Lord Nazh claims he quit blogging at least for now...read here
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy BDay Great Satan!
4 July 1776 fired off a crazy rocking rolling ride that hasn't stopped 'stirring things up' on a global scale.
Advancing arrogance into an art form with a remarkable relentless risque commitment to liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, and laissez-faire values.
America differs qualitatively from all other nations, because of her unique origins, nat'l credo, historical evolution, and distinctive political and religious institutions.
Great Satan is magically especial because she was a country of immigrants and the first modern democracy.
Loud, proud and rowdy - early America forecast future stuff with a provocative lingo that still fits today. "Don't Tread On Me!" "Liberty Or Death", "Live Free Or Die"
The belief in the superiority of the American model is reflected in the perception among Americans of America's role in the world. That American foreign policy is based on moral principles is a consistent theme in the American discourse - a phenomenon recognized even by those who are skeptic of such an assessment.
This inclination to do right has been virtually unique among the nations of the world - and for this very reason - America has been totally misunderstood. How could a nation so rich, so successful actually, really be so unselfish and so caring?
Critics cry America must have darker motives! America must be seeking imperium - to dominate everyone else, suck up all the oil, to trade and rob blind for America's selfish purposes.
People from more grasping, less idealistic societies find it nigh impossible to accept that America honestly believes that giving everyone opportunity is the real roadmap for abundance and happiness everywhere - not merely in the magical Great Satan.
Americans honestly believe that securing other people's freedom is actually like the best guarantee that America can keep her own.
America does not want to dominate the world. Americans want to live in peace and hope other people will too.
America will go out into the world, redress errors, stop unacceptable behaviour, to first challenge then annihilate threats to our liberty.
Creative destruction is Great Satan's middle name. It is a natural function, for she is the one truly revolutionary country in the world for more than 2 centuries.
She does it automatically, and that is precisely why tyrants hate her guts, and are driven to attack her. An enormous advantage, tyrants fear her, and their oppressed peoples want what she offers: freedom.
Amazingly, some suspect states, illegit leaders and some people have not yet comprehended that America's primary intention is to preserve and keep our own land and liberty and all it's prosperity and that America will do anything and go anywhere to make it happen.
Image via WikipediaI havn't been posting much lately (other than the scheduled CoD posts) mainly because I've been busy :)
Went and saw "What Happens in Vegas" last night (it was funny all the way through, plot line needed help at points, but good movie) and threw some darts at the Brick (I don't generally throw darts, but Eve does and I didn't even play any pool).
Yesterday we played golf at a new (to me) course and I shot a (scorching?) 91 (heh); for you golfers out there, I know it sucks, but my best round of the year on a new course. I did finish up with a 6 over on the back 9 to get it that low (6 bogies and 3 pars).
We played 2 softball games Thursday night and we are no longer undefeated. We couldn't hit in either game, we scored 3 in the first (3-11) and 2 in the 2nd (2-3 lost in the bottom of the 7th). So now we're a game back in the standings (the other undefeated team also lost a game) with a showdown with Smoke this coming week.
Work a double time slot tonight and we're going on a family golf outing for Memorial day, so I will try to schedule a tribute to appear then. Maybe the co-bloggers can put something (anything?) out there for you guys (both of you) to read until then.
Ahh the birthday is over :) was a fun day though. Started Thursday night at the Brick, from there to TK's where I played some pool and drank a couple of beers.
I met up with a girl I hadn't seen in 8-10 years and we got caught up on everything that had been going on, then went and watched Saw IV (more gruesome than the other 3 combined I think) until ~5am [from 9pm to 5am I had 5 total 22oz beers... far cry from my drinking days heh].
Friday daytime was bill paying and driving to get lil bit from school. They had a program to honor Mother's Day and Father's Day (unusual) so that was sweet. We (me, lil bit and my parents) ended up going to play putt-putt in the evening at Golf Shores. Lil bit got her 5th all-time hole-in-one there and everyone had a blast. We went home and played games and watched TV until bed time.
Today was soccer day (got some video, but I'm at work so will have to wait to upload) and our team lost (they have went w/l/w/l/w/l for the season with 1 to go, so they should win :). Lil bit scored her 6th goal of the year for a 1 goal per game average. She played very aggressive today with 5 or 6 great tackles and she played great defense in the box. Her goal was one of those that creeps along the line and just barely goes in, but it counts :)
Working now (o/t) and tonight, Eve and I are going out to have some fun, so probably no more posting until tomorrow from me.
Christians across the world celebrate Easter, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion, on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs upon or next after the Spring Equinox. (In the Eastern Orthodox Church a slightly different calculation is followed, so their Easter may or may not coincide with that of the Western church).
The celebration of Easter is preceded by the forty days of Lent, a period of prayer and self-denial for Christians. The period of Lent includes Holy Week, the week immediately preceding Easter Sunday.
Have to agree with the sentiments in this story, but not in the way the speaker would want me to.
DALLAS, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A Dallas minister who marched with civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said Monday's birthday observance holiday is an insult to his legacy.
The Rev. Peter Johnson, 62, director of the Texas operations for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, told The Dallas Morning News the holiday should be on April 4, the anniversary of the date King was assassinated.
"We have ignored the essence of his life and the horror of his death," said Johnson. "We've allowed white America to escape the guilt of his assassination and we've allowed black America to drift back into a coma."
I agree that the holiday is a waste; it is a waste to have a holiday celebrating one man when we don't celebrate any other 'single' person. The two greatest presidents in history have to share a day and MLK gets his on.
MLK marched against racism and for equality, something the good Rev. Johnson seems to have not achieved, his talk of 'white' and 'black' America should be a hint to all those that would follow him that the good preacher isn't into all this equality talk. 'White' America didn't kill MLK, I believe he was killed by One (1) American who happened to be a white person.
Racists are the people that seem to look for race in everything. Regardless of how 'tolerant' you are, you will never convince me that because of history, any class or group of people deserve preferred status.
1 Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; 5 to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child. 6 And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: 11 for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased.
Meme: Buffalo tagged me with the Christmas meme...
1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog 2. Share Christmas facts about yourself 3. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs. 4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Welcome to the Christmas edition of "Getting to Know Your Friends."
1. Wrapping or gift bags? Prefer wrapped
2. Real or artificial tree? No tree this year, have an artificial though.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually first weekend in December.
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day
5. Do you like eggnog? Not in the least
6. Favorite gift received as a child? my first computer :)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Nope
8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? all gifts are good
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? email
10. Favorite Christmas Movie? “The Christmas Story”
11. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Last possible minute
12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? cookies
13. Clear lights or colored on the tree? white
14. Favorite Christmas song(s)? Silent Night
15. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
16. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? yes
17. Angel on the tree top or a star? star
18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning? usually no presents left by then
19. Most annoying thing about this time of year? bills
20. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? No.
21. What do you leave for Santa? milk and cookies
22. Least favorite holiday song? really none
23. Favorite ornament? none
24. Family tradition? money as a gift hidden in candy
25. Ever been to Midnight Mass or late-night Christmas Eve services? No, and I need to
I will be passing this "tag" on to the following blog friends:
I received this via email from my brother ( I assume this is making the rounds around the 'Net but I thought I'd share it with you all anyway as it is most "appropo".
To My Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
Couldn't find a good pic of the star of the East that I wanted, but this star picture will do. I just want to thank everyone for visiting, commenting and whatever. I especially want to thank my fellow bloggers for making this blog worthwhile for me to continue.
I hope everyone's wishes come true this season and a great New Year for you and yours in 2008.
Labor Day is observed annually in honor of working people on the first Monday in September in all the states and territories, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The day was originally conceived in 1882 by Peter J. McGuire, the radical founder and indefatigable warrior of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of New York. On 8 May, McGuire proposed to the New York City Central Labor Union that the first Monday in September, because it fell midway between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving Day, be set aside annually as a "labor day." His effort bore fruit on Tuesday, 5 September 1882, when workers in New York City held a large parade and a festival sponsored by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor. In 1884, the New Yorkers held a parade on the first Monday of September and designated that day as the annual Labor Day. The agitation in New York City was soon followed by labor unions in other states, which staged vigorous campaigns in their state legislatures for the establishment of Labor Day as a legal holiday. Their earliest victories were in Oregon and Colorado, where Labor Day was declared to be a state holiday in February and March 1887, respectively. The next year the American Federation of Labor passed a resolution for the adoption of a Labor Day at its St. Louis, Missouri, convention. Thirty states had followed the lead of Oregon and Colorado by the time the first Monday in September was made a national holiday by an act of Congress, with the bill signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on 28 June 1894. In the early twenty-first century, Labor Day parades, rallies, festivals, and speeches were still organized by labor unions across the country and often supported by political leaders. Because of the shrinking popular base of traditional labor unions, however, most Americans tended to regard the day merely as the finale of a long summer of fun in which hot dogs, barbecues, and picnics reigned.
Update: This post will stay at the top until the Holiday is over, scroll down for new posts until then
This is the day of the year where Americans the world over celebrate our Independence. We gather together, grill out, play games outside, drink lots of alcohol {and i had to work - LN}. Finally, as the day winds down, the sun slips below the horizon and the dark descends upon the revelers, we crane our necks skyward and proceed to be delighted by fireworks displays which light up the night.
There is a deeper meaning than this celebration. One that sometimes gets lost in our day of joy.
I'm speaking of the original 4th of July, 1776. The day when our country's Forefathers declared our intentions to bring forth a new nation unto this world. The creators and signatories of the Declaration of Independence worked long and hard and pledged their lives, fortunes and their sacred honor to this new nation they were about to midwife.
It is this time of year that I bring out my copy of the Declaration of Independence and read it. You can find it pretty much anywhere online but here's one link to it (it appears each July 4th in the Washington Times);
I also bring out a copy of a speech that was given many times by Rush H. Limbaugh Jr (yes, he's the father of the famous radio talk show host). This speech is exemplary and I thought I'd share excerpts of his speech with you.
It was a glorious morning. The sun was shining and the wind was from the southeast. Up especially early, a tall bony, redheaded young Virginian found time to buy a new thermometer, for which he paid three pounds, fifteen shillings. He also bought gloves for Martha, his wife, who was ill at home.
Thomas Jefferson arrived early at the statehouse. The temperature was 72.5 degrees and the horseflies weren't nearly so bad at that hour. It was a lovely room, very large, with gleaming white walls. The chairs were comfortable. Facing the single door were two brass fireplaces, but they would not be used today.
The moment the door was shut, and it was always kept locked, the room became an oven. The tall windows were shut, so that loud quarreling voices could not be heard by passersby. Small openings atop the windows allowed a slight stir of air, and also a large number of horseflies. Jefferson records that "the horseflies were dexterous in finding necks, and the silk of stockings was nothing to them." All discussing was punctuated by the slap of hands on necks.
...
A total of 86 alterations were made. Almost 500 words were eliminated, leaving 1,337. At last, after three days of wrangling, the document was put to a vote.
Here in this hall Patrick Henry had once thundered: "I am no longer a Virginian, sir, but an American." But today the loud, sometimes bitter argument stilled, and without fanfare the vote was taken from north to south by colonies, as was the custom. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
...
Even before the list was published, the British marked down every member of Congress suspected of having put his name to treason. All of them became the objects of vicious manhunts. Some were taken. Some, like Jefferson, had narrow escapes. All who had property or families near British strongholds suffered.
Francis Lewis, New York delegate saw his home plundered -- and his estates in what is now Harlem -- completely destroyed by British Soldiers. Mrs. Lewis was captured and treated with great brutality. Though she was later exchanged for two British prisoners through the efforts of Congress, she died from the effects of her abuse.
John Hart of Trenton, New Jersey, risked his life to return home to see his dying wife. Hessian soldiers rode after him, and he escaped in the woods. While his wife lay on her deathbed, the soldiers ruined his farm and wrecked his homestead. Hart, 65, slept in caves and woods as he was hunted across the countryside. When at long last, emaciated by hardship, he was able to sneak home, he found his wife had already been buried, and his 13 children taken away. He never saw them again. He died a broken man in 1779, without ever finding his family.
And, finally, there is the New Jersey signer, Abraham Clark.
He gave two sons to the officer corps in the Revolutionary Army. They were captured and sent to that infamous British prison hulk afloat in New York Harbor known as the hell ship Jersey, where 11,000 American captives were to die. The younger Clarks were treated with a special brutality because of their father. One was put in solitary and given no food. With the end almost in sight, with the war almost won, no one could have blamed Abraham Clark for acceding to the British request when they offered him his sons' lives if he would recant and come out for the King and Parliament. The utter despair in this man's heart, the anguish in his very soul, must reach out to each one of us down through 200 years with his answer: "No."
...
The 56 signers of the Declaration Of Independence proved by their every deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most magnificent curtain line in history. "And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
Rush suggests (and I agree) that;
each of you take the time this month to read through the text of the Declaration, one of the most noble and beautiful political documents in human history.
There is no more profound sentence than this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness..."
These are far more than mere poetic words. The underlying ideas that infuse every sentence of this treatise have sustained this nation for more than two centuries. They were forged in the crucible of great sacrifice. They are living words that spring from and satisfy the deepest cries for liberty in the human spirit.
"Sacred honor" isn't a phrase we use much these days, but every American life is touched by the bounty of this, the Founders' legacy. It is freedom, tested by blood, and watered with tears.
I have read and re-read both the Declaration of Independence and his father's speech more times than I can remember. When I need a reminder of how precious our liberty is and how unique the United States of America is in the annals of history, I simply pull out my hard-copy and receive a jolt of pride and humility up my spine.
Pride in the fact that I'm part of the legacy of those great men and women who have come before me and who have shaped the course of this nation.
Humility in recognizing that we cannot rest on their laurels and must continue to uphold the tenents that our Forefathers held forth.
I pledge to all of you on this day that I will continue to work, in both my private and public life, to make sure that this "American Experiment" will not disappear in the shifting sands of time.
God Bless you all...
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY !!! -{great post Thai, happy 4th to you and yours too - LN}
Happy 4thofJuly to all the Americans that read this (and to the friends of yours that don't).
I'm involved in the Blogger's choice awards... yes I have no shot (they let the big boys play in these) but it would be nice to get some votes :) to vote for me click here (note: you must sign up to vote or nominate grr)
Also, I've dropped sitemeter and picked up statcounter. Due to the spyware incorporated into the sitemeter metering system. It wasn't malicious or anything, but just didn't feel right since they didn't inform me of them adding it to MY website.
Merry Christmas everyone.
the world over celebrate our Independence. We gather together, grill out, play games outside, drink lots of alcohol 
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