I'm Still Scarred By That Video.

I still can't believe I was stupid enough to watch it. File it under morbid curiosity, I guess. I did not sleep a wink the night I watched it. I kept seeing it every time I closed my eyes. Then I would remember that the boy’s father watched it, and be very sad for the father. Then that random thought generator that is my brain put Boy’s face on Nick Berg’s body. Oh yeah. That was great. See why I didn’t sleep.

The next day I was on my way back from the deli with a toasted bagel with cream cheese and thought of yet another reason the video was so violent. The “cutter” was very good at it. Well as good as one can be at performing a very difficult task. He had a system apparently. A quick cut in back, move around to the front and drag the knife that way. Soon he was hacking at the bone. Sorry to be so graphic, but I’m making a point. The reason he had a system is he’d done it before. Many times before by the look of it. These yahoos do this all the time. They just happened to film this one. Words cannot describe the lunacy of the terrorists. We should stop trying to understand them. It’s not possible for us to understand. We are human. They are obviously not.

Senate is spending a lot of time on the prison “crisis”. Amazing. It’s a crisis when 25 men get humiliated. Not when seven get shot, burned, dragged though the street and hung. Not when a man gets decapitated on film. Five Generals were called back from a war to answer questions about the prisoner mistreatment. Don’t you think they have better things to do. Like, I don’t know, plan a war, take care of our sons and daughters, Keep honest Iraqis safe.

How come we don’t hear about the good things that happen in Iraq. I dug a little. Apparently we’ve done some good there. Imagine. Us. Doing Good. Unthinkable. We’ve gotten power to many residents who haven’t had it (or sporatic service) in ten years or more. I think there should be a reporter dedicated to telling us one good story a week. (Daily would be better) Anything good. Maybe tell about an especially heroic act, or just some soldiers playing with school children. The reporters don’t need to cheerlead, just tell a happy story. This is not my idea, but I like it a lot so I thought I’d share.

To sum up I will leave you with a quote from James Lileks at www.lileks.com the daily bleat. I enjoy his site because he is the primary care giver for his daughter just like I was for a time. That’s how I came across his site. He writes about anything that seems to be on his mind, from playing with his daughter to politics to home maintenance. Here he is finishing up talking about all the negativity in the news.

This smothering gloom, this suppurating corrosion – this isn’t us. This isn’t who we are. If it is, well, we’re lost, because it contains such potent self-hatred that we’ll shrink from defending ourselves, because what we have built isn’t worth defending. Thanks for the push, al Qaeda! We’ll take it from here.

But it’s not us. It’s some, but they don’t set the national temperament. They can set the mood, but not the character. Yet. This war is ours to lose if we want to.

You want to lose it? Me neither.

I wish I could write like that.

Huge Mistake

I am stomach sick. Literally. I made the huge mistake of watching the video of Nick Berg's de-capitation. Sickening. Utterly sickening. I think the lack of respect for life is horrifying. Many blame the Bush administration for this murder. I don't know. I would tend to blame the news media (or the person who leaked the photos) for showing ad nauseum the prisoner abuse in Iraq. The prisoner abuse issue was (is) being handled and punishment being handed out much before the news media got a hold of it. Showing those photos and publicizing it served no purpose except to try and give the Bush administration a black eye. Instead it took a son from a father.

One thing for sure, my resolve to pursue the war on terror has strengthened. If we retreat, the terrorists will just bring their violence here. We must be strong and aggressive in our offensive against terror.

Happy Birthday to Me

Well to day is my 40th birthday. Nope. I don't feel any different. The only thing I ever wanted for my 40th was to go the Lime Rock for Skip Barber's Race Driving School. Alas, A quit her job and started her own business and we do not have the money for it. Maybe for the 50th.

I've been remiss

I apologize for being away for so long. I've had many rants but no time to write. I've forgotten them all now. I am upset at the politicization of the horrendous acts committed by our soldiers in the Iraqi prisons. Terrible business. The atrocities themselves are enough to strengthen the resolve of American haters, but when our own politicians say, among other things, Rumsfeld, Bush and Cheney should resign it really gets them wound up.

I've been upset at the political cartoons I've seen. Two come to mind right now. One depicted a gas pump as a soldier's headstone with the inscription "So Long Sucker". Quite rude I think. The other by a fellow I'd honestly never heard of before. His last name is Rall. In his cartoon he describes Pat Tillman (former football player turned army ranger killed in line of action) as a racist buffoon out to simply kill Arabs. I wish I was simply angry, but I'm really so saddened by both. Our fighting men and women are protecting these internal America haters and they do nothing but bash those same soldiers. Rude.

There was a small fender bender in our neighbor hood recently. A and I were sitting outside with some friends and Boy. We hear a horn and the familiar crash/crunch. It seems a young girl no more than 16 was backing down the street. Why was never determined, and she backed into another woman's mini van. No damage to either vehicle. The next thing we hear is Minivan Lady screeching, "I have a bad back!" oh no. I called the police and EMTs. The little girl was pretty shaken, but also quite less than sympathetic to the Minivan Lady. As a matter of fact, the police and the EMT's were less than sympathetic. Too, bad they never had a bad back. I wish it on them for one day. A had a similar no damage very low speed accident 10 years ago and is still 1/2 the strength she was. It does not take much. Too bad a few bad eggs who take advantage of the system make people with real pain look bad.

Tell me something, Has Kerry made up his mind as to whether he has an SUV or not? Just wondering.

His wife is doing him no good whatsoever. Loose cannon that one. First she hands out buttons that show Bush and Cheney with the caption "Asses of Evil" (tee hee from the press) an now she calls Cheney's patriotism into question. She did this due to her perceived attack on her husband by the Bush campaign. Not one ad that I saw or one speech that I heard calls into question Kerry's patriotism, just his voting record. I in fact automatically assume that if you care enough about the country to run for president, you are patriotic. However, his senate voting record is fair game. Equally, is Bush's voting record as Governor and President fair game. It must be tough to be so sensitive. Luckily, I'm a republican and don't have to worry about that. Just ask any liberal. I have no heart. I'm probably an idiot too.

No one asked Kerry if HE thought Bush and Cheney were asses.

My minister has signed up to perform same sex wedding ceremonies. No legal ramifications. Simply a ceremony. Nice I think. 200 or so ministers in the state have gotten together to publish their names in some way so that anyone who so wishes can have a wedding. I've done quite a bit of souls searching on this subject. For a long time I could not bring myself to call same sex unions marriages. Funny. I have soo many friends and acquaintances who are gay and in long-term relationships and looking forward to not only getting married but having children. I'm now ok with calling it marriage. However, I believe that people in same sex marriage families will have to work harder as parents than a traditional family. It's hard work as it is, but having two Dads or two Moms instead of a Mom and Dad will be hard. The nuance of each gender lends a great amount of balance to a young child. I don't know how same sex couple will overcome that. Perhaps, A lot of help from family and friends. Hard work though. I admire same sex couples for trying.

Well I guess I remembered a lot.

good enough for now. good night.