learning to talk

Ana has become quite chatty. A translation guide:

If she says "please," she means "please."
If she says "your welcome" she either means "please" or "your welcome."
If she says "ask," she means she's asking nicely as in: "Daddy, may I please have the ..."
If she says "five minutes," she is begging: "Daddy, may I pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase watch elmo for the 89th time?"
"fra-fies" are french fries.
"green" is ice cream - she only eats mint chocolate chip.
"Saminul" is her brother, Samuel.
"It-spide" is the itsy bitsy spider book.

what just happened

Regular readers of this blog know that I'm not a big fan of our President. But damn if I wasn't surprised tonight-he actually said something in his State of the Union address which I agreed. He called for America to end it's dependence on foriegn oil, and also proposed that we invest heavily in alternative ways of powering our cars and heating our homes.

Well done, Mr President.

I'm no law professor, but...

Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Suicide Law

I'm not a law expert, but why is that the conservative wing of the court seems to favor State's rights unless it the issue conflicts with the conservative agenda? This summer, the court ruled that Federal agents could arrest people in California who grew pot in their backyards for medical purposes, even though the law in California allows residents to do so. Now, the conservative wing of the court (including new member Judge Roberts), in their dissenting opinion, criticize Oregon's law which allows for physician-assisted suicide.

I'm all for the conservative ideal of state's rights. I just wish it would be applied consistently.

i heart pat

I've put up a new Poll. See the sidebar to the right.

What would we do without Brother Pat? We've been amused with him in the past:
1) Take him out!
2) God hates those who don't teach ID.
and now,
3) Mess with Israel, and God gives you a stroke.

Preach on, Borther pat. The Daily Show needs you.

Festivus

Happy Festivus. Get you Festivus wine here. Get you Festivus Pole here.

big and small

 

its about time

President Bush finally admited much of the intelligence to go to war was wrong. It's about time.

music

Timmer has posted his list of the 10 best albums of 2005.
He's a showoff. Like anyone else has even bought 10 albums in 2005.

The list of Albums I bought in 2005 (all via iTunes):
1) Amos Lee, Amos Lee
2) James Blunt, Back to Bedlam
3) Snow Patrol, The Final Straw
4) Jonny Lang, Long Time Coming
5) Damien Rice, O
6) Ray LaMontagne, Trouble
7) Coldplay, X & Y
8) Howie Day, Stop All the World Now

feeling new

Is there anything better than hearing your new favorite song for the first time?

Check out:
1) Goodbye Lover, by James Blunt
2) Fix You, by Coldplay

tookie

Why does the death penalty make me sick to me stomach?

I read this first person account of the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams and it made me sick to my stomach. I hate the death penalty.

First, I really like Fox News. They make me laugh. Fair and Balanced? Good one. Here's a few gems in the link mentioned above:

"This man was convicted of brutally murdering four innocent people and later bragging about how he watched their last breaths. Tonight I saw his."
--I'm glad the columnist (Adam Housley) is so exciting about watching murder. I'll pass, but he makes it sound like he wants someone to pass the beer nuts.

"Williams turns his head to his right. He stares at the media. It is a long look and one that attempts to pierce our being in the room. There is no mistaking, even as this man awaits death, he is attempting to be in control, he wants to intimidate."
--Tookie Williams was a criminal. I don't understand people who protest outside of prisons (write your congressperson if you hate the death penalty). But dammit if I wasn't appalled when I read this. Could it be that maybe Williams was just scared shitless?

merry saturnalia

Christmas doesn't make any sense. It's a made up holiday. If there's one thing for certain, it ain't really Christian, for two main reasons: 1) Secular culture has hijacked the holiday 2) In the tradition of most religions, Early Christians created a holiday to coincide with the winter solstice. Keep Saturn in Christmas! That's right - the Christmas Tree is a great way to pay homage to the Roman God Saturn. Oops.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. I just wish I didn't have to sit through a church service.
Will somebody please get me an ipod for Christmas?

war prayer

There's debate about how military chaplains should be allowed to pray.

How about this (From Mark Twain's the "War Prayer"):
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle -- be Thou near them! With them -- in spirit -- we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

god hates shrimp

In case you haven't already seen it: God Hates Shrimp.

say hello, wave goodbye

A fitting piece of verse, which suits my mood, as autumn moves ever closer to waving goodbye:

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

--William Shakespeare
From Sonnet 73: That Time Of Year Thou Mayst In Me Behold

elephants and donkeys

Matty G has a good discussion going about the future of American politics. I especially enjoyed Joe's (of hearts and bones) comments about a possible Hillary Clinton presidential run: "As far as the candidates go, it is a decent list. Hillary might be a total bitch, but she is a good politician. The Clintons understand the idea of representing the people, and seek to govern in a non-polarizing way."

Personally, I'd be surprised if Hillary got the Democratic nomination. In my mind, too many people flat out hate her, and the last thing the Democrats want to do is mobilize the Republican base for the Republicans.

I watch "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" every Sunday morning. George Will, a conservative commentator from the Washington Post, is a regular guest. He had an interesting observation about the Republican party this week. He observed that the party is composed of two groups: the libertarians, and those motivated by religious issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

One wonders how long these two groups will be able to remain under the tutelage of the same party. The religious side of the party desires government interaction to accomplish their religious agenda. This, of course, is diametrically opposed to the fundamental belief of the libertarian sect within the Republican party.