Thoughts and Prayers

I think thoughts and prayers should be banished.

Not the actions themselves but the phrase "thoughts and prayers."

I think I've heard about enough of that phrase recently to last me forever.

I think politicians and public officials are the worst for this, but probably only because they are often asked to comment on tragic situations that they have no close ties to.

A Google News search this afternoon came up with 3,204 uses of the hackneyed phrase, and at first glance many of them appear to be from different sources.

Here's are a few recent uses of the trite phrase in the news:

June 25, 2008, after a western Kentucky plastics plant worker opened fire and killed five co-workers and himself:

"This is a devastating loss to this community which we have been a part of for more than 40 years," Atlantis Plastics CEO Bud Philbrook said in a statement late Wednesday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families and we will work with them to provide our help and support."

June 21, 2008, after a NHRA driver was killed when his car crashed and burst into flames:

"That really hits close to home," Keselowski said after winning the pole position for Saturday night's race at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis. "(He was) a friend of my family's, and I send my thoughts and prayers out to him. That's tough to hear."

June 17, 2008, President Bush speaking in the East Room of the White House in honor of Black Music Month:

As we honor black music in America, our thoughts turn to one of its legends -- Bo Diddley. Bo was one of the pioneers of rock and roll. And during his more than five decades as a singer, songwriter and performer, he changed the face of music. He really did. We mourn his loss, yet we know this -- that his memory will live on in the songs and the joy he brought to millions -- including a little fellow like me. So all of us here today send our thoughts and prayers to Bo Diddley's family.

I guess I've always heard the phrase and cringed a bit, but it wasn't until Tim Russert died the other day that it really got my hackles up.

"I am grief stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
-Sen. Barack Obama
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and we know that Tim Russert leaves a legacy of integrity of the highest level of journalism and we miss him and we will miss him a lot."

-Sen. John McCain

I've got more to say on this, but I've got to go for now. More next week. Stay tuned.

Team Hoyt

If this doesn't bring a tear to you eye, there's something wrong with you.

I heard about this amazing father and son team some time back and got an e-mail today with a link to this video and just had to share it.

From their Web site:

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together
compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming.
Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across
America.
It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you
consider that Rick can't walk or talk.

Remarkable, to say the least.

Blog Blogged

It's interesting to find out that your blog is being blogged.

(Source: blogged.com)

I came across Blogged, which as far as I can tell searches blogs and sorts them by their labels. I take it's a blog search engine.

Here's what Blogged says about Blogged:

About Us
Blogged.com is all about blog discovery. It's a place for readers to discover interesting blogs and for authors to discover who their readers are. Blogged goes beyond being a traditional blog directory. We focus on providing tools for bloggers and readers alike. Through our database of over 200,000 blogs, readers can discover and explore new blogs. Through our user community, blog authors and their readers can communicate and interact directly with each other.

Our blogs are reviewed, rated, and categorized by our editors, so you won't have to experience the frustration of filtering through blogs that are either spam, outdated, or irrelevant. You'll be able to find quality blogs that you would have unlikely found through a traditional blog search.

Blogged doesn't require anyone to own a blog to sign up. In fact, most of our tools are geared towards readers. We offer bookmarking, sharing, and feedback functions. Anyone can review and rate a blog and help it rise in the rankings. Blogged is a great place for readers looking to start out their day with a fresh list of unread postings from their favorite blogs.

Blog authors can benefit from knowing how their site is perceived. With easy access to reader comments and ratings, authors may see opinions, suggestions, praises and even criticisms. By being listed on Blogged, owners may increase their traffic and attract more audience to their blogs. Aside from a title, description and rating, screen shots are made available to attract readers.

Interesting. I'll have to spend some time checking Blogged out.

Am I Blue

Another one I got from my big sis:

My Heart Is Blue

Love is a doing word for you. You know it's love when you treat each other well. You are a giving lover, but you don't give too much. You expect something in return. Your flirting style: Friendly Your lucky first date: Lunch at an outdoor cafe Your dream lover: Is both generous and selfish What you bring to relationships: Loyalty

What Color Heart Do You Have?

T-M-I Time

I got this from my big sis.

1] Do you currently have a hickey?No.
2] According to your ex, you are?Who cares.
3] Do you tell your best friend everything?Mostly
4] If you're single, why?
5] When was the last time you talked to your number one?Before she left for work this a.m.
6] Have you ever cried and didn't know why?No.
7] Do you like being in pictures?Nope.
8] Have you ever kissed anyone who's name started with a J, P, or T?So many names. Such a bad memory. Just kidding.
9] Do you prefer warm or cold weather?both, combined to make cool.
10] What do you think your best friend is doing right now?Dentist appointment.
11] How old do you think you will be when you finally have kids? That's a toughy. 37?
12] How much money do you have on you?$7 and change.
13] What's your ex doing?Probably turning tricks in some dive bar in East Texas. Unless she's dead? Could she be dead?
14] What are you thinking about right now?If my ex is dead?
15] What’s your middle name?Alexis
16] Where will you be in an hour?answering these questions. Are we almost done.
17] What were you doing at 10 am yesterday?Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z
18] Do you like cuddling?Yeah.
19] Who/what do you hate/dislike currently?Non-stop political coverage.
20] Would you ever cheat on your boyfriend/girlfriend?No
21] Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months without cheating?Yes
22] What was your new years resolution?I don't make them.
23] Do you have anyone who you consider a brother/sister?I have an actual sister.
24] Do you like country music?Hell no. Although I grew up listening to Copperas Cove's country station KOOV and Joe Lombardi. I thought he was cool.
25] Where does your current boyfriend/girlfriend work?The county's alternative high school.
26] What are you looking forward to in the next few months?Going to visit Wilmington, NC.
27] Do you think you would make a good wife/husband?Of course.
28] Is your current hair color mostly your natural hair color?Yup.
29] What color are your eyes?Brown.
30] Has anyone ever borrowed something from you and never returned it?Probably.
31] What are you wearing right now?Jeans and a polo shirt.
32] Do you smile a lot?Of course. What's not to smile about.
33] Where did you get the shirt you're wearing?From my mother.
34] Can you live without the computer?If I had to.
35] Can you play any instruments?I used to could. How's that for grammar.
36] What was your first thought when you looked in the mirror this morning? You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like You.
37] Do you like to have long hair or short hair?Short, but the girl likes it longish with curls.
38] Have you memorized your social security number?Ages ago.
39] What is the longest you have talked on the phone?Probably an hour and a half to two hours.
41] Is there a meaning behind your profile song?My profile song? This must have come from MySpace or something like that.
42] What do you think of people who don't have sex before marriage?Nothing. That's their business.
43] Do you believe that what goes around comes around?Not always.
44] Who can always make you laugh?Andy Bailey.
45] What's the last ting you ate?Believe it or not, trout ribs. Something the chef at The Lobster Trap is working on.
46] Are you a generally clean or messy person?Messy
47] How has this week been?Just beginning. But it's going to be loooong.
48] How old are your siblings?I'll never tell.
49] Is your myspace profile private?Don't have one. Is that so wrong. I think not. And I guess that answers my question about whether or not these questions originated in MySpace. I used to have one when I was a features writer. It was a good way to keep up with what was going on in Asheville.
50] What do you carry with you at all times?A handkerchief, a pocket knife, a pen and a notebook.

It's an Outrage

Forget about the price of gas. Have you seen the price of beer and liquor?

A pint-size problem
By NANCY KEATES
The Wall Street Journal
Four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline may be a cause for outrage. But it pales next to the righteous fury provoked by five-dollar-a-pint beer.
Beer prices at bars and restaurants have risen over the past few months, as prices of hops and barley have skyrocketed and retail business has slowed alongside the economy.
Some restaurants have replaced 16-ounce pint glasses with 14 ouncers — a type of glassware one bartender called a "falsie."
And customers are complaining that bartenders are increasingly putting less than 16 ounces of beer in a pint glass, filling up the extra space with foam.

And from the same article:

Observant wine drinkers may also notice a change in glass size, says Lee Spielman, a regional sales manager at Cardinal. After several years of pouring red wine into oversize "bowls," restaurants and bars now are starting to get complaints from customers about the size of the pour. Many places are switching to much smaller "universal" glasses, designed to hold either red or white wine, he says.

This will not stand! It's time for beer and wine drinkers to come together to fight this injustice!

Is it Just Me?

(AP Photo/LM Otero)

... or did the Clinton clan look like they were wearing mourning clothes during Hillary's concession speech?