This morning I got word from my mom that a friend of mine, Matthew McCully, was walking home from work Tuesday night and was hit and killed by a drunk driver.
Matt was an aspiring writer and artist with a lot of talent. He was a smart man, creative, inventive and I consider it a privilege to have known Matt for several years.
He was a great guy and his passing is our great loss.
Anytime somebody tells you "I want to apologize for what you are about to hear" you can bet that you're not going to like what you hear next. This just makes common sense. And if you've read much of this blog, you can easily tell that I'm (sorta) paying attention to this year's politics.
Now (in the way of context), I have been very blessed to have a lot of people that I consider friends in my life. Some of these friends are very close to me. And I have had more than one disagreement with a close friend and we have remained friends. Being able to "agree to disagree" with someone is an important part of any relationship that is more than superficial.
With that in mind you can see why I was so surprised to hear on the radio Wednesday afternoon that Rev. Jesse Jackson was apologizing for "crude and hurtful remarks" that he made "in a private conversation" in front of a "hot mic". You know how radio commentators will say "Today [politician] said '' blah blah blah" and then the politician will say "No, that's not what I meant - you misquoted me", etc, etc? As I was driving down the road I kept waiting for the quote - nobody ever said what *exactly* his remarks were.
Then it hit me. Are we talking "FCC violation" crude? Holy cow, Jesse, what did you say this time?! After some searching, a video snip from "The O'Reilly Factor" turned up. You can see the video for yourself here. This is not the full clip and it is not an "FCC violation". Apparently Jesse also made some racist remarks against white people. But this is just the part that would offend B. Hussein Obama.
NOT my idea of friendship.
Do your neighbors "lean to the left"?
Do you want a more "distinctive" yard?
Does your lawn need a slightly more "patriotic" look?
Well, friend, I can solve your problems! For a mere $15.95 (less than the cost of a large pizza) you too can proudly display one of these yard signs and help spread the word about our Second Amendment rights as American citizens!
There is the ever popular "I'm the NRA and I vote" (commonly seen as a window sticker on pickup trucks and automobiles throughout the nation)
Or, if your neighbors have trouble understanding what is at stake... 
Or you can tell it like it is in vibrant blue and orange...
And lastly, a lovely new addition inspired by a gaffe of presidential candidate B. Hussein Obama...
One question, will they really make my shrubbery look this good?
The other day while talking with a friend I stated "I know that should not be done because it violates 'Rule 8'." I was wrong - the law I was thinking of is Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8.
As penance for my misquotation, here, in its entirety, is Section 8 of Chapter 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code. And one question - does letter "f" apply to a header in a pickup truck?
TITLE 4--FLAG AND SEAL, SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE STATES
CHAPTER 1--THE FLAG
Sec. 8. Respect for flag
No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.
(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.
(Added Pub. L. 105-225, Sec. 2(a), Aug. 12, 1998, 112 Stat. 1497.)
It used to be that a dear friend of mine (previously a literature professor at a local university) and I would get together on the pretense of drinking over-priced coffee and talk about life. I have no lack of friends but lately I have found myself more and more pressed for time. My friend tells me that our coffees together were good for him but I'm sure that I got the better end of the bargain. Because of one of our conversations, my friend gave me a copy of "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy.
Seriously, if you haven't read this yet and you need a good read go get this book.
Also, if a book that I might enjoy is being made into a movie, I try to read the book first. So I had no trouble when my wife called me up (both of us acting like I didn't know that she was shopping for my birthday) and she asked me to "tell her a book title". No Country For Old Men (also by Cormac McCarthy). This book now goes with me to work and I leisurely read a few pages on my lunch hour. I learned my lesson with The Road - I couldn't put it down and I was done *too* soon. I'm gonna take my time and savor this one.
"Work really cuts into your free time." - I honestly don't remember if I heard that somewhere or if I made it up myself but its very true.
"What does not kill me makes me stronger." - This one keeps getting attributed to Nietzsche but it was originally said by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I know that "Johnny" beat "Freddy" on this one because Goethe died twelve years before Friedrich Nietzsche was born.
I guess Nietzsche had a better agent.
I'm not sure where I first heard that phrase but Randy Pausch gives a humorous example of it in his Last Lecture speech - I blogged about him earlier this month. (He continues to fight his disease)
Psychology is not my strong suit (not by a long shot) so it is very possible that I am misusing this phrase but I have noticed something lately and this is the phrase that keeps popping in to my head. I have noticed that I (and quite a few other people) are greatly effected by the death of one individual.
The "wheels of justice" will turn and try to make some human solution to the horror that happened Thursday morning. While I strongly support the "rule of law", many of us know that no man or woman can find their purpose until they look beyond themselves to the Almighty.
And there are some who show us The Purpose every day of their lives.
Okay I've had a couple tough weeks at work and today was no better. (btw Boss, if you're reading this, then that comment about work was just "dramatic license")
Also profound loss has recently been a significant part of the lives of those closest to me. It's not easy to watch those that you love the most suffering. Unfortunately this is part of our lot in life. But I won't get too morose. Between all the intense emotions (not just the suffering) that I've been close to during this month, I have found myself unable to muster a good political rant.
On more than one occasion this month I have started a blog entry and found myself so distracted by life that I couldn't even put a paragraph together.
I'm sure I've got something in the email box that is sufficiently "rant-worthy". More later.
Our beloved school principal passed away from injuries received in automobile accident that happened at 8:45am this morning.
Back on Thursday, May 1 at 10:56pm I received a text message from a buddy of mine:
So I just iron man. B jealous. B very jealous.
I was a bit jealous (and a bit confused - the movie wasn't supposed to open until May 2nd but...) Everything was so frantic for me right then that I thought maybe I would have a chance to rent it when it hit the video stores as a New Release. Well it turned out that the Fates smiled on me and tonight my wife and I got and unexpected opportunity to go see a (non-kiddie) movie. When I checked the listings for our local Cinemark theater, I was quite pleased to see that (5 weeks and 5 days after my buddy's "B jealous" message) Iron Man was still on the big screen. It was also nice that Tony Stark's alter ego was playing in the theater that my wife likes best.
Those of you that know me know that I am kind of a cheapskate. I prefer the theater that charges $1.50 a seat to the theater that charges $8 a seat (the one my wife likes). And when I go see a movie I want to get my monies worth. So my wife has learned to patiently sit next to me as (all) the credits roll. Hey sometimes (like in Finding Nemo) the credits are funny. And you get little pieces of trivia - like exactly where the movie was filmed, minutia like that.
But with Iron Man it was really worth sitting through all the (non-descript) credits.
There are no spoilers here but let me put it to you this way: if you saw Iron Man and you're one of the (majority of) people that walked out during the credits; then you
(Links to verify this information through both Snopes and TruthOrFiction.com are at the end of the post)
Gas is hovering around 4 bucks a gallon here so we are looking for ways to "economize" - but I'll post more on that subject later. For now, more PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN FUN-NESS!! (not to be confused with "finesse")
Speaking on June 3 in Kennar, LA, John McCain said
"We can say with confidence that the primary season is over and that the general election campaign has begun.".
He then went on to heap great praise on both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. Given McCain's record, it honestly wouldn't have surprised me if he had asked Hillary to be his Vice Presidental candidate.
Here, courtesy of YouTube, are two videos of John McCain. The first is a pro-McCain spot and the second uses sound bites of McCain to hoist him by his own petard.
I was listening to Glenn Beck today and he said
"I have never voted 'against' anyone. I always vote 'for' someone. I am going to have a very hard time voting 'for' John McCain and right now I am looking at a third party."
He didn't mention any specific third party (there are quite a few) and a 2006 survey revealed that 73% of Americans want more than two choices in the Presidential election.
Enjoy the videos. For that matter, enjoy life while you can because no matter who gets elected we are *so* screwed.
John McCain for President (music video)
John McCain's YouTube Problem Just Became A Nightmare
In September 2006 (shortly before his forty-sixth birthday), Professor Randy Pausch was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. In August 2007 he was told that it had metastized to his liver and spleen and he was terminal with only a few months to live. He has acheived worldwide fame for his "Last Lecture" entitled "Really Acheiving Your Childhood Dreams" which was delivered September 18, 2007 at Carnegie-Mellon University.
The original speech (linked above on Google Video and here on YouTube) runs a little over an 1 hr. October 22, 2007 Professor Pausch was invited onto the Oprah Winphrey show and delivered an inspiring but abbreviated (10 minute) speech. At that time, despite his advanced cancer, he appears to be in better physical shape than most of the United States population. (Most of us cannot do the hand-clap push ups)
A PET scan taken May 2, 2008 showed that the cancer had spread to his lungs, some lymph nodes in his chest and that he had some metastases in his peritoneum and retroperitoneum, evidence that the disease has begun to take over.
On May 19, 2008 he appeared on Good Morning America still looking better than most and looking forward to Father's Day this year.
If by chance you grew up in:
1) a cave
2) a strict religious commune
3) a foreign country
and you somehow never heard of Bo Diddley then you owe it to yourself to watch these videos. (My wife is #3)
Bo Diddley - in his prime
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
(and from 1960)
Bo Diddley - Road Runner
(April 1999 Tom Petty has a wish come true - playing with Bo Diddley)
Tom Petty, Bo Diddley - Mona
The funniest thing I've heard lately was from Rush Limbaugh. The other day he said that, even when/if Barack Obama secures the Democratic nomination, Operation Chaos will not be over. He said that he is moving Operation Chaos into the next phase and now he will try to convince Republicans to cross over and vote for McCain.
Okay, you're right - that's not funny - it's sad. Sad but true.
On a lighter note, check this out. It's Glenn Beck's "History of the Democratic SuperDelegates" (and you thought the Republicans were stealing elections!)
And, (let's get a little bit serious here) from Barack Obama's own mouth, in 52 seconds, why Barack Obama is the WORST POSSIBLE CHOICE for President of the United States.
And here, just in case you didn't understand exactly why Barack Obama is the WORST POSSIBLE CHOICE, (and to simplify Barack's "politico-speak"), is the translation of what Barack said, by an ordinary citizen.
Have a nice day.
This is a short video (with sound) of Astronaut Gene Cernan executing a makeshift repair of a moon buggy with good old American duct tape.
I am of the opinion that *anytime* you find an article from NASA with "Duct Tape" in the title, it will definitely be worth the time to read. Check it out.
