May 30, 2005
…gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime…Let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation’s gratitude,–the soldier’s and sailor’s widow and orphan.”
General John Logan, General Order No. 11, 5 May 1868
The “Memorial” in Memorial Day has been forgotten by Americans. It has become a holiday to be spent at the beach or park or cookout. For camping and enjoying the long weekend. We do not always celebrate this day on May 30th, as it was meant to, but on the last Monday in May. We do not observe this day as it should be. By remembering our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice. While I have not served in our armed forces myself, many close to me have.
My Grandfather was there on Ford Island the morning of December 7th, 1941. He served with the Army Corps of Engineers throughout the Pacific theater.
My Father fought with the 8th Army Rangers in Korea all the way to the Yalu river, and was wounded in battle.
My Father-in-law served with an Army support unit in Vietnam.
My Brother-in-law served aboard an FFG in the Persian Gulf in the aftermath of Desert Storm.
My good friend Kevin is, at this moment, with Army Intel in Iraq.
I have met and befriended a real hero. Col. John F. Mitchell, USMC (Retired). He was injured in combat in World War II. Served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Korean War at the battle of Chosen Reservoir. He commanded the 1st Batallion, 9th Marines at the siege of Khe Sanh in Vietnam.
They are all heroes because they chose to serve. While they were lucky, and did not make the ultimate sacrifice, many they knew did. Many are at this moment, putting themselves in harms way for the freedoms we take for granted. Too many have already given their lives in defence of our freedom, and so others may enjoy those same freedoms.
More than a million American service members died in the wars and conflicts this nation fought since the first colonial soldiers took up arms in 1775 to fight for independence. Each person who died during those conflicts was a loved one cherished by family and friends. Each was a loss to the community and the nation.
Men like Spc. Kyle Ka Eo Fernandez, a close family friend, killed in Afghanistan on October 14, 2004. Men like 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe, killed in Iraq on January 22, 2005.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives so that we could live free. We can start to pay that debt by not forgetting, by remembering what they did and what they stood for.
- Visit cemeteries and place flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.
- Visit war memorials.
- Fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon.
- Fly the ‘POW/MIA Flag’ as well ( Section 1082 of the 1998 Defense Authorization Act ).
- Participate in a “National Moment of Remembrance”: at 3 p.m. to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day, and for Taps to be played.
- Renew a pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.
Remember the true meaning of Memorial Day.
“It is the Soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us Freedom of the Press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the Freedom to demonstrate.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer,
Who has given us the right to a fair trial;
And it is the Soldier–who salutes the flag,
Who serves the flag, and
Whose coffin is draped by the flag–
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”
Charles M. Province
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May 26, 2005
shop.k@oticism is open.
Check it out. Buy my shit.
NOW
May 25, 2005
Movie meme I found on Blondie’s page. I wasn’t tagged, but I love movies so I’ll do this one anyway.
1. Total number of films I own on DVD/video:
Over 180, all on DVD. We tossed out as much or more on VHS. Entire library is DVD now.
2. The last film I bought:
The Phantom of the Opera
3. The last film I watched:
Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
4. Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me (in no particular order) :
5. No tags shall be forthcoming.
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May 24, 2005
Tagged by Blondie, so here goes.
1. Total Number of Books I’ve Owned:
Well over 150. I probably still have over half of them packed away in boxes.
2. Last Book I Bought:
Eragon by Christopher Paolini.
3. Last Book I Read:
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett.
4. Five Books That Mean A Lot To Me:
- Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman.
This is the book that got me hooked on the Dragonlance saga and spawned 6 years worth of Dungeons & Dragons gaming in the world of Krynn.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J. K. Rowling.
This brought back all the magic of daydreaming about being a wizard and part of another world when we were all kids.
- The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Does this one even need an explanation? The inspiration for generations of fantasy authors.
- Neuromancer by William Gibson.
The pre-eminent cyberpunk novel. Also an inspiration for years of role-playing.
- The Crystal Shard by R. A. Salvatore.
The novel that propelled me into the Forgotten Realms, and moved the D&D campaign from Krynn to Toril.
5. Tag five people and have them do this on their blog:
No.
Although I would love to see what books WiRed and Rav’N pick, I’m not tagging them.
Three posts in one day. I’m not posting for a week.
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Due to popular demand ( for my blog, 2 IS popular demand ), I present:
Top 10 Sexually Explicit Lines from Disney’s “The Lion King”.
- Oh, no, not the birdie boiler!!!
- Pumbaa, not in front of the kids.
- Here’s the bottom line, our trio’s down to two.
- First, I’m gonna take your stick.
- She doesn’t have to know. Nobody has to know.
- This is just for you and your Daddy.
- I hate dangling!
- That lousy Mufasa, I won’t be able to sit down for a week!
- Lie down before you hurt yourself.
- Slimy, yet satisfying
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Since Priss and Kyle hate the new prequel trilogy so much, I’ve decided to keep my current thread of Star Wars posts going.
Top 10 lines Samuel L. Jackson SHOULD have had in Star Wars.
- You don’t need to see my goddamn identification, ’cause these ain’t the motherfuckin’ droids you’re looking for.
- Womp Rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I’ll never know, ’cause I wouldn’t eat the filthy motherfucker.
- This is your father’s lightsaber. When you absolutely, positively, have to kill every motherfuckin’ stormtrooper in the room… accept no substitutes.
- If Obi-wan ain’t home then I don’t know what the fuck we’re gonna do. I ain’t got no other connections on Tattooine.
- Feel the Force, motherfucker.
- “What” ain’t no planet I’ve ever heard of! Do they speak Bocce on “What”?
- You sendin’ the Fett? Shit, Hutt, that’s all you had to say!
- Yeah Chewie’s got a hair problem. What the brother gonna do? He’s a wookie.
- Does Jabba the Hutt look like a bitch?
- Hand me my lightsaber… it’s the one that says, “Bad Mother Fucker.”
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May 21, 2005
Lucas is a perv. I have not done a Top 5 list in a LONG time. So, to make up for it, I’m posting three Top 10 lists.
The Top 10 Most Sexually Loaded Lines From The Star Wars Trilogy.
Episode IV A New Hope
10. “Get in there you big furry oaf, I don’t care what you smell!”
9. “Luke, at that speed do you think you’ll be able to pull out in time?”
8. “Put that thing away before you get us all killed.”
7. “You’ve got something jammed in here real good.”
6. “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?”
5. “You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought.”
4. “Sorry about the mess…”
3. “Look at the size of that thing!”
2. “Curse my metal body, I wasn’t fast enough!”
1. “She may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts, kid.”
Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
10. “I thought that hairy beast would be the end of me.”
9. “Size matters not. Judge me by my size, do you?”
8. “There’s an awful lot of moisture in here.”
7. “But now we must eat. Come, good food, come…”
6. “That’s okay, I’d like to keep it on manual control for a while.”
5. “Control, control! You must learn control!”
4. “Hurry up, golden-rod…”
3. “I must’ve hit it pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh kid?”
2. “Possible he came in through the south entrance.”
1. “And I thought they smelled bad on the outside!”
Episode VI Return of the Jedi
10. “Hey, point that thing someplace else.”
9. “I look forward to completing your training. In time you will call me master.”
8. “I never knew I had it in me.”
7. “There is good in him, I’ve felt it.”
6. “Grab me, Chewie. I’m slipping — hold on. Grab it, almost… you almost got it. Gently now, all right, easy, easy, hold me Chewie.”
5. “Hey, Luke, thanks for coming after me — now I owe you one.”
4. “Back door, huh? Good idea!”
3. “She’s gonna blow!”
2. “I think you’ll fit in nicely.”
1. “Rise, my friend.”
And what could be the best one of all . . .
“Wedge! Pull out! You’re not doing any good back there!”
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May 19, 2005
A chapter has ended. 28 years of my life has finally come full circle.
I saw Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith today.
I was there in 1977 when it all began. I don’t remember much else from that age. I was four, going on five. I barely recall my first day of school. I have fleeting memories of my childhood home.
But I remember Star Wars. I don’t recall if it was the old Palace Theater, or Mamo Theater on the Big Island, but I remember the movie. I remember staring wide eyed at this other universe. A universe filled with strange creatures in dirty cantinas. The universe of a cocky smuggler who would become a hero. The universe of an old knight of a forgotten order who still held to the principles of his past. The universe of a courageous princess fighting a losing rebellion against an oppressive regime. The universe of a dark overlord threatening to extinguish all light in the galaxy. The universe of a naive farm boy who would grow to become a man, and save the galaxy.
I remember wanting to be a part of that universe. I wanted a Wookie as a best friend. I wanted a real lightsaber. I remember dressing up as Darth Vader for halloween and making his breathing noises behind the mask as I asked my neighbors for candy. I remember asking Santa Claus for the Millenium Falcon for Christmas . . . EVERY. . . SINGLE . . .YEAR.
( I never got it, which is entirely responsible for destroying my whole belief in Santa. I’m still very bitter. Over 20 years later, my wife got it for me with a “note” from Santa saying “I’m sorry it took me so long, but I hope you still believe in me.” That’s why I married her. )
So here I am. 28 years later. I stare at the screen on the edge of my seat with that same childlike wonder as when I saw the first Star Wars. I reach over and hold my wifes hand as the theme and opening scroll plays. My daughter, the same age now as I was when first introduced to this universe, sits between us in the theater placing her little hand over ours. I am melancholy as I realize that this is the last time I will sit in a theater watching the words “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . .” light up the screen on a new Star Wars movie. I will spare you all a review of the movie. There are a million of them on other blogs and websites. Suffice it to say I was not disappointed in the least. All the loose ends were tied up neatly.
So here I am. 28 years later. A sense of closure in my life. My training is complete. I am a Jedi.
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May 17, 2005
. . . with the deep insight of a 90 second cable segment.”
John Stewart on blogs.
I was gonna take a break. A hiatus from blogging. I had nothing to write about. I resorted to filler posts. What’s really funny is my “I don’t know what to write post” about Pop Tarts has gotten the most comments of all my previous posts, even The Great Spork Conspiracy.
But, something has come along that has forced me to break my self-imposed silence.
This was brought to my attention by the Docs over at Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred.
From July 1998 through the end of 2003, PETA killed over 10,000 dogs, cats, and other “companion animals” at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters. That’s more than five defenseless animals every day. Not counting the dogs and cats PETA spayed and neutered, the group put to death over 85 percent of the animals it took in during 2003 alone.
I’m speechless. Well, except for my hysterical laughter at the sweet irony of it all.
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May 15, 2005
May 12, 2005
I have’nt had Pop Tarts in forever. But, I’m having some Pop Tarts now.
And I’m talking Frosted Strawberry Pop Tarts.
Not Frosted Caramel Chocolate Pop Tarts, or Frosted S’Mores Pop Tarts, or Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae Pop Tarts. What the fuck are Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pop Tarts anyway?. That’s not a fucking Pop Tarts flavor. Or at least, it should’nt be.
Alas for the good ‘ole days when Pop Tarts came in Strawberry, Blueberry, and Brown Sugar Cinnamon. Frosted or otherwise.
Old school Pop Tarts rule.
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