Mr. Chairman, delegates, and fellow citizens: I am honored to be considered for the nomination for vice president of the United States ...
I accept the call to help our nominee for president to serve and defend America.
I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election ... against confident opponents ... at a crucial hour for our country.
And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions ... and met far graver challenges ... and knows how tough fights are won -- the next president of the United States, John S. McCain.
It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves.
With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost -- there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war.
But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off.
They overlooked the caliber of the man himself -- the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better.
And maybe that's because they realize there is a time for politics and a time for leadership ... a time to campaign and a time to put our country first.
Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by.
He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight.
And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way.
Our son Track is 19.
And one week from tomorrow -- September 11th -- he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country.
My nephew Kasey also enlisted, and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf.
My family is proud of both of them and of all the fine men and women serving the country in uniform. Track is the eldest of our five children.
In our family, it's two boys and three girls in between -- my strong and kindhearted daughters Bristol, Willow, and Piper.
And in April, my husband Todd and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.
That's how it is with us.
Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys.
Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.
And children with special needs inspire a special love.
To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.
I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Todd is a story all by himself.
He's a lifelong commercial fisherman ... a production operator in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope ... a proud member of the United Steel Workers' Union ... and world champion snow machine racer.
Throw in his Yup'ik Eskimo ancestry, and it all makes for quite a package.
We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy. My Mom and Dad both worked at the elementary school in our small town.
And among the many things I owe them is one simple lesson: that this is America, and every woman can walk through every door of opportunity.
My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of Chuck and Sally Heath. Long ago, a young farmer and haberdasher from Missouri followed an unlikely path to the vice presidency.
A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.
I grew up with those people.
They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America ... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars.
They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America. I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town.
I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.
When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.
And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.
I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.
We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
As for my running mate, you can be certain that wherever he goes, and whoever is listening, John McCain is the same man. I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment.
And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.
But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion -- I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.
Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.
The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it.
No one expects us to agree on everything.
But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart.
I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good ol' boys network.
Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve.
But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up.
And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people.
I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.
While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.
That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.
I also drive myself to work.
And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef -- although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending -- by request if possible and by veto if necessary.
Senator McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest -- and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.
Our state budget is under control.
We have a surplus.
And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress.
I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere.
If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged -- directly to the people of Alaska.
And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources.
As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.
I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.
That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.
The stakes for our nation could not be higher.
When a hurricane strikes in the Gulf of Mexico, this country should not be so dependent on imported oil that we are forced to draw from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
And families cannot throw away more and more of their paychecks on gas and heating oil.
With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers.
To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas.
And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both.
Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems -- as if we all didn't know that already.
But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.
Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more new-clear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources.
We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.
Maybe you have, too.
We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers.
And there is much to like and admire about our opponent.
But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform -- not even in the state Senate.
This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.
How are you going to be better off if our opponent adds a massive tax burden to the American economy? Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election.
In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers.
And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
They're the ones whose names appear on laws and landmark reforms, not just on buttons and banners, or on self-designed presidential seals.
Among politicians, there is the idealism of high-flown speechmaking, in which crowds are stirringly summoned to support great things.
And then there is the idealism of those leaders, like John McCain, who actually do great things. They're the ones who are good for more than talk ... the ones we have always been able to count on to serve and defend America. Senator McCain's record of actual achievement and reform helps explain why so many special interests, lobbyists, and comfortable committee chairmen in Congress have fought the prospect of a McCain presidency -- from the primary election of 2000 to this very day.
Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd.
He's a man who's there to serve his country, and not just his party.
A leader who's not looking for a fight, but is not afraid of one either. Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the current do-nothing Senate, not long ago summed up his feelings about our nominee.
He said, quote, "I can't stand John McCain." Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we've chosen the right man. Clearly what the Majority Leader was driving at is that he can't stand up to John McCain. That is only one more reason to take the maverick of the Senate and put him in the White House. My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer.
And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.
There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country.
It's a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.
But if Senator McCain is elected president, that is the journey he will have made.
It's the journey of an upright and honorable man -- the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.
To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless ... the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God ... the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome. A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pinhole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.
As the story is told, "When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe's door and flash a grin and thumbs up" -- as if to say, "We're going to pull through this." My fellow Americans, that is the kind of man America needs to see us through these next four years.
For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.
For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.
If character is the measure in this election ... and hope the theme ... and change the goal we share, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States.
Bears everywhere! Well not every everywhere but a good sized sloth.
Drinks everywhere! "Drinken" most notably by Vanessa, Heather, and Austin.
Games! The usual games of strip racing and musical chairs made their appearance, both heavily contested giving the party a PG rating and resulting in one broken chair.
Debates! Politics were mentioned more than once but the loudest arguments were not political but were rather about whether men should be attending baby showers. More about that later.
Hey, are we doing anything for EJ's birthday this weekend or does everybody already have plans for the long weekend? Should I just be asking what EJ wants to do? Or are there already plans and I'm not invited? That would seriously affect EJ's ranking.
Lindsey: What kind of cousin is Oliver for not inviting us out to Vegas? Me: Ummmm..... I hate being the one to break this to you but.... After your last "performance" in Vegas, I don't think any of the cousins outside of Vanessa will be inviting you out to Vegas with them.
We are planning on going on Sunday August 31st. I think its scheduled to be around 1020pm-1220am. We are thinking either Santa Monica or Huntington Beach. Let me know if your interested in coming out.
UPDATE II: Memories of 2008 Fonacier Family Reunion:
Nazi Park Rangers
Jayden and Cedric quitting football on the second series of the game while the younger Noah played all the way through.
Football, Softball, and Volleyball.
Hitting Roland with water balloons.
Continuing the family reunion over drinks at The Slidebar.
Getting to know cousins (Joy, Dean, Roxanne, Fahren(sp?), and Brian) and their significant others (Joe, Carla, Julio(?), and Ramon(sp?)).
Being constantly shouted at to listen by Roxanne and Fahren as they drunkenly tried to recreate a family tree by reciting names I've never heard of in a failed attempt to find out how exactly we were related - I'm pretty sure we're 3rd cousins.
EJ, Lindsey, and I "admiring" the patronage at The Slidebar and marveling at the bar's popularity.
By most accounts it was a better family reunion experience especially since we actually met "new family" this time around.
UPDATE III: I looked it up myself and found out that Joy and Brian are our 3rd cousins, once removed. In other words, our 3rd Great Uncle (Jose Mendez Fonacier) is their Great Grandfather.
Not exactly sure where the other cousins; Roxanne, Fahren, and Dean fit because I can't find them on the family tree on Geni, but if anyone does know or can find out, let us all know via comments.
Spoke to Roland on the phone less than 2 hours ago and it appears that his time with the company he was working for has come to an end. I was a little bit unclear as to why and a search on Google didn't reveal much other than that they might be undergoing some sort of company reorganization. Right now, he and two of his friends (including Eric) are trying to figure out what to do next. He spoke about a possible, but somewhat undesirable, return to California.
Wow, wow, wow! First heard about the trade on the car radio... immediately had to check the internet to see who they gave up hoping Matt Kemp was not part of the deal. A little sad to see Laroche go because I think he's got a bright future ahead of himself and the Dodgers are going to be in the market for a 3rd baseman after the season, but what a return!
Ramirez to L.A. is all upside for the Dodgers. Even if Manny reverts to being the Bad Manny... all the Dodgers have to do is bench the guy. Or release him. They're not paying him a dime. (The Red Sox, in their haste to wash their hands of Bad Manny, are picking up the $7 million remaining on his 2008 salary.)
With Ramirez in the lineup, the Dodgers don't have to worry about handing out playing time to Andruw Jones or Juan Pierre, two of Colletti's more expensive and most noticeable flops. With Ramirez clobbering home runs, even in spacious Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers -- 15th in the 16-team NL in homers -- now have a legitimate bat to go with emerging sluggers Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier and still-capable veteran second baseman Jeff Kent.
Austin just informed me that he's considering - not seriously, just giving it a little bit of thought - moving into a loft in the NoHo Arts District. From our little chat it seems that walkability at night and a young neighborhood is important to him. Anyway, our little chat brought back to mind a couple of interesting and useful sites for anyone considering a move into a different neighborhood. And they are,
Walk Score: Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle—not how pretty the area is for walking.
And,
ZIPskinny: This site was created as a Web development "hobby" project using Census 2000 data obtained from the Census website.
The site provides an interesting "first glance" at a ZIP Code area, but it should only be seen as that -- a first glance. It is not a substitute for the more thorough research you should do prior to making decisions about relocating to or conducting business in a particular location.
I loved it. I was so ready to play the contrarian (although I suppose if I wanted to do that I shouldn't have gone and seen the movie in the first place) and absolutely pan all the hype, but it won me over. This movie is so good on so many levels that it needs to win multiple Oscars.
Of course, what struck me hardest about this film and makes me continue to think about it is that it is absolutely a film about the war against terrorism. There are thinly veiled references to torture of detainees, wiretapping, subverting the judicial process, and the public outcry against the war. Heck, The Joker is explicitly referred to as a terrorist probably just to make things clear to those unwilling to look past the veil.
Anyway, what I want to know is, did any of my cousins see the film through the same prism I did? If so, did it change your views or did it reinforce your views on how we should fight terrorism? Also, did your political bias (assuming you have one) make you hate the movie or make you love it?
I'm a little confused here, which day is the Fonacier Family Reunion 2008 on? I have it marked on the Family Calendar as it being on August 9. But after a talk with Melanie, I became confused as to whether or not I got the date right. So please clarify.
I heard a rumor that Faye was text messaging people her plans for Saturday night. I don't get text messages and perhaps I wasn't even invited. But anyone care to share the details?
And while you're at it, you can either congratulate her on her grades or tell her you would have gotten straight A's yourself. Can you guess which I did?
Joni wants to go to the Sept. 25th game against the hated SF Giants. It's a Sunday 1:10pm game. It's also part of Fan Appreciation Week and she wants to sit in the all-you-can-eat seats in the right field pavilion for $25 which is $10 off the regular price.
In case you missed it, I know I did for awhile, Lindsey posted about her new blog the content of which comes all from her iPhone - I believe the kids these days call that mobile blogging or moblogging. Also, EJ has a blog over here which to my knowledge is produced the old fashioned way via laptop. A slightly more comprehensive list of family sites/blogs can always be found off in the sidebar.
Happy reading everyone and more importantly, happy posting to those who do.
Scene: Trader Joe'S Little Girl: I want that Mommy! Mommy: Who is going to finish the banana nut granola bars if you don't like them? Little Girl: I will eat them all. Mommy: But what if you don't like them, then who will finish eating them? Because I won't. Littler Girl in Shopping Cart: I will! (Mommy sighs in resignation) Me: Wow, you just got double teamed on that one. Mommy: I know, you see how they work?
The post you've all been eagerly anticipating. Ok, maybe not so much. A lot to share, and to jog from my memory, so instead of one big post that takes forever to write up as I struggle to remember, I'll be doing a "series of posts" by which I'll be updating this post. Enjoy and feel free to leave your own memories in the comments.
May 22, 2008
The ride out to Vegas was pleasant enough even if the kids were taken into consideration. EJ got the best of it as it was merely him and Annalynne in the back row of the rental. As for myself, I sandwiched Jayden with the baby in the middle row. But even with the talkative, curious 7 year-old next to me, I was able to nap through the first leg of the trip. After two quick stops (one to get gas, the other to clean up the kids), we arrived in Vegas and picked up EJ's woman at the airport. Lindsey was later picked up.
We crashed our first night in Vegas at Jade's ex-sister-in-law's place. Lindsey and I crashed on the downstairs' sofas while everyone else made their bed upstairs with EJ's woman and EJ taking the princess themed bedroom. That was our ho-hum first night in Vegas. It was not a quiet ho-hum though as the night wind howled and the kids pitter-pattered upstairs throughout what was a cold Las Vegas night.
The only notable thing that night was that by happenstance - I swear Annette, it was by pure happenstance and not by any fault of my own or Lindsey's - Jayden learned where babies came from. Apparently, Jayden had sneaked his way downstairs while Lindsey and I are were watching Knocked Up and was watching - again, unbeknownst to the two adults who do know better - the birthing scene which made Lindsey remark on her disbelief that they would be so graphic.
Anyway, it's probably safe to assume that Jayden has a leg up on most other 7 year-olds when it comes to becoming a man and it saves Annette and Jade one instance from having to explain where babies come from. So in the end everyone wins out.
And that was our drive out there and our first night in Las Vegas. Not exactly a running start to a crazy Vegas weekend but as you'll soon read we were just pacing ourselves.
May 23, 2008
The day began with Eggo and rotten eggs. Not exactly the breakfast of champions, but considering none of us were champions it worked out ok.
We decided to make the early part of the day a day for the kids so we took them to Circus Circus. We first made our way to the Adventuredome.
Want a surefire to not lose a kid? Well EJ, Lindsey, and I placed bets on which of the kids we thought would be the first to get lost. That meant we each kept an eye out on the kids we didn't bet on so as not to lose. At least that was the theory. I'm happy to report that no kids were lost on this expedition.
Adventuredome was alright I suppose. I could see how it would appeal to the much younger set who can't partake in the other diversions that Vegas has to offer. The kids had a lot of fun as prizes were won, bungee trampoline was tried out by Annalynne, and Jayden climbed up a wall.
After Adventuredome, we made our way to the Midway. EJ continued to impress by winning even more prizes, including a purple acoustic guitar for Annette by knocking blocks off a pedestal with a bean bag. I on the other hand was less than impressive at that game as I tossed that bag three feet to the ground in front of me. Apparently the trick to that game is to have the blocks slide off the pedestal. After adding to the collection of prizes we caught one of the circus acts where we learned that hair is fairly strongly attached to one's scalp.
Seeing that we didn't have much of a breakfast (seriously, forget about a breakfast of champions, even losers need a decent one to start the day) we were very hungry and settled for what was there. What was there was a lackluster buffet. I think the baby corn was mentioned as being good and when baby corn is the best thing that can be said even mentioned about a buffet than you're either a vegetarian or it wasn't much of a buffet.
And that was our first morning in Las Vegas.
That afternoon we moved into the time share that Annette had reserved for us that weekend. The time share resort was nice. It was situated between the Strip and Hard Rock, a very walkable distance if one wanted to just hit the Strip or Hard Rock and nearby surroundings. The time share itself had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a jacuzzi, a fully equipped kitchen, a washer and dryer, and a dining area. Amenities included two pool areas (one for families with kids, the other an "Adult Pool Area" which didn't live up to the connotations I thought it had) and a shuttle service to and fro the Strip. Overall, a very pleasant place to stay.
The only quibble I had was that it was a time share so there weren't all that many similarly aged people there. However, along with that quibble came a not so minor gripe. As we were checking-in, Lindsey and I explored a little with the discovery of alcohol as the main objective of the exploration. We happened to find what looked like a bar. I say "looked like" because this supposed bar had no alcohol in it. We were then informed that they only served alcohol during Happy Hour (which had ended a mere 20 minutes before we began checking-in), with another restriction to be revealed to us only later on. The Happy Hour restriction made me think our titas and uncles had called the place ahead of time or at least Lindsey's parents had.
Shortly after checking in Lindsey got a call from her parents inviting everyone out to dinner. I guess I should backtrack a bit. On our way to Circus Circus, Lindsey got a call from her parents to see if she got into Vegas alright. At the end of that call, her dad said they'd be seeing her soon. Of course, Lindsey had no idea that her parents were planning on going to Vegas that weekend, so she kind of thought her parents were just joking so as to keep her on her toes.
When a reporter pressed him on why he hadn't initiated a large-scale government campaign to encourage energy conservation, the President said (and I paraphrase),
After a brief bout of Obamamania, some Capitol Hill Democrats have begun to complain privately that Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is insular, uncooperative and inattentive to their hopes for a broad Democratic victory in November.
Note: All area codes are based on the pictures provided and do not necessarily reflect my real area codes. For instance, Hayden is a 515 for me but she does look exceptionally good, for her anyway, in the pic below.
So who is in for the upcoming season? We gotta break that losing streak sometime. I need to know soon and to collect fees ($30) if we're going to have a team.
So far the following have expressed interest in playing next season.
Austin Wayne Annette Jade Brian Annie Sara Mehran Karen Louis
That gives us 6 guys and 4 girls interested in playing next season. Faye... Jason, you two interested in playing again?
Because of the rules of co-ed softball, I need to comprise a team that has only one less girl than a guy or equal amounts. That means I either have to find another girl or two or cut one of the guys.
Anyway, I need to know who's in and then get all the money in SOON, absolutely no later than Monday of next week.
Pick your favorites in the comments and let me know if you think any show got left out.
COMEDY SERIES Curb Your Enthusiasm Entourage The Office 30 Rock Two and a Half Men
DRAMA SERIES Boston Legal Damages Dexter House Lost Mad Men
REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM The Amazing Race American Idol Dancing With The Stars Project Runway Top Chef
REALITY SERIES Antiques Roadshow Dirty Jobs Extreme Makeover Intervention Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES The Colbert Report The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Late Show With David Letterman Real Time With Bill Maher Saturday Night Live
The parts that stressed his opposition to the 2007 troop surge and his statement that more troops would make no difference in a civil war have somehow disappeared.
At the time he first proposed his timetable, Mr. Obama argued -- wrongly, as it turned out -- that U.S. troops could not stop a sectarian civil war. He conceded that a withdrawal might be accompanied by a "spike" in violence. Now, he describes as "an achievable goal" that "we leave Iraq to a government that is taking responsibility for its future -- a government that prevents sectarian conflict and ensures that the al-Qaeda threat which has been beaten back by our troops does not reemerge." How will that "true success" be achieved? By the same pullout that Mr. Obama proposed when chaos in Iraq appeared to him inevitable.
"What's missing in our debate," Mr. Obama said yesterday, "is a discussion of the strategic consequences of Iraq." Indeed: The message that the Democrat sends is that he is ultimately indifferent to the war's outcome -- that Iraq "distracts us from every threat we face" and thus must be speedily evacuated regardless of the consequences. That's an irrational and ahistorical way to view a country at the strategic center of the Middle East, with some of the world's largest oil reserves. Whether or not the war was a mistake, Iraq's future is a vital U.S. security interest. If he is elected president, Mr. Obama sooner or later will have to tailor his Iraq strategy to that reality.
Darryll is back home in Texas - has been since Sunday - and is in the process of moving into a new, larger apartment with his insta-family.
Along with Darryll and Roland, Annette and Co. well also be out of state - for a week or so? - beginning today as they visit the Northeast. They plan on visiting Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and DC.
And as for moving, Joni and Karen plan on moving into an apartment soon. Nothing finalized yet but they do plan on having an apartment warming party some time in August.
On the education front, both EJ and Joni will be attending grad school come this fall. Congrats to the both of them especially since EJ's work is going to pick up most, if not all, of the tab at CSUN and Joni got a partial scholarship from Pepperdine.
That's your Family News & Notes and you're now all caught up.
One thing I want to say about Filipinos: they’re very warm people, very good-hearted people. Like, everybody was nice. You know, you meet nice people, but a whole country of nice, genuine, warm-hearted people was unbelievable.....
Everywhere I went it was just bananas.
I'm pretty sure he's talking about actual bananas, but I could be wrong.
I was stunned.
They made me feel like an NBA star.
Seeing that he's actually something "like an NBA star" I'm happy that the Filipinos got something right.
Any NBA players out there: If you’re having a bad day, or you’re having a bad career, go to Manila. They’ll bring your spirits up, trust me.
I can see the tourist slogan now; Manila: The Place Where NBA Players Come To Feel Like They're Having A Good NBA Career. Catchy.
Just remember people, if you want to feel like a king and feel like a star, you know where to go: Manila. So, Pauly Shore, after you finish reading this, you head to Manila to jumpstart your career, baby. You’ll be back in the business, baby. You’ll be doing Jury Duty 2 in no time.
I don't think I'll go as much into the rankings this time around. However, I will indicate whether there has been movement.
Lindsey
EJ - probably should rank him higher because I came out so high in his, but then I would be a sellout and I'm no sellout. Nice try though EJ
▲Austin - didn't really do anything himself to move up these rankings, it's more like Annette did something to move down (see below).
▲Mehran - same as above, see below
▼Annette - she's down, not because of anything she did herself (contrary to what I said above), but because her kid called me a bitch and somebody must pay for that.
▼Faye - I guess I should explain how Mehran leapfrogged her but she recently spent some time in Hawaii so dosen't really deserve one.
Oliver
Vanessa
Melanie
Roland
And there you have it. Thanks to EJ for playing along the last time this was done. As for Annette's explanation that she wouldn't - or was it couldn't? - do this because she's close to everyone.... Meh.
That of course is in reference to how many times I will have completed the 1500 mile span between Chatsworth and Plano by Thursday. By the #8, I will have officially averaged driving the equivalent of one way every other month. But its all worth it to see everyone soon :) Love y'all. See you guys soon.
That's what Tim Kurkjian says anyway after tonight's rarity wherein the Dodgers defeated the Angels in a "what a game!" type of game. How rare is it for a team to win a baseball game without getting a single hit? Well it's only happened five times now in modern major league history which dates back to 1900.
Coupled with the 4+1 game, what else could baseball possibly have left to show me that I have yet to see? I suppose that's one reason to continue watching.
EJ's parents are getting back Thursday from their much deserved vacation and Uncle Joji says he would like to have a bbq at Mama's house this coming Friday at 6pm to celebrate his 48th(?) birthday. Make it out if you can or risk falling in the Cousin Rankings. See you all in two days.
You know how they say parents should never favor one child over another? Well none of you call me Daddy so what follows is my ranking of the cousins. To be clear, I'm not saying that I'm ranking my cousins in order of "who is better than who" nor am I saying that I hate anyone ranked below Mehran. All I'm saying is that if I had to choose one cousin that I had to hang out with for an entire weekend this is the order I would call them.
Lindsey - A surprise #1 to be sure but she displayed in Vegas that she was up for doing anything or nothing at all. She kinda just goes with the flow. She has also shown an ability to offer insight to my various musings and she can tell a funny story.
EJ - Another cousin who is down for whatever as witnessed by his willingness to play for the family softball team even though he sucks; to his credit, he is getting much better through practice.
Annette - Closest cousin to me in age and I probably share more of a history with her considering we went to the same school on a few separate occasions and she only lives a couple of blocks away. She can also spot a good battery joke quicker than most.
Austin - Underrated by most other cousins I think. He might be higher if I actually thought he would hang out with family. Probably should be lower down the rankings because he wouldn't.
Faye - Might be the nicest of all the cousins - name calling aside. I can't recall her ever saying a mean word about another cousin (a cousin's significant other is a different story). So either she's really that nice or she likes to talk behind her cousins' backs. Either way, whether it's a false sense of security or not, it gives the impression that she has all of her cousins' backs if needed.
Mehran - Hard to peg where this cousin should fall in the rankings. Definitely would have ranked higher before all his troubles started but he is getting passed that and his recent willingness to hang out with family is a plus.
Oliver - Only see this guy on rare occasion and he doesn't talk all that much but when he does it's obvious that he is very smart and funny.
Vanessa - Don't know Vanessa that well but I do know that she likes to have a good time and is willing to change her name in order to do so.
Melanie - I know there's only a four year age difference but Mel has always seemed much more mature than I am and we don't share all that much in common. Maybe if I start my own family she will move up the rankings.
Roland - Basically, this guy gets low cousin status for his near complete disregard of family (saving only his night out with Faye and Vanessa) on his first trip back home since moving out to Florida. I believe the words are "poor form."
So there you have it, don't know if these rankings are going to be updated like other rankings. Anyway feel free to debate these wholly subjective rankings or make your own rankings known in the comments. And I'll totally understand if you all rank me last for doing this.
Bruin7089 (10:43:57 PM): i'm bored Bruin7089 (10:43:59 PM): send jayden over Bruin7089 (10:44:04 PM): to keep me company AhhhNNeTTe (10:44:19 PM): dork Bruin7089 (10:44:33 PM): when are you going to allow him to come over on his own? Bruin7089 (10:44:38 PM): to like walk or bike over? Bruin7089 (10:44:54 PM): he knows the way AhhhNNeTTe (10:44:58 PM): hes in trouble Bruin7089 (10:45:00 PM): he knows how to cross a street AhhhNNeTTe (10:45:06 PM): and he has to wake up early Bruin7089 (10:45:07 PM): i'm just asking Bruin7089 (10:45:27 PM): like is he old enough to make the walk over from your place to mama's by himself? AhhhNNeTTe (10:45:58 PM): i dont know AhhhNNeTTe (10:45:58 PM): no Bruin7089 (10:46:14 PM): well what other life lessons does he need to learn? Bruin7089 (10:46:24 PM): doesn't he know not to talk to strangers? AhhhNNeTTe (10:46:31 PM): kinda Bruin7089 (10:46:34 PM): he has his own cell Bruin7089 (10:46:38 PM): can he dial 911? AhhhNNeTTe (10:46:44 PM): i dont know
So at what age and what survival skills would Jayden have to possess in order for him to visit Mama's house on his own?
Bruin7089 (10:20:50 PM): good face usually means good body Yazzie (10:21:04 PM): I disagree Yazzie (10:21:24 PM): I think a great body often leads to an okay face Yazzie (10:21:33 PM): or rather an okay face often leads to a great body Yazzie (10:21:48 PM): The over compensation is key
Bruin7089 (10:22:22 PM): Face or body? Bruin7089 (10:22:30 PM): which is more important looking at a chick? Austin (10:22:36 PM): hmm.... body Bruin7089 (10:22:48 PM): and are you more likely to find a chick with a good face and good body Bruin7089 (10:22:53 PM): or the other way around Bruin7089 (10:23:08 PM): does the good body lead to a good face? Austin (10:23:13 PM): hell no Austin (10:23:32 PM): atleast from my own experience people watching, it is easier to find a good body than a good face Bruin7089 (10:23:47 PM): that's not quite the question Bruin7089 (10:24:01 PM): or at least i'm not quite getting your answer Austin (10:24:09 PM): what's the question Bruin7089 (10:24:18 PM): are you more like to find a good face matched up with a good body? Bruin7089 (10:24:22 PM): or the other way around? Bruin7089 (10:24:28 PM): kind of confusing i know Bruin7089 (10:24:33 PM): but stay with me here Austin (10:24:38 PM): oh oh i see Bruin7089 (10:24:39 PM): if you just saw a face Bruin7089 (10:24:41 PM): a cute one Bruin7089 (10:24:45 PM): and just saw a body Bruin7089 (10:24:47 PM): a good looking one Bruin7089 (10:25:00 PM): which is more likely to match up with a cute other half Austin (10:25:03 PM): you are more likely to find a good face matched up with a good body Bruin7089 (10:25:07 PM): ok
Bruin7089 (10:25:54 PM): Are you more like find a cute face matched up with a cute body Or a cute body matched up with a cute face? Bruin7089 (10:26:00 PM): and which is more important to you? Bruin7089 (10:26:19 PM): more likely lindsey (10:26:32 PM): face Bruin7089 (10:26:44 PM): more important to you? Bruin7089 (10:26:54 PM): or is that more likely to be matched up with a cute body? Bruin7089 (10:26:58 PM): or both? lindsey (10:28:46 PM): god damn thats hard lindsey (10:28:57 PM): i say cute face with cute body Bruin7089 (10:29:20 PM): so the cute face is more likely to lead to a good body? lindsey (10:29:28 PM): yeah lindsey (10:29:39 PM): usher is a good exampe lindsey (10:29:48 PM): nice body. but hideous face Bruin7089 (10:30:29 PM): haha Bruin7089 (10:30:42 PM): but can't you find examples of cute faces with ugly bodies? lindsey (10:30:55 PM): not really. Bruin7089 (10:31:04 PM): hmmm Bruin7089 (10:31:08 PM): yeah Bruin7089 (10:31:12 PM): can't think of any lindsey (10:31:33 PM): well a lot of not fat but a bit overweight girls ive seen have really pretty faces Bruin7089 (10:31:53 PM): so there you go Bruin7089 (10:31:58 PM): enough to change your mind? lindsey (10:34:48 PM): no lindsey (10:34:54 PM): not enough to change my mind lindsey (10:35:24 PM): cause they could change their body to be cute lindsey (10:35:31 PM): its a lot easier than changing your face Bruin7089 (10:37:39 PM): good point
Anyone else have thoughts they want to share on the subject?
"That was a good game. But not good enough. Not nearly good enough!" - Coach Taylor
That's how tonight's game was for me. Well we certainly lost by less than 16. It was all tied up after the first inning at one to one. Second inning we exploded for seven runs. We then limited them to two runs to make it eight to three in our favor after two full. Not bad for the last place team against the first place team.
Now my memory is a little fuzzy here. I'm not sure if it was in the third inning or in the fourth that we lost our lead but lost it we did. I think both teams scored a run in the third. We were then shutout in the top of the fourth and gave it six in the bottom half to make it 9-10 after four innings of play. We didn't put up any in the fifth inning as well. They scored a few more. Can't remember what we did in the top of the sixth if anything. And then the game was called with two outs in the bottom of the sixth after another run or two by The Red Hots due to time. Not sure what the final score was but we lost by less than ten I believe.
Anyway, the highlights:
Homeruns by Mehran, Louis (grand slam), and Brian
Everyone on the team got on base either due to a hit, walk, or error.
EJ made a fantastic dig at first base to record an out.
Now for the lowlights:
Too many walks.
Too many ground balls in the outfield getting passed our outfielders.
Outfielders not hitting the cutoff man all the time.
Jason and Annie getting doubled up on separate occasions.
Really minor things that added up to a loss. But they can be fixed.
Best game of the season thus far for our team but a heartbreaking game nonetheless, considering the team we had a chance to beat.
Our third time through the league begins tonight at 7:30. Tonight's opponent are the much hated Red Hots who currently have a record of seven wins to one loss. In our first meeting, we lost 22-4. Second time, we lost 23-6. 24-8 tonight? The goal tonight should be to hold them to under 20 runs and to get into double digit runs ourselves.
As far as personal goals, I'd like to get a couple of extra base hits tonight and have an error free day out in the field. Anyone else want to share their personal goals for tonight?
Occasionally, Austin loves to do an impression of a stereotypical Republican making unsound arguments both to me and to his co-workers. I don't know if he does this merely as a joke or because he truly believes his impression is The Truth and his exaggerated impression shows the ridiculousness of the "true Republican." Anyway, one of the issues he likes to riff on when he his playing Republican is global warming. His stereotypical Republican denies that global warming even exists by blindly denying all of the science backing it up. Of course, Austin's impression is way off the mark and a more accurate position of those wary of global warming alarmists is given here.
(1) anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is real, (2) current projections of its expected impact are wildly uncertain, but are not sufficient to justify the costs of an aggressive emissions reduction program
No denial there that Earth is warming or even that human activity is the cause of that warming. But the real concern is what are the costs. Too often, the costs of global warming policy are only associated with what would happen if we don't do what Al Gore tells us we should do without any consideration whatsoever as to what the costs would be if we did what Al Gore asked us to do. Or as George Will put it,
We do not know the extent to which human activity caused this. The activity is economic growth, the wealth-creation that makes possible improved well-being—better nutrition, medicine, education, etc. How much reduction of such social goods are we willing to accept by slowing economic activity in order to (try to) regulate the planet's climate?
We do not know how much we must change our economic activity to produce a particular reduction of warming.
It could cost tens of trillions (in expenditures and foregone economic growth, here and in less-favored parts of the planet) to try to fine-tune the planet's temperature. We cannot know if these trillions would purchase benefits commensurate with the benefits that would have come from social wealth that was not produced.
Hopefully, next time Austin decides to play Republican, he will make this argument.
It's that time again apparently. Any ideas on how the t-shirt should look? A few thoughts to keep in mind:
The t-shirt MUST have the words: Reunion, Fonacier, Family, and 2008.
Optional words that you may want to include: 2nd Annual, California (or other location - either more general like USA or more specific like Los Angeles), a more specific date than the year 2008, and Wayne Soller is the Greatest Human alive.
The t-shirt must be suitable for Fonaciers of all ages, gender, shape, and tastes.
The t-shirt must be kick ass enough to wear outside the family reunion.
So any ideas? I need those ideas by the end of the week.
My parent's wedding anniversary party is tomorrow (June 14th). The party starts at 6 and please do not forget the dress is business casual. NO Jeans and NO Hawaiian shirts.
Say there's this pill you can take that will make you 10% smarter (better at reading comprehension, critical thinking, sudoku and such) than you already are but to other people you will seem 20% dumber and nothing can change that perception, do you take the pill?*
It's a busy time for those associated with the Fonaciers. The family calendar doesn't even begin to show how busy (by the way, if you want to help update the calendar please ask for an invite to do so). Anyway, here are the following tidbits that I didn't make a post for individually but still may be of interest.
Annalynne is having some sort of graduation from preschool tomorrow at Mason Park.
Jayden's school is holding it's inaugural summer carnival from this Friday until Sunday - show up if only to give Annette a hard time at the booth she'll be manning.
Mehran marks the end of his probationary period on June 17th and will commemorate the event by jumping out of a plane - call him if you're interested in skydiving.
Roland is rumored to be coming for a visit June 20th - not sure how certain this is hence the "rumored."
Annette relayed the following conversation she had with Annalynne that she says displays her flirtatious or perhaps, more innocently, her tomboyish ways. It's the kind of story she should be posting herself but for some reason or another doesn't.
Eweiss - Annalynne, why don't you play with the girls? Annalynne - They're not nice to me. Eweiss - So why do you play with the boys? Annalynne - They listen to me and do what I tell them to do.
And this, my dear cousins, is how high maintenance chicks get started.
The title pretty much says it all. He and Joni are also in talks about making a trip out to San Diego the weekend right after July 4th at Mark's. I've already spoken to Mishelle (sp?) and she's looking forward to reuniting with Erica - not sure if that's really a selling point to anyone else, probably not.
It's Annalynne's birthday party today at Mark's house in Pasadena. Food will be coming from Stonefire Grill, Ariel will be making an appearance, and a rare Popes Gone Wild session may possibly but maybe not happen.
In yet another change of plans, Darryll and Co. will not be visiting the week of Uncle and Tita's 25th anniversary but will instead be in California for July 4th. Plan accordingly.
Tonight's opponent is MGA Entertainment which defeated us 11-5 in our first meeting. It was our closest game of the season thus far and their only win. In the spirit of improving as we make our way through the schedule a second time I think our only goal tonight is to win. So get ready to dogpile on the mound people because we're going to celebrate like we've never done this before and probably never will.
Bruin7089 (5:23:56 PM): Tell your mom not to worry Bruin7089 (5:24:05 PM): That I'll make sure you marry a nice man in Vegas lindseydown (5:24:33 PM): hahaha lindseydown (5:24:43 PM): dont get me in trouble Bruin7089 (5:25:08 PM): No trouble lindseydown (5:25:15 PM): she told me not to disgrace the family Bruin7089 (5:25:17 PM): I"ll spring for Elvis to do the ceremony lindseydown (5:25:23 PM): sweet Bruin7089 (5:25:38 PM): We''ll give you a fake name to use in Vegas Bruin7089 (5:25:54 PM): put it on a nametag lindseydown (5:25:58 PM): lol nice
So as not to disgrace the family name or any of our own, I think it would be wise if we each came up with a fake name to use for our stay in Vegas. So what's everyone's fake name going to be? Need to know soon so we can get everyone's name right.
UPDATE::Looks like the guys are going to use names from Ocean's Eleven. Get to picking:
* George Clooney as Daniel "Danny" Ocean * Brad Pitt as Robert "Rusty" Ryan * Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell * Don Cheadle as Basher Tarr * Bernie Mac as Frank Catton * Casey Affleck as Virgil Malloy * Scott Caan as Turk Malloy * Shaobo Qin as "The Amazing" Yen * Carl Reiner as Saul Bloom * Eddie Jemison as Livingston Dell * Elliott Gould as Reuben Tishkoff
Well we met a couple of the goals I thought we could reach. The highlights were the defense of the outfield (especially Jason's running catches and Jade's near perfect positioning) and Brian's big night at the plate which elicited this taunt directed at him, "Well I'll always be better looking than you, make more money than you, and you're a dork." Ahhh, lame insults are the most sincere forms of respect.
I updated the wiki with information on my Mom's and Dad's anniversary party happening on June 14th. The information can be found here. Expect me to spam the blog with updates.
The thing of note is the dress code is business casual. NO JEANS and NO HAWAIIAN SHIRTS
Tonight we begin the second of three rounds against our opponents in the league. The goal this time through the schedule is to show improvement. 22-4 was the score of our first meeting with the Red Hots. We got mercy ruled in 4 1/2 innings and after only about 35 minutes of play. So I suppose if we just finish the game tonight we will have shown improvement but I think we can set some higher goals than that.
Score more than 5 runs
Give up less than 20
Lose by less than 15
Personally, I'd like to win tonight, and think we can, but any improvement shown will be a step forward that our team can take pride in.
As for tonight's batting order:
Sara Louis Jason Brian Jade Mehran Wayne Annette Austin Faye EJ
That Lindsey hangs out in Mexico all the time hanging out with donkeys rather than being involved with these particular jackasses. Or else she wouldn't be attending her own birthday celebration in Veagas.
Sorry for the recent lack of posting but sharing a computer with my mom has had its not so inconsequential drawback or two.
Anyway, for those interested - and you should all be - Darryll has changed his plans and will now be arriving a week earlier than first announced in order to attend the June 14th anniversary of Uncle Wilson and Tita Cindy. I believe he plans on staying a week still from the 13th on. His only request is that he play ball with the softball team that Wednesday. Apparently, he isn't scared off by our team's ineptitude, probably because he hasn't seen us play. Any objections to him playing?
Chalk yet another item in the list of why fonacier.com is utterly useless; We now have a family wiki. Please register for the wiki and add yourself to the contact list. Let me know if you are having problems with the wiki.
I will be soon adding a family emailing list. No more shall we have CC of the whole family in an email.
Still looking for our first win and that chance to dogpile on the mound. However, there was marked improvement after losing our first game 22-4. This time we were able to go the full 7 innings and kept the score to a respectable 11-5 loss. Some of the highlights were:
Sara touching home twice in three plate appearances, justifying her leadoff spot in the batting order.
Annette making not one but two nice defensive plays. One on a slow roller to the mound that she ran up on and made the throw in time to first and the second one a heads up play backing up a botched cutoff to make the assist at third.
Mehran making his own web gem on a liner to second.
Brian hitting a two run homer and keeping his batting average at a perfect 1.000 after 5 at-bats to start the season.
So what are the June happenings? Specifically, when is this 25th anniversary thing. We are probably skipping Vegas so we can come for a week in June, right now that would be the last week of June (about 20th - 27th) with our only wish to play in one of the family softball games.
A circular motion will aid your throw by providing more natural momentum than simply bringing your arm straight back and then forward.
If you are playing outfield you will almost always be making a longer throw, so when you remove the ball from your glove, your arm and hand should drop down and by your back knee.
If you are making a shorter throw in the infield for example, you may take the ball out of your glove and move it back and down slightly.
When throwing you want your front shoulder to point in the direction of where you are throwing.
Your back foot should be perpendicular to the target and your hips should be closed and also pointing in the direction of the target.
Once you have everything lined up, you'll want to step toward the target with your lead foot, push off your back leg, and throw the ball using your entire body.
Check the link for details and some instructional images.
1997 - Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win golf's Masters Tournament. 1953 - CIA director Allen Dulles launches the mind-control program MKULTRA. 1899 - Alfred Mosher Butts, American architect and Scrabble inventor was born. 1980 - Quentin Richardson, American basketball player was born. 2005 - Jayden acted like a brat. 2008 - Lindsey asks for Darryll's phone number and tisked tisked Wayne for not having it on hand.
Fan Appreciation Day is on Sunday, September 21st @ 1:10PM against the Giants. It'll be $25/person. Seats are in Right Pavilion (NOTE: no alcohol is served in the Pavilion). I'm posting now so that I know how many tickets to order. Let me know.
Mark Sonia and myself down on the lineup card for June 25th. She can add to the fun, and I'll try to contribute to the most glorious moment in sports history.
The press release I've linked to is a bit confusing because it seems to contradict itself but this chart doesn't lie. Now I suppose that the increase in housework has more to do with the addition of children in a marriage but the press release wasn't clear on how that was taken into account. Anyway, Marriage = More Work.
So getting a preview of how things are going to go down in our "C" league, Louis, Jason, Brian, and myself basically came to the conclusion that if we're going to have our asses handed to us on a weekly basis we are at least going to enjoy ourselves.
Yes, we're going to still play hard and try to make all the right plays and try to get better at this game as a team. But above all we're going to have fun with this, as originally planned, and not take the games as seriously as those sandbagging douchebags. We'll let the others team do what they do and we'll have fun with it.
As Brian pointed out, we've got a good group of people who know how to enjoy themselves and I don't want us getting too caught up in the other teams' competitive natures to lose sight of the fact that we got in this to begin with to hang out and have some fun playing ball.
So however the games are going and whatever the outcomes, let's not get down on each other or on ourselves and let's remember to have a good time by making each other laugh and smile out there. If we're not going to be the team that has the most runs we may as well be the team has the most fun.
And if we should happen to win one game, just ONE game, we're going to celebrate that one game like madmen who just won a World Series with a dogpile on the mound and as Jason suggested a singing of We Are The Champions.
Now for the game sweeping the nation, go over to Austin's and guess in the comments which of the photos is a photo of his whiteboard and win a fabulous no prize.
Skill Levels B+ Exceptional Players/Expert Abilities B Good /Very Good Abilities C+ Average/Good, Competitive/Recreational C Recreational, Entry Level Abilities
So says the Spring/Summer 2008 fact sheet for the LA Parks and Recreation softball leagues. Now everyone check their schedules when they have time and check what skill level we've been assigned.
Now tell me this how does a team that's been doing this together for six years qualify itself as having entry level abilities? Doesn't entry level imply (fuck implied, it's explicit in and of itself) mean by its very nature beginner/novice and not someone who has been doing it for six years in a row? Like when a job is listed as entry level isn't it assumed that all applicants would have little to no experience for that job? Also, they weren't very good. But weren't they at least average? Is it even possible to do something six years in a row together and not acquire a skill level above entry level?
And what the fuck about recreational? Last I heard, the word "recreation" meant something fun and relaxing. Now what kind of recreational attitude has a team take every pitch until they have two strikes against them? And what kind of recreational attitude has a team continue doing that with an insurmountable lead? And what kind of recreational attitude has one of their players trying to run through one of our own to reach base with that insurmountable lead? Simply put, the team we were playing was not there to play recreational softball.
And it's not just the team we played. Looking at the other teams that played after us, it doesn't look good for us. One of the teams may have had girls on their team like we did but they're nothing like the girls we have on our team. Their girls definitely played varsity high school softball and may have even played college ball.
Now there's nothing wrong with being average to good at softball or even wanting to play it competitively. But there's a league specifically designed for those type of players. And that's not the type of league we signed up for and were supposedly assigned.
So who the fuck is to blame here? Is it the douchebag teams that are sandbagging - and really why would a team sandbag into a entry-level/recreational league, other than that they're obviously douchebags - or is it the LA Parks and Rec for not properly classifying teams according to skill level? Both probably.
Rant over, continue your day or vent along.
PS - What the fuck was up with the ump rushing us to start the game before the scheduled start time? And what the fuck was he looking at? I thought when the ball hits any part of the extended home plate it was a strike. Annette and Brian said he missed at least 3 called strikeouts and it wasn't just our game but in the game afterwards a pitcher was rightly complaining about balls and strikes.
PSS - If my bitching didn't make it clear, we got our asses handed to us and the mercy rule came in full effect.
Last year, The Red Hots went 4-6-2 to finish 3rd. They scored 120 runs and gave up 134.
As for our team here's the batting order for tonight,
Sara Jason Louis Brian Jade Mehran Austin EJ Annette Faye Wayne
Remember to show up about 15 minutes early to warm-up or even a little earlier than that if you want to practice some fielding or get some batting practice in. See you all there.
