Monday, September 12, 2011
Miles (and Cassie and Bailey) on Monday
Cocktail time - back porch with my buddies!
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| My favorite of the shots. |
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Remembering
I wrote this poem about a month after the attack.
Thank You, Mr. Bin Laden
(Written after attending the Philadelphia Orchestra performance at C.Y. Stephens Oct. 4, 2001)
The orchestra came and got ready to play
The first violinist bowed his note.
Out came the conductor ready to lead,
The music started and the audience stood up.
We had come to hear romantic music to lift our spirits
Instead our national anthem started the program
Not a dry eye in the house - some sang along others were choked up.
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden, for giving us back our patriotism.
We watched as our national tragedy turned into a national desire
A desire first for revenge and then for healing.
We became aware of the plight of a people
Living a world away. We saw how their government treats its own.
We became aware of the women of Afghanistan and the miserable life which is theirs.
We watched as you hid in your hole behind the skirts of the innocent.
We saw your people flee from their homes and we sent aid to help them
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden, for turning our eyes onto you and yours.
We watched horrified on Sept. 11 when the planes took out the towers.
We saw, instantly, on our modern miracle of television as people died.
We listened to the mayor as he urged us to calm in his dignified manner.
We cried and mourned for those who became heroes as they sacrificed themselves to save others.
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden, for showing us the heroism of our own.
We were a nation divided. Divided by party and politics.
A nation with each going their own way.
Complacent and probably unworthy of our heritage.
You brought us together with your cowardly acts.
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden for unifying us once again.
The first violinist bowed his note.
Out came the conductor ready to lead,
The music started and the audience stood up.
We had come to hear romantic music to lift our spirits
Instead our national anthem started the program
Not a dry eye in the house - some sang along others were choked up.
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden, for giving us back our patriotism.
We watched as our national tragedy turned into a national desire
A desire first for revenge and then for healing.
We became aware of the plight of a people
Living a world away. We saw how their government treats its own.
We became aware of the women of Afghanistan and the miserable life which is theirs.
We watched as you hid in your hole behind the skirts of the innocent.
We saw your people flee from their homes and we sent aid to help them
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden, for turning our eyes onto you and yours.
We watched horrified on Sept. 11 when the planes took out the towers.
We saw, instantly, on our modern miracle of television as people died.
We listened to the mayor as he urged us to calm in his dignified manner.
We cried and mourned for those who became heroes as they sacrificed themselves to save others.
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden, for showing us the heroism of our own.
We were a nation divided. Divided by party and politics.
A nation with each going their own way.
Complacent and probably unworthy of our heritage.
You brought us together with your cowardly acts.
Thank you, Mr. Bin Laden for unifying us once again.
I wrote this right after 9/11. I did not keep a copy of it but it has been living on the Des Moines Register Web Site since then. I discovered it while "googling" myself and have reclaimed it. It is so sad that Mr. Bush squandered the unity we had at that time and divided us and wasted our resources with his "oil" war.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Andy Borowitz Report
I got this in an e-mail and it is just too important not to share. |
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WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) – The Department of Homeland Security said today that it was studying several “credible threats” made to the United States government in a two-hour broadcast Wednesday night from a location believed to be the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.
Homeland Security spokesman Harland Dorinson said that the Department did not want to alarm the American people, “but whenever you have a group of individuals threatening to dismantle the US government piece by piece, it has to be taken seriously.”
In reviewing the two-hour tape, Homeland Security officials said they found threats to some of the most essential functions of the US government, from Social Security to the Federal Reserve.
While stopping short of saying that the speakers were engaged in some sort of jihad, Mr. Dorinson did note that a tone of religious extremism dominated the video.
“One speaker in particular, seemed bent on rolling back the advances of science and plunging America back into the Dark Ages,” he said.
But the most terrifying moment in the tape came when that same speaker received thunderous applause from the audience after threatening to execute people.
“We’re posting pictures of this individual on our website,” Mr. Dorinson said. “Hopefully he will be captured before he can carry out any of his plans.”
Homeland Security spokesman Harland Dorinson said that the Department did not want to alarm the American people, “but whenever you have a group of individuals threatening to dismantle the US government piece by piece, it has to be taken seriously.”
In reviewing the two-hour tape, Homeland Security officials said they found threats to some of the most essential functions of the US government, from Social Security to the Federal Reserve.
While stopping short of saying that the speakers were engaged in some sort of jihad, Mr. Dorinson did note that a tone of religious extremism dominated the video.
“One speaker in particular, seemed bent on rolling back the advances of science and plunging America back into the Dark Ages,” he said.
But the most terrifying moment in the tape came when that same speaker received thunderous applause from the audience after threatening to execute people.
“We’re posting pictures of this individual on our website,” Mr. Dorinson said. “Hopefully he will be captured before he can carry out any of his plans.”
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