Friday, November 16, 2007

Santa is a Phillies Phan!!

We went to the Christmas Bazaar at our church tonight.

I was wearing my Phillies Hat.

Santa Claus was there and he was talking to Fiona. He said "I know you have a good daddy because he is a Phillies fan." Fiona then told Santa that she goes to Phillies games. I told Santa that every time Fiona goes to the Phillies they win.

Santa then looked at me and said "why didn't you take her to the playoffs?"

Monday, November 12, 2007

Veteran's Day

As you all know, my dad was in Viet Nam. You probably also know that my buddy Joe was in the Gulf War and my buddy Kevin served in Iraq. Both of my Grandfathers served in the Army in World War II.
This past weekend was my annual small-game hunting trip with my dad and another Armed Services Veteran, Larry Schultz.
None of Veterans I know brag about their service and all of them were proud to have served their country. I am glad that our nation has a day to honor veterans and that most media outlets are on board with honoring veterans even if it is sometimes contrived and half hearted. It is nice to see feel-good stories about veterans, but should it only be once a year? Shouldn't veteran's be honored every single day? Yesterday during the Fox broadcast of football, a player ran out onto the field and shook the hands of the members of the color guard. Fox showed it over and over and over throughout the day. That was nice that that player honored the members of the armed service, but shouldn't that happen every single game. With the exception of the patronizing "let's remember the armed services" line before the national anthem on Veteran's Day, what does the NFL or Fox broadcasting really do for the advancement of our Armed Services?
This morining, while listening to WXPN, Penn's radio station, the listener request for Veteran's day was a trio of anti-war songs. Give Peace a Chance, Where Have all the Flowers Gone, and some song by Phil Ochs. I was incensed when Give Peace a Chance started to play and fired off an email to the DJ:
i am a new listener in lititz pa and i do love your station. HOWEVER, i am very offended that in honor of Veteran's Day you chose to play Give Peace A Chance. My father fought in Vietnam, friends of mine served in the Gulf War and more recently in Iraq, both of my grandfathers served in World War II. To play the music of an anti-war activist in honor of Veteran's day is an affront to all the brave men and women who served our country. While my father was in vietnam, John Lennon was smoking weed and staying in bed for 7 days straight. I have no problem with the song give peace a chance, i have a problem with your playing it on Veteran's Day. thank you.
I know that the target audience for WXPN is liberal college students, but show a little respect. If you can't find three songs to play that, at the very least do not degrade and debase the men and women who served our country, then don't play any songs at all.
3 Songs about VietNam that are by musicians that are played on XPN that could have been played:
Rooster by Alice in Chains
Good Night Saigon by Billy Joel
Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen
I was really pissed off, but realized that people like my dad and grandfathers fought so that liberals like WXPN can do and say whatever the hell they want, even if it is something that pisses off the people who protect them.