Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black.

 

---Johnny Cash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is something that we all need to understand why internet security is important.

 

 

 

Sean Taylor, who played safety for the Washington Redskins died this morning of a gunshot wound to the leg.  It happened early Monday morning, where his home in Miami was broken into for the second time in eight days.  It is not sure if it was attempted robbery, or revenge, or for him to walk away from his past.

 

I will let Peter King from Sports Illistrated speak.

 

 

The part that resonates with me is the portion near the article on when Peter describes the Rookie Symposium.  Being young, rich and famous, and how to handle your new found fortune and fame.  He presented one heck of a juxtaposition:

 

"Each summer, the NFL gathers all its draft picks in a symposium and alerts them to the potential trouble that comes with being young, rich and famous. It's a great idea, and I've told by more than one young player that it's been a big help to their adjustment to living with money and fame.

One of the messages at the symposium: If you have to cut ties to events and people in your past, cut them, and cut them before it's too late. It's a message that played out prominently in the Michael Vick story. Vick never became a contributing member of the Atlanta society, preferring to stay tethered to his Virginia home and Virginia friends. He started a new life, but only halfheartedly; his real life other than in football was all with his friends from the past.

The danger there is that if you need to cut them off and move on, sometimes you can't. Either because of a sense of loyalty, or some vow you made a long time ago that if one of us makes it big, he'll bring the others with him. And the others, many times, are the ones who bring trouble with them.

Again, it's far too early to know why Taylor's home was broken into twice in eight days, or why he was shot and killed. Let's let the legal system work. For now, our thoughts go out to his grieving family and to his friends who are hurting right now. It's a terrible loss."---Peter King

My point is this:

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.  That's what Peter is saying. Give in, they want more.  Don't give, and they want to know why you aren't sharing.

As Peter said, it's far too early to judge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a reason I love this song.  Shame that Harry Chapin died so very, very young.  Mother used to put me to down for a nap singing this song.

 

 

My child arrived just the other day,
He came through the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,and
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's have the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man on the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
you know we'll have a good time then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of going out for those bargain buys, and instead of headding out into the mobs, please sit a while and let me tell you what Christmas is abou.t 

 

 

Frank Mills

For my  childhood

Band Aid

For the ones who need hope

Sir John Lennon

For faith

 

For my mother.  And this is for two other mothers.  One I have never met, the other carried the lyrics of this

lyric down her Road of Faith.  But maybe I met the former through the latter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was watching the pre-game show on Fox for the Packers-Lions game, and I had tears in my eyes.

 

Wayne Gretzky (Hockey), Lance Armstrong (cycling), Larry Bird (basketball), George Foreman (boxing), Cal Ripken, Jr. (baseball), and Roger Staubach (football) paid tribute for such a career, and all of the records and thrills he has given us for the past seventeen years.  All of these men have one thing in common:

 

They all are legends.

 

But probably the tear-jerker that opened the floodgates was a statement that (according to the guys in the studio) this was specifically written for Brett:

 

"I was the greatest, but you are the latest."

 

---Muhammad Ali

 

I only imagine what Brett must be feeling.

 

 

Tamara Abigail,

 

When you read this hand-written letter, it surpasses what email can ever give you, my child.

You were only a baby when I went to war.  Your mother gave birth and gave you life, just before I left for a place called Afghanistan.  We spoke briefly for a time, on what we called the internet.  You said to me, "Dat, dat".  You called me, "Daddy, daddy."

 

I hope to come home soon.

Daddy

 

 

 

 

So what have you done for me lately?

You haven't shown the progress that I've done?

I'm the foot soldier son,

I'm talking to you you media puke,

The one with the forked tongue

 

 

 

 

 

Daddy's girl talked to me on the internets

I saw her face for the first time

She was born when I was away

Such a beautiful little girl

Here I am in Afghanistan,

For the first time she talked to me, and even recognized me

As her father, the one she never knew

 

When I left home, I knew Tammy was pregnant

It was something meant to be

(Baby, baby)

(Baby, baby)

So that's how I became a man

I leanred to fight in a war,

And to learn to come home

Just so I can learn to see my daughter

 

So I am on my way back home

(Dat, dat)

(Dat, dat)

(Dat, dat)

 

That's all I heard in my head

That's all I heard in my head

That's all I heard in my head

 (Dat, dat)

(Dat, dat)

(Dat, dat)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--U2, "MLK"

 

 

 

 

 May you rest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dat, dat

I C U on Keen

Momm luv U

 

Kan U C me?

Kan U C meee4

 

I Kan C U, Abby

Dat lUvz U

Can U C Me?

 

(Daddy, daddy)

(Daddy, daddy)

(Daddy, daddy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*A moment of silence*

 

 

 

(Daddy, daddy)

(Daddy, daddy)

(Daddy, daddy)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

 

I didn't say a word

(Darling, darling)

(Darling, darling)

I held her so close that I even couldn't breathe

And it wasn't just me

She hugged me so hard but all I could hear was

 

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

 

And when I could breathe, it accoured to me

That my little girl loved me

"Daddy! Daady!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Daddy! Daddy!"

 

My dad sent me these links, and I simply cannot believe this.  This guy is incredible.

 

 

I'll let the videos do the talking.