Patrick Eakes

Well, I did it again.

I was five for six on the major Oscar awards. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone five for six, missing only the supporting actress award. Whoopi Goldberg? Marisa Tomei? Anna Paquin?

At least this year, the News & Record did not run its pick contest to pick the winners. I could not take falling one pick short...again.

Yesterday's front page story in the News & Record covers local character education programs. The article also serves as a prelude to Tuesday night's community forum on the same topic. On balance, Bruce Buchanan's article is informative and accurately describes what is happening with character education locally today. However, Buchanan's article has important factual errors about the early history of local character education programs and the programs' coordinator, Charlie Abourjilie.

Buchanan writes that after the state legislature required all public schools to teach character education in 2001, "Abourjilie then left Guilford County Schools to become the character education coordinator for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction...Guilford Superintendent Terry Grier eliminated the county's coordinator position to cut costs." This is simply not true.

Charlie Abourjilie confirmed to me yesterday that Dr. Grier cut the character education position from the schools in 2000, returning Charlie to the classroom at High Point Central. In 2002, Charlie left Central to become the state's first Character Education Coordinator. Dr. Grier did not eliminate an open position to save costs as the N&R article says. Grier torpedoed the existing local character education coordinator position and all meaningful support of the program.

Buchanan's article also claims that "In 1996, Guilford County Schools received a federal grant to begin a character education program." That statement is also untrue. Charlie Abourjilie confirms that initial funding and support for the character education programs in the late 1990's came from the Greensboro College and the ten Rotary clubs in Guilford County. Dr. Craven Williams, the president of Greensboro College and a Rotarian, was particularly instrumental in supporting character education programs. You can imagine the outrage among the local Rotary clubs when Grier cut an important school program with significant private funding and minimal public funding.

Soon after cutting Charlie's position, Dr. Grier was questioned about his actions at a local Rotary club meeting. He denied some of his actions and cited inaccurate cost savings generated by the actions he admitted. Later, a local Rotary club president called Grier to address his inaccurate statements. Grier acknowledged he had misspoken. I was willing to give Grier the benefit of the doubt until a month later he "misspoke" again, citing the same inaccurate information. Needless to say, when Grier requested to pitch his pet school bond issue at another local Rotary club soon after his "misstatements," the president told Grier that the club would make time for him when his values came into line with Rotary's values.

I noted that Grier is barely mentioned in the article, but he did manage to say that character education is "one of the most important things we teach." If he truly valued character education as that important, he would support it more fully and model behavior consistent with the character we want to instill in our children.

Within the past several days, two proposed downtown mixed-used developments have come into the public view. In his column today, N&R editorial page editor Allen Johnson notes that both projects are competing for the same demographic and are only a block apart.

The Bellemeade project will get lots of attention, simply because it is new and located adjacent to the new baseball stadium, which will get lots of buzz in the coming months. I have to believe this spells trouble for Roy Carroll's proposal for the old Wachovia building. A certain amount of lipstick can be put on that pig, but I think the Bellemeade project will still be more attractive for residents and retailers.

I salute Carroll for taking the risk of redeveloping the old tower, but I suspect he will need to rework his plan for the building. He can sell the privacy and view at the top of the tower to upscale residential clientele, and a certain amount of retail/restaurant is almost a necessity at the bottom, but I think he will need to dedicate more space to office uses.

I truly hope that both properties will be redeveloped and successful, because that would be good news for all of us.

As much as I enjoy 15-20 minutes of the Oscars, that still leaves about three hours that is a pure Hollywood jerkfest. That time should be spent with Mr. Sun or Ramblin Prose (no permalink yet), both of whom are livemocking the event.

By now, it is old news that Greensboro has one of the most vibrant blogging communities in the country. Proving that government is "of the people, by the people, and for the people, " local bloggers are reaching out to local officials and politicians by offering a teach-in on blogging.

You do not need previous computer experience. Hell, you don't even need a computer, assuming you are still welcome at the library. Blogging software is so straight forward that even my dog is thinking about starting a blog.

Mayor Holliday, you were annoyed that the N&R referenced a certain nickname for our city, but they are also at the forefront of this new mode of communication that is changing Greensboro's image. Even Dave Winer, the inventor of blogging, says Greensboro is cool!

All you have to do is click here and show up on March 19.

"Congratulations, you've won NOTHING."

That is what I want to say to the many coaches, players, and particularly sports writers, when they refer to a team winning the ACC regular season championship. There is no such thing.

The only title to be won in the ACC is the conference championship, and that goes to the winner of the season-ending tournament. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of good reasons to try to finish first during the regular season, they just don't include winning a title.

And don't get me started on the schools that hang banners for this fictitious title.

Two weeks ago I posted an item about MB-F, a local company that handles every aspect of half the dog shows in the U.S., including the biggest of them all, Westminster. It is an impressive operation run by Bobby Christiansen, a friend of mine.

Today the News & Record ran a nice story (unposted) on MB-F on the front page of the Work & Money section. As much as bloggers use the newspaper as a source for their posts, it is nice to see it occasionally goes both ways.

As perhaps America's only straight man who likes to watch the Oscars, I have to weigh in with my predictions for major awards. Unlike most years, I have not seen many of the nominated performances this year. With a 19-month old, if it isn't on DVD, I have not seen it,so I am a little bit of a disadvantage.


Supporting Actress: It is hard to believe that neither Cate Blanchett nor Laura Linney has won an Oscar previously, and Natalie Portman probably has one in her future, but I have a hunch it will be Virginia Madsen. She gets credit for being in the consensus #1 film of the year and for evolving from a B-movie actress.

Supporting Actor: Morgan Freeman wins tonight, not only for Million Dollar Baby, but for an amazing body of work. Think Paul Newman in The Color of Money, Sean Connery in The Untouchables, or Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. Same deal.

Lead Actor: Jamie Foxx gets the nod. Similar to Virginia Madsen, he has evolved from comic to actor. Bonus points for actually playing the piano in Ray, plus sentimental points for Ray Charles' passing.

Lead Actress: Hilary Swank wins again for her performance in Million Dollar Baby. Dark horse is Kate Winslet, who stole the show in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Directing: Tough category that is between Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese. Clint is perhaps the director most actors want to work with, and he should have won this award last year. Scorsese has a great body of work and has not won this award. I give the nod to Clint.

Picture: This probably comes down to Million Dollar Baby and The Aviator. I give the nod to Baby, but we could see a split vote between the directing and picture awards.

Wow, Chewie is one cool lady. She is a great writer. She is smart and insightful. And, she has a way of writing about emotional topics without being sappy. Read her latest post about friends, sacrifice, and unspoken love.

A friend sent me a link to an amusing website which projects how many years you will live. It looks like at age 38, I am halfway home.

Yesterday afternoon, I worked with a dozen other Rotarians for five hours assembling playground equipment at First Horizon stadium. This morning, another dozen Rotarians almost completed the job. If you are wondering why 250 man-hours were not enough to complete the job, I should mention that this playground is 8,000 square feet, and the equipment cost around $135,000.

The playground is a gift of the eight Rotary clubs in Greensboro to celebrate the 100th birthday of Rotary International. I will post pictures of the playground later, but you will see it if you drive by the stadium.

I had several posts forming in my head yesterday (Friday) afternoon, but I got detained. Starting around 6:00pm, I got sicker than I have ever been in my life. I will spare you all the details, but let's just say the carpet is a bit worn between my bed and the bathroom. Three tranquilizers finally put my tummy in park around 11:00pm, although amazingly they did not put me to sleep.

Besides not getting my posts up, I missed a poker tournament this afternoon and a bachelor party for a good friend tonight. Not too much fun.

Krispy Kreme is the subject of an investigation by the US Attorney's office. Since KK is already under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company did not need more bad news.

I am not a shareholder, but I am a client. I hope KK can weather this storm and keep filling my belly.

"As the flag slowly passed my position, I thought to myself that this individual woke up less than 24 hours ago with no idea that today would be his last here on earth."

The Soldier has posted a moving description of two fallen soldiers starting their journey home.

Rotary International turned 100 today. As the world's oldest service organization, Rotary conducts the largest private scholarship program in the world, and it has led the charge to eradicate polio from the earth.

The standard joke is that Rotary is a group of old men....and their fathers. The truth is that Rotarians come in all ages, backgrounds, and at least two genders. I am fortunate to be the assistant governor for the eight Rotary clubs in Greensboro. That allows me to witness those clubs' many projects up close.

Guilford Rotary is supporting an orphanage in Panama. Greensboro Rotary has established a hospice in Moldova. Crescent Rotary is supplying four mechanical cows that convert soybeans into soy milk in Peru. And all eight clubs support dozens of local groups. The eight clubs also combined to donate around $35,000 to tsunami relief efforts.

You can read more about Rotary at the News & Record's newest blog, Biz Buzz. Business writer Dick Barron, who is also a Rotarian and friend, has more info about Rotary there.

New York City hosted a site selection delegation from the International Olympic Committee today. New York is one of five finalists to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, but the city has no realistic shot at landing the games.

The Bush campaign used unauthorized images of the Iraqi men's Olympic soccer team in campaign ads last summer. Even after the team objected publicly, Bush continued to run the ads. Several media outlets reported then that Bush's decision effectively killed New York's chances.

I am late reporting on Dan Gillmor's visit to Greensboro one week ago to learn more about grassroots journalism in Greensboro. It is remarkable that Gillmor, the author of We The Media, a book about the transformation of news presentation from lecture to conversation, would come on a fact finding mission to our fair city.

Kudos to John Robinson and Lex Alexander for organizing and hosting the event at the News & Record. Additional kudos for including a few local non-N&R bloggers in the conversation. The N&R continues to demonstrate it wants to be part of the local blogosphere, not take it over.

Tapes of then-Governor George W. Bush seem to indicate that he was developing a crafty political strategy well before the GOP primaries heated up, recognizing the need to cater to evangels without offending the more secular voters. If interpretations of the tapes, which have not been made public, are correct, Bush would seem to be more involved in his shrewd campaign strategies than he is generally given credit for.

Of lesser importance to me, Bush seems to confirm past use of pot and cocaine. I think most voters understood the latter and decided to look past it. Bush can credit Clinton for desensitizing voters to the issue of past drug use.

Read more about the tapes here, here, and here.

Hunter S. Thompson committed suicide today. Thompson always operated outside the mainstream, and it is somehow not a surprise he took his own life.

"We do not accept a false caricature that divides the Western world between an idealistic United States and a cynical Europe," President Bush said (presumably with a straight face) yesterday.

Um...Mr. President...When you said the UN might become irrelevant if it disagreed with your policies and when your secretary of defense referred to France and Germany as Old Europe, you created that very divide. Touring Europe for five days to try to patch up wounds created not just by your policies, but also by your rhetoric - that's cynical.

I played at Sedgefield CC this afternoon. We got lucky and teed off just as the sleet stopped and finished just as the drizzle started.

I holed out from 180 yards on #13, the first eagle on a par four in my career. It sure did take long enough to happen.

My father-in-law and I removed a ceiling fan and put two new ceiling fans up in the living room today. Thanks, Ron!

I also managed to make mashed potatoes, marinate a London broil, and prep my near-famous garlic Parmesan bread in between fans. I might have hit the garlic a little too hard on the bread. I think I will let our guests eat the bread first and watch their reactions.

Time to pop some bottles...

UPDATE: Yep, too much garlic. As one guest said, "I sure will remember this bread." Oh well, the company, wine, and the rest of the food was great.

Roch Smith, Jr. of Greensboro 101 has posted a nice summary of the goings on in local blogs over the last week.

It is strange that NC State's men's basketball team has a Saturday off in late February. With a conference of eleven teams, there can only be five conference games each weekend, but today was an opportunity for the Wolfpack to schedule a top quality non-conference foe. It's too bad they decided to do yard work instead.

Check out The Fruit Cake Lady. She offers useful, straight talk that is often funny.

If "Dr." Phil were not such a shameless, self-promoting airbag, he might learn something from the FCL.

A good friend of mine delivered a lay sermon at Starmount Presbyterian Church this past Sunday morning. Although his sermon was well grounded in scripture and appropriate for Lent, his themes were universal. The title of his sermon was "Just Say Yes, Just Say No."

He suggested that we say NO to the wrong paths that tempt us each day. More importantly, he suggested that we say YES to letting go of anger, bitterness, and frustration, which burn energy in a non-productive way. He also pointed out that for many people, the anger that needs to depart is directed at themselves for something not handled well (see NO above).

It was a powerful message delivered masterfully.

Ed Cone was on the Brad and Britt show this morning on WZTK to discuss the Jeff Gannon....er...James Guckert matter. The best exchange came after Britt's claimed Fox is indignant over the matter.

Apparently, only Fox is allowed to lob softball questions to President Bush. It sounded better than it reads, but Ed's delivery and tone of voice sealed the laugh.

Britt: "...They [Fox] are trying to be somewhat critical of the administration."

Ed: " Oh...Yeah...I noticed that."

Later, Ed debated a caller who tried to argue that the press is selectively persecuting poor Gucker and that President Clinton got a free pass for eight years. Hello? Does anyone remember Ken Starr, Whitewater, File Gate, or Clinton's impeachment?

The tenth version of Survivor cranks up tonight on CBS. I am ready for yet another series of Thursday nights by the television, while Kristen once again swears she will not watch it. She usually is hooked by the second episode.

You gotta figure Jeff Probst is getting tired of hanging out with smelly, cranky people on an island for six weeks. Maybe when he gives up this gig, Dan Rather could take over.

Peggy Noonan has a piece in the WSJ that both explains and helps validate blogging. Could there be any greater indication that blogging is entering the mainstream?

(via Dave Winer)

Ainsley met blogfather Ed Cone last night when Ed spoke at a local Rotary club. The club is small, which allowed Ed to talk about blogging in a conversation, rather than a lecture. Ed thrives in that setting, and he made the most of the opportunity to spread the blogging gospel.

I will not be a bit surprised if other blogs arise as a result of Ed's chat last night.

There is a new blog in Greensboro, authored by friend Ainsley.

Ainsley is a young man who is making a difference in our community every day. He is thoughtful, realistic, and energetic, and I look forward to reading his thoughts on a regular basis.

Go over to Ainsley's place and give him a big blog hug.

My close friend Mark just called to say he got engaged last night to his longtime girlfriend, Tammy. Mark is everything you could ever want in a friend - loyal, funny, honest, 100% dependable. As good a friend as he is, he will be an even better husband. Congratulations Mark, and congratulations Tammy!

On Saturday, several Greensboro bloggers traveled to Chapel Hill for the Triangle Bloggers Conference. Anton Zuiker was thr primary organizer with a big assist from Paul Jones.

Good points:

1) a nice mix of veteran bloggers, newbies, and would-be bloggers
2) recognition of the vibrant Greensboro blogging scene without dwelling on it
3) diversity of blogs that were discussed
4) hmmm....doooonuts
5) break out lunch groups produced lots of individual conversations
6) Ed Cone moderating session on aggregation

The room was so full and tall that it was sometimes hard to see a given speaker, but that is a minor quibble and a reflection of the event's success. Bravo Anton and Paul for a nice event and thanks for all of your work.

I have not made much of a post in five days.

My schedule has been nuts - busy at work, lots of Rotary events, three blogger meetings. It is all part of a bigger problem of being over committed. For those of you who know me, let me put it this way - I have played golf once in ten weeks. That never happens.

Anyway, I am back with lots to say, so let me start with some appreciation. Last Wednesday's meeting with Dave Winer was fun. He was low key and in a listening mood. Thanks to Ed Cone for recruiting Dave to visit with us and Lex Alexander and John Robinson for hosting us at the News & Record.

He doesn't look like Ozzy, but he eats like him.

That was a whirlwind weekend.

To Chapel Hill and back for Triangle BloggerCon on Saturday, followed by a wonderful early Valentine's dinner at 223 South Elm.

Sunday brought a stirring lay sermon from my friend Carl at Starmount Presbyterian, followed by a meeting moderated by Dan Gillmor at the News & Record.

I will have more to say about all of the above in the coming days, but each event was memorable and worthwhile. All in all, it was a fine weekend.

It's note to late to join us here. Hop in the car and head to Chapel Hill.

"My troops continue to do a great job. Some are starting to feel the effects of being separated from their families and are fighting through those emotions while trying to keep things together here."

The US Soldier talks about life in Iraq, now that the initial thrill is wearing off.

In an email to me, the Soldier admitted he is in a slump and misses his family. I replied with assurances that many friends are taking his sons to the movies and to play golf, and others are spending time with his wife and newborn. We can't protect him from the danger in Iraq, but we are surrounding his family with friends, so he can try to focus on his job.

Read his entire post here.

Triangle BloggerCon is only 36 hours away. If you are interested in sharing a ride or driving to the conference with other Greensboro bloggers, find your way to the large parking lot outside of Ed Cone's office Saturday morning by 7:45am.

Ed's office is at 620 South Elm Street (corner of Elm and Lee Streets). You can't miss it. We need to leave no later than 7:55am. See you there.

As many people know, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be held next week in Madison Square Garden. What many people do not know is that the Westminster show is produced by MB-F, a Greensboro company. MB-F handles everything from processing entries to hiring judges to making the ribbons for half of the dog shows in the country.

Betty got pretty excited last night when Kristen gave her a bath. She thought this might be her year to go to Westminster, but once again she will be disappointed. Still, you can see her practicing a sultry pose below, in hopes that one day she will impress the judges.

At least she isn't getting regular beatings like her friend Luna.

Dave Winer is in Greensboro and led a discussion among bloggers and would-be bloggers at the News & Record last night. It was humbling to have one of the pioneers of the genre asking questions and genuinely listening to the answers of traditional and citizen journalists, many of whom have just started blogging.

I was struck by Dave's use of the term triangulation. As an engineer, I have used triangulation in various applications, but it seemed particularly appropriate applied to blogging, since comments among diverse participants often zero in on points of agreement.

Ed Cone noted that many bloggers in the room blame him for giving them the blog bug, but he blames Dave for the same. It was a great discussion and nice warm up for Saturday's Triangle BloggerCon.

Brian Russell of Audio Activism was kind enough to podcast the discussion. I encourage you to listen to it here.

I saw David Hoggard briefly last night at the News & Record for the blog discussion with Dave Winer (more about that later). As always, he was a thoughtful contributor to the discussion.

My morning at work got off to a terrible start at work. We had major problems with a high-pressure order. But, my day was about to change.

Shortly after realizing those problems at work, I met Jinni, David's wife, for the first time. As beautiful as she is in the pictures at her blog, you should experience her in person. Jinni is battling breast cancer, but she maintains a wonderful smile and positive attitude that turned my day around 180 degrees.

Jinni has chronicled her battle against breast cancer in the N&R and at her blog (click on What's Up With Jinni?). She has provided both technical details of her treatments and the emotional impact of cancer.

She is a brave lady, and I know she has had a positive impact on many in our community by sharing her personal story. Now, she has had a positive impact on me directly.

Jinni Hoggard is the woman.

Critics of Duke basketball and Coach K frequently claim that officials lean in favor of the Blue Devils during games at Cameron. I have found that to be true to some extent, although I am not sure they get more calls at home than most teams get at home.

In last night's game against Carolina, the refs swallowed their whistles on the last three key plays. Sean May tipped in a basket to narrow Duke's lead to three. The ball was obviously in the cylinder, and the zebras missed it. On Duke's ensuing possession, DeMarcus Nelson was clobbered and lost the ball, but no foul was called. The resulting break was converted into a lay up by Rashad McCants, who led with a knee into J.J. Redick's chest. That knee will almost always draw a charging call.

As a NC State alum, I had no dog in last night's fight. Perhaps I was leaning toward Carolina to win, but I am glad that Duke's victory was preserved. It would have been a shame for them to lose the game due to three lousy no-calls in the last minute.

My tv dial rarely lands on Fox. Their sports coverage hyped too much, and the news is anything but fair and balanced. Their so-called reality shows, like Who's Your Daddy - puhleeze! But, Fox has a winner in their new medical show, House.

Greg House has the technical skills of an uber-doctor and the bedside manner of Don Rickles. Here is one recent exchange with a patient:

Dr. House: "Unfortunately, you have a deeper problem. Your wife is having an affair."

Patient: "What?!"

Dr. House: "You're orange, you moron. And it's one thing for you not to notice, but if your wife hasn't picked up on the fact her husband has changed colors, she's just not paying attention."

House is a different and entertaining diversion from the typical medical show. Give it a try on Tuesday nights at 9pm on Fox.

Probably not, but worth a look

(via LUX.ET.UMBRA)

"The BMW-built 2004 Mini Cooper is not a perfect automobile. Let us just take a moment to let that understatement reverberate: The back seat is the automotive equivalent of a spider hole in Tikrit. The ride is rough enough to disqualify you from future organ donations." - Dan Neil

Dan Neil is a funny guy. What is he doing as the automotive critic for the Los Angeles Times? Just winning a Pulitzer Prize after writing only 16 columns for the LA Times.

On the Nissan Pathfinder Armada, Neil wrote: "It has taken years of analysis and reverse engineering, but the Japanese automakers are now able to build vehicles just as big and stupid as the Americans."

Years after completing his masters at NC State, Neil worked on the automotive section for the News & Observer in Raleigh. He started writing an automotive column without an editor, honing his irreverent approach to the topic. After three months of what he calls "principled insubordination," the N&O fired him.

Their loss was the LA Times' gain.

Ed Cone says that the proposed ACC hall of fame would "give people another reason to get off the interstate here, spend some money, and then leave, which is the very definition of a perfect guest."

Ed was the first person I heard suggest this ACC center two years ago. Read his updated thoughts in his weekly column.

News & Record columnist Bill Snider said farewell (unposted) to readers today. I have lived in Greensboro most of my life, and one constant during that time has been his printed words.

Bill and I never met, which is my loss, but he has always provided a mature, steadying view of the goings-on in Greensboro. Those who had the pleasure to know and work with Bill have spoken of his intellect, progressive thinking, and generosity.

Somehow, this reader could always detect those qualities about Bill, and I will miss spending Sunday mornings with him.

NC State lost to the lowly Virginia Cavaliers last night, virtually eliminating the Wolfpack from consideration for the NCAA tournament. I knew State was overrated when they were ranked in the top ten, but I did not expect their drop to be so dramatic and fast.

By losing at home to the worst team in the league, State brought a new scenario into play. They could easily lose enough games to finish with a losing overall record, which would eliminate their eligibility for the NIT.

The last seven games will be a test of character for the Wolfpack players. Will they scrape up what is left of their pride into a thimble and play hard, or will they phone it in?

Jesse Helms is trying to raise money for his senatorial library at Wingate College. In a letter to potential donors, Jesse pointed out that Bill Clinton could head the United Nations one day.

I have not been able to connect Jesse's library to Clinton or the UN in any logical way. But, that would never keep Jesse from trying to spread fear to the narrowest minds among us. Luckily for Jesse, those narrow minds coincide with a lot of supporters.

If Jesse had spent much of his life in a library, he might have learned how to advance his agenda without scare tactics.

One of the longest-running and best-kept secrets in American political history may be revealed soon. Via anonyMoses, we learn that John Dean, President Nixon's White House counsel, has learned that Deep Throat is ill.

Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, who used the infamous Deep Throat as their primary source in reporting Nixon's Watergate scandal, have said they will reveal Throat's identity when he (they have said Throat is a man in the past) dies. Trust me folks, when Throat's identity is revealed, you won't hear anything else in the national news for quite a while.

Thanks to Ed Cone for linking to Crooks and Liars today. This blog leans left, but it provides plenty of entertainment value for anyone within the first standard deviation of a political moderate. For example, check out this ad at their blog.

NC State men's basketball team had very high expectations this year, and they were ranked in the top ten for a brief time early in the season. After dropping seven of their last ten games, they now find themselves 3-5 and tied for eighth in the ACC.

As a general rule, a team must not have a losing record in its own league to be considered for a bid to the NCAA tournament. This means that State must win five of its last eight games just to reach an even mark of 8-8. Since five of those games are against ranked opponents, State will have to win against three unranked opponents and pull off two major upsets to even gain consideration for the NCAA tournament.

Unless that unlikely scenario unfolds, this will go down as the most disappointing season for the Wolfpack in decades.

Mr. Sun takes the lead in the competition for the most random post of 2005.

The Greensboro blogging community has exploded over the last six months to a year, but there are many accomplished bloggers in the Triangle, too. You will have the chance to meet many of them at the Triangle Bloggers Conference on February 12. You can still sign up to attend, and you can catch a ride with the caravan traveling from Greensboro. More details will be available in future posts.

Today is that famous day when a foggy-minded little guy comes out of his well-protected lair. The whole world waits to hear what he has in mind for the near future, even though he seems clueless as he shares his vision with us. You can tell he relishes the thought of being at the center of the universe, even if only for a short time.


Anyway, it will be interesting to see what he says in the State of the Union speech tonight.

A new take on cheerleading and basketball...

The Soldier has posted a double-shot, two posts in one. The first is from January 29, the day before the elections in Iraq. The second is from January 31, the day after the elections.

Most of his post is a blast of the television coverage of potential insurgent attacks during voting, but he ends on a positive note: "I hope everyone at home is as jacked up as we are about how things went yesterday."