The Count-down Begins!

Yes, only three more days until Christmas! But that is not what I'm looking forward to this year.

Like 2008 year, my Big Event will be happening in January 2009! So today I've decided to officially start my Inauguration Day count-down at 29.

29 Days until I will be freezing my butt off on the Mall with 2 million other people to watch, listen, or breathe air molecules in the same vicinity in the 44th president. Maybe if the Secret Service and the Capitol police let us get that close.

Maybe.

Veterans' Day, Part Deux

I'm not sure how to approach this...but what I'm about to post is what happens when people's intentions to honor our soldiers meets Americana at its, erm best.



I salute you! But is this really how we see our military?

Veteran's Day

Love love living in this country of ours and I'm especially greatful for those who have fought to make it what it is. Especially you, Mike. I'm very proud of you. I feel a great deal of indebtedness to those who have done something that I know that I'll never do, but I can remember them.

So even though I'm not from our great 51 state...erm I mean Canada I really love the following poem and it means a lot to mean on today for the 11th hour of the 11th month.

In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the the crosses, row on row,
That mark the place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up your quarrel with the foe:
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
-Lt. Col. John McCrae

Where Were You When...

That's the question we all asked our parents about certain big events in history that have shaped our lives.

Last night I was doing something about those events. I was voting for the 44th President of the United States of America.

I'm one of probably thousands of people across this country who can say that we've met Mr. Obama on a campain stop. I've voted for him in every primary and every general election I could because I not only agree with his politics, but I genuinely believe he represents what he said about America last night in his acceptance speech. We are the change that can be wrought in the world, not because we want to force our ideals on anyone else or because we have the greatest and the best. We are that hope of building on our past towards a better future. "Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow." That's what our President-Elect told us last night. That's what he's been telling us for the last 21 months. That's why voter turn out was the highest it's been in 40 years. That's why I fell in love with the political process again and contributed.

Thank you Mr. Obama for inspiring us to particiate these last two years. Thank you for letting us know that it was what we can do on an indiviual basis that swells our numbers to that large crowd we saw last night in Grant Park.

Now let's go be the change.

Olympic Wrap-up

Now that I've had a bit of time to reflect on the XXIX Olympiad from Beijing, I've come to a few conclusions:
1. Bob Costas is actually not aging. I think he's put into some sort of stasis pod in between broadcast events and he will never age. Either that or he's now been replaced by an android.
2. The Olympics are no longer about athletic achievements, it's about all the other stuff (read money) that happens around it.
3. I was genuinely happy for the American men's indoor volleyball team for winning the gold medal. That was probably my favorite story of the entire games. Although I was a big sucker for the off-key singing of the women's 8-man row team as they sang the National Anthem at the top of their lungs.
4. No athlete can sing the first couple of lines of their national anthem during the medal ceremony. For the Americans, they can normally come back in during the "rocket's red glare" and can finish from there. Except for the Spaniards, whose anthem does not have any words at all.
5. Did you know if Michael Phelps was at the games? I wasn't sure if he showed up or not as the media coverage on him was kinda spotty.

Geek-out in Land of Lincoln Day 2

Today was all Abe all the time! In case we got lost, we had these helpful signs to get us back on track to the sights. Of course we could only go to Lincoln sights and Springfield is only made of one-way streets, so we had to go in circles. I even began to wonder at some points if Springfield ever had any other politicians in it. Oh, yeah…it did, but many of them have ended up in prison.

I love the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. I was geek-tastic for the three and a half hours that we spent there. Of course the best part for me though was the gift shop. Forget the moving words of Lincoln and the totally awesome hologram presentations when I can buy a cheap Lincoln head! Presents for those who couldn’t come with me.

We also went to the Lincoln home. I have once piece of advice. Even if you tremble with excitement at the prospect of visiting historical sites or plan a three hour detour into Pennsylvania to visit Gettysburg for the fourth time, if you’re offered a special presentation at the National Park site at the Lincoln Home before going through the house…RUN. Seriously, I got out my cell phone I was so bored and sent text messages instead. Yawn!

But then we went to the cemetery. Of course it poured and it was under construction, so I don’t have any pictures, just lovely memories of the tomb. So I leave you with a song.

Geek-out in Land of Lincoln Day 1

I have taken a little trip this weekend to the state capital in the Land of Lincoln. Every once in a while I feel the urge to totally geek out over my love all things historical about Civil War history. So, I’m planning a totally Abe-gasmic visit to all the sites here in Springfield. I mean this is where his awesome career started, so everything should be all about Lincoln. My license plates have always told me that it is his land (on a side note, not I was shocked to find out that Illinois is the only state that seems to have dedicated the entire state to one person via car registration, not even England does that for the Queen). Only, when I got to the state capital, I was a little confused as to exactly who’s land I live in. Certainly it started out just fine. I mean we have the great young Abe to greet us as we come up step to the entrance:



And I even get the nice picture of the Little Giant, Stephen Douglas that Lincoln famously debated up and down the state in the 1858 senate race. Sorry, just a Geek-out moment.



Then I saw all the other statues around the building. How did Illinois do without a poor replica of the Liberty Bell?



Wait, I know! We should celebrate the white man’s dominance and superiority of the native peoples of the state by erecting a condescending and inaccurate portrayal of someone that is unidentified.



But then here’s a collection of random parts of statues that I like to think are well-intentioned, but poorly executed tributes to state heroes who just aren’t as cool as good old Honest Abe.

Shy John Palmer


Some Awesome Chair Griffens


Everett Dirksen got something on his pants!


I just hope that tomorrow I get to Geek-out a bit more about Abe and and a bit less about Everett Dirksen's pants.

Happy 9th of July!

Today I would like to mark the day that Argentina marks its independence from the tyrannical oppression it felt being a colony of Spain. Actually, I know nothing about the Argentine Independence Day, but I hope that it involves a lot of back yard picnics, crazy uncles making inappropriate comments while slightly (or more than slightly) inebriated, and pyrotechnic displays celebrating the technological superiority of the Chinese. Then I'd know that the American proliferation of "democracy" that President Bush has spoken about so much in the last few years might still have a chance.