Californian Sojourn

iPhone In "Five Days;" James Lileks Doesn't Care...

From here:

Five days to the iPhone. If you care. I don’t. I’m perfectly content with my cellphone, which has a ringtone like a bee trying to burp the melody of “Bolero.”

Funny, I am somewhat in the "care" category and I didn't even know it was coming in five days.  Heh.

For the record the thing does seem damn cool but I have my Chocolate (and a "nice" two year contract to honor) so I'll have to be appeased for the moment. Or two.

Lone Survivor; One of Many Heroes

    Summer reading is about to begin in the next week or so and I plan to kick it off with, what else, a tale of heroism.  Marcus Luttrell is a Navy Seal who faced considerable odds against living and managed to come out of an extremely dangerous Spec Ops mission alive but at a great cost.  He is the only survivor of the 19 men who ended up involved in the mission and following extraction and I can only imagine the toll that could have on one's soul.  His book is called "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10"  The book has caught several bloggers attention (which is how it came to mine) and it has been getting quite the positive buzz so I really look forward to diving into it.  Here's an interview with Marcus via Breitbart.tv:

    Also in the reading to come is a compilation of documents from the Revolutionary era (Federalist Papers, Bill of Rights, etc) as I want to begin to gain a further understanding of our Founding Fathers thoughts on what they wanted this country to be and how government should work FOR the people.  Just thinking about our taxes (I noticed you're taxed three times at the gas pump and then further realized you're basically taxed three times ALL the time) I realize we've gotten so far from the concept of limited government that we don't even think about it or even recognize it anymore.  I want to think about it, I want to recognize it and if possible do something about it.  The reading is just a start hopefully.

A Man Proves Himself, And His Dream.

I saw a post on this over at The Corner yesterday at work and remember wanting to click on the link but couldn't and promptly forgot it as one happens to when he scrolls for the updates.  Then I read an email to Jonah who had made the original post on the Corner about said item and it renewed my interest because I know all too well of knowing what you can do, but never following through.  Again I was at work though and unfortunately promptly forgot the post.  Now I came to Jay Reding's blog and he embedded the video (God bless you Jay) and I've finally seen it.  Read the following email and watch.  It is, moving, to say the least:

 

Jonah – I came into work this morning, ran through my email, signed payroll, ran out to rake a couple of employees over the coals, went back to the office, pulled up NRO, and clicked on the Corner.  That’s when I ran across your post about Paul Potts.  The video came up and there’s this dumpy guy with bad teeth.  Then he started to sing.  Now, I’m not an overly emotional person, but halfway through I realized I was crying.  Haven’t done anything like that in many, many years, and I wondered, as I dried my eyes, how in the world his singing could have caused such a strong reaction in me.  The video has been on a loop in my head ever since, and I think I’m ready to make a guess.

 

His expression before he begins to sing is that of a man resigned to disappointment.  Even when he smiles, his eyes convey a profound sadness.  He has been a nobody all his life. He, and perhaps only he, knows he has greatness inside of him, but he is obviously a humble man, massively insecure, afraid of rejection, unsure of himself outside the cocoon of anonymity.  But you get the feeling he also knows that this may be the one chance he gets to escape the cocoon, and as he begins to sing, you can see him fighting down his fear.  I think that is the wellspring of the emotion that pervades his performance.  He is fighting against a life of obscurity.  By the song’s end, what was an average Joe has stepped up, beaten back his fear, and broken through.  In those few seconds, he put the void behind him, and his life will probably be changed forever because he called up the courage at that moment to show what he was really made of.  We saw greatness, long denied, finally being born. 

   

It was one of the most heroic things I’ve seen in a long time.  My deepest thanks to you for posting it.  Truly inspirational. –

And the video embedded here for you convenience.  Ladies and Gentlemen, Paul Potts:

P.S. How insane is it to face both Simon AND that other snobbish Brit in one audition?

Update:  Oh and here's his follow up performance.  The audience gives him a standing ovation before he's even fully announced.  Unfortunately Con Te Partiro is a bit less stirring then Nessun Dorma and if there's one thing that can ruin a good operatic performance it's an enthusiastic audience which claps a little too much.  Anyways here it is:

We're Having Ourselves a Full-On Political Music Video Fest!

    So first we have this little Pop and R&B number from the "Obama Girl" regarding the tad bit over his head Democratic candidate Barack Obama.  It's funny and my wife bemoans the fact she didn't think of it first (for Thompson, but I'm not quite sure how that would actually work out so perhaps it's for the best) but other then that it doesn't say too much.

    On the other end of the sphere we have Michelle Malkin and her Hot Air accomplice Bryan Preston presenting a reworking of the Fray's "How to Save a Life" into "How to Take a Life."  Though the vocals were shaky and could use some work, for some reason, I was surprised Malkin knew how to play the keyboard and decently at that.  Sure she's you know, Asian, but with everything else she's involved with I'd figure she wouldn't have the time to develop the skill.  Shows what effective time management can do for oneself.  This one, as you may suspect, actually provides a message (well there was a message in the first video but I don't think it was about Obama) and a rather solemn one at that.  If you haven't had a chance to see the reality of the situation, well the images will sure be eye opening.

I look forward to the Rudy G East Coast gangsta rap and Hilary's down south country diddy to "drop" in the coming days.

Mr Thompson Has Himself a Blog

   So if you haven't seen it yet Fred Thompson has launched his blog on his imwithfred.com website (located here).  It's a decent little thing with a small blogroll with some of the top names in the Center to Right blogosphere though that's about it right now.  His welcome message talks about the time he's spent sharing his opinions online and how now it's time those opinions are going to go on the road.  Seems like he's beginning to build up steam now for his announcement to become a candidate for President which will hopefully occur soon (seems there some itchiness among the Right about Fred and they're either unimpressed with what's come so far or they're turned off because he hasn't already declared).  I suggest you check out his YouTube page as well.  There's a lot there defining his stance on the issues and certainly enough to appease though who say they don't know where he stands (something that absolutely boggles my mind considering everything I've already seen, heard and read from him).

   And if you get a chance here's the latest video involving his stance on the issues interviewed by Peter Robinson who can probably deliver better questions then Jay Leno:

*Blogging at work is not the optimal place to blog, fyi.*

Immigration Bill Dead....For Now.

    If you hadn't heard by now the Senate failed to bring the Immigration Bill that has been hogging the airwaves the past few days (that is till lil Miss Sunshine, Paris Hilton, cried for her mommy) to an actual vote.  That is, they voted against bringing it to an actual vote.  Anyways the how isn't as important as the why; and the why being a conservative base moved by anger and resentment at their elected officials for not only ignoring the fundamental issue of national security but also labeling those who disagreed with the bill bigots.  They got on the phones and they sent the emails that let the Senators know that right now ENFORCING our current immigration laws must occur BEFORE we go about dealing with those already here (numbering 12 to 20 million).

    But now that the bill is dead (and hopefully the President doesn't do anything more stupid then he already has in pushing the damn thing, like pushing it again) it's time to turn to what is already currently on the books and to those who obeyed the law, namely LEGAL immigrants.  Our current system for a legal path to citizenship is horrendously flawed with green card holders waiting upwards of decades for a chance to become citizens as well as trying to bring in families members they have not seen for years.  We're going to have to reform this system as it stands and welcome the numerous amounts of well-educated and hard working people who have a desire to dwell within our borders.  These are the people who should be rewarded (and citizenship is a reward) for their adherence to our laws and have legally immigrated here.  Too much of the talk I've heard from Senators on the Left and Right these past few days have sought to reward law breakers.  Many who are good people and are certainly hard workers (living in Southern California you not only meet these people but get to know them as friends) but have still broken our laws and, at the very least, should not be rewarded with forgiven taxes and the other benefits that were bandied about the Senate.

    My main beef though is not with those people who have come here and stayed because they've seen the prosperity that this lands can afford to it's dwellers; it's with those who endanger all who live here.  Members of international gangs, murders even terrorists.  The number of news reports I've read of  illegal immigrants who have multiple criminal infractions that have not been deported due to our lax enforcement of national laws, only to culminate in the shooting death of a police officer or the tragic car accident death of parents due to a drunk driver are far more then should have to wake our government up to the major problem we already have.  But yet even after passing more laws to prevent these things we fail to enforce, and that's what should be the highest priority for Congress if they truly wish to reform our system.  Enforce our laws, keep the borders secure and safe and after the American people are satisfied with the results of those efforts then can we look to passing legislation that allows many of the migrant workers (blue collar, white collar, no collar, whatever) to come into our country and not fear ICE or be in "the shadows" as so many liberal pundits like to proclaim these people are doing right now.

I don't blame people for coming here and I certainly can't blame the illegals who saw a wide open door and decided that it would be more beneficial here then it would be in their own country.  I can never blame anyone for seeking a better life.  But there are laws, there are rules that must be followed.  The rules are for the protection of all, for if we remain wide open and elements of destruction that are certainly there make their way here and succeed in their plans to bring about our downfall, where will the people go?  That is what we must seek to protect, the very reason why Lady Liberty stands will here torch high, to light the way.

This Is What, The Third Re-Launch?

I'm kinda sick of not staying to my word on getting this site in order.  Well now I've got a couple factors helping me out.  First is an as of yet undeclared candidate for the '08 election in Fred Thompson.  Second is a renewed sense of needing to do something, anything, to deal with this ever so present need to make an impact on, well, something.  And lastly is a different approach to blogging itself.  No burning sense of obligation to post five times a day, no worrying about missing a day of posting and deciding to post on what I really feel a desire to post about, as if I can actually say something constructive on the matter.

So we're gonna see where this goes and what I can accomplish with it.  I'm pretty sure I've lost every regular reader and fellow blogger who came by my site and so I'm starting from scratch.  Sometimes being brought low is just what the doctor ordered.