy your four/eight years of misery. Instead of whining and wallowing in self pity get your damn party's head out of it's ass and start examining why you lost a crapload of Senate seats and the Presidency. Here's a hint; The Jebus Squad isn't going to get you elected, so pandering to them will get you nowhere. To be honest, Republicans and Democrats don't really exist anymore. The President is so Centrist that he's like the balance bubble on a level. A sure way for you to lose again; pin your hopes on Palin.....go ahead make that mistake yet again. The Pres is a religious man; he's made that clear. What he doesn't do is make it the focal point of every damn conversation he has. His Faith is between him and his God. That's how it should be. This Country was founded by Deiests not Bible Thumping, Fundamentalists. Not everything is God's Will or Faith based okay? Lot's of people are real tired of that crap. No your kid doesn't get to pray in a school my taxes pay for. To bad. If you want your kid to pray in school, then enroll your precious little snowflake in a Religious school. You pay for it okay? I want the teachers that are teaching my child to TEACH THEM....not preach to them. They go to school to learn; to become intelligent, productive members of society....Society as a WHOLE, not your little pocket world of Christianity. Keep it to yourself, I'm not impressed with your imagined level of holier than thou status. You aren't anymore of a Child of God than I am. Your not anymore saved than I am. Besides, I'm freaking Italian....we run Heaven if you didn't notice. Where do you think the Pope lives? In New York? No he lives in Rome. See what you did; made me go off on a tangent against Religion again. Back on track now. I guess this is how it felt to be a Bush supporter in 2000 eh? I won't say I agree with the statement Bush stole the election, we will never truly know what happened. I will say the whole situation was highly suspicious and was very embarassing for this Country. In conclusion I will say this: The train is leaving the station heading towards the New World Order. It's not too late to get on board and join the team.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
History has just been made.
Today I find myself with renewed enthusiasm to face tomorrow. I caught a momentary glimpse while watching Barack H. Obama be sworn in as the 44th President of this Country of the light at the end of the tunnel. Here's the text of his acceptance speech:
"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. 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.Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America."
I've always been a patriotic American. When one's ancestors flee their Country of Origin for a strange land so they can make a better life for themselves and their progeny it makes you appreciate their adopted Country more. In the beginning of the movie "The Godfather" a Scillian immigrant tells the Don "I love America." We have a series of pictures on the wall in our living room of my Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. My favorite one is the picture of my Nanu standing by the first truck he ever bought with his own hard earned wages that he saved up until he had enough to purchase it. The look of pride on his face in that picture always inspires me. That one picture, to me, sums up the immigrant experience of what it is to be an American. Those previously in power have come from long lines of Mayflower descendants....the man in power now came here for a better life because it's America!!! The golden land of opportunity. Today I can say with head held high that I've never felt more proud to be a Citizen of this great nation than I do today.
"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. 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.Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America."
I've always been a patriotic American. When one's ancestors flee their Country of Origin for a strange land so they can make a better life for themselves and their progeny it makes you appreciate their adopted Country more. In the beginning of the movie "The Godfather" a Scillian immigrant tells the Don "I love America." We have a series of pictures on the wall in our living room of my Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. My favorite one is the picture of my Nanu standing by the first truck he ever bought with his own hard earned wages that he saved up until he had enough to purchase it. The look of pride on his face in that picture always inspires me. That one picture, to me, sums up the immigrant experience of what it is to be an American. Those previously in power have come from long lines of Mayflower descendants....the man in power now came here for a better life because it's America!!! The golden land of opportunity. Today I can say with head held high that I've never felt more proud to be a Citizen of this great nation than I do today.
Monday, January 19, 2009
I have a dream.....
Today is the day we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who's birthday was last Thursday the 15th. He made one of the most constantly watched and referred to speeches in history....here is the text:
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
It seems that tomorrow, January 20th, 2009, Dr. King's Dream will come true at last.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm Link goes to an audio file of the speech.
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
It seems that tomorrow, January 20th, 2009, Dr. King's Dream will come true at last.
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm Link goes to an audio file of the speech.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
TV Wasteland
Well for the most part it is anyway. Every once in awhile I hear about something on Fox that may actually look like it can bring that station back to the way it once was....BAI...that's before American Idol for those that didn't catch that. When they first started they were the "upstart" network that showed that you could take on the big three and do well. Remember 21 Jumpstreet? Married with Children? Werewolf? Great shows back then...then they went even further and tried out a silly little animated show that all the critics scoffed at. You know the one...I believe it's called "The Simpsons"? Then the "reality show" craze hit the airwaves. I for one am not a big fan of the "reality" show. I do watch Survivor, but honestly it's because my Wife watches it and I enjoy spending time with her and besides Eleventh Hour is on that same night, and I really like that show. I do enjoy the challenges in Survivor; the obstacle courses, etc. I hate the whole whiny bitch drama bit in between, and honestly I uses those moments for a pee or crap break. I do like Top Chef, but only catch it now and again. That's more of a competition show...a culinary game show if you will...than a reality show. The "reality" part is when some of the Chef's are at odds with each other in the group house they live in, but those portions of the show are very minimal. It's about cooking after all, and there's not much time for filler crap. Technically Survivor is a 30 minute show but it takes up a hour timeslot........it would be 30 minutes if they just showed the challenges then tribal council. The one I really like is the Amazing Race. It's even less of a reality show than Top Chef. The only time you get the whiny attention whore bs is when couples clash during the course of the game, or other teams clash with other teams. Other than that (it's not that common and usually relegated to one team) there's too much going on to deal with that crap. All the rest of them can go die in a fire. All the Wife Swap, Temptation Island, Bachelor, Who's a Gold Digging Slut...I mean who wants to marry a Millionaire.........seriously who does?? Shouldn't it be who wants to marry a billionaire by now? Top Model, Top Hair Dresser, et etc.....these shows are all really stupid and lame. The lamest one by far.....well not lame but there's just too much of it on....is American Idol. I've gone on and on about this one so no need to flog that dead horse again. Fox has 24, but honestly I've never watched it and figured it's too late to watch it now. That's one good show they have other than "The Deathstar" (credit that one to Tim Goodman the Chronicle's TV Critic) that is American Idol. They tried to have a hit with the Terminator TV show.....too late. Seriously, that franchise is done and making a TV series about it just doesn't do anything to help it along. Besides, from my understanding it was lame. Fringe, sounded good almost X-Files like but after 3 episodes I said CYA.......it never went anywhere. It's like Fox isn't trying anymore. Eventually people are going to get tired of what boils down to Star Search for the 21rst Century and want something else. Fox has decided to give it to them in the form of a show called "Bitches". It's a cross between a Werewolf movie and Sex in the City. Yep, you read that right. It's about 3 Manhattan Women who are werewolves. Apparently werewolves are going to be the next "hot" thing with the release of the next Dawson's Creek Vampires movie....you know that Twilight crap that my Step-Daughter loves sooooo much.....any way, it's another large FAIL for Fox. What is funny is all of these satellite networks, FX, USA, TNT are putting out great shows that you want to watch while the networks, with the exception of most of CBS, Heroes on NBC and Life on Mars on ABC, are just putting out crap. FX has the Shield (had anyway), Damages and others. USA has Monk and my new favorite Burn Notice. TNT has the Closer....all great shows. What did ABC give us......more Desperate Housewives (and they wonder why the divorce rate is so high in this Country...hey let's make if trendy to be a cheating slut....), Push Daisies, Carpoolers (oh this was going to be a hit...c'mon...how can a sitcom about 4 carpoolers be anything but comedy gold??????) and the stupidest idea ever, Cavemen. Now, don't get me wrong, I think the Geico Caveman commercials are chuckle worthy, but that's for 30 seconds and worth just a chuckle. Not worth trying to make it funny for 25 minutes plus commercials.... It actually made it to a handful of episodes. At least CBS had the sense to kill Viva Laughlin after 2 or the Ex-List after 3. NBC gave us Chuck (mildly amusing but we can live without it), Journeyman (really confusing and one of those shows that's based in San Francisco but everything they show is completely not in San Francisco nor did it happen the way they portrayed.) and the stupidest idea yet (even stupider than Cavemen) a remake of Knight Rider. Oh yeah, and they didn't kill it right off, they kept trying to string it along. The Networks are becomming like the Movie industry; no more ideas and trying to rehash old shit. Ah well, there's always my Wii to keep me entertained......
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
First post of the New Year.
I know, it took a bit, but here it is....post number 370! Holy crap that's alot of BS spewed on the internet isn't it? The new year is looking up. Cath bought us a Wii game called "My Fitness Coach". It's more like an interactive work out DVD than it is a game, but it's really great for getting ones lazy, sedentary, fat ass in shape. Yes I'm referring to myself. C'mon folks, this old dude is going to be 44 this year and he's not in the best of shape. When you create a profile on this program you have to answer the questions honestly or it won't do you any good. Then you take a brief fitness test (think those President's Health Board tests you used to take in PE....push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, etc) after which your virtual Trainer, Maya, gives you a recommended workout schedule and what you need to work on the most. You can also incoporate actual workout gear you have in the work out. Steps, weights, stability ball and heart rate monitor all can be checked off on the list and they are used in the routines (I used the step, weights and stability ball in this mornings work out). The workouts a varied and after each block of routines you are asked how it was for you. Your choices are "no sweat", "I was working hard" and "I had a hard time keeping up". Depending on your response (again be honest) the program will either dial it up/back the next time. The part about it I like the best is the tutorial button. If, during the workout routine, you don't know what she's doing or have issues following it in real time you can click on the tutorial button and that particular part of the routine will be explained over and over again until you click the return button. Also I should note that at this time the timer for your workout has been paused and it gets restarted once you hit return. The other nice thing is that you start the whole rep session of that routine over again so you don't miss any of the benefits of the work out. You get to pick from 3 starting locations to work out at and three types of music. After 5 workouts (as I found out this morning) you are rewarded a bronze medal status and you get one new type of music and one new workout area. So far I'm sticking to it and I'm feeling great. Oh yeah, and if you do any outside activity such as biking, yoga, running, walking, etc you can go into your profile and get "workout credit" for you outside the game efforts. Did about 45 minutes of a Tai Chi video on Saturday and recorded that.
On the world politics front, would someone please tell me why our Government is getting annoyed at Israel????? Seriously, Hamas is as bad a terrorist organization as Al Qaeda and the Israelis are kicking their asses back to the stone age but we are saying some harsh things??? When will we learn that Israel is a great ally, but they honestly don't need our help or us sticking our nose in their business. I guess its okay for us to invade and occupy sovereign nations in search of terrorists but if someone else does it we cry foul?!!?!?! Makes no sense.
Also as I write this I'm excited to see that there's only 14 days left of BS then the hard work begins....
In the final words of Hawkeye Pierce written on the ground in the final episode of MASH....
Goodbye, farewell and Amen.
On the world politics front, would someone please tell me why our Government is getting annoyed at Israel????? Seriously, Hamas is as bad a terrorist organization as Al Qaeda and the Israelis are kicking their asses back to the stone age but we are saying some harsh things??? When will we learn that Israel is a great ally, but they honestly don't need our help or us sticking our nose in their business. I guess its okay for us to invade and occupy sovereign nations in search of terrorists but if someone else does it we cry foul?!!?!?! Makes no sense.
Also as I write this I'm excited to see that there's only 14 days left of BS then the hard work begins....
In the final words of Hawkeye Pierce written on the ground in the final episode of MASH....
Goodbye, farewell and Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)