Quote of the Week 2/26

The safest road to Hell is the gradual one — the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

C.S. Lewis; The Screwtape Letters

Kaara

A video of the year leading up to Kaara coming to be with us.



P.S. I have received reports that some people are having problems with the embedded video. If this is you, you can see it at (link). If the embedded video does not work for you, could you please post a comment so that I can troubleshoot the problem (or if you have knowledge of these things and can help I could use it)

P.S.S. Many people have asked what the song is. It is; You Are My Child by Shawna Fox. If you are interested in it you can obtain a copy from All God's Children International (Link)

Iraq; Freedom

My sister and her husband have just finished their second tour of duty in Iraq with the 3rd ACR. Below is a letter from the mayor of Tall 'Afar sent to their unit as they prepared to return home. This is just the sort of thing Cindy Sheehan, Sean Penn or Michael Moore tends to forget; that Iraqis lives are being changed for the better. While the cost of freedom is tremendously high and those who have paid the ultimate price for that freedom are deserving of our eternal gratitude that price must be paid.

In the Name of God the Compassionate and Merciful

To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life.

To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many months.

To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.

Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city. Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young. This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi’s followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zumar and Avgani finally destroyed them.

I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.

The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey, LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom. Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of knights in a bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of a unique military operation, stands among the finest military feats to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in military science. This military operation was clean, with little collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city without causing unnecessary damage.

God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated these brave men and women. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the families. They have given us something we will never forget. To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in every flower growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.

Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment, I haven’t the words to describe the courage of its officers and soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary heroes and their brave families.



NAJIM ABDULLAH ABID AL-JIBOURI
Mayor of Tall ‘Afar, Ninewa, Iraq

Team USA

"It probably would be a good thing if somebody explained to the snowboarders that once they decided to sit at the adults' table, they made the tacit agreement to play to win. They made the decision to act like Olympians, which now means to act professional. It means trying your hardest to finish first. And part of trying your hardest means doing whatever is necessary to win. In this case, a little clear thinking would have gone a long way."

Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune (Link)


"Miller's confession to skiing drunk was highly uncouth, and it makes you want to slap the guy upside the head. He clearly either fails to grasp, or just doesn't care, that like it or not, he's a role model. On the other hand, it truly was Bode being Bode. He's always been the Larry David of skiing: Honest to an excruciating, self-destructive fault."

Ron Judd, Seattle Times (Link)

"I am very princessy as far as travel is concerned and having a nice room and things like that. Sorry to say 'princessy,''' he added, laughing, "but that's what we do... I'm roughing it,'' he said, chuckling some more. "It'd be the same as me going out into the woods, I think. Camping. Camping.''

Johnny Weir on the Olympic Village (Link)

What's truly sad is that not only are they more interested in self promotion than representing their country but they are diverting attention away from the atheletes that deserve it. When all is said and done Lindsey, Bode and Johnny all got what they deserved. One day they can look back at what might have been and that they blew it being stupid.

Quote of the Week 2/19

The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Quote of the Week 2/12

My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.

Winston Churchill 1874-1965

Blasphemy

I have to admit I am more than a bit confused over the Muslim cartoon rioting. I have seen the illustrations and I guess if I were a Muslim I would find some of them offensive. I guess I don’t know enough about Islam to know why such a response is warranted. Being a Christian I am not out rioting over the current issue of Rolling Stone, though I do find it extremely offensive.

Why is it O.K. to offend one religion (or any people group) and not another? It is almost in vogue to make Christians the butt of jokes but one must never do the same to Muslims.

Freedom of the press or freedom of speech does not mean freedom from responsibility. We ought not to be going around being controversial just to get publicity.

If Muslims have a problem being associated with terrorist then terrorist should probably stop going around blowing up things and beheading people in the name of Islam.

Brokeback...

Quote of the Week 2/5

"Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God."

George Washington Carver 1864-1943