Here is a link to a fun site created by www.slate.com where you can choose your own VP, depending on how you answer various questions. It takes only minutes and really is kind of fun! http://www.slate.com/id/2194590/

Michael

For those of you who, like me, occasionally delve into political history, here is a great link to add to your favorites: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/

It is an online speech bank. It lists the top 100 speeches according to scholars of American History. For example, if you want to see what all the Obamamania fuss is about, here is Sen. Obama's keynote speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm

How about Barbara Jordan's speech to the Democratic Convention in 1976? It is here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarajordan1976dnc.html .

The top 100 speeches according to this site's historians are listed here, but you will need to go back to the rhetoric site to hear or read them :http://www.news.wisc.edu/misc/speeches/ . Speeches by Lou Gehrig, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon (address to the nation on the Cambodian Incursion and his famous "Checkers" speech are there), JFK, Malcolm X, FDR, MLK, Huey Long, Eugene Debs -- and many others are listed there. Here is a quote from a speech by Margaret Sanger on the suject of birth control:

"The third [group of humans] are those irresponsible and reckless ones having little regard for the consequence of their acts, or whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers. Many of this group are diseased, feeble-minded, and are of the pauper element dependent entirely upon the normal and fit members of society for their support. There is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped. For if they are not able to support and care for themselves, they should certainly not be allowed to bring offspring into this world for others to look after. We do not believe that filling the earth with misery, poverty and disease is moral. And it is our desire and intention to carry on our crusade until the perpetuation of such conditions has ceased.

We desire to stop at its source the disease, poverty and feeble-mindedness and insanity which exist today, for these lower the standards of civilization and make for race deterioration. [sounds a little like Hitler?] We know that the masses of people are growing wiser and are using their own minds to decide their individual conduct. The more people of this kind we have, the less immorality shall exist. For the more responsible people grow, the higher do they and shall they attain real morality."

And here is a link to that talk made in 1921: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/margaretsangermoralityofbirthcontrol.htm

Finally, please do not think that by quoting this that I agree with the notions stated therein! It does make for very interesting and illuminating reading.

It is a great site--happy Friday!

Michael

Drivers Busch and Stewart are both on probation for 6 races, according to the newly released NASCAR edict. Evidently, there was "an incident" on the track and then one in private (Stewart allegedly punched Busch in the officials' trailer!).

"NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the measures would have been more severe if Stewart and Busch had rubbed fenders while pit crew members were working on pit road, endangering their safety.

'We took a lot into consideration,' Poston said. 'The drivers do have greater latitude, pit road was closed, there was no personnel on the track. It's an emotional sport, there's emotion on the track. They should not have been banging each other after the accident. But they were not banging each other on a 'hot' pit road. That is very different and would have been dealt with much more severely.'"

Here is a link to the full tale:
http://sports.myway.com/news/02122008/v3190.html

Michael

On a personal note, although thankfully my girls are presently healthy, both of them (and I) have spent many nights at our local children's hospital, Cook Children's Medical Center, and have spent time in a play room donated by Troy Aikman. Here is a story about it being updated with the help of both Troy and Garth Brooks. This is a great story:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8U6TFD84&show_article=1

Michael

She is a 25 year old who was a contestant in the Miss Arizona pageant and was chosen to be Miss Desert Sun, 2006, a second year law student who, after taking some time off, wants to return to The University of Arizona Law School. She also just completed a semester long free clerkship with a federal judge. So, what's not to like here? Miss Fulbright also has been accused of kidnapping, torturing (water boarding?) and biting an ex-boyfriend while holding him at gunpoint and knifepoint.

And in a move which does not help her case, she also just posed for a 2008 calendar where the women are posing with guns. Her lawyer (who I gather was able to make this argument without laughing) had the likely explanation: She is only guilty of having made poor choices in men. That no doubt explains her biting her ex-boyfriend on the arm, hand and ear and holding a butcher knife to his neck while he was tied to a chair.

"Fulbright, who competed for the Miss Arizona http://www.miss-arizona.org/home/index.php title in 2005 and 2006, recently completed a semester-long unpaid stint clerking for a federal judge.

She also poses in a 2008 calendar http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/kumari-fulbright-calendar that features women holding guns.

Fulbright and Larry Hammond were indicted last month by a Pima County grand jury on charges of kidnapping, aggravated robbery, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Hammond remained in jail on Monday.
Tucson police also issued arrest warrants in December for Fulbright's previous boyfriend, Robert Ergonis, 44, and his brother, Michael Ergonis, 46, on similar charges. Police were still searching for the brothers."

Here is one link: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1199786725109

"Authorities said the man was taken to another home, where the assault continued, then taken back to Fulbright's house, where she guarded him with a gun.

The man finally managed to free a hand and grabbed the gun, which discharged but hit no one, authorities said. As their struggle spilled outside, the man screamed for help, then ran to a home down the block, while Fulbright returned to her apartment, Pacheo said.
"He has some bite marks on him, evident and consistent with his account, and his hands were red and swollen, consistent with someone who had been tied up," Pacheco said."

Here is a link to another blog posting on this tale: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20080103/beauty-queen-indicted/ (This post has a picture of Miss Fulbright both posing with the gun and her mug shot, just be warned!)

We will try to keep you updated on this story. In the meantime, you may want to write the University of Arizona with your opinion on whether it should re-admit Miss Fulbright to their law school!

Michael