We pause in our political blogging for some personal reflections.

I got an email from an old Military friend today.

It made my day. 

A big shout out to Eric, and congrats on making Chief!  Hope I get down your way soon.

It reminds me that even though many years pass, sometimes those ties we form never go away.

A few years ago I did an almost frantic amount of research and contact and 'found' a lot of friends I had lost.  I got in touch with people I had not seen since High School, and few even earlier that that.  in 2002 I drove around for a week visiting several and reacquainting myself with them and their families.

A few I had been in casual contact with, but not many.  Many I have stayed in pretty consistent contact with since, some have slipped away into memories, but at some time I am sure those doors will open again.

Snow fell today in Baghdad for the first time in at least 100 years.  This Flickr photo of a man and his dog by myndtheef is from somewhere in Iraq.  Have a great weekend, all.

As you're planning your holiday shopping in the coming weeks, I'd like to suggest that you check out the Hunger Site .  Their shop has a variety of items: cards and stationary, apparel and jewelry, as well as housewares and folk wares from around the world.  If you have a greenie or altruistic young people on your shopping list you may find just the thing, as they have many items from communities who make their stuff in an environmentally sensitive and sustainable fashion and that benefit their local economy.  When you buy from their online shop it goes to a variety of charities, including Doctors Without Borders.  The purchase price of an item funds 25 cups of food or the purchase of a book for a literacy program in Nepal (pictured), Afghanistan, or Africa, or the purchase of a low fuel high output, locally made stove for Darfur refugees, to name just a few.  I like the idea of underwriting the education for two girls for a year in Afghanistan for only $20.  You can also donate the monthly salary of a teacher there, or a bit more pricey, pay to heat an Afghani school.  For the price of a sweater at K-Mart or a Coffee Maker at Fred Meyer you can purchase a pair of goats to increase a poor family's health and wealth, or enough seeds to put in a season's garden that will feed a whole family. Give it a peek if you shop online.    

Could this be the real cause of global warming?

Watch it all the way through…

Recently, the world's largest plane - the Antonov AN-225 - landed at Boeing Field.  Thankfully, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shot some good pictures.

Somewhere, in my print photo collection, I have a picture of an AN-124 at Paine Field.  Let me tell you as an aviation buff, aviation buffs live for a chance to see these mega-jets up close and personal.

Namely skepticism towards public displays of piety as I first read at Orbusmax.com.

This "I'm upset with myself, and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God. And I think that's the right thing to do as of right now" from Michael Vick I have my doubts.  You know, if he really "found Jesus" or "turned my life over to G*d" he'd either return the signing bonus money plus any money after the 2006 season to the Atlanta Falcons… or donate it to anti-animal cruelty forces.  And do it quickly, promptly and professionally.  But that's me, who doesn't go to a place of worship, after reading this timeline of Bad Newz Kennels.

Comment away, you all.  I could use some enlightment - seriously, not sarcastically.

Is sacked from the NFL as if Lofa Tatapu (Seattle Seahawks #51) sacked him at Qwest Field.  The letter is HERE, posted by ESPN.

Thank you, Commissioner Roger Tatapu Goodell, as a dog owner and huge Seahawks fan.  You are a hero to me, having done what had to be done against pressure to do otherwise.  It is very unlikely but remotely possible Michael Vick will play pro sports again thanks to your actions today.

Below are key quotes - I have OCR'd the letter for your download HERE so you can copy text from it.  This is all too good, too morally clear to bold just parts of it.

Your admitted conduct is not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible. The conduct your co-defendants have admitted to, in which you are directly implicated, simply reinforces that conclusion. Your team, fans and the NFL have all been hurt by your actions. You have lied to your teammates and coaches, to the Falcons' owner and management, and also to me.

This is apparently being passed around in e-mail. A friend of mine on BlogShares passed it on to me.

NEW YORK: A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

“Al-gebra is a problem for us”, Gonzales said. “They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like ‘x ‘ and ‘y’ and refer to themselves as ‘unknowns’, but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with co-ordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say: ‘There are three sides to every triangle’.”

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, “If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes.”

New movie out by Kevin Leffler, a former Michigan schoolmate of Michael Moore's, highlighting the controversial filmmaker's personal hypocrisy using Moore's own film making style. 

Link to 6 minute trailer here.

Just had to share this special moment   of Dennis Kucinich serenading Jesse Jackson.