Somehow this amuses me

You don't have to read this article, but read the first two bullet points of the "Story Highlights" and tell me that's not an amusing juxtaposition.

Basically, I'm just curious why black Americans feel like Hillary Clinton understands the "black experience" better than Barack Obama. Anyone who can enlighten me, I would much appreciate it.

Update: Okay, wait, who's right, CNN or The Washington Post?

Song lyric of the day:
"We were perfect when we started
I've been wondering where we've gone
All your life is such a shame, shame, shame
All your love is just a dream, dream, dream"
- Counting Crows, A Murder of One

A single moment of integrity

America was borne of a populace rejecting tyranny and oppression in the name of freedom, and yet America was also borne of individual men, men whose greatness is still spoken of loftily in our classrooms for children to forget during recess. In an age where such character seems all but absent from Capitol Hill, and may not have existed at the White House in my own quarter-century lifetime, it is difficult and yet important to remember that the course of not only men but also nations can be inexorably shifted away from a dangerous path by a single moment of integrity. And perhaps none resonates more than George Washington's simple refusal to accept the title of king.

At the end of the Revolution, as the arduous process of nation-building began which continues to this day, Washington rejected the title of king, refusing to afford himself or any future leaders of America the opportunity to become a tyrant, to become the very thing thousands of colonists had spent the last several years fighting and dying to be rid of. He retired as general of the armed forces and paved the way for the power, real power, to be in the hands of all citizens, not a mere few.

In this day of such blatant abuses of executive power with such circumventions of the law as signing statements, and attempts to extend that already entirely too long-armed reach with such decidedly anti-Constitution measures as the line-item veto, it is nearly impossible to imagine any of our recent presidents declining the power they seem to think is rightfully granted to them by their election (or in the case of 2000, near-election). And it is difficult, yet important, to remember that once, a president of this country actually turned down personal power in favor of the greater welfare of a citizenry and a budding nation.

Song lyric of the day:
"When I am king, you will be first against the wall
With your opinion which is of no consequence at all
Ambition makes you look pretty ugly"
- Radiohead, Paranoid Android

On softball, puppies, tangerines, and Uzbekistan

Monday night's softball game was definitely interesting. We played a doubleheader, or we would have, except during the bottom of the first inning of the first game, things got interesting. I led off by lacing a line drive to left, a good start for a night in which I was to go 5-5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored (except the second run didn't count because the umpire said I never touched the plate, which was bogus, but anyway). My own exploits aside, I got forced out at second, leading to the next play which was one of the more bizarre incidents I've seen in softball. A grounder to short was bobbled, leading to a close play at second. The second basewoman came in to apply the tag because she was too far off the base. Our runner from first was already in his slide. Feet and legs got entangled in bad ways. I've never heard a girl scream like that, and the rest of my team agreed. It turned out she broke her leg and sprained her ankle - total freak accident. 30 minutes later, after the paramedics arrived, after we had spent the time standing by our dugout waiting to hear good news and feeling helpless and cracking jokes in a desperate attempt at levity, we postponed the game. (The second game we lost by one run - for those keeping track, the run I technically scored except the ump never saw me touch the plate would have made it a tie.) All in all, a memorable but less than stellar night for our softball team. Also, the mother of two of the players was there, and after I got called out on the aforementioned play at the plate, I said a lot of really naughty words that no mother should have to hear and felt like a tool.

Which brings us to the matter of puppies. Puppies are cute and cuddly and never fail to make you feel better unless they've just taken a shit on your brand new, very expensive Afghan. Point being, I wish I had had a puppy on Monday night. Sometimes I contemplate getting one, but they are a lot of work and they do need attention, and my work hours combined with my affinity for randomly leaving town and going places don't mesh well with having a pet.

But anyway, I don't really like talking about my personal life on my blog. So let's move on to world news. Uzbekistan participated in the International Festival of Friendship in Tokyo earlier this month. Oh sure, you say, and I care why? Well, I'm glad you asked. You care because "Uzbekistan" is really fun to say. Not quite as fun as "Azerbaijan", perhaps. Certainly not as fun as "Liectenstein". But fun none the less. And having fun is the essence of friendship. Hence, the Uzbek's participation in the friendship festival.

And what of the tangerines, you ask? Good question, which is answered (perhaps obviously) by the...

Song lyric of the day:
"Measuring a summer's day
I only find it slips away to gray
The hours they bring me pain
Tangerine, tangerine
Living reflection from a dream..."
- Led Zeppelin, Tangerine

(P.S. Jeff, you'll have to let me know if this passed your coherence test. Somehow, I doubt it.)

The dearth of recent blog posts is bothering me...

...so here I would like to offer it up to the peanut gallery: what would you like me to write about? Do you like it better that I'm not taking up minutes of your precious schedule pretending that people give a damn about anything I say? What say you, loyal readers, if such still exist? What say you?

Song lyric of the day:
"Love is just a joyride
Drink a lot of beer and climb inside"
- Built to Spill, Joyride