Remember

This is a day to remember those who served. Those who fought and came back, as well as those who did not return. All sacrificed something, if for many it was only a few years of their lives spent wearing a uniform in a strange place, when they could have been at home with their families. Some sacrificed everything. We honor them all.

There is a special honor, however, for those who have no names carved into stone. We don't know who they were, or where their families live, or why they signed up. We only know one thing about those represented by the Tomb of Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery: They died in service to their country.

We can't thank them by name. We can't thank their families. In many cases we don't even have remains to enshrine.

All we can do is what members of the Army's 3rd United States Infantry Brigade do every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in sun and rain and snow: Honor them.

Happy 232nd Birthday, USA!

There are many Americans who believe that this great country has changed a lot since it was first conceived. Indeed, many things have changed, some for the better and some for the worse. Our Constitution has been updated with 17 amendments since the Bill of Rights was added. Some people think that is too many, others say it is not enough.

But, that's one of the principles the United States of America was based upon, and mentioned (more or less) in the first amendment - The freedom to disagree.

Some might say we have refined disagreement to a high art. And, as it has been since the beginning, there are those who think we disagree too much.

The Pilgrims who journeyed on the Mayflower to Plymouth in 1620, followed by a boatload of Puritans in 1629, and more during the "Great Migration" in the years following, were seeking a land free from the inflexible dogma of the Church of England. Actually, they had their own inflexible dogma, but it disagreed with the Church of England's on several key points. These people referred to themselves as "The Holy", not "Puritans" (that was a term of derision coined by the English people who thought they were all batty).

And, yes, they did, literally, believe they were Holier than thou (or anyone else who was not one of them). A good example of this was Puritan minister Cotton Mather, who was particularly influential on early America, having published more than 450 books and pamphlets which were widely read throughout the English colonies.

They never constituted a majority in the early colonies, but their influence was unmistakable and they have always been a part of us (whether we like it or not).

To find the heirs of the Puritans today, you need only seek their most visible leaders: Pat Robertson and Randy Brinson. There are others, of course, but those two have that unique brand of fundamental conservative Christianity that is particularly American.

Other heirs of "The Holy" might include (but are not restricted to): the Texas FLDS Church, the Westboro Baptist Church, Christian Identity, and even scarier groups.

One of the things all of these people share is the unshakable belief that the rest of us should not be disagreeing with them.

I really really really enjoy the fact that I can still disagree.

Up yours, Puritans!

Happy Holidays!

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever, have a great day.

Remember

Here in the USA, we call this Veterans' Day. In Canada they call it Remembrance Day.

For most people, it is just another National Holiday. Some will get to take the day off. Sometimes there is a parade that blocks a street. Whatever. It is just another day.

For those who wore the uniform, or wear it today, or had a loved one that wore it, this day is a special one.

We remember.

Got gas?

The Memorial Day weekend is coming up, and the annual raising of the price of gasoline has begun. Has it ever! Here in Bellingham, prices are higher than the national average.

Congress has finally taken notice of the situation, and some steps are being attempted.

I will be posting a special message when the local price exceeds $4.00/gallon.

Enjoy the Season

This is the time of year when my family gathers to exchange gifts and consume too much food and drink. Call it what you will: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, the Winter Solstice, whatever. The reasons for the festivities are not important to us. If they are important to you, great. Just keep it to yourself, please.

For us, this season is about family.

That makes it the best time of year, as far as I'm concerned.

Enjoy!

Congratulations!

Survived another year? Good for us!

That's for the glass-half-full crowd. For me, I look at it as another year closer to the eventual end of the world, not to mention one year closer to death for me.

We still have things to worry about:

-- A rampaging budget deficit that shows no sign of slowing the United States' descent into national bankruptsy.

-- We still have a President who lacks any resemblance of common sense or decency. They tried to impeach Clinton for less (Getting a bj in the White House, and lying about it, has no comparison to starting a war on false pretenses - and then lying about it).

-- The media still seems to be more focused on Hollywood gossip than hardline reporting of events that effect the nation. Where are the Woodwards and Bernsteins for this generation?

-- The poor are still getting poorer and the rich are still getting richer. Granted, this has been the way of the world since the days of Babylon and Sumer, but the rate seems to be accellerating at an unprecidented pace.

-- We have 6 more years before the start of the next Mega-Ice Age, unless it is counter-acted by Global Warming (though there is some evidence that Global Warming might actually trigger an Ice Age - the debate continues...).

This is just my opinion, of course. You don't have to worry about any of this stuff.

Have some more bread, and enjoy the circus.

Buh-bye 2004

This was not the best of years.

It was not a particularly good year for Democrats, members of our armed forces, or poor people everywhere.

It was an especially bad year for people living along the coastal regions of the Eastern Indian Ocean.

Members of the Republican party did rather well for themselves, and the wealthiest 10% of the world's people generally became richer, even as the rest of us became poorer. If you were fortunate enough to be a Republican AND rich, you probably think 2004 was a pretty good year - assuming you managed to avoid buying that waterfront timeshare in Sumatra.

I like to think that 2005 will be better. It probably won't - in fact it could well be worse. Global Warming is going to be demonstrating itself to us in new and interesting ways, I'm sure. But more immediate is the problem that most of the people on Earth think that we, in the United States of America, are EVIL!

I want to assure you all that we are not EVIL. At least not all of us. Okay, some of us are greedy, selfish bastards who drive SUVs, drink lattes and send our kids to private schools while we cheat on our taxes and oppress minorities with undisguised glee. But not all of us are like that.

At least I'm not. So, don't blow me up.

Please.

Thanks...

Between Holidays

After Christmas & before New Year's Day is one of the most depressing weeks of the year. People yell at each other more. More divorces start. More people commit suicide, or homocide.

Think about it: You've just spent a pile of money on cool stuff for other people, and received, in return, stuff they obviously thought was something you might like but actually wish you could take back so you could have some money for yourself.

And then you have to wait a week before you can get drunk enough to get over it.

I think people should spend this week getting drunk, then spending New Year's sobering up. That way you can look at the past year with a clear head, and plan your revenge for the year to come...