Roll Call

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I started thinking about all the people in my life who have served this country in the Armed Forces. Here's a partial list of all the people I've known that have served.

Jim Driscoll, USA-World War II
Tommy Wilson, USA-World War II
Myron “Mike” Stadem, USN-Korea
Dave Driscoll, USN-Vietnam
Jim Auen, USA-peacetime
Wade Harkema, USA-peacetime
Chad Swenson, USN-peacetime, Operation Enduring Freedom
Steve Clark, USA-Operation Desert Storm
Matt Smith, USCG-peacetime
Tom Verhey, USMC-peacetime
Chris Gill, USA-peacetime, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Cole Dearduff, USAF-peacetime
Scott Richardson, USAF-peacetime
Chris Swan, USA-peacetime, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Darin Huwe, USA-Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Brady Bender, USA-Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
David Ellmore, USA-Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Mathew Wollman, USMC-recent graduate from Basic Training, currently in Infantry Training

Family... friends... classmates. They've all served this country. To them, and to all who have served or are currently serving, Thank You. I list your names here not to cause draw unnecessary attention to yourselves, but to show my honest and sincere appreciation.

Some yahoos like MoveOn.org, Ted Rall, and others may drag your name in the mud and spit on you and generally act like real assholes. Rest assured an overwhelming majority of us appreciate all your sacrifice, putting the needs of us ahead of your own. It takes a special person to do that, especially in this “me first” culture. You are ALL true heroes.

P.S. I realize I may not be entirely accurate where and when everyone served, be it peace time or otherwise. If I erred, please contact me and I will correct your information as soon as possible. Again, thank you very much.

On Hiatus

So I haven't been on posting here for a few months... that's because I'm on hiatus from blogging.

Frankly, I'm burned out on the whole blogging thing. With my crazy-ass schedule at the station, I just haven't had the time or energy to blog. And with basketball around the corner, it's going to be even nuttier. Plus with part-time jobs with First Dance and the Old Dutch, I basically have about enought time to somewhat straighten my apartment, do some laundry, cook supper, work out and sleep.

Secondly, I've really become disgusted with the semi-negative tone some of my fellow bloggers have taken... I'm still upset with the way my friend Todd was raked over the coals simply because he wanted to post pictures of women on his blog. Nothing dirty, just women he happens to admire. There are some good bloggers that are quite informative, but then there are some that Lenin would call "useful idiots".

I still read blogs, and I'll still post messages. But by and far, I've pretty much stayed away. After a while, it all starts to sound the same, anyway.

In the meantime, I keep busy with my working out (ran my first-ever 5K this summer and didn't die), reading (be it on-line or with those bound-paper devices called books), work, and even trying to establish some semblance of a social/dating life.

So if you don't see me posting all that often, well, there ya go.

In the meantime, a few things off my chest.

1) I think the ultimate case of Poetic Justice would be for Osama Bin Laden to come down with a case of Swine Flu. I would laugh my ass off... then I'd scream because, hey, my ass fell off.

2) Government is good at protecting us from invaders (for the most part), regulating trade, and settling disputes with states. Education and running health care, not so good a job.

3) Certain people need to remove me from their mailing lists (i.e. Nicci). I got a mass-email from this person last week and it upset me greatly. Nicci, I've done a very good job of leaving you alone and purging you from my life the past 18 months. Please respect my privacy and remove all traces of me from your life as well.

4) Boondock Saints... Best. Movie. Ever. (thanks, Jim Howard!) Why they can't have a wide-scale release of Boondock Saints II is beyond me. Not everyone cares about the latest "Bragelina" movie or some retarded teen-sex romp. In a similar vein... I love Netflix... and Hulu.

5) I'm finally warming up to Fav-ruh as QB for my Vikings. The true test of a great player is when elevates the play of those around him. And looking at what he's done for Bernard Berrian, Visanthe Shaincoe, and Sidney Rice says this guy is worth his salt, even if it for only a year as most people are expecting.

And finally, some blogs for you to peruse while I continue my leave of absence...in no particular order....

1) Madville Times. My friend Cory Heidelberger's blog. I don't agree with a lot of his opinions, some really even piss me off. But instead of being a complete left-wing blow-hard, he does provide some interesting evidence to support his claims... and his blogging about local people and local topics is thoughtful and sincere.

2) Dakota War College. Cory Heidelberger if he was Republican... and named Pat Powers. Pat's kinda reminds me of the side of beef in Rocky I. Pounded on all sides... Republican, Democrat, you name it. But he also backs up his claims with interesting evidence and isn't afraid to torque off a few in his own party. The Gadfly of his Party!

3) Middle Border Sun. My friend Todd Epp's blog. He's kinda stepped away from the blogosphere to concentrate on other interests, mainly his new-found passion for officiating soccer and basketball and joining the Civil Air Patrol. I don't agree with a lot of what he says, but he's always been very cordial friendly towards this doofus, which makes him a mensch in my book.

4) Fastidious. I know not the identity of Ms. "Fastidious" or her husband cosbysweater08. But she reminds me of my friend and SDSU classmate Sonya. Very outspoken, very opinionated, very intelligent, and a pretty quirky sense of humor.

5) South DaCola. Scott is the "wildcard" of the bunch. Just when you have him pegged as a flaming liberal, he'll turn around and rail against higher taxes in Sioux Falls and very much speak like a fiscal conservative. Warning... if you have an aversion to snarkiness, best to take him in via small doses.

6) Terry Vandrovec and Matt Zimmer. Both sports reporters for the Argus Leader. If Terry and Matt could be best described in TV terms... I'd consider them "The Odd Couple." Terry reminds me of Felix Unger... Neat, prepared, erudite, well-mannered. Matt reminds me of Oscar Madison... Outspoken, a little disheveled, about as non-diplomatic in terms of talking about sports. He's not afraid to drop a few f-bombs to prove a point or get a laugh.... which means I should think twice before having him on the Sports Spotlight?

7) Doug Lund and Steve Hemmingsen. These guys pretty much defined my weeknights at 6:00 ever since I was knee-high to a quart bottle of beer. Even though both now enjoy the bliss of retirement, they both keep pretty busy with blogging about everything and anything... from their battles with the bulge, to living life on the lake, to travels across the United States, to even a little politics. The Elder Statesmen of broadcasting and now South Dakota blogging. When they speak, people listen.

In closing, I leave you with these words of wisdom from talk radio host (and 2009 Radio Hall of Fame inductee) Neal Boortz.

Look, life is insensitive, and the truth can be highly offensive. To hide from either is to hide from the reality of life. Take comfort in the fact that I am an equal opportunity offender. You today. Someone else tomorrow. You have no Constitutional right not to be offended and I'm here to make sure this non-existent Constitutional right is honored.

--Neal Boortz "FAQ". http://www.boortz.com.

Stay groovy, kiddies!

Goodbye, "Uncle Walter"

"That's the Way It Is."

For 19 years, that familiar phrase was heard in millions of homes across the United States on a weekly basis. The words ended the evening newscast of the man called the "Most Trusted Man in America," Walter Cronkite. From 1962-1981, "Uncle Walter" gave a concise telling of the days events in a voice that was a combination of authority, objectiveness, and trust.

This weekend, that voice was stilled forever... Dead of complications from Dementia at 92.

I doubt Cronkite's death will have much media impact as, say, Michael Jackson's death and the carnival surrounding it. While Jackson was a very good entertainer, Cronkite offered more substance... informing us of the major stories of the day and sometimes even impacting the stories himself.

Two big examples of that include his 1968 comment on the Vietnam War, where he said the best we could hope for was to leave the conflict with honor. President Lyndon Johnson was reported to have said afterwords, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost Middle America." It was a major factor in LBJ's decision not to run for re-election in 1968.

Another example was Cronkite's interview in the late 1970's with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Cronkite asked Sadat what he thought would be a "throwaway" question, or a question that most people knew the answer to and wasn't of any real substance. That question was would Sadat be willing to visit Israel? Sadat surprised a lot of people, including Cronkite when he said "Yes". That set the wheels in motion to what became known as the Camp David Accords in 1979, the first peace treaty between Israel and one of her neighboring countries.

Despite reporting on the events of the day (and sometimes playing an incidental part of them), Cronkite always kept his opinions and biases in check. Sure, he would offer up the occasional commentary on his newscast, but he kept it at the end of the newscast, never during. And he made sure people knew it was simply his opinion and not any official stand. Reporters from CNN, Fox News, and the major networks could stand to learn a thing or two from that objectivity.

That attention to objectivity, and detail, might have saved Dan Rather's job. When he reported on the memo about George W. Bush not reporting for the National Guard as ordered, he relied on his producer and didn't check the facts of the story himself. Had it been Cronkite who was going to air such a politically-charged story, he would have made darn sure to check the facts himself... after all, it was his butt on the line. Rather got lazy. That, combined with the fact he had come out a few years before as a die-hard supporter of the Democrat party, put the idea in many minds that the story was a "hatchet job", sparked by political bias. It cost Rather his credibility, and eventually his job.

Not to say "Uncle Walter" didn't have his political beliefs. He was very much a die-hard Liberal, even going so far as to advocate a limited "world government". But during his time behind the anchor desk at CBS, he kept his politics in check, and didn't publicly express those opinions until well after he left CBS. In fact, he was a registered Independent so his detractors couldn't accuse him of bias one way or the other... But the greatest testament to his objectivity was the criticism from the Left that he was biased towards the Right, and vice versa.

Nowadays, with inundation of instant news via the Internet, cable and satellite news, and the plethora of screaming talking heads like Chris Mathews, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olberman, I doubt we'll ever see someone as "fair and balanced" as Walter Cronkite delivering our news... in a non-biased, apolitical, objective fashion.

And that's truly something to mourn.

my two cents-again

With all the blog wars that are going on in the South Dakota Blogsphere, I'm reminded of some key words of wisdom from my friend Michelle...

"Winning an on-line argument is like winning in the Special Olympics. Sure, you may cross the finish line, but you're still a retard."

Something to think about...

Remember to Say "Thank You"

"I bear this cross with honor, 'cause freedom don't come free."

--Toby Keith, "American Soldier"

As you get ready for your picnics, your trips to the lake, your last-minute trip to the fireworks stand to get the last gross of bottle rockets and sparklers, I want you to stop and think for a minute about where you got your freedom on this Independence Day.

Did you get it from Barack Obama and George W. Bush? No.

Did you get it from media talking heads like Bill O'Reilly, Arianna Huffington, Rush Limbaugh, and James Carville? No.

Did you get it from organizations like the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today? No.

Did you get it from celebrities like Brad Pitt, Paris Hilton, Bruce Willis, and Susan Sarandon? No.

Did you get it from academics from such places as Berkely, South Dakota State, Columbia University, Harvard and Dakota State University? No.

Did you get it from community organizers like ACORN? No.

Did you get it from bloggers like Todd Epp, Steve Sibson, Cory Heidelberger, Pat Powers, Dakota Women and me? No.

So where did you get your freedoms that you're celebrating today on this Independence Day?

Simple.

We got them from the (mostly) men and women who have sacrificed their time, bodies, minds, and lives so that we can enjoy our lives in freedom and security. For 234 years, starting in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, these individuals sacrificed their blood, so we would not have to sacrifice ours. THEY won us the freedom to act like idiots with our lives... to mock our country and feign embarrassment to the rest of the world... to celebrate the morons that throw shoes at our Presidents....

...and the freedom to call the people who have fought and died for our freedoms morons, rednecks, butchers, brainwashed robots, rapists, and baby killers.

These people are our greatest heroes.... they suffered through the hellish winter of Valley Forge. They shed blood at Bull Run and Shiloh. They went through Hell on Earth at Normandy and Omaha Beach. And they are fighting off those who would do us harm in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These brave men and women are indeed heroes. They have put their lives on the line, doing something that the rest of us either can not or will not do. Defend and ensure our freedoms with their lives.

So as you get ready to light off your fireworks, or get ready to play volleyball, or get ready to bemoan the state of our country, take the time to think of the soldiers, sailors, and pilots who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we will not have to.



Think of them... and thank them.

panem et circenses

A half a world away, thousands of individuals are waking up from a 30-year slumber. They are starting to realize their government is lying to them, and that they will do anything to keep in power, including killing its citizens who protest.

A half a world away, a tyrannical dictator is waving his saber armed with a nuclear tip at us, threatening to blow up the world in order to assuage his feelings of inadequacy.

A half a world away, soldiers are sacrificing their limbs and lives so that we can live in freedom, and free from fear of the evil bastards that would do us harm.

Yet here, what do most people want to talk about?

*A pair of spoiled brats who get married and can't seem to decide whether or not to stay on a reality show.

*A couple who sold out themselves and their kids to be viewed by the public, at the cost of their own marriage.

*Who wins a singing or dancing show.

These things take up our mindset, constantly.

The Roman poet Juvenal wrote a phrase 200 years ago that accurately describes what we are experiencing... panem et circenses.

"Bread and Circuses"

At the risk of..

At the risk of offending some radical feminists, or sounding phallo-centric, I just wanted to pass along the following sentiment:

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

With love, your son.

Iran... Iran so far away...

Unless you're one of those rubes who like to follow the clusterf*#k that is the "Jon and Kate Plus 8" saga, you've probably been paying attention to the debacle over in Iran.

Basically, Iran's presidential election, featuring two hard-liners who'd both like to see Israel wiped off the map and to finish Hitler's "final solution" has been marred by massive voting irregularities, not to mention fraud. The religious folks, who are the ones who wear the "daddy pants" in Iran basically declared the incumbent as the winner despite it taking about three days to count the ballots (apparently they never heard of "hanging chads").

Needless to say, the public is a mite torqued off. So much so that they have decided to take to the streets and let the clerics know just how they're feeling. And based on some reports, around 100 or so folks have died. To make matters even more fun, the religious authority has said if the protests don't stop, they're bascially going to be busting heads, literally.

Kinda takes the phrase "The beatings will continue until morale improves" to a scary real level.

Here in the good ol' "Birthplace of Modern Democracy", the debate has been what to do or say about this whole situation. President Obama has denounced the way that the protesters are being handled. But should we say more?

In a word, no.

Why not? Two reasons. First of all, we're not looked upon with a whole lot of favor over in the Middle East right now... especially in the country formerly known as Persia. Still a lot of bad feelings from 1979, you know (they tend to know how to hold a grudge in that part of the world). So anything we say or do is going to be ignored at best, reviled at worst.

Secondly, it seems the regime over in Iran is doing a pretty good job of slitting its throat on its own. Fareed Zakaria of CNN says that even if the ruling religious leaders manage to stifle the protests, enough information and images of what's been going on has been leaked via Twitter and Facebook that they've pretty much abandoned the ideals that brought them into power thirty years ago.

So to summarize... this is a case where the less we do, the better off things will be... at least in our public image.