UPDATE: Our friends in Billings, Montana, pointed out where this postcard comes from. Some really novel cards available!
March 20, 2004
From Onion
Can I join?
The Onion | Citizens Form Massive Special Disinterest Group
I always wanted to join Procrastinators of America, but never got around to sending for an application.
Comments Off on From Onion
Ordered to Cheer
Hugh Hewitt played Bush’s speech tothe troops at Fort Campbell yesterday–twice. He bemoans the fact that Big Media fail to show much interest in the military and their relationship with their Commander in Chief. In fact, Dana Milbank says soldiers were ordered to cheer:
Before Bush appeared, small U.S. flags were handed out, and an officer gave instructions to the troops on how to receive the commander in chief. “We’re going to show him a lot of love by waving flags,” the officer said. Telling the troops not to salute, he added: “You’re going to wave and clap and make a lot of noise. . . . You must smile. We are happy campers here.”
I’ve only seen this happen once in my military career. During the Panama Canal Treaty negotiations, Jimmy Carter visited. All soldiers at Fort Clayton were ordered to attend a speech by Carter because it was quite clear not enough would show up on their own. I’ve never heard of that happening with any other President, including Bill Clinton. I can assure you that isn’t the case with George Bush. GIs will show up to hear him anywhere.
As an aside to this, I flew Mondale around the Zone when he visited before Carter. At one point he asked, “You mean we’re going to give all this to the Panamanians?”
Comments Off on Ordered to Cheer
My Boys
Makes a father’s day. Yesterday my oldest boy called from Bagram. Today, the youngest called from Baghdad.
Slice, my Marine captain, is now in-country. I’ve set up a page for him with a link under “Who We Are” on the left. Birdie is still in Baghdad, and his platoon patrols the baddest neighborhood in Baghdad, home to such luminaries as Chemical Ali and Saddam’s daughter. I’ve added two photos he sent today on his page. One is the aforementioned Chemical Ali’s Palace, and the second is a shot driving through the Baathist stronghold.
They have had pretty good success in quieting this area, although they still have some confrontations. Mostly, though, the locals don’t mess with the guys with the “AA” on their left shoulder.
One way they’ve learned to deal with the youthful antagonists is to truss them up with tie-wraps and leave them lying on the ground. Instead of hauling them in, they let the elders in the area take care of discipline. He says most of them whine about being left tied up, but it’s certainly better than shooting them.
Why bother?
Sarah pointed out a simple, succinct explanation. Personally, I think blogging is a simpler way to put down daily thoughts than keeping a journal. When I find something on the web I feel compelled to write about, I can easily link to that item rather than having to explain it all in my own post.
Is that just being lazy? I don’t view it that way. I see it as giving credit where credit is due. When I write something inspired by others, I can’t simply take credit for the idea. Of course, there’s really not too many things that haven’t been said in some way or another. Right now, I’m trying to locate Ralph Peters to ask his permission to post a chapter from one of his books on my reference page. I could plagarize, or post it with attribution, but it still just isn’t right.
So, I blog as a means to get my writing skills in order. I also do it to vent. I’ve had a commenter tell me I’m a moron. That’s okay, too. I told him, “Thanks for playing!”
Boy did this become blather!
March 19, 2004
Golf Mind
I really like David Feherty. He’s one of the “Big Minds” over there in the right column. Even if you don’t follow golf, you’ll enjoy his wry humor. He is a Texas transplant, which provides him a convenient jumping off point (DFW) for his travels as as a fairway commentator. He is known for saying things others would simply like to have said.
My wife is one of those Southern girls who can bake a cake in the morning, shoot the balls off a squirrel from 50 yards (with an iron sight) in the afternoon, then fit into a very, very little black dress at night.
In an on-course interview with Jesper Parnevik and his celebrity playing partner, David made a comment about their wild clothing: “Did anyone on the course throw up when you walked by?”
He has a new commercial I just saw on the Golf Channel. “People say ‘Nice shot’ when you simply dribble one down the fairway. That’s not what we’re building. Our driver will send your playing partners home crying to mommy!” Then, after someone describes all the pertinent technology, they return to David on the teebox.
He hits a drive and his playing partner says, “Son of a…” and Feherty completes the thought, “Pitch is all I’ll have from there.”
Check one of his Golf Magazine articles linked. He’ll provide giggles and guffahs.
Comments Off on Golf Mind
The Passion
I don’t generally go to theaters any more. I find them too loud, too expensive, and too cramped for me to watch a movie comfortably. Today, I made an exception.
I wanted to see this movie in a theater to get the full effect. Because I went in the afternoon, it wasn’t crowded, although I had my doubts when I pulled into the parking lot–it was full. Completely. And I had a hard time finding a place to stick my truck. I guess Starsky & Hutch was packing them in. Or, the other screen showing this movie.
I didn’t buy popcorn or a soda because I’d been told by others who have seen it that they didn’t eat anything while the movie was playing. So, I got some chocolate raisins (one of my favorites) and finished them off before show time.
I’m still a bit confused by my emotions. It was a powerful movie, but I saw things others apparently didn’t. I thought the role of Mary (Maia Morgenstern) was very well done. I could feel a mother’s pain as she watched her son tortured and killed. And the actor playing Jesus (James Caviezel) did a superb job.
Two characters that really struck me though were Pilate and Caiphus. They reminded me of a post I wrote earlier about people who are committed or conflicted.
Caiphus is committed. He knows he is absolutely right and everyone else is absolutely wrong. He is the archetypical religious leader, whether it be the Archbishop of Boston, the Ayatollas, or Jimmy Swaggart. I guess that’s why the Jewish Defense League and other groups were concerned about anti-Semitism resulting from this film. If I had tended that direction, I might have walked out of the theater looking for some kike to kill (is that the correct slander word?). He is precisely why I no longer attend church. There are too many like him in the world. And they aren’t all religious by any stretch. Marxists are no different.
Pilate, on the other hand, is very conflicted. He and his wife discuss “truth,” and he claims to no longer know what that is. He wants to do right, but circumstance, in his view, won’t allow it. I left the movie sympathizing with him, something a good Christian isn’t supposed to do. But the conflict in his heart got to me. It is something I often feel, so I related.
I no longer go to church, but I am still religious. I dislike the “social” aspects of belonging to an organized religion. This movie didn’t give me any urge to return to the fold. Perhaps that’s because my faith is strong, even if my commitment to a congregation isn’t. But I would recommend the movie.
Just don’t buy popcorn.
Comments Off on The Passion