Wasn’t intentional but my statements there were more reactionary than thought out.

Let me set the record straight here.

America is a country founded on the idea of freedom of religion.

What does this mean exactly?

Well in a nutshell it means that not every Muslim in the world loaded up a plane on September 11. Just like not every Christian is intending to burn Qur’an’s this weekend.

America has quickly become a hot bed of religious hate. It’s ironic really.

On one hand the American Christian has set back peacefully and complained about prayer being removed in school, and said that they were being persecuted by the government via acts that remove God from monuments and government buildings.

I don’t contest this.

On the other however instead of arguing with the government, instead more religious groups are trying to empower the government to be able to limit freedom of religion for a religious group?

Is it anger? Is it “Hey lets kick the smaller kid while he’s down”? Do those groups not realize that once this is over those same powers will be used against them and that by effect they are persecuting themselves?

We have a slogan on our site about Evil. We want to understand. Anger or hate without reason is just wasted energy, and quite frankly irrational.

Critics will say that the Muslim community has done no good. They would be wrong.

Abdul Malik Mujahid served on the Bosnian Task Force and helped establish the policies to bring peace to that region.

Ever heard of Dave Chappelle? Also Muslim.

Grammy Award winner Yusef Lateef is also Muslim. He won it for his music, he plays jazz saxophone.

How about Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, or I should properly say Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan. Specialist Khan served in the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), based in Fort Lewis, Washington. He perished in 6 August 2007 in Baqouba, Iraq, fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

How about C. Jack Ellis? The former mayor of Macon Georgia who sponsored over $1 million in loans to local business people, and the C. Jack Ellis Youth Foundation continues to assist underprivileged and special needs children in America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

Critics will say that that is a small amount of good for “so much evil.”

Evil like Dennis Rader? A serial killer who served as a Deacon for his church for over 30 years and even served on several councils?

How do we define Evil as a litmus test? Is it through the body count, the betrayals or the lies?

My point is this. For every religion there are those who proport it for their own use, which is rarely the cause of their sect.

Full disclosure is I gave up organized religion years ago. My reasons are my own. For some, I think it works great for, for others, not so much. I found it to be a haven for money grubbing and a way to demoralize individuals of a congregation for making choices in their life where the church should have been supportive rather than critical.

That said I have my own daughter in a religious school, in hopes her experience will not be as mine was.

And I believe in equality of religion. Be you Muslim, Jewish, Christian or Buddhist. I also carry a small testament Bible given to me when I entered boot camp. In case I should ever change my point of view guess you could say.

And I will confess also to being a inciter, often here I have made jokes, puns, or otherwise. I make no excuse. I am no better and can not profess to be holier than thou.

But If the Religious right wanted to be active they should use the freedoms that have been asserted for the Muslim community to their favor. Use the fact that those freedoms have been guaranteed by demanding equality. Demand guarantees of their own religion. Use the view that these “privileges” by law give themselves a right as well.

Not put forth acts that will incite our enemy and get our soldiers killed.

These soldiers will come home. Some will be posterized by their faith, for one reason or another. Some will be asked to do so.

However it must be considered:

What reason does a soldier have to posses faith, when the very possessors of that faith betray him or her on the field of battle, from home?

In this country we have a right to religious freedom.

But I predict now that right will be sorely threatened, that right viciously tested, and further more that right will be barely defended…should even a single American soldier die because of this fool.

Civilians forget soldiers are religious too.

I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.

G. K. Chesterton

To be pleased with one’s limits is a wretched state.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears. Things are not only what they are. They are, in very important respects, what they seem to be.

Hubert H. Humphrey

Today is the first day our traditions have seen the light of day since last year. It is a special day. Rivalries are revived. Old arguments are renewed. Old friendships rekindled. As the days grow shorter, the weather cooler, and the wind holds a bit of a scent of winter in the air, these are the days when it all changes not just our programming, or our weather, but our lifestyle; at least one day per week.

Morning Breaks by the Spite Family Wilderness Retreat here in Southwest Missouri

Here at The Spite Family Wilderness Retreat we have many Game Day traditions.

I, and others, were recently asked if we were superstitious. Foolish I admitted I am to a point.

But those superstitions are based in my traditions. Those superstitions can be fun, especially if you have your friends involved.

It becomes fun for friends to ask about Volunteer Sunrise, your personal blend of coffee on Game Day morning while preparations are underway. It becomes fun when your friends want to get involved in creating a tradition, or if they want to perhaps modify your own such as an ingredient suggestion.

It becomes fun, as each Saturday becomes a rhythm with your family, friends, times they arrive, things that are done. Kids anticipate your wife or girlfriends brownies. Guys gather around the beer cooler as open flame is lit. The ladies laugh at their husbands as they set paper plates, and call out scores to each inquiry from the grill.

Its not just about superstition, it’s about traditions. Those traditions that lend a kind of stability to your life when it seems all else is going out of control. A day to look forward too each week, when at least 5 of them you feel you could do without. A small point of happiness, family, friendship, and a kind of explosive peace as the whistle blows and shouts are made at referee’s. Those traditions that can last a lifetime as your kids pass them on, or who ask you when the next football game is.

My day was made when my daughter spotted an orange at the grocery store at age 3 and asked “Daddy, are those from Tennessee?”. Because of the color.

These are the days that make life special, and those traditions, those superstitions only add flavor to its length.

Were everyday like this.

Go Vols

That’s always been kind of a motto of mine, well tomorrow, I am definately goin hard.  I have cleared my calender of everything except sports…and the best kind!

At High Noon:  The moment I wait for every year like a rabid foaming-at-the-mouth English Bulldog: The UGA Dawgs First Game!!!

at 4:00:  My wife and I along with my parents are headed to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Great Clips 300 – not to mention: it’s the 5oth anniversary of the track…

gimmie a sec…gotta wipe the drool…

Thats better.

So to all you Football fans out there, most of our players have been arrested, but we sobered up the rest, and we’re comin’ for ya!!!

GO, YOU DAMN DIRTY DAWGS!!

And It’s FOOTBALL TIME IN THE SEC!

What more can ya ask for?!

Ok how about yer daily quote?

Baseball is what we were, football is what we have become.

- Mary McGrory

Yer music video?

Some Eye Candy?

Oh wait not what you were looking for? Hang on I’ll take the sting out

Texas Longhorns Cheerleaders

Rock on brothers and sisters! I’m picking up some bratwurst for the weekend tonight!

Its fun, I’m not very good at it and I enjoy it.

That said I post’em so ya’ll can enjoy them too

All that said? It’s just a mere 36 hours……36 measly and slow crawling hours until it’s

FOOTBALL TIME IN TENNESSEE!!!!!

For a few short months this typically political, military and personal focused blog becomes a plethora of color, drum lines and play reminiscence. For a limited time there is a chill in the air, and you can see your breath each morning and feel the tension as you head for the bandstands. Why do we do this?

Because we cant be serious all the time. Because life isn’t just politics, and war, and legislation and taxes. Because its good for the soul to step back, breathe and enjoy something. Because we are fans, one of Georgia, and one of Tennessee true red black and orange sons of the south. We are SEC where football is not just a game but a way of life.

Welcome to the 2010 NCAA Football season fellow readers. I truly believe it’s going to be one helluva ride!

36 hours ladies and gentlemen. ….35.59…………45.58………

Sorry for the bad quality of this photo, I was IN JAIL when it was taken!

So, after I call my wife, tell her I am on my way to jail, she loses it and cries hysterically, then I start tearing up.  The cop tells me to “Be a man”  I tell you this friends, I damn near lost it on him!

In the car, he tells me I have a warrant for Bartow county probation violation – side note: I haven’t been on probation in Bartow in over 6 years…

I try to tell him this is a mixup, and that all my probation has been handled, and all my fines have been paid….6 years ago.

His response: “Yea, probably a paperwork mix up”

Me:  “So why are you still arresting me, call someone and figure it out!  I might lose my job over this?!”

Arse-hole cop:  “It’s not my job to investigate”

Thanks for nothing A-Hole!

Long story short, I had to pay the seatbelt ticket to get out of jail, and when they finally figured out that it was a mistake arresting me, I got a very empathetic “Sorry about that Sir.”

You can stuff your sorry’s in a friggin sack!

To the city of Atlanta, and the county of Bartow:  My lawyer is coming for you, get your damn check books ready!  You are SO lucky my boss is an understanding man, and he didn’t fire me!

-v00d3W

Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well informed about the United States.

J. Bartlett Brebner