The Plame Game

Ok so the title isn't my most original. Am I the only that is drained from all the bush administration's bullsh!t and now the indictments have come down, with the possibility of more to come. I have to say it couldn't come to a more deserving bunch of idiots and I'm fighting myself to not to revert to potty-mouth mode.

Members of the bush administration decided to out a CIA agent, it would seem because her husband wrote an article that called into question the claims of the administration that Iraq was seeking "yellow cake" uranium in Niger, in order to build the dreaded those dreaded weapons of mass destruction. After the claims were proven unfounded, the adminstration was warned to remove references to those claims, instead bush and others continued to associate Iraq with seeking nuclear material in order to drum up support for a planned invasion.

For an administration that claims to worry about terrorism it is ironic that outted CIA agent Valarie Plame-Wilson was working covertly for a front company Brewster Jennings & Associates to infiltrate terrorist groups that were thought to be interested in smuggling materials for weapons of mass destruction.

Hmm...kind of makes you wonder why we went to war huh?

The definition of Cougin' it

The term "cougin' it", meaning to choke at the most inopportune time, is a phrase that has dogged the Cougar Nation for as long as I can remember. Briefly during a run of successful seasons, an attempt was made by then head coach Mike Price to change the meaning to refer to the Cougars doing something right, yeah like that was going to work.

Any Coug fan that hears the term cringes, yet we have no other term to grasp onto when our beloved Cougs fall apart. I write this now because, as a Coug fan, I believe we are seeing new heights (or lows) of "Cougin' it" taking place...if it didn't break my heart so it would be funny. Four weeks in a row the Cougs cough up a furball as their coaching staff are frozen like a deer in headlights... Someone please stop the bleeding, the players deserve better!!! Go Cougs !

Back in the day

Just the other day I was remembering fondly back when as a kid I would spend hours upon hours playing and watching the latest video games at Washington State University's Compton Union Building (CUB). Yesterday I stumbled upon this site that lets me play the video games of my youth without downloading software or any of that hassle. All in all pretty cool stuff...if only they had Donkey Kong :)

We Are Family

I have been doing some thinking since the recent addition to the Erskine Clan. First, I'm thrilled to have two beautiful new cousins...they are blessed to call such a wonderful person their mother (though I haven't forgiven you completely Jane for the Jellybeans in my hair as a kid).

I think of my own mother, the eldest of the Erskine sisters, who was advised that she should think of giving me up for adoption. How different my life might have been if she didn't have the strength to raise a bi-racial child in a time when it wasn't as common. Fortunately I was doubly blessed to be born into a wonderful family that accepted me without a second thought.

In following the adoption of the twins it takes me back to my youth and I think how exciting it will be for them to grow up in and around such love and warmth that the Erskine's have to give. It also reminds me that I need to do a better job being a part of that family...not only to the twins, but to my uncles, aunts and especially my cousins.

From Gaylen on down to now Michaela and Annika, each one of you give so much to me and mean so much to me. We all dealt with the loss of Grandma in our own different ways and it was hard for each us, for me I simply withdrew from life, the family and myself and at some point I realized I wasn't sure I knew which direction to go to get back to where I needed to be. I'm far from where I want to be, but I want to let all of you know I want to be a part of your life....not only as your cousin but as your friend as well.

Will

We've got spirit, yes we do!

Ever feel like this wave of "patriotism" and particuliarly the chants of "USA, USA, USA" are like those chants we did in High School? Now though, instead of showing that other school you have more spirit than they do, try to outdo eachother in a sort of 1984 type fervor. I found this comedy clip from David Cross and got a kick out of it.

How come the right quit talking about Pat Tillman?

I remember the moment I heard that former Arizona State and Arizona Cardinal star Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan, I sat there in disbelief as if I had lost someone I knew personally. Other than the recent attention of the death of Army Specialist Casey Sheehan , you go to sites like Faces of the Fallen to connect a human face and story to the "war on terror".

I remember Pat Tillman's funeral on national TV, America's fallen hero, a man that turned down millions to protect his country, politicians lined up publicly to herald his life and his heroic death at the hands of a ruthless enemy. It was not until later we learned that he was unfortunately killed by a case of fraticide...unfortunate indeed, but in my eyes the heroism doesn't come in death but in the choice itself to serve. I've wondered why we don't hear much about Pat Tillman anymore from the likes of our president and his ilk, surely he should still be held up as an example for all Americans to follow...here is why they wont.

Two new cousins

Today my Aunt Jane & Uncle Rich head for China to bring back two beautiful little twin girls, Annika Jian and Michaela Kang. Family is a great thing and I know the two little ones and Rich & Jane (including extended families) are blessed to have one another in each others lives. I can remember Jane when she was that small pale girl that used to harass her little nephew (Me) and now she turned into a older small pale woman that still harasses me....thankfully not as frequently!

Despite me still harboring a grudge towards Jane over the Jellybean incident (A family matter) I know her and Rich will be great parents and I look forward to getting to know my new cousins...and a few of my old ones as well, better.

Me First Post

I decided to create this blog after reading my cousin James' Blog. In the future expect some serious rants on the current political climate in this country, I've been semi-obsessed with politics since my youth and now is my time to vent. My politics definately lean heavily to the left...you have been warned. I also plan on writing about whatever strikes me as interesting, be it political or just useless bits of trivia that I collect along the way.