I Should Ask You For Your Autograph…….But I Don’t Know Who You Are!
Lynne returned home on Monday. While waiting to board Flight CO0783 in Boston, she noticed a gentleman seated in a wheelchair beside the gate entrance. As she walked past when her row was called, she overheard an attendant telling him that they would board him last. His left leg was in a cast and would extend into the aisle when he was seated on the plane.
She sat by the window in seat 3F, he by the isle in 3E. She got the last chicken salad lunch; he was relegated to roast beef. He didn’t seem too happy about it either. “Just as well,” Lynne thought, “Maybe I can get some sleep!” My wife is like a magnet – people seem drawn to her – and once there they talk. And they talk. Lynne knows nothing about causing a conversation to end. It’s always the other person’s responsibility to end it. On the phone, every single other person has no trouble mouthing, “Well, I have to go now, we’ll talk later…goodbye!” Lynne can’t do that – she feels guilty; she just can’t cut-off the other person.
So, she usually becomes a “captive ear” on flights. But this time, it seemed as though her seatmate was too busy with his papers, and writing his reports. He was doing a lot of writing and Lynne was noticing his handwriting and how distinguished, yet beautiful it was. She could just about make out the words across the top of one page, “Advanced sc…t..n..g .of Pitcher’s Weakn.sse.” or something.
He got up to stretch his leg and engaged the flight attendants in conversation. Lynne casually looked a bit more closely at the papers left on his seat reading, “Advanced Scouting of Pitcher’s Weaknesses.” She thought “baseball”, but who was this guy? Since she’d helped the man put his briefcase under the seat in front of him, she felt it would be all right if she looked a bit more closely at its name tag. “Deacon Jones” was the name she read. “Deacon Jones……Deacon Jones…” – a dull light was coming on in the back of her brain. “Deacon Jones…….”
Grover “Deacon” Jones returned to his seat. As he picked up his papers and prepared to continue his work, Lynne said to him, “I know I should be asking for your autograph, but I don’t know who you are!”
In 1956, Grover “Deacon” Jones, playing for the MidWest League’s Dubuque Packers, he was not only the year’s MLP, but hit .409, had 26 HRs, and 120 RBIs.
He laughed and ice was broken. He talked, she listened. He showed her his reports for Red Sox pitchers and explained the what’s and why’s of his work. Four hours later beside baggage carousel #7, I shook hands with Grover “Deacon” Jones. He said to me, “You have some kind of woman here!” I agreed and thanked him for taking care of my better half during the flight.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Leak Draft of Bush Answer to Cindy
Leak: Draft of Bush Answer to Cindy Sheehanby Scott Ott
(2005-08-24) -- An internal White House memo, leaked today, indicates how President George Bush initially planned to address Cindy Sheehan's question: What "noble cause" did my son die for?
The draft memo includes suggestions from White House communications staff, followed by several paragraphs apparently handwritten by the president.
While handwriting experts from CBS News continue to pore over the document to verify its authenticity, here is the text of the president's alleged response to the grieving Mom whose protest has captured the hearts of America's journalists.
Dear Mrs. Sheehan,
You have asked me to identify the noble cause for which your son died. I have not answered you personally out of respect for the nobility of your son's sacrifice.
Being president forces me into the spotlight, but I would rather stand in the shadows of men like Casey Sheehan.
Directing national attention on my response to your protest creates a distraction from what matters. The focus of our attention, and our admiration, should rest on people like Casey Sheehan, who stand in the breach when evil threatens to break out and consume a helpless people.
The running story on the news networks should be the valiant efforts of our troops -- the merchants of mercy who export freedom and import honor. They trade their own lives for the sake of others.
As a result, we live in a nation where a woman can camp outside of the president's house and verbally attack the president for weeks on end without fear of prison, torture or death. And the number of nations where such protest is possible has multiplied thanks to the work of our military.
You ask for what noble cause your son died?
In a sense he died so that people like you, who passionately oppose government policies, can freely express that opposition. As you camp in Crawford, you should take off your shoes, for you stand on holy ground. This land was bought with the blood of men like your son.
Now, 25 million Iraqis cry out to enjoy the life you take for granted. Most of them will never use their freedom to denigrate the sacrifice of those who paid for it. But once liberty is enshrined in law, they will be free to do so. And when the Iraqis finally escape their incarceration, hope will spread throughout that enslaved region of the world, eventually making us all safer and more free.
The key is in the lock of the prison door. Bold men risk everything to turn it.
Mrs. Sheehan, everyone dies. But few experience the bittersweet glory of death with a purpose -- death that sets people free and produces ripples of liberty hundreds of years into the future.
Casey Sheehan died that freedom might triumph over bondage, hope over despair, prosperity over misery. He died restoring justice and mercy. He lived and died to help to destroy the last stubborn vestiges of the Dark Ages.
To paraphrase President Lincoln, the world will little note nor long remember what you and I say here. But it can never forget what Casey Sheehan did during his brief turn on earth. If we are wise, we will take increased devotion to that cause for which he gave the last full measure of devotion.
Our brave warriors have blazed a trail. They have entrusted the completion of the task to those of us they left behind. Let's, you and I, resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.
Let's finish the work that they have thus far so nobly advanced.
Sincerely,George W. Bush
(2005-08-24) -- An internal White House memo, leaked today, indicates how President George Bush initially planned to address Cindy Sheehan's question: What "noble cause" did my son die for?
The draft memo includes suggestions from White House communications staff, followed by several paragraphs apparently handwritten by the president.
While handwriting experts from CBS News continue to pore over the document to verify its authenticity, here is the text of the president's alleged response to the grieving Mom whose protest has captured the hearts of America's journalists.
Dear Mrs. Sheehan,
You have asked me to identify the noble cause for which your son died. I have not answered you personally out of respect for the nobility of your son's sacrifice.
Being president forces me into the spotlight, but I would rather stand in the shadows of men like Casey Sheehan.
Directing national attention on my response to your protest creates a distraction from what matters. The focus of our attention, and our admiration, should rest on people like Casey Sheehan, who stand in the breach when evil threatens to break out and consume a helpless people.
The running story on the news networks should be the valiant efforts of our troops -- the merchants of mercy who export freedom and import honor. They trade their own lives for the sake of others.
As a result, we live in a nation where a woman can camp outside of the president's house and verbally attack the president for weeks on end without fear of prison, torture or death. And the number of nations where such protest is possible has multiplied thanks to the work of our military.
You ask for what noble cause your son died?
In a sense he died so that people like you, who passionately oppose government policies, can freely express that opposition. As you camp in Crawford, you should take off your shoes, for you stand on holy ground. This land was bought with the blood of men like your son.
Now, 25 million Iraqis cry out to enjoy the life you take for granted. Most of them will never use their freedom to denigrate the sacrifice of those who paid for it. But once liberty is enshrined in law, they will be free to do so. And when the Iraqis finally escape their incarceration, hope will spread throughout that enslaved region of the world, eventually making us all safer and more free.
The key is in the lock of the prison door. Bold men risk everything to turn it.
Mrs. Sheehan, everyone dies. But few experience the bittersweet glory of death with a purpose -- death that sets people free and produces ripples of liberty hundreds of years into the future.
Casey Sheehan died that freedom might triumph over bondage, hope over despair, prosperity over misery. He died restoring justice and mercy. He lived and died to help to destroy the last stubborn vestiges of the Dark Ages.
To paraphrase President Lincoln, the world will little note nor long remember what you and I say here. But it can never forget what Casey Sheehan did during his brief turn on earth. If we are wise, we will take increased devotion to that cause for which he gave the last full measure of devotion.
Our brave warriors have blazed a trail. They have entrusted the completion of the task to those of us they left behind. Let's, you and I, resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.
Let's finish the work that they have thus far so nobly advanced.
Sincerely,George W. Bush
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
This Is Cool!
Spc. Jennifer Fitts explains why she is a soldier and remains in the army.
Over the years, I’ve tried putting it in plain words, with various degrees of success.I’m a patriot, yes, but it’s more than a deep and abiding love of my country and a need to give back to her somehow that keeps me in the Army.It’s not the pay; although for the first time in my adult life I am totally out of debt and living more than just barely above the poverty level.It’s not the education benefits, since I earned them after my first enlistment. The GI Bill is a lovely thing, but it’s not why I stay.It’s not the medical care necessarily, since as a National Guard member, I don’t get many medical bennies when I’m not activated.It’s the people – the Soldiers. The good, the bad and the indifferent.It’s that human factor that reaches out, across backgrounds and educations and lives, and binds us together.No matter how fragile those bonds seem, they’re still there and they’re everlasting.
Over the years, I’ve tried putting it in plain words, with various degrees of success.I’m a patriot, yes, but it’s more than a deep and abiding love of my country and a need to give back to her somehow that keeps me in the Army.It’s not the pay; although for the first time in my adult life I am totally out of debt and living more than just barely above the poverty level.It’s not the education benefits, since I earned them after my first enlistment. The GI Bill is a lovely thing, but it’s not why I stay.It’s not the medical care necessarily, since as a National Guard member, I don’t get many medical bennies when I’m not activated.It’s the people – the Soldiers. The good, the bad and the indifferent.It’s that human factor that reaches out, across backgrounds and educations and lives, and binds us together.No matter how fragile those bonds seem, they’re still there and they’re everlasting.
Another Good-News Blackout
RALPH PETERS ON IRAQ COVERAGE:
What should have made headlines? It would've been nice to see more attention devoted to the complexity and importance of drafting a new constitution for Iraq. But my nomination for the "Greatest Story Never Told" is a quieter one: Locked in a difficult war, the U.S. Army is exceeding its re-enlistment and first-time enlistment goals. Has anybody mentioned that to you?
Remember last spring, when the Army's recruitment efforts fell short for a few months? The media's glee would have made you confuse the New York Times and Air America.
When the Army attempted to explain that enlistments are cyclical and numbers dip at certain times of the year, the media ignored it. All that mattered was the wonderful news that the Army couldn't find enough soldiers. We were warned, in oh-so-solemn tones, that our military was headed for a train wreck.
Now, as the fiscal year nears an end, the Army's numbers look great. Especially in combat units and Iraq, soldiers are re-enlisting at record levels. And you don't hear a whisper about it from the "mainstream media."
What should have made headlines? It would've been nice to see more attention devoted to the complexity and importance of drafting a new constitution for Iraq. But my nomination for the "Greatest Story Never Told" is a quieter one: Locked in a difficult war, the U.S. Army is exceeding its re-enlistment and first-time enlistment goals. Has anybody mentioned that to you?
Remember last spring, when the Army's recruitment efforts fell short for a few months? The media's glee would have made you confuse the New York Times and Air America.
When the Army attempted to explain that enlistments are cyclical and numbers dip at certain times of the year, the media ignored it. All that mattered was the wonderful news that the Army couldn't find enough soldiers. We were warned, in oh-so-solemn tones, that our military was headed for a train wreck.
Now, as the fiscal year nears an end, the Army's numbers look great. Especially in combat units and Iraq, soldiers are re-enlisting at record levels. And you don't hear a whisper about it from the "mainstream media."