From The River To The Sea

So I finally served my public duty and went out to a portest for a cause I believed in. Actually I had no idea the protest was going on but my dad was going last Sunday (1/11) and I ended up going with him on a frigid Sunday morning. You all pretty much know where I stand on the issue so I won’t go much into that but I will say that voices need to be heard.

It does not matter which side on the issue you stand on but voices matter and the people who really make me angry and make themselves sound ignorant are the ones who say that protests accomplish nothing. It was Martin Luther King Jr. who once said that “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” and those words ring seriously loud today. Whether its on this crisis in the Middle East where no Muslim nation has the guts to stand for their fellow brothers and sisters who are abused by acts of genocide or whether it is any other issue, those who continue to remain silent are probably just as guilty as those committing the crimes. 

I have told plenty of people this and most of them who I had probably argued or debated with on a certain issue: “I may not like or agree with the stance you took on a particular issue but I will certainly fight until my last breath to make sure you have the right to say it.”

Ocho Cinco? How About Acht Fünf?

A funny take on Chad Johnson legally changing his name to Chad Ocho-Cinco. Now I’m never a fan to link to anything that has to do with New England Patriots unless its about an injury of theirs or them losing a game in the Super Bowl after going 18-0 but here is a great piece:

Ocho Cinco

When Chad Johnson legally changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco to reflect the 85 on the back of his jersey, he didn’t figure that he would instantly be making thousands of enemies nationwide. Aaron Carlson, Spanish teacher from Kearney, Nebraska explains: “Chad’s little prank is making it difficult for us to effectively teach numbers. Students think that we are teaching them wrong because this clown can’t use a dictionary.”

Why is Carlson, and many other Spanish teachers so upset? “Ocho cinco” actually means “eight-five”, while “ochenta cinco” or “ochenta y cinco” would be the correct formations of 85 in Spanish.

“I really don’t care, you cant stop me either way,” related Ocho Cinco. “Maybe next year I’ll go with Acht Fünf. That’s some German right there.”

Due to a torn labrum it is uncertain when Ocho Cinco will be sporting the new jersey on the field. Ocho Cinco has said he hopes to play this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens. Any time will be too soon for Mr. Carlson. “I can only hope he’s out for at least 4 weeks. We’ll be done with 2-digit numbers by then.”

[Source: NE Patriots Draft – Spanish Teachers Protest Ocho Cinco]

40* Years Ago…

#1) Who would have thought that two men standing up for what they believed in and not even saying a single word on the issue would face such disrespect and near banishment from their own country who they had just won the gold medal for. Nonetheless, the country certainly has come a long way in 40 years. A simple gesture of defiance morphed into a historic moment.

If anyone can find be a better video (but not too long), let me know and I’ll put it up.

#2) Believe what you want about the moon landing but it was 40 years ago today that these words were spoken by Neil Armstrong.

Note: It has only been 39 years since this happened and not 40. Good job me on my fantastic subtraction skills!