Happy Birthday and Sudoku
The pictures of my son born this day nine years ago can be found on his mother's blog. Happy Birthday, Mike;
See side panel for link Pieceful Creations.
If only life were as simple as Sudoku. A puzzle that not matter how difficult always follows the rules. Each box of nine squares in a three by three format needs to have the numbers 1 through 9 exclusively and each row and column also needs each digit no repeats are allowed for any row, column or box. There are multiple strategies to solve a puzzle but in the end with patience, trial and error, andr with time all puzzles can be solved.
In life, take for example, raising a boy from birth to leaving the house. There are no rule books given at birth. It is trial and error. Each day in child raising is a new puzzle some days are easy and the solutions come with little thought, but others are more diffucult.
I am only glad that since I am a Christian, I have my LORD and his Word to aid me in all of life's puzzles that need solutions.
Five Years Later
Do I remember where I was at when I first heard about the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center? Yes, I was riding a shuttle bus to a class at Utah State University. That is not really that important though. I had no direct links to anyone that was killed on that day, however, this attack was against all of America not just the thousands of victims who lost family, friends, and neighbors. It was an assault against freedom everywhere.
Isn't it time for forgiveness? Not for the monsters that committed these vicious attacks but time to forgive each other. Exhausting investigations have shown that no one in our government nor did any of our citizens directly participate in these attacks. The recent release of a movie laying some of the blame on the attacks on a former president has made me think about who is responsible. It was not American politicans, or even its citizens, the attackers were foreign terrorists. Terrorists Indoctrined with hate and anger by leaders that poison a religion for their own self-ish interests and gain.
Many on both sides of the political spectrum, myself included would like to blame the otherside for their ineptness or inaction that lead the tragedy on the clear September day. It is time for us to forgive each other and move together to keep our nation safe. There is no disputing the facts many events lead to the attacks. They happened. The blame game needs to stop. I am willing to forgive the former president for his decision to not actively persue those sinister agents that would later be responsible for the attacks. It is time for other Americans to forgive our current president for his decision to persue other sinister agents who do want to in the future bring harm to America. All these decisions have all ready been made. We can not go back and wish things to be done the right way. Both presidents made a decision in that moment to do what was best for the nation in their eyes. Both actions were correct in context to the events surrounding them.
Earlier I have written entries blasting others for there inaction that contributed to these attacks. Watching the documentary that aired on CBS again about the firefighters that battled evil on that day. I was reminded that although it was America's most tragic attack in recent history, it was also one of our brightest hours, when we came together as a nation and worked to save lives and comfort each other in both our collective and personal losses.
It is time for us to forgive each other and for all of us to join the battle against the true enemy, the cowardly monsters hidden in the dark places of our world. Those who helped in these attacks and who would eagerly do the same again. If we, as Americans, will not rise up together and fight this evil just as we did that smoked filled day, then some day in the future our lives will be added to the next ruined building or destroyed city.
A Little more about Me
These are Four things about me that you did not know.
(A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1.Cook
2.Postal Worker
3.Painter
4.Research Assistant
(B) Four movies you would watch over and over (and have):
1.Lord of the Rings-trilogy
2.Star Wars-all
3.Armageddon
4.Matrix-all
(C) Four places you have lived:
1. Hansen, Idaho
2. Twin Falls, Idaho-with parents
3. Twin Falls, Idaho-with wife
4. Logan, Utah
(D) Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Grand Canyon
2. Oregon Coast
3. Northern Idaho
4. Salt Lake City
(E) Web sites you visit:
1. RedState.com
2. BibleGateway.com
3. Foxnews.com
4. Klove.com
(F) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Stuffed pizza
2. Pretzels
3. Potatoes
4. Steak
(G) Four places I would rather be now:
1. On an Alaskan Cruise
2. On a Carribbean Cruise
3. On a Mediterranean Cruise
4. On any other Cruise
Threats and Legacies
I would normally write this blog entry in my other blog. The one that I have at RedState.com, but I have decided it would be in violation of the posting rules because it does in fact conclude with a personal attack. Since I attempt to be a man of Honor and still respect the notion of following rules, I have posted it here instead. It does move beyond the scope of just politics. It brings out of the shadows an aspect of what America is becoming.
The recent news release of the intimidation of a TV network by a major political party for showing a docu-drama is the most disturbing news item, I have seen in years. The implications are staggering. If ABC can be threatened by using its freedom of speech, who else can be safe?
There must be some very, very, very damaging images in the upcoming TV docu-drama: The road to 9/11, for President Clinton and his subordinates to use the full force of the Democratic party to overtly threaten the removal of ABC's broadcast licences for all its stations throughout America. A punishment just because it is using its guaranteed right of free speech just as Michael Moore did in his movie Fahrenheit 9/11. The sending of a letter to the President of a corporation by the Leadership of a major political party to stop the airing of this show is beyond disbelief and exhibits the apex of big government intimidation and suppression of individual rights. This action chisels one more piece off the American Republic and adds another block to a new rising American Empire ruled by a few powerful elites. Isn't the Democratic party the party of advocating free speech? Why not here?
Some broadcast networks have for years continued to blame Bush for the terrorist hijackings and attacks of September 11,2001, but now that one of the faithful is considering that the Clinton administration also contributed to this terror attack the ABC broadcasting network is being threatened. This is hypocrisy at its greatest.
Shame on the Democrats. If ABC does pull the mini-series or dramatically edits it, they will be shown to be nothing more than a rubber stamp of the Democratic party and its mouthpiece not the voice of all America just Blue America. They will infact be letting a former President and his party maintain their control. Emperor Clinton and his subordinates can then be crowned.
Clinton Legacy
Not only does it erase the freedom of speech, but it shows a complete lack of personal responsibility for one's actions or inaction. President Clinton needs to be responsible not only for the good he did, believe it or not he did do a few good things, but to admit his mistakes and shortcomings. He again is running away from them just like he did when he was found to have had inappropriate relations with one of his interns.
Again, Instead of coming out and admiting his moral failure he is using intimidation and his position of power to stonewall and hide the facts. His legacy should be forever tarnished and that asterick for his presidential impeachment should hang out behind his name in the history books, forever. Impeachment not for innappropriate relations with others, but using the power of his office to hide the facts. Other presidents were guilty of being promiscuous, but did not try to cover those actions up. President Clinton is and should be forever known as Emperor Slick Willy.
Another Wasted Weekend.
I have a bad habit of wasting my weekends, when I have a chance to get out and see the world. I opt to stay indoors and fritter my time away behind the screen of a computer.
This time I was combining two of my hobbies: computer gaming and history. I recently aquired the game Rise of Nations. I only bought it because my wife has started to play another computer game. I say recently and started but it has probably been atleast a few weeks. It is impossible for me to resist. It is the utlimate strategy game combining risk, starcraft, and history. I am currently in an alternate reality conquering the world as Alexander the Great. Now back to the real world. Why do I spend so much time playing such games?
List of a few rationalizations.
1. No money to do anything else.
2. Bought the game might as well use it.
3. The weekend is for recreation not work.
4. There is nothing to watch on TV.
5. Don't have yard to take care of.
6. My apartment is clean and ordered.
7. Children and wife are occupied with their own things.
Now for the reality check.
1. My wife will probably ignore me the rest of the week because I did not do anything with her this weekend.
2. My kids will continue to be raised by a selfish father that spends much of his time ignoring them.
3. Nothing was improved in my life as a result of video gaming. My reflexes are not any faster. My mind is not any sharper. I have only managed to solve a small part of hypothetical what if of ancient history under pre-defined rules in a silly computer game.
And to add to my last post. I am still in the valley of stale air. In a comfort zone that allows for me to participate all the activities I currently do and continue to maintain the balance without rocking any boat too much. I am used to doing what is expected and what is predictable and little more. I am still waiting for the wind to blow into my valley and clean out the air. I sense a change coming unknown what it will be though.
And by the way, Pluto is still a planet even if it has been classified as dwarf. A rock in space by any other name is still just a rock in space. And we just happen to live on one called Earth. Yeah, the one with puddles of liquid water on it and the fragile bubble or breathable air on it.
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