12.08.2009

BEST ALBUMS OF 2009

10. DARK WAS THE NIGHT / WAR CHILD PRESENTS: HEROES (tie)



Yes, I'm cheating again. Technically, I'm not sure that you're supposed to include compilations on your "Albums of the Year" lists, but whatever. Both of these collections were stellar. Dark Was The Night included unreleased cuts from Spoon, Beirut, The National and just had a darker tone overall. War Child: Heroes was a nifty idea where legendary artists, (Bruce Springsteen, U2, David Bowie) asked new, rising, (The Hold Steady, Elbow, TV On The Radio) artists to cover their songs.

Both albums were much better than they should have been. A rare treat.

9. PHOENIX * WOLFGANG AMADEUS PHOENIX


They made a great first impression on SNL, a great album, but ultimately, it just faded away once the months piled on. Kind of like Vampire Weekend, the buzz and radio play might have harmed them. Still, I'll be interested in seeing where these guys go next!

8. DAVID GRAY * DRAW THE LINE


This is when the eye-rolling begins. I like David Gray. I don't give a fuck that you don't, or that when you think of his music, John Mayer also comes to mind. David Gray is fucking good, he writes impressive, emotionally powerful music. And while this album wasn't the powerhouse that Life In Slow Motion was, it was still a nice record. One I listened to a lot in my car at the end of a long day.

7. WHITE RABBITS * IT'S FRIGHTENING


These guys are incredible and I hope they get more buzz with their next album. I've searched some "Best of 2009" lists already, and they ain't on any of them...which is a damn shame. I saw them open for Spoon two years ago and they blew me away. Intense, raw, catchy. Even got Britt Daniel to produce this album for them. They're going places, so watch out.

6. JAY Z * THE BLUEPRINT III


I actually have my brother to thank for this one. He's always telling me how good Jay Z is and besides a "99 Problems" here or his collaborations with The Roots there, I've never picked up one of his albums before. While he tells me this isn't near the "classic" status as the first Blueprint, it's still easily one of the best albums of the year. A few songs are skipable, but the combo of the first five songs are as perfect as anything else released this year. Whoever says "albums are dead" needs to remind Jay Z. Cause he ain't interested in merely releasing singles and stuffing the rest with filler.

5. KAREN O & THE KIDS * WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE


Soundtracks are usually worse than compilations when it comes to being spotty and "5 shit songs for every 1 decent one." But god damn, this soundtrack is something special. Way more ambitious than it needed to be. You can't but wonder if Karen's past relationship with Spike Jonze came into play. They shared a vision of this not being some lame "kids" movie. The music had to be as interesting and challenging as the film itself. And it came out way more awesome than it needed to be.

4. PEARL JAM * BACKSPACER


Well, hello boys! Long time no see. Your last album, self titled, was nice and nifty, but lacked that certain "edge" your early work had. Looks like you found it again with this release. Songs like "Got Some" and "Supersonic" packed a punch unlike anything you've released in years. You found the passion again, you sound like a brand new garage band, out to rock the world with a sense of purpose and drive that no one can damper. This was my "surprise of the year." I wasn't expecting it to be this damn good, and I'm glad they proved me wrong.

3. HOCKEY * MIND CHAOS


These guys were making all sorts of hype and word-of-mouth on the festival circuit earlier in the year, and who knew if their debut would live up to all the hoopla? Good thing they seemed unfazed by the attention and set out to just focus on the music. Out of nowhere they became one of my favorite bands and I can't wait to see where they go from here on out!

2. BOB DYLAN * TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE


When he's not getting arrested for wandering the streets of New Jersey, or releasing a collection of Christmas tunes for a feed-the-homeless charity, he's still producing some of the best work of his entire career. Much like Clint Eastwood, he seems to just keep making interesting, important work by never letting up. He's been on his "Never Ending Tour" since around 1988. Together Through Life hearkens back to my personal favorite, "Time Out of Mind" in that he's reflective of the world around him, while still longing for true love and deep attractions. It would have been my favorite album of the year if it wasn't for...

1. ELVIS COSTELLO * SECRET, PROFANE & SUGARCANE


I've only gotten into Elvis Costello fairly recently, but I always assumed he was rock n' roll. Imagine my surprise when I read that one of his very first gigs was singing a duet with country music legend, (and my Dad's all time favorite artist) George Jones! This album takes Elvis back to his honky-tonk roots and he brings along legendary producer T-Bone Burnett just to make sure it leaves the rest of the music industry in the dust. They recorded the entire thing in three days and songs like "I Felt The Chill Before The Winter Came" and "Sulphur to Sugarcane" just drip good ol' country. Toby Keith and Taylor Swift could learn a thing or two...

12.07.2009

BEST GAMES OF 2009

Yes, it's that time of year again...the BEST OF lists begin!!!

10. MODERN WARFARE 2 / KILLZONE 2 (tie)




Yes, I'm already cheating, but both of these games are FPS, (First Person Shooters) both are a lot of fun to play with engaging stories. But sadly, they are short, quick adventures and get a lot of their added gameplay online. Where, an old fuck like me doesn't dwell much. (You can only get your ass handed to you so many times by a 12-year-old boy before you just realize you ain't THAT good.)

9. SPIDER: THE SECRET OF BRYCE MANOR



Probably the best game I've played yet on the iPhone! So easy to control, so much fun to create webs and capture bugs. Only reason it's so far down the list is because it was over WAY TOO SOON. It was this studio's first game and basically, a test-run to see if you could create something unique for the iPods. I imagine the next one will be much longer (and more expensive than the STEAL of $2.99!!)

8. FAT PRINCESS


I had a lot of fun with this title...before the wave of other games came out and distracted me from leveling up and feeding princesses cake. A multiplayer feast with 32 people battling it out in "capture the flag" type match. Plus, the quirky art style gets bonus points!

7. KATAMARI FOREVER


I'm a sucker for the Katamari. I had both games for the PS2, one for PSP and came close to buying an Xbox (total lie) to get my hands on Beautiful Katamari. Good thing I didn't, cause this collection takes all the best levels from those games and puts them on one disc with amazing 1080i visuals! I played this nonstop for three weeks and STILL didn't find everything out there, which means I might have to go back and finish it one of these days...

6. BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM


A GOOD video game based on a comic book?! Scratch that...a GOOD BATMAN GAME?! Folks, this has never, ever happened. Written by Paul Dini, this game takes place in one long evening...as the Joker traps Batman in Arkham Asylum and all hell breaks loose. A great fucking game, but once you beat it, there's little reason to go back and play it again.

5. PEGGLE


Another one for the iPhone. (Although it just came out for the PS3 as well) Best described as pure video game crack. This simple lil' game isn't anything special, but you CANNOT QUIT PLAYING IT. Ever. You will try one level, then another, then another, and once you get past the unicorn and onto the King Tut cat, you just have to admit you have a problem. It's like Plinko mixed with pure awesomeness. There's no other way to describe it. Just play it and deal with withdrawl when you're forced to go to work.

4. THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND


It would have been easy for Harmonix to just slap The Beatles's name on their Rock Band game, added some lame character models and a few of their songs and called it a day. But noooooooooo, they had to treat this project with the utmost care and respect. What they ended up creating is less "game" and more "interactive documentary." It's a thing of rare beauty, and yet, something that your 5 year old, and parents in their 50's can enjoy right alongside you. Watch the video review up above and feel sorry for yourself that you right off video games as "teenage junk."

3. FLOWER


Easily the most beautiful game on the list. Easy as hell to play too. You just control the pedal with the controller, shifting it left or right, back or forward...no buttons or combos or score or anything! The worlds start out dead and colorless, and as you float along using the wind to pollinate the ground, more and more life grows and illuminates the world. Once we finally got an HD TV this year, this game took on a life of its own. One of the first things to "burst" off the screen and implant itself into my brain.

2. RESIDENT EVIL 5


Not only is it fun killing zombies, but doing it online, with your boyfriend is even better! Much to Molly's amusement, Kevin and I spent many a nights in separate houses, killing zombies and swearing at one another. (We're on a team, and more times than I'm willing to discuss, I was responsible for killing us both.) Tons of levels, lots of replay value, and the fact that you can play the entire campaign online with a buddy, it was one of the best games of the entire year...

1. UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES


...But not THE best. This is THE best. Uncharted 2 was nonstop, action, adventure, mind-blowing set pieces, incredible high speed chases, fun while tough boss battles...the whole fucking package. You couldn't spend $60 better this year. It put the best Hollywood action movies to shame. Made you realize the power of how intelligent writing, powerful voice acting, and production values can make the perception of mere "video games" shatter into a million pieces.

12.01.2009

PRISONERS <3 HUCKABEE

I smelled something sour as soon as reports started coming in that four police officers were shot and killed inside a coffee shop outside Seattle. No one else was injured. No attempt at any sort of robbery. Some nutjob simply walked into a coffee shop, brutally murdered four police officers, and left.

Then, once they announced the name of the suspect they were pursuing, and Mike Huckabee's name was attached as being the one who let him out of jail the first time, it smelled even worse.

Turns out that Maurice Clemmons wasn't the first inmate Huckabee granted clemency to. Nor was he the last.

In 10 1/2 years, Governor Mike Huckabee granted 1,033 pardons and commutations.

It was so out of hand, FOX NEWS actually did a news story about it back in December of 2007!

"During his years as governor, Huckabee granted clemency an average of about once every four days. Huckabee's successor, Mike Beebe, has issued 40 so far this year, fewer than one a week. Bill Clinton, Frank White and Tucker granted 507 clemencies in the 17 1/2 years they served as governor."

See, this isn't the first time Huckabee has been associated with letting someone get out of prison, only to have that person commit an even worse crime. Wayne Dumond was sent to prison for raping a distant cousin of President Bill Clinton. Seriously. He supposedly "found God" while in prison and ended up raping and murdering a girl in Missouri. While Huckabee to this day says it wasn't HIS FAULT Dumond was released, parole board members said they felt pressured.

Joe Conason over at Salon.com has an incredible article linking all of Huckabee's mistakes and pardons and commutations together...and it all comes down to if they'd become "Born Again" or not.

In fact, there's even a case where Huckabee moved up an execution, (instead of just reducing it to a life sentence like both Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama had wanted) and that criminal converted while in prison as well...to Buddhism.

Oops, wrong God, dumbass.

11.30.2009

KEITH OLBERMANN ON OBAMA'S AFGHANISTAN DECISION.

Mark me down as not liking Obama's decision to escalate our troop presence in Afghanistan one bit.

11.20.2009

GLENN BECK AIN'T GETTING ANY UN-CRAZIER



And I know that everyone who has a Playboy subscription says they "read it for the articles," but I actually do and this one by Thomas Frank completely tears Beck's tactics to pieces.

Here's a small sample:

The funny thing is, Beck’s political views and even his vision of the founding generation are actually repudiated by the very founder Beck loves most. I refer to Thomas Paine, the Revolutionary War pamphleteer upon whom Beck and so many other wingers these days are weirdly fixated. Beck named one of his 2009 books after Paine’s famous 1776 pamphlet, Common Sense—not because of any specific insight, it seems, but because he likes to imagine we are living today under an “out-of-control government” every bit as offensive to “common sense” as that of George III. During his Common Sense Comedy Tour last summer Beck reportedly took to the stage dressed as Paine.

But Paine gave the world more than those two words. And when we open Paine’s even more famous work, The Rights of Man, a defense of the French Revolution, we find that it begins with a denunciation of the very idea of one generation binding future generations. “You must heed the call of generations past,” Beck pontificates in his homage to Paine. “The vanity and presumption of governing beyond the grave is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies,” Paine slapped back in 1791. “Man has no property in man; neither has any generation a property in the generations which are to follow.”

Should we read The Rights of Man all the way to the end, we find Paine calling on the English government to furnish the public with old-age pensions, subsidies to the poor, payments to mothers on the birth of children (welfare!) and guaranteed employment for everyone in the large cities. Should we carry our interest in Paine so far as to read his 1797 pamphlet, Agrarian Justice, we will find—I hope you are sitting down for this, Beck—that Paine proposed a national pension system based on a property tax! Now, hating Social Security is such a no-­brainer on the right—the host himself has called it a Ponzi scheme—that perhaps Beck’s followers can be excused for assuming that old Tom Paine was right there with them down to the last shake of their Ayn Rand placard. Still, they might have bothered to consult the Social Security website, where they will find Paine’s pamphlet reproduced as one of the “key early documents” in the struggle for old-age security.

And there is something more than a little peculiar about a devoted Mormon like Beck being a Paine fan. Until a short while ago Paine was mainly remembered as the man who despised organized religion. Debunking religion’s historical claims was, in fact, the subject of Paine’s most famous work, The Age of Reason (1794), in which the pamphleteer trashes the Bible book by book, describing the story of Jonah, the virgin birth and the crucifixion all as bad jokes on a gullible mankind. In a famous passage this scoffing founder wrote, “Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is none more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason and more contradictory in itself than this thing called Christianity. Too absurd for belief, too impossible to convince and too inconsistent for practice, it renders the heart torpid or produces only atheists and fanatics.”

11.18.2009

UP IN THE AIR

I'm tired of having to wait...I wanna see this movie NOW!!!

11.14.2009

GRRRRR...THAT LIBERAL MEDIA AND IT'S ELITE "FACTS"



The AP has a lenghty look at her coloring book autobiography and fact checks the shit out of it.

11.03.2009

RISE OF THE REPUBLICANS!!!

No, it's not a new horror movie coming to theaters, it's Drudge's latest headline today, on the heels of special elections around the country...



Now, true...as of me writing (typing) this, the outcomes aren't known yet. But if the polling holds up, and chances are it will, Republicans will win most of the elections tonight.

Virgina would be getting a brand new Republican governor, which would be a nice win for them. But Virginia is the only state in the Union which doesn't allow it's governors to serve consecutive terms. So every four years it's a toss-up, and this year goes Republican after currently having a Democrat in office.

New Jersey could be getting a Republican governor as well...which happened back in 2002 as well, so it's not like it never, ever happens.

But the one that is getting all the attention is New York's 23rd District. You had a Democrat and Republican going at it, when out of nowhere a third party candidate named Doug Hoffman entered the race. Suddenly, what was assumed a Republican victory became a 3-way tie. In fact, mere days ago, it appeared that the Democrat might actually win the race! (This district has constantly gone Republican since the late 1800's!)

And suddenly, you had two wings of the Republican party supporting two different Conservative candidates. The Republican, Dede Scozzafava, garnered support from the NRA, Newt Gingrich, and (for a while) Head of the GOP, Michael Steele.

Meanwhile, the wackier, tea-baggier side of the party, including Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson, and Glenn Beck all threw their weight behind Hoffman. In fact, Hoffman even called Glenn Beck a "mentor" on his radio show!

Over the weekend, The Republican candidate pulled out of the race, and as an extra "fuck you" to the GOP, endorsed the Democratic candidate!

Who knows what will happen as a fallout of all of this, but let the Republicans pat themselves on their backs! They were able to hold onto a tiny district in New York that has gone Republican all the way back before the turn of the century!

Bravo boys!

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10.27.2009

WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST...

Scalia On Brown v. Board Of Education: I Would Have Dissented



There are major differences between Conservatives and Liberals. One group wants to advance the cause of equality and civil rights for all...the other would have kept our schools segregated.

I know Justice Thomas is also Conservative, but you know deep down inside him, he wants to punch Scalia in the gut.

In other, happier, progressiver news...it appears Don't Ask Don't Tell will be coming to an end soon.

MY COMIC ON THE "FRANKEN BILL" NONSENSE

Ran last week in The Pitch.

foxhole 29

Remember to check out Comic Stripjoint for more of my comics.

MUSIC THAT I WANT NOW...

...but have to wait. "The waiting game sucks, let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos instead!!!"

NIRVANA * LIVE AT READING

Their legendary 1992 performance at the UK's Reading Festival is finally getting an official release.

JULIAN CASABLANCAS * PHRAZES FOR THE YOUNG

Debut solo album from The Strokes frontman.

FANTASTIC MR. FOX SOUNDTRACK
Wes Anderson soundtracks always kick ass.

JAMIE CULLUM * THE PURSUIT

It seems like forever since the last Jamie Cullum album came out.

TOM WAITS * GLITTER AND DOOM (LIVE)

Couldn't find a bigger photo of this one, but make no mistake...Tom Waits live in concert demands your attention.

10.17.2009

WATCH AL FRANKEN TEAR THE LAWYER FOR KBR A NEW ONE

An added bonus from the horrific story of the woman who was gang-raped in Iraq. Seeing Senator Al Franken take the lawyer for KBR apart in front of her and America is quite beautiful.

10.16.2009

GRAB A MOP.

Obama is fucking brilliant.

What I reject is when some folks say we should go back to the past policies when it was those very same policies that got us into this mess in the first place. (Applause.)

Another way of putting it is when, you know, I'm busy and Nancy busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else's mess --- we don't want somebody sitting back saying, you're not holding the mop the right way. (Applause.) Why don't you grab a mop, why don't you help clean up. (Applause.) You're not mopping fast enough. (Laughter.) That's a socialist mop. (Laughter and applause.) Grab a mop -- let's get to work.


But seriously. Beware of the socialist mops.

10.15.2009

THIS STORY WILL MAKE YOUR HEAD EXPLODE

Al Franken, who is kicking major ass as a US Senator, introduced his first major bill. He wanted to make it illegal to have companies write in a "You can't sue us if you get gang-raped on the job" clause into their contracts.

Crazy? Something that no company would ever think of doing?!

Sorry, it already occurred...



It happened in 2005, that 20/20 report is from 2007.

Recently, it took THREE YEARS fighting the courts, she won the right to sue KBR. But seriously, should anyone ever have to go through with this again?! Last night The Daily Show brought some light to the manner, including the 30 Republicans who voted against it.

Yes, 30 Republicans don't think it's a good idea to meddle in the business of "Ehhhhh, you did sign a contract saying we could rape you."

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Included in those 30 Republican "NO" votes?

Kansas Senators, Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts and Missouri Senator, Kit Bond.

Unfuckingbelievable.

10.11.2009

OBAMA: I WILL END "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL."

Good for him.



It's nice to have a President who speaks to us as grown-ups. And doesn't let disagreements within his own party derail him from what he wants to do. The man makes no excuses, he owns up to what he does and acknowledges that he's still got a long way to go.

Good thing he has another 3 years to get even more progressive.

(I bet that just makes the Conservative's heads explode)

10.09.2009

POOR GLENN BECK...

It's just too easy to make fun of this assclown.

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10.06.2009

I LOVE THE FACT THAT I NO LONGER HAVE TO HANG MY HEAD IN SHAME WHEN I TELL PEOPLE I PLAY VIDEO GAMES...

Bask in the intense awesomeness of this Modern Warfare 2 trailer.



And those weren't "cut scenes." That was actual gameplay footage.

We've basically reached the point where we're able to "play" movies, instead of simply watching them.

9.29.2009

AIN'T NO RACISM...

I listen to a lot of talk radio. Okay, not a lot...but at least 20 minutes of Glenn Beck in the mornings, (depending on how late I am) and a good 15-30 minutes of Rush Limbaugh on my lunch break.

This is my daily routine. Craaaaaazy, I know...but part of me thrives on the idea that if someone is talking about politics, even if I 100% disagree with them, I'll listen in. Plus, I feel like this is my peek inside the world of "the other side." You'd be amazed at how quickly you'd become paranoid, angry, and afraid listening to talk radio. It's easy to get caught up in what they're ranting and raving and warning you about...and I almost feel sad for the people that listen to all 3 hours of this programing, every single day, and worse still...take it to heart.

I guarantee you a lot of the people who listen to talk radio do not think it's entertainment. For them, they're getting the truth. The real news that the (cue pounding drums) LIBERAL MEDIA doesn't want you to know.

I watch The Daily Show and Colbert every single night, but not once do I go, "Right on man! You start a revolution, a march on Washington, and I'll be there to take this country back!" They're entertainers. They're comedians. And Glenn Beck backs away from criticism all the time by pointing out, "I'm just a talk show host...an entertainer..." all while declaring that his listeners and viewers be vigil. Keep an eye on ACORN. Put pressure on Van Jones. These Czars are bad news. This President is friends with Marxists. Communists. He, himself is racist who has a deep seeded hatred for the White man!!!

It'd be funny, if it wasn't taken as some sort of gospel.

So anyway, I'm listening the other morning, and it's a fill-in host. I guess Glenn saw his shadow that morning and held up in his Panic Room counting all of his gold coins. (He constantly sucks off Gold Line because as we all know, the dollar is just a mere couple of months away from being completely worthless...and nothing is more valuable in a Mad Max-type wasteland than gold fucking coins that you bought off the internet.)

And this guy who's filling in for Glenn plays this new Republican talking point of, "Gee, I guess ANYONE who criticizes the President is racist now, eh?"

First off, no one, and I mean no one is saying that anyone who criticizes the President is 100% automatically racist. It's a bullshit argument that has gotten more and more popular because it simply wipes away every cry of racism in one quick swoop.

And secondly, are these idiots really trying to act like there isn't a huge upswing in people hating Obama simply because he's black?

The way people are up in arms over the whole ACORN scandal, you'd think they were selling white people's babies on the street corner. All these Senators suddenly want investigations? And to remove their funding? Meanwhile Blackwater, Halliburton, and countless other organizations are just roaming free?!

Right, they weren't caught on camera giving advice to a white girl and her "pimp." Carry on, then...

(and don't get me wrong, I'm not losing any sleep over ACORN being busted and losing these connections. It's just catching the smallest fish ever. And I wish these people who claim to be soooooo interested in "rooting out corruption" would go after some of these companies who are in the business of killing and torturing people.)

But whatever...back to this dumbass talk radio guy's point...

"I guess you can't criticize Obama anymore without being called a racist?!"

No, but specific things can be highlighted to prove that racism still exists in this country, and plenty of those on the Right are using it to their advantage.

Case in point, here's Limbaugh's show-prep, (you can seriously know exactly what Rush is going to talk about on his radio show by peeking at Drudge Report an hour before the show starts) Matt Drudge offering up not one, but two BOLD, ALL-CAPS HEADLINES showing violent black kids.

This one ran a couple weeks ago.
drudge 2

This one (as of writing this) is currently the headline on his website today.
drudge 1

See what he does there? The first example was on a school bus outside of St. Louis. I dunno if you have ever ridden a school bus before, but kids get beaten up all the damn time. I must have witnessed it a handful of times myself growing up.

But see, this was a bus of mostly black kids, beating up on a white boy. This is a NATIONAL story. This needs to go at the top of the page at once! GIANT LETTERS NEED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY!!!

(Sad truth...Limbaugh discussed the story on the air and Neo-Nazis marched cause he claimed it was a "hate crime.")

The second example was of a after-school beating that took place between rival gangs in Chicago. It's a tragic story. One student was beaten to death and the lack of sympathy shown in the video (police released it, hoping someone could ID the suspects) depresses me more than anything else. How far have we fallen as a society, that a boy lying dead in the street, killed in front of your eyes doesn't make you realize that this is wrong...that this isn't a way to live...

But you know what? That story happened days ago.

Huffington Post had a story on it back on September 27th.

But not Drudge. Not the source of all things Conservative-leaning. No, he waits until today. Days later. A day after it's announced that Obama is going to personally try and get Chicago the Olympics in 2016. Then, he's able to tie it all together.

BLACK THUGS FROM CHICAGO KILL PEOPLE IN THE STREET! HEY, ISN'T OBAMA FROM CHICAGO?! HMMMMMMM...

And if you're thinking, "Gee, Travis...that's kind of a stretch, no?" ask yourself this...

Why wait days later? Why put the story up as the main story in the first place? All day long. Nothing else is going on? Is the story that important?! Outside of Chicago, who does this story truly effect? And really, is Chicago that much more violent than LA or Atlanta or Moscow or Mexico City or plenty of other cities that held the Olympics?

It's just another example of subtle racism and how it's used against this President on a daily basis.

9.26.2009

MICHAEL MOORE ON CNN

Michael Moore gets a lot of flak for being "radical." A Left's version of Glenn Beck, if you will. But as these lengthy clips of him on CNN show, the man really doesn't have radical, extreme ideas at all. And I love how absurd Wolf Blitzer's questions come across in this interview...he literally asks Moore if he's a Socialist.

Sigh.



GLENN BECK REFUSES TO EXPLAIN "WHITE CULTURE."



Hey Glenn, maybe instead of us asking ourselves "tough, tough questions," you could try and answer simple, simple ones. I mean, all she did was ask you to explain your own words. Your own phrase. That's not a "trap." It's giving you the opportunity to prove that you're not a wacky racist...and you failed.

9.21.2009

WHAT RACISM?!

A lot of Conservatives are pushing back against this sudden idea that perhaps some of the insane, batshit hatred of Obama miiiiight have something to do with the color of his skin.

And I feel for them. Really.

What's the world coming to where you can't simply disagree with the President of the United States by calmly calling him a secret Muslim, or suggest that he was born in Kenya, or that he single-handedly founded ACORN and will be forever connected to any scandal they're ever involved in for the rest of time, or that he's a Socialist, Marxist, Hitler, Stalin, a voodoo witch doctor, wants to kill grandma, pals around with terrorists, and wants to destroy America...without people thinking it's all because he's black?!

So imagine my shock when I woke up this morning and found out that some vandals up at Penguin Park, (the park my mother would take us to on a weekly basis as children...the park Lex adores and I have so many found memories of) spray-painted SWASTIKAS and lots of FUCK OBAMA all over the playground equipment.

Grrrrrr. Why must facts continue to have a liberal bias?

9.18.2009

ALL OF YOU TEABAGGERS, PLEASE SIGN AND DATE THIS.

(taken from Daily Kos)

I, ________________________, do solemnly swear to uphold the principles of a socialism-free society and heretofore pledge my word that I shall strictly adhere to the following:

I will complain about the destruction of 1st Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 1st Amendment Rights.

I will complain about the destruction of my 2nd Amendment Rights in this country, while I am duly being allowed to exercise my 2nd Amendment rights by legally but brazenly brandishing unconcealed firearms in public.

I will foreswear the time-honored principles of fairness, decency, and respect by screaming unintelligible platitudes regarding tyranny, Nazi-ism, and socialism at public town halls. Also.

I pledge to eliminate all government intervention in my life. I will abstain from the use of and participation in any socialist goods and services including but not limited to the following:

•Social Security

•Medicare/Medicaid

•State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)

•Police, Fire, and Emergency Services

•US Postal Service

•Roads and Highways

•Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)

•The US Railway System

•Public Subways and Metro Systems

•Public Bus and Lightrail Systems

•Rest Areas on Highways

•Sidewalks

•All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009 federal senate appropriations)

•Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye socialist toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)

•Public and State Universities and Colleges

•Public Primary and Secondary Schools

•Sesame Street

•Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children

•Public Museums

•Libraries

•Public Parks and Beaches

•State and National Parks

•Public Zoos

•Unemployment Insurance

•Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services

•Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)

•Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)

•Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)

•Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking

•Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies

•Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies
If a veteran of the government-run socialist US military, I will forego my VA benefits and insist on paying for my own medical care

I will not tour socialist government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I pledge to never take myself, my family, or my children on a tour of the following types of socialist locations, including but not limited to:

•Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History

•The socialist Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments

•The government-operated Statue of Liberty

•The Grand Canyon

•The socialist World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials

•The government-run socialist-propaganda location known as Arlington National Cemetery

•All other public-funded socialist sites, whether it be in my state or in Washington, DC

I will urge my Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.

I will oppose and condemn the government-funded and therefore socialist military of the United States of America.

I will boycott the products of socialist defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and hundreds of others that are paid by our socialist government to produce goods for our socialist army.

I will protest socialist security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Department of Justice and their socialist employees.

Upon reaching eligible retirement age, I will tear up my socialist Social Security checks.

Upon reaching age 65, I will forego Medicare and pay for my own private health insurance until I die.

SWORN ON A BIBLE AND SIGNED THIS DAY OF __________ IN THE YEAR ___.

_____________ _________________________
Signed Printed Name/Town and State

9.14.2009

HOW FAR WE'VE GOTTEN OFF TRACK

Watch this video of this old man who was brave enough to walk through the crowds protesting over the weekend holding a sign above his head that read PUBLIC OPTION NOW!

You'd think, based on his reactions and the fact that he had to have cops escort his every move, that the sign read, "I WANT TO KILL YOUR BABY."



These people are foaming at the mouth angry. This shit is only going to get worse over the next 3 1/2 years. Nothing Obama does or doesn't do will calm them down. They're out of their fucking minds and on the verge of doing something very, very stupid.

God help us all.

9.12.2009

PHOTOS FROM TODAY'S 9/12 TEA PARTY IN WASHINGTON

Keep in mind, these are the followers of Glenn Beck's "9/12 Project." The idea is to "Unite us in the spirit of how we felt on 9/12." Which of course fits in nicely with how Beck constantly refers to Obama as a Marxist, Socialist, and Racist.

So you can imagine the UNITY that was fucking flowing out on the streets of Washington today. Bask in the glory...if you dare...

(images from mar is sea Y's Flickr account)


Oh Hilter mustache...is there anything you can't make adorable?


Having trouble reading what that says? Here, this might help...


I mean, can you feeeeeeeel the unity yet?


My favorite thing about this sign is how the guy blacked-out the s's in "asshole." Cause showing Obama and Hitler being BFF's is classy, but the word asshole makes it obscene!!!


Worst. Acronym. Ever.


These fuckers realize that the economy has been shit for a lot longer than seven months...right?!


I dunno how she did it, but she managed to put EXACTLY what I was thinking on the morning of 9/12 up on her poster. Amazing.


How...do...you even...compromise...with...these kind...of people?!

Folks, these were taken from one single Flickr account. I imagine I'll be posting a lot more about this soon. It's just eye-opening to see these people gather up and think that people are going to take them seriously.

9.11.2009

KATAMARI FOREVER



Holy crap, I can't believe I almost forgot about this game coming out later this month. I was so focused on The Beatles: Rock Band (and for good reason, it's insanely beautiful) that Katamari totally slipped my mind.

Luckily, the PSN put up a demo last night to remind me of how much I adore this wacky, adorable video game.

9.07.2009

GOOD THING REPUBLICANS WERE UP IN ARMS ABOUT OBAMA'S SPEECH TO SCHOOL CHILDREN...

Cause it's a Communist Manifesto if I've ever read one...

Hello everyone - how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.

I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday - at 4:30 in the morning.

Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."

So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.

Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility.

I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.

I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.

I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.

But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world - and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.

And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.

Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.

Maybe you could be a good writer - maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper - but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor - maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine - but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.

And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.

And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.

You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.

We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that - if you quit on school - you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.

Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.

I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.

So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.

But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.

Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.

Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.

I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer - hundreds of extra hours - to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.

And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.

Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.

That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education - and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book.

Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.

Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.

That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."

These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you - you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.

No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust - a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor - and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.

And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you - don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.

It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.

So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down - don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

9.04.2009

THE ROAD: FILM CLIPS

Who knows how long these will last, but there are 5 film clips from the upcoming adaptation of The Road online right now.

I must say, this is at the top of my list of movies I need to see...even if I know how exhausting and depressing it's going to be.



(this is one of my favorite scenes in the book...but I was surprised the clip went on as long as it did...beware of spoilers if you haven't read the book)




(I've read the book and...I still almost got tears in my eyes watching this scene...just putting you in the frame of mind of "What would you do for the ones you loved most?" For those of you who haven't read the book, the people in the house are cannibals, the skinny bastards in the basement are their "food.")


(one of the few moments in the book where you let your guard down...and feel like things are okay.)

AL FRANKEN TALKING TO HEATH CARE TEA BAGGERS

I think a lot of people thought that Al Franken was going to become a Senator and be just a comedic dumbass...but as this clip shows, he's willing to talk about specifics and not talk down to people. I'm a pretty big Franken fan, but this clip even impressed me...

8.29.2009

OBAMA'S EULOGY FOR EDWARD KENNEDY

My stupid work changed the channel before he was able to give this, but I teared up simply reading it...so they probably did the right thing.



Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Eulogy for Edward Kennedy


Boston, MA


Mrs. Kennedy, Kara, Edward, Patrick, Curran, Caroline, members of the Kennedy family, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Today we say goodbye to the youngest child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. The world will long remember their son Edward as the heir to a weighty legacy; a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the U.S. Senate – a man whose name graces nearly one thousand laws, and who penned more than three hundred himself.

But those of us who loved him, and ache with his passing, know Ted Kennedy by the other titles he held: Father. Brother. Husband. Uncle Teddy, or as he was often known to his younger nieces and nephews, "The Grand Fromage," or "The Big Cheese." I, like so many others in the city where he worked for nearly half a century, knew him as a colleague, a mentor, and above all, a friend.

Ted Kennedy was the baby of the family who became its patriarch; the restless dreamer who became its rock. He was the sunny, joyful child, who bore the brunt of his brothers’ teasing, but learned quickly how to brush it off. When they tossed him off a boat because he didn’t know what a jib was, six-year-old Teddy got back in and learned to sail. When a photographer asked the newly-elected Bobby to step back at a press conference because he was casting a shadow on his younger brother, Teddy quipped, "It’ll be the same in Washington."

This spirit of resilience and good humor would see Ted Kennedy through more pain and tragedy than most of us will ever know. He lost two siblings by the age of sixteen. He saw two more taken violently from the country that loved them. He said goodbye to his beloved sister, Eunice, in the final days of his own life. He narrowly survived a plane crash, watched two children struggle with cancer, buried three nephews, and experienced personal failings and setbacks in the most public way possible.

It is a string of events that would have broken a lesser man. And it would have been easy for Teddy to let himself become bitter and hardened; to surrender to self-pity and regret; to retreat from public life and live out his years in peaceful quiet. No one would have blamed him for that.

But that was not Ted Kennedy. As he told us, "...[I]ndividual faults and frailties are no excuse to give in – and no exemption from the common obligation to give of ourselves." Indeed, Ted was the "Happy Warrior" that the poet William Wordsworth spoke of when he wrote:

As tempted more; more able to endure,

As more exposed to suffering and distress;

Thence, also, more alive to tenderness.

Through his own suffering, Ted Kennedy became more alive to the plight and suffering of others – the sick child who could not see a doctor; the young soldier sent to battle without armor; the citizen denied her rights because of what she looks like or who she loves or where she comes from. The landmark laws that he championed -- the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, immigration reform, children’s health care, the Family and Medical Leave Act –all have a running thread. Ted Kennedy’s life’s work was not to champion those with wealth or power or special connections. It was to give a voice to those who were not heard; to add a rung to the ladder of opportunity; to make real the dream of our founding. He was given the gift of time that his brothers were not, and he used that gift to touch as many lives and right as many wrongs as the years would allow.

We can still hear his voice bellowing through the Senate chamber, face reddened, fist pounding the podium, a veritable force of nature, in support of health care or workers’ rights or civil rights. And yet, while his causes became deeply personal, his disagreements never did. While he was seen by his fiercest critics as a partisan lightning rod, that is not the prism through which Ted Kennedy saw the world, nor was it the prism through which his colleagues saw him. He was a product of an age when the joy and nobility of politics prevented differences of party and philosophy from becoming barriers to cooperation and mutual respect – a time when adversaries still saw each other as patriots.

And that’s how Ted Kennedy became the greatest legislator of our time. He did it by hewing to principle, but also by seeking compromise and common cause – not through deal-making and horse-trading alone, but through friendship, and kindness, and humor. There was the time he courted Orrin Hatch’s support for the Children’s Health Insurance Program by having his Chief of Staff serenade the Senator with a song Orrin had written himself; the time he delivered shamrock cookies on a china plate to sweeten up a crusty Republican colleague; and the famous story of how he won the support of a Texas Committee Chairman on an immigration bill. Teddy walked into a meeting with a plain manila envelope, and showed only the Chairman that it was filled with the Texan’s favorite cigars. When the negotiations were going well, he would inch the envelope closer to the Chairman. When they weren’t, he would pull it back. Before long, the deal was done.

It was only a few years ago, on St. Patrick's Day, when Teddy buttonholed me on the floor of the Senate for my support on a certain piece of legislation that was coming up for vote. I gave him my pledge, but expressed my skepticism that it would pass. But when the roll call was over, the bill garnered the votes it needed, and then some. I looked at Teddy with astonishment and asked how he had pulled it off. He just patted me on the back, and said "Luck of the Irish!"

Of course, luck had little to do with Ted Kennedy’s legislative success, and he knew that. A few years ago, his father-in-law told him that he and Daniel Webster just might be the two greatest senators of all time. Without missing a beat, Teddy replied, "What did Webster do?"

But though it is Ted Kennedy’s historic body of achievements we will remember, it is his giving heart that we will miss. It was the friend and colleague who was always the first to pick up the phone and say, "I’m sorry for your loss," or "I hope you feel better," or "What can I do to help?" It was the boss who was so adored by his staff that over five hundred spanning five decades showed up for his 75th birthday party. It was the man who sent birthday wishes and thank you notes and even his own paintings to so many who never imagined that a U.S. Senator would take the time to think about someone like them. I have one of those paintings in my private study – a Cape Cod seascape that was a gift to a freshman legislator who happened to admire it when Ted Kennedy welcomed him into his office the first week he arrived in Washington; by the way, that’s my second favorite gift from Teddy and Vicki after our dog Bo. And it seems like everyone has one of those stories – the ones that often start with "You wouldn’t believe who called me today."

Ted Kennedy was the father who looked after not only his own three children, but John’s and Bobby’s as well. He took them camping and taught them to sail. He laughed and danced with them at birthdays and weddings; cried and mourned with them through hardship and tragedy; and passed on that same sense of service and selflessness that his parents had instilled in him. Shortly after Ted walked Caroline down the aisle and gave her away at the altar, he received a note from Jackie that read, "On you the carefree youngest brother fell a burden a hero would have begged to be spared. We are all going to make it because you were always there with your love."

Not only did the Kennedy family make it because of Ted’s love – he made it because of theirs; and especially because of the love and the life he found in Vicki. After so much loss and so much sorrow, it could not have been easy for Ted Kennedy to risk his heart again. That he did is a testament to how deeply he loved this remarkable woman from Louisiana. And she didn’t just love him back. As Ted would often acknowledge, Vicki saved him. She gave him strength and purpose; joy and friendship; and stood by him always, especially in those last, hardest days.

We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way. We cannot know God’s plan for us.

What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and love, and joy. We can use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them, and treat others with the kindness and respect that we wish for ourselves. We can learn from our mistakes and grow from our failures. And we can strive at all costs to make a better world, so that someday, if we are blessed with the chance to look back on our time here, we can know that we spent it well; that we made a difference; that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of other human beings.

This is how Ted Kennedy lived. This is his legacy. He once said of his brother Bobby that he need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, and I imagine he would say the same about himself. The greatest expectations were placed upon Ted Kennedy’s shoulders because of who he was, but he surpassed them all because of who he became. We do not weep for him today because of the prestige attached to his name or his office. We weep because we loved this kind and tender hero who persevered through pain and tragedy – not for the sake of ambition or vanity; not for wealth or power; but only for the people and the country he loved.

In the days after September 11th, Teddy made it a point to personally call each one of the 177 families of this state who lost a loved one in the attack. But he didn’t stop there. He kept calling and checking up on them. He fought through red tape to get them assistance and grief counseling. He invited them sailing, played with their children, and would write each family a letter whenever the anniversary of that terrible day came along. To one widow, he wrote the following:

"As you know so well, the passage of time never really heals the tragic memory of such a great loss, but we carry on, because we have to, because our loved one would want us to, and because there is still light to guide us in the world from the love they gave us."

We carry on.

Ted Kennedy has gone home now, guided by his faith and by the light of those he has loved and lost. At last he is with them once more, leaving those of us who grieve his passing with the memories he gave, the good he did, the dream he kept alive, and a single, enduring image – the image of a man on a boat; white mane tousled; smiling broadly as he sails into the wind, ready for what storms may come, carrying on toward some new and wondrous place just beyond the horizon. May God Bless Ted Kennedy, and may he rest in eternal peace.