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Monday, January 31, 2005
Suck it, Kerry!
Iraqi's line up to vote.
GENEVA -- About 93 percent of the 280,000 Iraqi voters registered abroad cast absentee ballots in the country's election, the agency that organized the vote said Monday.
U.S. Press
Preliminary reports that turnout in Sunday's Iraq election has topped 70 percent have surprised American reporters, many of whom had predicted that terrorists would succeed in sabotaging the U.S-backed referendum.
Kennedy
Troop-bashing Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy said Sunday that the historic election in Iraq doesn't really change much, repeating his call for the U.S. to begin pulling its forces out of the country immediately.
Kerry
A bitter-sounding Sen. John Kerry dismissed the historic Iraqi election on Sunday, warning Americans not to "overhype" the watershed event.
"No one in the United States should try to overhype this election," Kerry told NBC's "Meet the Press."
The failed presidential candidate questioned the historic referendum's legitimacy, saying, "It's hard to say that something is legitimate when a whole portion of the country can't vote and doesn't vote."
Kerry also pooh-poohed reports of a surprisingly high 72 percent turnout by Iraqi voters, insisting instead that the election has "gone as expected."
Asked if he thought Iraq was now less of a terrorist threat, Kerry at first said: "No, it's more. And, in fact, I believe the world is less safe today than it was two and a half years ago."
But he changed his answer moments later, after "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert pressed him on the bizarre claim.
"I'm glad Saddam Hussein is gone, and I've said that a hundred times," he insisted.
1/31/2005 08:47:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Friday, January 28, 2005
2008
1/28/2005 05:15:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Thursday, January 27, 2005
Interesting to me and probably me alone...
In George Washington's last will and testament which was 29 handwritten pages the first thing he mentions is provision for "my dearly beloved wife Martha Washington for as long as she might live."
Following this statement, Washington indicates what is uppermost in his mind:
"Upon the decease of my wife it is my will and desire that all the slaves which I hold in my own right shall receive their freedom." Following that statement is almost 3 pages of explicit instructions regarding how they are to be freed, including their children being educated and trained so they could support themselves as free people.
Washington evidently expected his family would be surprised at this decree as he indicated strongly, "I do hereby expressly forbid the sale of any slave I may die possessed of under any pretense whatsoever." and "See that this clause respecting slaves and every part thereof be religiously fulfilled without evasion, neglect or delay."
Important to note is that no other founding father freed his slaves or contemplated the education of slaves children (other than to the extent it benefitted the master.)
For example, Thomas Jefferson on the subject: "To give liberty to, or rather to abandon persons whose habits have been formed in slavery is like abandoning children."
Interesting stuff I'm currently listening to in the audio book: "An Imperfect God - George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America."
1/27/2005 04:58:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Monday, January 24, 2005
Catapult
1/24/2005 01:47:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Thursday, January 20, 2005
protesters
Who has time to protest?
GET A JOB!!
1/20/2005 04:19:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Everyone has a role to play...
Emily and Isaac were playing with Care Bear figurines along with some army men.
Emily is holding an army man, gesturing toward one of the Care Bears and states:
"Pick up a gun. We're going to war."
1/18/2005 04:53:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Henry V
I'm currently listening to Shakespeare's "Henry V". King Henry V of England had laid claim to some part of France which they believed rightfully belonged to England. The dauphin (prince?) of France sends a messenger to the young King of England and mentions that they will overlook this insult since he is so young, and that they've sent him a treasure to occupy him to help him forget about the land in France. They open the treasure, and it's a chest of tennis balls. Long story short, England has a rightful claim because of blood-lines and all that to France and they go to claim it with the King leading the troops.
The English are incredibly outnumbered (5-1), tired and hungry prior to a major battle where the French noblemen are joking about how there aren't even enough Englishmen to wet their swords, etc. The French have fresh troops and a large number of cavalry.
One of the English noblemen (Westmoreland) makes a comment about how he would give anything for some of the men at home in England. The king overhears him and gives a rallying speech to encourage the soldiers. It includes the much nowadays used phrase "band of brothers" and is a very stirring speech. If you haven't seen the depiction of the play on DVD, I highly recommend it.
Here's the speech - (it takes me a few lines before getting into Shakespearean mode to where you can follow him, but it's worth it):
WESTMORELAND. O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England
That do no work to-day!
KING. What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin;
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But, if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian!'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
The outcome of the battle is that the English rout the French. The English take 1500 French prisoners and 10,000 French are slain - the field was incredibly muddy and sloppy and the horses and French foot-soldiers were mired down in the muck and the English archery units cut them down. Only 25 English are lost. King Henry (they call him Harry for some reason) points out that it was God who gave them the victory and that any man who boasts about the victory, taking the glory from God, will be put to death.
More interesting historical background here.
1/18/2005 09:39:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Friday, January 14, 2005
Princess and the Kiss
I highly recommend this book for anyone with a little girl.
It is one of the first book's Emily learned to read and I try to read it to her at least once a week. She often sleeps with this book under her pillow. One of the kids' babysitters' read the book and told Jenny with tears in her eyes that she wished her parents had purchased the book for her and talked to her about "purity" when she was younger.
The book is very well done and the basic point of the story is an analogy of a girl's "first kiss" as virginity, and that it's a gift to be saved for her eventual husband - not to be given away to just anyone.
....stepping down from the soapbox.....
1/14/2005 09:00:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Tuesday, January 11, 2005
never JUST a movie...
good article here
The Christian community must do a better job of showing people how to ask the questions that make a person media literate. If we are indeed the "royal priesthood" that we are described as, then our job description includes the command of Ezekiel 44:23, "They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean." We must live not as passive sponges but as mindful agents. As Bill Romanowski (author and Calvin College professor) says, "There's some good stuff out there and lots of bad stuff and, if people are going to live as mature Christians, they're going to have to learn to tell the difference."
1/11/2005 04:29:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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no
1/11/2005 02:15:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Monday, January 10, 2005
Audio books
I've discovered that audio books at work are egg-sah lent.
I've listned to:
Treasure Island
Waking the Dead
(started Come Thirsty - Max Lucado but couldn't finish it)
Tales from the Greek Legends
currently: The Screwtape Letters
1/10/2005 04:19:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Wednesday, January 05, 2005
no
I'm still here and I check out everyone else's blog fairly often. I just have no creativity and basically don't have anything to say that I don't say in person. It's nice that other people are able to update their blogs frequently; I like that.
We watched the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation over the past two or three weeks. Jenny and I both liked watching it years ago on television before I would have to head off to work at Polar Minerals in Mt. Vermin (as the kids call it.)
It's interesting (to me) to note there were 26, 1 hour long episodes in the first season, and as far as the actors knew, things were on pretty shaky ground and they figured the first season was to be the only season. They ended up doing at least seven seasons, maybe more - I haven't confirmed the correct number.
I have placed a hold on the second season's dvd's at the library, but it could be awhile - it's evidently a popular item.
Little known fact: Michael Dorn, who played Worf, was "Sandman" in The Santa Clause 2. He was also some guy named Jebediah in CHiPs and Apollo Creed's bodyguard in Rocky.
The ladies who played counselor Deanna Troi and Security Chief Natasha Yar actually had auditioned for the reversed roles, but Roddenberry had them flip and the rest is history. Denise Crosby, who played Security Chief Yar (and was also Gage's mom in Pet Sematery by the way) asked to be written out of the show during the first season, so she was killed off by some skin of evil discarded by a race of Titans and left alone on some planet. It was pretty anti-climactic. Crosby indicated in an interview that she felt she'd have to be lobotomized to continue on in the show in her current role. Guess she was bored.
We've started back up with a men's group on Tuesday nights at CFC from 6:30 to 8:30. At present, we are using videos from Nooma.com which are very interesting - then we break into small groups and go over questions from the video. Part of what we are expected to do each week is to keep a journal of prayer requests/answers to prayer, things God is teaching us during our personal bible study time, etc. We'll see how that goes. I enjoy journaling and writing out my prayers to God, but I just don't do it habitually, yet.
1/05/2005 04:53:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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