Tomorrow I will be celebrating 25 years of marriage to my wife, my friend, the coolest person I ever met: Anne Lynn Wagner.

We met standing in line at the Lakewood Mall theater for Star Trek III, The Search for Spock. Confession: I never can remember WHICH Star Trek movie it was, but for the sake of the story, it doesn't really matter, ok? Anyway, I was fresh in the US Navy, where I'd run away from life to straighten up my act (still working on that, by the way). The USS Rentz (FFG 46) was being built at the Long Beach Naval Station shipyards and I was going to be a plankowner. I owned a Yamaha Riva scooter that I bought during the one year, after graduating UCLA, from my lucrative wages while I was a systems analyst (remember, I was running away from all of that). Anne, and her friend, Loretta Paz, were in line behind me. It was still a VERY popular movie which sold out on weekends often enough that you had to show up (in LA) a few hours in advance to get seats. They were discussing whether or not to go to a nearby (walking distance) bookstore to buy a copy of the paperback of the movie (hah!) and I said, "I'll save your spots." When they came back (with said book spilling all the secrets of the movie) I asked if I could sit with them and they acquiesced to my boyish charms.

Good movie by the way.

So we watched the movie, and even if I can't remember which one, I remember liking it. It had something to do with Spock and Kirk and aliens and space travel, I think. After it was over, we three decided to go to a nearby Marie Calendars (walking distance - all part of the Lakewood, CA mall area) to chat.

At which point I remember looking at Anne and hearing a voice (my voice) say, "This is the woman you are going to marry." Given that I regularly hear voices I paid it no heed.

I ordered pecan pie (should have just put a syringe full of sugar in my veins). Eventually, Loretta went to the "head" (that's Navy for "toilet") leaving us alone and Anne and I exchanged phone numbers. I told her I was going to be going out to sea for a couple of weeks (true) and wouldn't be able to contact her (pre-cell phone days - we used smoke signals) until I got back.

I actually assumed that she thought she'd never hear from me again.

But she did.

Our first date, two weeks later, was on my Yamaha Riva scooter. We went to parks. We went on swings. I think we had ice cream (I'm old, I forget). If we didn't have ice cream, we did something sweet and cool like that. Maybe tacos?

We went back to her apartment. I thought it was pretty cool that she lived across the street from where she worked (Rockwell International - she was helping to build the Space Shuttle - was that cool? Hell yes! I was hitting on a rocket scientist!).

She put on the Beatles. Lots of Beatles. We both loved the Beatles. All God's chilluns loves the Beatles.

Then she put on Ray Manzarek's (keyboardist for The Doors) version of Carmina Burana.

I was blown away. She was smart. She was a rocket scientist working on the Space Shuttle. She liked music I liked. She could introduce me to music I'd never heard that was awesome. She was sweet, kind, deferential, shy, unassuming ... (I'm crying with joy here).

When my voice said "This is the woman you are going to marry" I don't remember feeling great love, joy, or passion (though I did think she was very cute). But now. I was falling in love, head over heels. As I was leaving, I kissed her in a nice, first date kind of way, and held her hand. As I went to turn away she wouldn't let go of my hand.

We've never been apart since (except for all the times we've been apart).

We married at the Camelback Inn in Phoenix, Arizona on August 7, 1985. Jeff Andrus was my best man, Joanne Payton was maid of honor, grandpa Joe was still alive and in attendance. The judge who married us was the most hated Democrat in Arizona (ask me to look him up) and had been "Swift Boated" when he was nominated for the state Supreme Court. His last words in the ceremony were, "You may kiss the groom."

I think it was about 110 degrees, and as we were married the sun was setting and the temperature quickly dropped to about 102.

Annie. Love is complex. I'm amazed you've been able to put up with such a volatile, fragile, imperfect person (me).

I love you.

Happy 25th anniversary!

According to wikipedia: "The traditional medium for the 25th , or silver, anniversary is PVC piping." I am desolate that I was unable to find a PVC piping gift to give you. Instead, I am gifting you an autographed copy of Warja Lavater's William Tell described thus by the French book seller to whom I secretly traveled to Paris and purchased while you were dreaming:

"L'original créé en 1960 ... se trouve en possession de Monsieur et Madame Peter Rübel, Fillmore, California." Limited ed. of 701 copies. This is numbered 571 and signed "Warja Lavater."

Ti voglio.

xoxoxoxo - Raleigh Clayton Goober Muns

Save the cheerleader, save the Obama campaign!

See more Hayden Panettiere videos at Funny or Die

Why Do We Hate Them?

Because they will kill our children.

I have a 13 year old son. I don't want him to die.

I have a 7 year old daughter. I don't want her to die.

King Ronald Reagan I, King George Bush I, King George Bush II.

Fuck them to hell for hating life.

Preznit Bush Gets Univerisity Degree!

Slumming in Bush for President land I started looking in the Education section's photogallery and ran across the following picture and original caption slavishly reproduced below. Please note the irony of the edjumuhkayshun President receiving a (sic)univerisity degree (probably changed by now)


President Bush embraces LSU Chairman Robert Ogden after receiving
an honorary doctorate of science at the univerisity's commencement
ceremony in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Thank you Doctor Bush.

(technical note: the caption beneath the picture might not show up using Mozilla 1.6)

What with all of the rumblings about the calling up of the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) and the probability of a draft if the Chimp gets re-elected, time for this librarian to make a reading recommendation. You might be able to find this great out of print work at your local library. I have a personally autographed and inscribed first edition straight from Sherry's hand:

Hell no, we won't go! : resisting the draft during the Vietnam War by Sherry Gershon Gottlieb. New York, N.Y. : Viking, c1991. (ISBN: 0670839353)



And here's my amazon.com review from May 16, 2000 for good measure:

Bad timing in publishing

Yup. Another review of a book no one read (but should have). If I remember right, Sherry's bad luck was having this book published simultaneously with the onset of the Gulf (not)War. This book was poised for moderate success when WHAMMO! America's jingoistic instincts rose up with the Gulf (not)War and no one wanted to hear about how to NOT be sent off to kill our pigment enriched brethren. Anyway, this book contains an excellent cross section of attitudes about not getting drafted, including a very direct and cogent essay by Muhammad Ali. Generally, this is a mix of interesting and amusing anecdotes involving everything from peanut butter to letting animal scratches fester before you take your physical. The author spent a lot of time and effort on this book and it is a crime that it didn't sell better.

Operation Stir da Poo

Commenting on other blogs, I ran across this interesting photo on the web site of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade out of Wiesbaden (Col. Thomas M. Pappas was placed in command of the MP's at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq):

Original Link

http://www.205mi.wiesbaden.army.mil/images/HHDKuwaitPics/20Apr03/CPTPOO.jpg

Jimmy Kimmel Knows Whom to Hire

Joe Hagan's weekly column in The New York Observer (Wednesday, May 12, 2004) brings to light the activities of writer Joe Barbieri of the late night Jimmy Kimmel Show. Seems Barbieri plays a recurring character, "Michael Jackson superfan, Joe Byrd" who was quoted in the May 1, 2004 New York Times.

"He might dance on the S.U.V. again," The Times quoted Mr. Byrd as saying. "When Michael moves, it’s always a dance."

The NYT posted a correction regarding the fictitious Mr. Byrd some days later, though Hagan notes the eds. were a bit miffed.

The writers for The Times, of course, were less than amused. "I didn’t find his stunt particularly amusing," said Mr. Broder. "I don’t particularly appreciate people misrepresenting themselves. We take quite seriously what we put into the newspaper, as the editor’s note would indicate. I’m sure someone thinks it’s funny, but we didn’t."

So called liberal media.

When asked if "Byrd" saw the correction:

"He doesn’t get The Times," said Mr. Barbieri. "He subscribes to a lot of Michael Jackson fanzines and Soldier of Fortune."

Jeebus says "carry on."

The Technical Term for People Like Rush Limbaugh: shithead

Brought to my attention via the new Media Matters web site, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) in the May 6, 2004 Congressional Record, page S4981 does his bit to expose the cockroaches to the light (emphasis mine):

But now we have to ask ourselves
how should we, as a people, react to
this? I am going to suggest one way we
should not react to this. I have in my
hand a transcript from a syndicated
radio program of May 4, by Rush
Limbaugh. Oh, he is well known around
Washington, around the world. I want
to read what Mr. Limbaugh said in reaction
to this scandalous episode involving
the torture and abuse of Iraqi
prisoners.

His caller, on May 4, asked as follows:
It was like a college fraternity prank that
stack up naked men.

And Mr. Limbaugh replied as follows:
Exactly. Exactly my point! This is no different
than what happens at skull and bones
initiation and we’re going to ruin people’s
lives over it and we’re going to hamper our
military effort, and then we are going to
really hammer them because they had a good
time. You know, these people are being fired
at every day. I’m talking about people having
a good time, these people, you ever heard
of emotional release?

Rush Limbaugh said in describing
the sadistic torture of Iraqi prisoners.
And then Mr. Limbaugh, in his infinite
wisdom, went on to say:
You ever heard of need to blow some steam
off?

Rush Limbaugh. I am embarrassed
that this man, who supposedly speaks
for so many people in America and is
listened to faithfully by so many people
in America, would be so callous, so
insensitive as to make those statements.
Trust me, they will be repeated,
not just on the floor of the Senate, but
around the world by our enemies as an
indication that we are not taking this
seriously.

Not only are dittoheads, wingnuts, and their ilk callous, their words have the actual potential of causing great harm to all involved in the various war adventures, be they THEM or US.

The technical term for people like Rush: shithead.

Sadness, Horror, Iraq

BBC just reporting the decapitation of American Nick Berg, aged 26 identified as a contractor. The killing is being reported as being in retaliation for maltreatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. Berg apparently owns a business, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, Inc. located in West Chester, PA.

At the Free Republic (Conservative News Forum) blog site, a "call to action" by A.N.S.W.E.R (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) includes a partial list of 2,000 endorsements labeled "Here is the Enemy", including this:

Michael S. Berg, Teacher, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, Inc., West Chester, PA

According to a cached AP article on iraq.net, Michael Berg is Nick's father.

Posted by: Editor on Saturday, May 08, 2004 - 09:14 PM
The Associated Press

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Nick Berg was on his way out of Iraq. He had been released from the prison where he had been held for 13 days by Iraqi police for reasons he said he did not know. He had made his way from Mosul to his Baghdad hotel. He was finished with being an independent civilian contractor and was coming home to West Chester.

That was April 9. A month later, Berg's parents, Michael and Suzanne, still haven't heard from him. They've gone from concerned to frantic.

"Our hopes are that he's still in hiding or en route and traveling in a very slow manner," Michael Berg said.

A spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq who tracks the number of civilians missing in that country was unavailable for comment. But in mid-April, coalition spokesman Dan Senor said during a news briefing in Baghdad that about 40 people from 12 countries were missing and presumed hostages.

Nick Berg, 26, owns a business called Prometheus Methods Tower Service Inc. He climbs communications towers to inspect the antennas, the electrical connections and the structure. He first went to Iraq on Dec. 21.

He stayed until Feb. 1, making contact with a company that indicated there would likely be work for him later. But he returned on March 14 and there was no work, so he began traveling. He usually called home once a day and e-mailed several times; Michael Berg is his business manager, and they needed to stay in touch.

They spoke on March 24, and Nick Berg told his parents he was coming home on March 30. Then the communications stopped, and he wasn't on the plane on March 30.

When FBI agents arrived at the Berg's West Chester home on March 31, they were relieved to know their son was alive, but in jail. The agents questioned them about various details that only they and their son would know about.

Jerri Williams, spokeswoman for the Philadelphia FBI office, said the agency was "asked to interview the parents regarding Mr. Berg's purpose in Iraq."

On April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending that their son was being held illegally by the U.S. military in Iraq.

The next day, April 6, Nick Berg was released. He told his parents he had been riding in a taxi on March 24 when he was arrested by Iraqi officials at a checkpoint in Mosul. He told his parents he had not been mistreated.

Nick Berg said he would come home through Jordan, Turkey or Kuwait. But by then, hostilities in Iraq had escalated, and Michael Berg said they have not heard from their son since.

The Bergs have hounded the State Department, the FBI and the International Committee of the Red Cross, seeking information. Michael Berg said the State Department sent an official to Nick Berg's hotel, where an employee told the official they had not heard of him.

The Bergs hired a private investigator, who talked to an American hotel guest who said he remembered Nick Berg.

Sometimes, they tell themselves their son "is a resourceful fellow who can take care of himself," Michael Berg said.

"Other times we think perhaps he was dead on April 10," he said. "My worst fear is that I'll never hear anything."

More Al Jazeera

Today's AJ article of choice comes from Reuters:

Speech Met With Disbelief

"After the torture and vile acts by the American army, President Bush goes out and congratulates Rumsfeld. It's just incredible. I am in total shock," said the editor of the influential Algerian national daily al-Watan.

But, of course, we don't care what "they" think, do we?

FYI, current AJ poll is Do you think the Bush administration has lost the plot in Iraq?

78 percent YES
17 percent NO
5 percent UNDECIDED

Whatever.