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Thanks for the great pics, tomkow and SamWolf! Awesome. Totally. OUR TROOPS ARE TERRIFIC!!

Greetings all! I've been having somewhat limited online time lately. I miss getting to be here every day, but I sure do appreciate what everyone here does.

I've been writing to my family member in Afghanistan. I told him a story from my life that gave me the impenetrable and impermeable understanding about the uniqueness and specialness of our country. I thought that some of it might be worth sharing here in the canteen:

[I had started the letter and it was interrupted by a thunderstorm blowing in. I had to get offline to protect the newly refurbished computer! So I sent what I had written so far with a promise of resuming the story. He had been commenting to me about his eagerness to get back on American soil again.]

...Sorry about that interruption. We had quite a thunderstorm with a bit of hail! It was kind of a surprise because the afternoon was so sunny! But you know what they say about weather in our region....if you dont like it, wait 10 minutes and it will change!

Resuming my story, I was agreeing with you about this blessed land of ours. I wasnt in harm's way, but your wife's grandmother and I were behind the Iron Curtain in the early 70's. The experience burned an indelible appreciation in my heart for this nation. We were playing a concert in Prague, Czechoslavakia, and it was an incredible experience to witness the oppression of her people. The weather and the atmosphere were uniformly gray.

One very poignant occurrence found me going from point A to point B on a streetcar with a couple of my friends. I was, of course, wearing western clothes (bright red, as I recall!) and as I was studying German at the time at college, I must have been excusing myself in German as I made my way thru the car with my friends. At one point, a tall young man leaned over me and started whispering in German urgently in my ear. The intensity and the urgency in his heart was unmistakeable. While I didnt understand every word, I was able to follow most of it. He told me, "Everything here is forbidden. We are prisoners. Please tell everyone in the West what it is like here. Dont forget us." Before I could reply, the streetcar stopped and he zipped off into the crowd. I have never forgotten the cry of his soul, nor will I.

Mom befriended one of our guides, Rudolph. Rudolph told us that he had been studying at a major university in England. He received a telegram informing him that his father was ill and he should come home immediately, which of course he did. Upon arrival, he learned that his father was not ill, and his exit visa to return to London was cancelled. Several days later the Soviets did their 1968 crack down. He confessed to Mom that he'd been effectively imprisoned in the country.

The concert there was totally amazing. We played the New World Symphony by Dvorak, a famous Czeck composer, and several other things. (The New World by Dvorak contains the very beloved music from the negro spiritual "Going Home.") When the Powers-That-Be started reading the positive press clippings from our previous concerts on the tour, they decided that they couldnt afford to showcase the positive image of this bunch of young western musicians. They cancelled our concert hall and put us in a beer hall outside of town. Our conductor threw a tantrum (rightfully so) at this insult and all the clinking glasses in the background. He demanded that they at least close the bar during our performance. After much negotiation, we started our concert again.

After our first piece, people started leaving and coming back with their friends to hear the Dvorak. By the time we were 1/2 way thru the concert, the place was packed to standing room only. We played several encores and people were going to their gardens and bringing in literally armfuls of gorgeous flowers to present to our conductor. Afterward, people from the village were intent on talking with us and making contact with the flame of freedom that we from this nation so unconsciously carry around with us whereever we go.

I know that you are mindful that the end of the Cold War (which certainly WAS a war) allowed freedom to finally descend in Czechoslavakia and her sister nations of eastern Europe. No one can EVER make a case to my satisfaction that this nation seeks to be conquerors, not liberators. That is certainly the role the 82nd Airborne, the 101st Airborne, the marines, navy, and all our military is playing this day in Afghanistan and Iraq. I am so very proud of you and all our young people who are stepping up to the plate to help some of these oppressed people in the middle east. As our President recently stated, freedom is a precious gift from God, and we are pushing back those forces who oppose it.

When the plane carrying our orchestra once more touched down on American soil, you can imagine the yells of jubilation, relief, and joy. It was certainly true for me. I look forward to your own return to home and your wife and finding out if you have the same reaction to being back home safely on this precious free soil. So, as I said, while I havent put my own life on the line, I have had some glimmers of seeing what it is you are fighting for. I understand what the stakes are, and I am so very grateful that you and your brothers and sisters under arms also understand.

We listened to the President deliver his ultimatum yesterday. I thought he did an outstanding job at laying out his case. I have been listening to lots of the commentary going on yesterday evening and today. Some of the press and opposition of course are lobbing their shots, but so far, much of the commentary has been surprisingly positive and supportive of our President's position.

I think many thousands if not millions of people are using this time to pray for the situation. I am certain that this is a just war, despite some talking heads to the contrary. I am certain that the vast majority of people in this nation are behind our President and our troops.

For example, you wouldnt believe the backlash flowing back on the Dixie Chicks for their anti-American comments made on foreign soil. People are destroying or returning their cd's. Radio stations have banned them because of the listeners calling in demanding that their music not be played. When they return for their American tour, I've heard that there are lots of people planning to demonstrate pro-Bush/Troops sentiment at them. People in Texas are particularly steamed because they dissed our Texan President! Please let your guys know that the mainstream Americans....the ones without the big media cameras and microphones, are solidly behind our Prez and our troops.

Thank you again for your sweet note and for the job you are doing.

Take care, dear,
Love,
Aunt TEXOKIE

SOME GOODIES FOR YOU!

A piece of advice

Never play leap-frog with a unicorn.

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake...

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were walking along the beach. Suddenly, Justin says, "Aww, Britney, look at the dead birdie."
Britney looks up at the sky and says, "Where?!"

Tasties in a Half Shell

Q: Why did God invent armadillos?
A: So that rednecks can have 'possum on the half-shell.

Deaf Rover

What do you call a dog wearing ear muffs?
Anything you want, he cant hear you.

Mad Cows

Two cows were talking in the field. One cow says, "Have you heard about the Mad Cow disease that's going around?"
The other cow answers, "Yeah, makes you glad you're a penguin, doesn't it?"

Get Away From my Deer!

It was Saturday morning and Jake, an avid hunter, woke up ready to go bag the first deer of the season. He walks down to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, and to his surprise he finds his wife, Alice, sitting there, fully dressed in camouflage. Jake asks her, “What are you up to?” Alice smiles, “I'm going hunting with you!” Jake, though he has many reservations, reluctantly decides to take her along.
They arrive at the hunting site. Jake sets his wife safely up in the tree stand and tells her: “If you see a deer, take careful aim on it and I'll come running back as soon as I hear the shot.” Jake walks away with a smile on his face knowing that Alice couldn't bag an elephant -- much less a deer.

But not 10 minutes pass when he is startled as he hears an array of gunshots. Quickly, Jake starts running back. As Jake gets closer to her stand, he hears Alice screaming, “Get away from my deer!” Confused, Jake races faster towards his screaming wife. And again he hears her yell, “Get away from my deer!” followed by another volley of gunfire.

Now within sight of where he had left his wife, Jake is surprised to see a cowboy, with his hands high in the air. The cowboy, obviously distraught, says, “Okay, lady, okay!You can have your deer! Just let me get my saddle off it!”

Smart Blonde

What do you call a smart blonde?
A Golden Retriever.

Kofi Annan’s New Year's UN Resolutions

Be brave -- ask US for more money.
Salt and pepper beard more.

Apply for US citizenship.

Lose weight -- no more delicious McDonald's cultural hegemony!

Bad-mouth US in front of Middle Eastern diplomats more.

Daily affirmation: "I am not the tool of the world's sole superpower!"

Make the UN more bureaucratish.

Write resolution to write more resolutions condemning the rogue state of Luxembourg.

Talk to US President more in broader terms - "African People Hungry," "Arabs Hate You," "Germany no likee war. Now." Perhaps speak slower.

Finally count out Third World dues change jar.

Resolve to cut the word “Secretary” from title. “General Annan” catchier.

Change name of UN Security Council to either "THE STAR CHAMBER", or "THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN", or “THE GUNS AND MISSILES CLUB”.

Switch lame blue helmets of peacekeeping forces to ninja masks.

Make sure diplomatic immunity applies to downloading illegal nude photos of that smoking broad Condi.

Do charter bi-lines allow the UN to stockpile Weapons of Mass Destruction of their own? Could be help when negotiating with uppity Western Nations. Look into it this year. FOR REAL THIS TIME!!!!