Why Do People Hate Americans?

Okay, I know the title of this post could involve a long list, but I just found something Andrew Sullivan wrote that profoundly disturbed me. It appears a website is offering soldiers sexual porn for grotesque pictures from Iraq. For the same sick, inexplicable reason one looks at horrific car accidents on the highway, I was compelled to see if this was for real. After just a little searching on the sight, I found what Sullivan described. I must admit that the few pictures I saw, though graphic and disturbing were no worse than the quick clips I see on television when I don't know to change the channel or look away.

I know there is a long tradition of disgusting behavior by the military that spans history, armies, countries, and continents, but I am amazed at how disgusting humans can be in our self-defined "enlightenment." We claim people hate us because of our freedom? Maybe, I won't presume to know. But this is just wrong. And I'm sick.

Bush and the Bottle

It appears the sleuths at The National Enquirer have uncovered a story most will find shocking: Bush fell off the wagon. Read about it here. See a photo of Bush with alcohol in hand here. Somehow I can't say it surprises me. If I were in that horrible job, I'd drink more than Nixon did. It's a job that is always under scrutiny, and nearly half the American population complains about what you do. Right now, Bush is being hammered for his actions, or lack of action, and I think he's getting a deserved rap. Sometimes I'm shocked that he doesn't get more heat, but I understand how hard it is for much of the country to realize the mistake they made. So, if I were Bush, I'd want a stiff drink, too. I can't say I won't be surprised if we find out he's been snorting the white stuff again, too.

Drinking would also explain much of Bush's erratic behavior, too. He often seems disoriented, at a loss for words (worse than normal), and trying to talk to people who are even there (for more information, see this). Then there is a story from the New York Times showing Bush's desperate attempts to link 9/11 and Katrina; Bush's non sequitors are frightening. Read them here. His handlers better be careful or we'll see him with the DTs.

Pirates! Run!

Arrrr! I can't believe I didn't remember that today is Talk Like a Pirate Day. For more information on the day, click here. I encourage everyone to talk like a pirate today. It's important that we support the heratige of the pirate. Of course, this is the heritage of the mythic English/American pirate glorified or villified in movies, not the pirates who currently terrorize the Asian and African coasts.

Make Johnny Depp proud.

Language Matters

Here's yet another reason why one should be careful about language:



For more information on this photo, click here, or copy and paste this address into your browser address bar: http://www.snopes.com/photos/katrina/disaster.asp

Block Party

Today my wife and I went to a block party one away from ours. Interestingly, we have many friends on that block, but none really on our own. Fortunately we were invited to the party because, well, we're friends with many on the block. I'd never been to a block party before; we arrived too late for one on the same block two years ago. This was a nice event. It was an excuse to visit with neighbors we regularly see and others we only say hello to when we walk the neighborhood.

So why an entry here? It seems to fit into my vision of the mythic American family life. A block party where people eat three kinds of turkey (roasted, smoked, and deep-fried), potato salad, and dishes and dishes of desserts. We sat in chairs around tables in the street. Kids played around the adults like satellites. The tree-lined street provided shade, while all of the women asked my wife about our coming twins. I feel like I've seen this on an after-school special or on an episode of Little House on the Prairie.

I've often railed against nostalgia for a time that never existed, but there are kernels of truth in that nostalgia.

We were only there a couple of hours. The party was only a few. It was perfect. After we returned home, I felt like we had traveled to a different time, but then I realized this was just the right time.

Pudu Pudu?

As I battle a splitting sinus headache, and I try to be productive, I have stumbled across the endangered Pudu Pudu. The creature, which I discovered at this site, is cute as a button and looks like the perfect food for a komodo dragon, though in the wrong part of the world. Sure the Pudu Pudu may be an elaborate hoax, like the jackelope, but I don't think so. If I had more time I'd do more research. I know our dog Bailey (G-d rest his cute, pouty-faced soul) would have loved one as a playmate almost as much as a fainting goat.

Babies?

This won't come as a surprise to most readers of TML, but I'm going to become the father of twins soon. The babies are due October 22, but there is a good chance they will be born this month. Over the summer, instead of updating this blog, I was busy "nesting" by helping my wife and by preparing the house for our new family members. Part of that preparation, and part I take particular pride in, has been building cribs for them. Many TML readers who have known about my project have wanted to see my work, so here are a couple of pictures. Enjoy.