Several years ago I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture by Peter W. Schramm on what it means to be an American. I remember being deeply moved by his words and his vision of the world, and I’ve never forgotten the experience. Here, in an essay that may seem lengthy in terms of Internet reading, is more on what Professor Schramm sees as the genesis of being an American.

My mother tells me, though I don’t remember saying this, that I told my father I would follow him to hell if he asked it of me. Fortunately for my eager spirit, hell was exactly what we were trying to escape and the opposite of what my father sought.

 

“But where are we going?” I asked.

“We are going to America,” my father said.

“Why America?” I prodded.

“Because, son. We were born Americans, but in the wrong place,” he replied.

I encourage you to take the time - make the time - to read it in its entirety.

Remember to check out the other Patriotic Journeyers… JimK, Scott, Larry, Drumwaster, and Cosmicbabe.

It sounds like a dubious distinction, but for owners of really ugly dogs, it’s a serious, high stakes competition and winning the coveted title of “World’s Ugliest Dog” is no laughing matter.

You see, each year the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California hosts a contest to discover and crown the absolute ugliest dog in the world. Readers of my AFP website remember “Sam,” also a Chinese Crested, who won his third title in 2005.

This year’s winner, Elwood, is a rescued Chinese Crested-Chihauahua mix from New Jersey. Dark colored and hairless, he’s homely beyond description but his owner claims he’s beautiful on the inside. Resembling the fictional character “Yoda” from Star Wars, he serves as a good will ambassador for homeless and special-needs animals in his home state of New Jersey.

This was Elwood’s second year vying for the coveted title. He placed second in last year’s competition.

Not surprisingly, most of the competing canines were also Chinese Crested, a breed that features a mohawk, bug eyes and a long, wagging tongue. Profuse drooling apparently helps.

Beyond the regal title of ugliest dog, Elwood also earned a $1,000 prize for his owner.

We live in a great, wonderful country filled with hope, freedom, respect for others and for the rule of law, and offering a system of self government that assures that these virtues will remain for our grandchildren and for their grandchildren. We relish diversity, not for diversity’s sake but because we learn from it as it assimilates into our American culture. And we’re a proud, noble people willing to fight any foe that might challenge our freedoms and way of life.

John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” He couldn’t have imagined that his words would still resonate after four decades. The brave men and women of our armed forces are today fighting to protect the very freedoms we too often take for granted. I think he would be proud.

But this war, the war against terror, is unlike any we’ve fought before. We’re still fighting for our basic freedoms and for democracy, but we’re at war with an evil, fanatical ideology that seeks to conquer and dominate the very underpinnings of our free society. Our enemy doesn’t wear distinctive uniforms and so they are all but impossible to recognize until they fire on us. Yet we’re engaging them on their own turf in a noble effort to spoil their goal of world domination and, perhaps idealistically, provide them an alternative form of government since, clearly, theirs hasn’t worked after thousands of years.

And we’re fighting for independence, our own and for others who seek it. Sure, we argue contentiously amongst ourselves over the cost of resources in both human and economic terms, but we all want what’s best for all concerned. We may not always agree on the best approach, but our beliefs are anchored in moral judgement, in doing what’s right, and from that we never waver. It’s one of the great things about Americans and our form of democratic self government.

My father was a B-29 pilot during WWII and part of what many call “the greatest generation,” willing and eager to defend our freedoms and those of our allies. He taught me and my brothers to respect our flag and our National Anthem, that they are symbolic of the men and women who have fought and died for our country and our way of life. I am immensely proud of his steadfast patriotism.

So when I hear our National Anthem and see our flag pass during a parade, I often think of him. I stand, cover my heart and salute just as he taught me. At 86, he’s still a devoutly proud American…and because of him, so am I.

Remember to check out the other Patriotic Journeyers… JimK, Scott, Larry, Drumwaster, and Cosmicbabe.

Today, at least for some companies, is “Casual Friday”, a custom that peaked during the dotcom heyday and more or less died off when the bubble burst. According to a 2003 survey on the Emily Post site, some 82 percent of employees thought it was a good idea. But many companies decided it was just more trouble than it was worth and eliminated it altogether.

I ran across this humorous list of memos from a fictional company at ABCs of Small Business concerning this very subject. To wit::

Memo No. 1: Effective immediately, the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day so that employees may express their diversity.

Memo No. 2: Spandex and leather micro-miniskirts are not appropriate attire for Casual Day. Neither are string ties, rodeo belt buckles or moccasins.

Memo No. 3: Casual Day refers to dress only, not attitude. When planning Friday’s wardrobe, remember image is a key to our success.

Memo No. 4: A seminar on how to dress for Casual Day will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in the cafeteria. Fashion show to follow. Attendance is mandatory.

Memo No. 5: As an outgrowth of Friday’s seminar, the Committee On Committees has appointed a 14-member Casual Day Task Force to prepare guidelines for proper dress.

Memo No. 6: The Casual Day Task Force has completed a 30-page manual. A copy of “Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing Company Standards” has been mailed to each employee. Please review the chapter “You Are What You Wear” and consult the “home casual” versus “business casual” checklist before leaving for work each Friday. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact your CDTF representative before 7 a.m. on Friday.

Memo No. 7: Because of lack of participation, Casual Day has been discontinued, effective immediately.

And then there’s this…

Happy Casual Friday!

Artist John Cox started commercial freelance work in 1994 and began showing his paintings at the Abstein Gallery in Atlanta at about the same time. Over the next four years, he sold many oils on canvas and watercolor studies for upcoming work.

Shortly after 9/11, the artist began doing political cartoons with Allen Forkum. The duo launched the Cox & Forkum website in March 2003 and developed a fan base that kept them in the editorial business for the past four years. The effort represents about 1,200 cartoons receiving some 9,000 hits daily. C&F cartoons appear in dailies a few times a month, with the largest of the newspaper outlets being Investor’s Business Daily.

Of late, Mr. Cox has returned to an emphasis on creating fine art. Bay area gallery Quent Cordair Fine Art  is officially representing John’s fine art paintings.

John’s work embraces a wide array of media. I particulary like his political sketches. Here’s one that caught my eye today on his blog. Says John, “A military officer I’ve read about likes to welcome new recruits in Iraq with a speech about being tough and surviving combat. His advice? ‘Embrace the suck’. I believe diehard liberals could use the same advice.”

Stephen Wiltshire has been called the “Human Camera.” In this short excerpt from the film Beautiful Minds: A Voyage into the Brain, Wiltshire takes a 45-minute, first ever helicopter journey over Rome and then draws a panoramic view of what he saw, entirely from memory.

Beautiful Minds - A Voyage into the brain presents a series of super-talented savants like the “real” Rainman, Kim Peek, the inspiration of Dustin Hoffman’s character in the movie “Rainman”, who knows about 12,000 books by heart - word by word; or Matt Savage, a 13-year-old piano and composition genius who released his first CD with his own jazz compositions at the age of 7; or Stephen Wiltshire, nicknamed the “living camera” due to his unbelievably precise drawing by heart; or Temple Grandin, who looks at the world through the eyes of animals; or the German calculating champion Rüdiger Gamm, who raises within seconds 56 to the power of 33 without a calculator or recalls over 160 decimal digits of 62 divided by 167. More…  Thanks Pat G.!

Today we welcome the Summer Solstice and the official first day of summer, although we’ve been experiencing summer-like temps in the Sacramento area for some time now. If you haven’t already, it’s time to scrape last year’s crud off the grill and kick off the BBQ season!

The timing of the Summer Solstice, my good friend Michael reminds me, depends on when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This occurs each year between June 20 and 22, this year the 21st at exactly 11:06 A.M. PDT. The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice.)

Midsummer Day falls this year on June 24. Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Day are considered sacred to lovers. Says Michael:

“On Midsummer Eve, pick seven different wildflowers and then walk home silently and backward. Place the flowers under your pillow and dream of your future husband.”

(Or wife, I suppose, as the case may be.) I’m not sure what’s supposed to happen; perhaps you’ll find one or the other under your pillow when you awaken?

In Lithuanian tradition, the dew on Midsummer Day morning was said to make young girls beautiful and old people look younger. It was also thought that walking barefoot in the dew would keep your skin from getting chapped. Hmmm…Need some of that…

Michael also tells me that the Summer Solstice heralds a national event in Finland where the entire country basically takes the week off and gets drunk while burning things. He may be pulling my leg on this one…

And according to Selena Fox:

“The Goddess manifests as Mother Earth and the God as the Sun King. Colors are Yellow, Green, and Blue. It is a festival of community sharing and planetary service.

Celebrate Solstice time with other Pagans — take part in the Pagan Spirit Gathering or some other Pagan festival happening during June. Keep a Sacred Fire burning throughout the gathering. Stay up all night on Solstice Eve and welcome the rising Sun at dawn. Make a pledge to Mother Earth of something that you will do to improve the environment and then begin carrying it out. Have a magical gift exchange with friends. Burn your Yule wreath in a Summer Solstice bonfire. Exchange songs, chants, and stories with others in person or through the mail. Do ecstatic dancing to drums around a blazing bonfire.”

Don’t know if I’ll go that  far, but I will at least clean the grill…

Michael sent this image of a beautiful sunset “looking toward the island across the lake” during their recent trip to Finland to visit Sisko’s mom. Says Michael, “It was about 10 PM and the sky was even more brilliant than the photo portrays.”

Here’s a little quiz aimed at determining which wine,  based on your answers to five questions,  best describes your personality . I’m apparently a “Chardonnay” personality (I’m not particularly fond of most chards - Go figure!) Interestingly, by changing one answer (I was on the fence) I become a “Pinot Noir”! Give it a try and see what you learn about yourself.

You Are Chardonnay

Fresh, spirited, and classic - you have many facets to your personality. You can be sweet and light. Or deep and complex. You have a little bit of something to offer everyone… no wonder you’re so popular. Approachable and never smug, you are easy to get to know (and love!). Deep down you are: Dependable and modest Your partying style: Understated and polite Your company is enjoyed best with: Cold or wild meat

From Cousin Mike: “Suffering from Hillary Ambivalence Syndrome (H.A.S.)? Try OxyClinton.”

Another thing great about America is our apple pie. It’s what our country and flag are “as American as”, right? Since the earliest colonial days, apple pies have been enjoyed in America for breakfast, as an entrée and for dinner. Colonists wrote home about them and foreign visitors noted apple pie as one of our first culinary specialties.

We’ve all heard or used the expression, “As American as apple pie” to refer to things we know to have originated in America or otherwise associate with Americana. So you might be surprised to learn that apple pie may not have actually been invented here, at least according to Wikipedia and a few other sources that point out that apple trees weren’t indigenous to the colonies and had to be imported as saplings, and that Europeans made all sorts of pies before the colonies were even established.

“We may have taken (apple pie) to our hearts, but it is neither our invention nor even indigenous to our country. In fact, the apple pie predates our country’s settlement by hundreds of years,” writes Lee Edwards Benning in Cook’s Tales.

Yet there are American apple-pie recipes, both manuscript and printed, from the eighteenth century, and it has since become a very popular dessert. And if the food-loving Pennsylvania Dutch people didn’t invent apple pie, they certainly perfected it. Evan Jones in American Food, The Gastronomic Story writes:

“Some social chroniclers seem convinced that fruit pies, as Americans now know them, were invented by the Pennsylvania Dutch. Potters in the southeastern counties of the state were making pie plates in the early eighteenth century, and cooks had begun to envelop with crisp crusts every fruit that grew in the region. ‘It may be,’ Frederick Klees asserts, ‘that, during the Revolution, men from the other colonies came to know this dish in Pennsylvania and carried this knowledge back home to establish apple and other fruit pies as the great American dessert.’”

Personally, I stand with Jones. Europeans may have invented something they called apple pie, but I’d wager that the colonists, particularly the Pennsylvania Dutch, reinvented whatever it was and made it as American as, well, apple pie! And whenever I enjoy a slice of warmed Dutch apple, usually with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top, I heartily thank those early Dutch settlers!

I guess what I’m saying, in a somewhat roundabout way, is that I’m really proud of America and her wonderful all American apple pie. So the next time you refer to the cotton gin, the telephone, jazz, the iPod or any of the myriad things we Americans have invented throughout our short history, go ahead and say, with well deserved pride, that they’re “as American as apple pie” because, after all, they really are.

Check out the patriots taking this journey with me: JimK, Scott, Larry, Drumwaster, and Cosmicbabe.

I hate that YouTube has become a political tool for politicians wanting to be leader of the free world. But it has, and I can’t resist gauging the relative level of campaign entertainment. I enjoyed the Fred Thompson dig at Michael Moore and, admittedly, enjoyed this video spoof produced by Hillary’s election committee.

For those of you unfamiliar with the final episode of The Sopranos, the video probably won’t make any sense. For the rest of you, the spoof works in a Hillary sort of way.

Does it change my opinion of her as a candidate? Not in the least. She’s still the devil and would make a disastrous president. But I always enjoy a clever spoof.

For those of you waiting with baited breath to know which pop tune Hillary selected as her pop campaign tune, it’s Celine Dion’s You and I.

Some choice words from House Minority Leader John Boehner about the Amnesty Bill he calls a “piece of s#*%” reported by Lou Dobbs. Folks, this bill is just that, and we need to flood our representatives phone mail, email and letter in-box telling them that we won’t stand for their selling out of America. Listen to this, then get really mad! What are these people thinking?

Thanks Pat!

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Hiking buddy Karen Weise sent this video of “Hawkeye,” the scuba diving cat, that includes some dive buddy action with “Mutley,” the famous scuba diving dog who used to have his own TV show. Owner Gene Alba seems to have a knack for training his pets to enjoy the sport (I can’t actually tell if Hawkeye is having fun or just being pliable.) Hey Karen! Let’s teach “Longie” to do this!