Go Army!

Congratulations to Army volleyball and men's cross country for beating Navy this year. Nothing makes the air smell sweeter than navy losses.

The Army volleyball beat Navy for a sixth-straight time en route to capturing the annual “Star” match between the service-academy rivals, 3-1, on Saturday night at Wesley A. Brown Field House. (yeah, that's right...we did it at their house. hot!)

Army men beat Navy 377-405

Charles Meets Barack

I know, I know...more videos. Also, this one is a commercial for Obama, but that's not why I like it. I like it because it's all about civic participation; it's about being involved. I only wish I had more time to volunteer and get involved. Not just in the election, but in civil society as a whole. I think, when I get back, that's going to be my goal. As it stands I waste my weekends, but when I come back, I'm going to volunteer. Maybe with a youth organization maybe somewhere else, but we'll see.

In any case, listening to Charles talk about the future and his own generation slowly dying is very moving.

IM conversation with an old cadet friend...

Man, I miss the days when I was surrounded with people who could talk and joke politics with me. I really do...here's a short conversation over AIM tonight w/ an old friend that made me laugh:

other guy (9:13:27 PM): another random thought (watching the Palin interview); Ahmidenijad isn't a dictator, and isn't even the power center of that country

CaliCdt (9:14:40 PM): Ahmedenijad is a dictator and he...in the great history of this country...and...the great Ronald Reagan.

CaliCdt (9:14:49 PM): I tried to respond in a Palin-esque manner...did it work?

other guy (9:15:20 PM): thank you Miss South Carolina

CaliCdt (9:16:32 PM): ha ha, the sad part about it is...it uh...sounds kinda like her real answers. And yes, her and Ms. South Carolina are sadly similar in their interview styles

CaliCdt (9:16:46 PM): you can see their wheels turning, "remember to say Iraq...and health care...."

other guy (9:17:30 PM): the difference is Ms. South Carolina was punished for her answer

conservatives I like...

I've taken a liking to Peggy Noonan and George Will lately. I don't agree with them on a lot, but I like their styles. I think their positions are closer to mine than most Conservatives of my generation, and they elevate the level of discourse (most of the time).

I was watching a clip of them on George Stephanopolous's show (I don't know how to spell that correctly), and Dan Rather said something similar to, "like security post 9/11, whatever we do economically after this meltdown will not change for generations." George Will, quick on his feet, responded, "So we'll have the economic equivalent of baggage screeners?"

Clever.

Star Spangled Banner Patti Labelle 10-26-08

Here is the National Anthem I wrote about earlier. Thanks to whomever sent me the link.

Bill Burton Attacks Fox, Megyn Kelly Takes Him On!

Ok, Ok, another clip...but seriously? This whole thing has gotten ridiculous. At what point did Fox News anchors sit around collective believe they were fair and balanced? She's dead serious here...wtf?

Also, just one more point, but when exactly did Fox News stop tolerating sarcasm? This is the station Bill O'Rielly is on correct?

And (last point, I swear) it's like a drinking game how often they say "fair and balanced" as though, by sheer force of will they can make it so.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck introduces Sarah Palin

Five minutes in, when Hasselbeck talks about Sara Palin's flag pin, which she wears in honor of her son garners loads of hoots and hollars and whistles from the crowd. But why? Are we to believe that having someone in your family who serves makes one more patriotic? Or maybe it makes one more adept at leadersihp? Or, maybe it means that one has more right to an opinion.

I don't think it means any of those things. This, combined with her constant invocation of "they" and "them" is just a further attempt to divide and conquer while playing on the patriotism of Americans in order to paint the other side as different and somehow Un-American.

It's wrong and disgusting.

And I've also gone back on my word not to write about politics anymore. I'm sorry. And I wonder if that makes me a hypocrite.

The National Anthem...

I am watching the World Series, Game four, and just heard what was supposedly the National Anthem. Yes, Patti LaBelle has an amazing voice with a range that's out of this world, but she need to display every possible note in her range while singing the National Anthem? Also, the words are "Land of the Free." not "Land of the Free, Free, Free, Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

It's a song, not a poem, it is written a certain way that it should be sung. It is not a showcase for artists to show their every talent. Please, please...if you are ever singing it, sing it as it is written so that the words and the country it represents are what come across instead of the personality and talent of the artist.

It's not too late to defeat Prop. 8

If you're from California, then you're like me and you're damn proud of where you come from and what our State stands for. That being the case, we run the risk of becoming something we're not and putting discrimination into the State Constitution.

If you're from California, vote against Proposition 8 and remind the rest of the world that we're above division and bigger than that. If you're not from California, donate to No on 8 and donate big. This is the most important civil rights issue facing California voters this election, and should be ashamed of ourselves if we cannot defeat this.

2LT Sean O'Connor

Some years ago, when I was at the prep school for Stap, I went out with another prior service Cadet Candidate. We went out and didn't have a ride back so we had to walk the three or four miles at three in the morning. It began to drizzle slightly and Sean got very upset at the rain and the walk, but we made our way home. We talked about if we wanted to be Officers or not and why we had spent a year at the prep school. There were so many questions and so much future ahead of us...

Sean has now passed, leaving behind a wife.

A group of classmates and I were out last night, celebrating the R&R trip home of one of our other classmates when they told me the news, which had been distributed in email form over the AOG distro. At the same time, Troy, my old prep-school roommate called to let me know. Somehow I think it would make Sean smile to know that, regardless of where we all were, his classmates all took a moment for him...and that he was, and is, always remembered for the smile he shared and good times he brought. He will be missed.

Well done Sean, Be Thou at Peace.

My second favorite conversation of block leave...the first favorite had to be edited.:

Me:are you doing leg lifts chuck?
Chuck:they're called clam shell exercises and I have to do them if I want to run again.
Me:They look like leg lifts.
chuck:Damn it, Just watch YouTube, drink vodka and don't pay attention to me.

Donna Brazile Is Not Going To The Back Of The Bus

I have been a fan of Donna Brazile since I've been paying attention to her. She's incredibly smart and has a great way about her commentary that isn't as loud and angry as most other analysts seem. She quite often says good things about the "other side" as well, which I appreciate. This is a video I just saw of her which I like quite a bit.

I agree with her...let's go forward.

paused...

In the grand tradition of my life never working out as planned, I met someone that I actually like. We don't know much about one another, other than a conversation or two we had over two nights at a bar along with mutual friends. I am, however, very interested in pursuing it further. However, it's difficult to convince anyone that it's a good idea to get involved with me a month out from my year in Iraq. I guess my earlier post was more prescient than I thought about this subject. So...my year of life on pause has already begun, but it wasn't me who pushed the button. I'm still frantically pushing the arrow keys in the hopes of continuing the game while everyone else realizes that it's futile and the game is, for now, on hold. sucks.

WTF?

What the hell does this even mean? The answer came in response to a question asking her if she endorsed a right to privacy. As a note, this was week two stuff in beginning Con Law at school. We had at least a week or two of debate about the right to privacy and where (or where it does not) come from. The word "penumbra" comes to mind, as do many cases decided by the Supreme Court. I think of Scalia telling us, with his hands in the air, "Where does this right come from? Up there somewhere?"

But what answer does Palin give, after endorsing the right? The following:

individual states can handle what the people within the different constituencies in the 50 states would like to see their will ushered in in an issue like that.

seriously...what does that even mean? It's as though her answers are written by a random answer generator, such as linked to here...