My daughter sings her love for Uruguay

Allie today made a promise to Uruguay. She promised that she would love the country. That she would never do it any harm. That she would seek it’s best. She was sick however when she did it. She had a horrible whooping cough and almost didn’t do it. She was dressed her best, however, and at the last minute, bolted over to be with her classmates for the flag ceremony. Here she is in her glory.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxHCkErS0Go]

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It could -not- be

But it is.  Now the U.S. and Russia have nuclear tensions? 

It will be sad for anybody to get elected in 2008, having to clean up this great mess.

I remember when a U.S. president said about Putin, “I looked the man in the eye. I was able to get a sense of his soul.” 

I am not sure what happened to the mystical communion, or why the U.S. is erecting a missile defense along the Russian border, or why the U.S. president doesn’t set up another “soul encounter.” 

De-escalate my dear, dear Mr. Bush, for the sake of all of us, de-escalate.  For the sake of the worldwide price of oil.  For the sake of the rest of world’s view of my homeland.  For the sake of a future of peace.

I know we are not going to have the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.  I know your replacement couldn’t do it even if you hadn’t helped all the leaders of the free world be much more nervous and angsty. 

It’s a good world out here.  There’s lot of good stuff.  There are lots of good people.  Yes, there are some “baddies.”  Yes, there are some guys that would like to sneak into your house at night and do bad things to you and your puppy.

But there are friends.  There are friends out there who are willing to help.  They want the world to remain safe as well.  They want blue skies and green grass and clean water.  They wan’t to avoid another Cold War, another Build-Up, another Melt-Down, another whatever.

Okay, Armageddon is prophesied.  But you can’t MAKE Armageddon, as much as it would seem to be the current program.  Let it come in its own, sweet time.

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Okay, so I know it wasn’t -really- Bob Dylan

But it might as well have been.  Me and Bob.  We hung out together for a whole day.  It wasn’t because I won a contest.  It wasn’t for any reason at all.  It was just because it happened that way. 

Have you ever been to a furniture store with Bob Dylan? 

Have you ever heard one of the world’s most famous figures announce who he is to a guy standing in the doorway and have people chuckle and laugh and go on about their business? 

It turned from a furniture store into a coffin store. 

“Baby there’s one kinda favor I’ll ask of you…  see that my grave is kept clean.”

Okay, so try explaining to Dylan that you are a Dylan fan, but your years and your budget haven’t really allowed you to procure every one of his 568 albums (ballpark estimate, wink wink).  Explain to him that it wasn’t really until you were fourteen (fourteen!) that you began to listen to the tunes and enter into their magic.

I tried that.  Even as I said the words I knew it was just ego.  He didn’t seem to have time for it.

So, we’re on a plane headed for somewhere.  I can only suppose we were going to Minneapolis and Bob was heading home.  He said, “I wish I had more time to spend with ya.”  So I said, “Any parting words?”  I’m Esau, begging for Isaac’s blessing, even though long ago I’ve sold my birthright for a bowl of soup.

I wait.  Bob reaches down someplace deep inside.  He is as empty as he was at the lifetime achievement award when he forgot some jewel of wisdom that his “daddy told [him] one time.” 

I find some words for him.  Was it to save some embarrassment?  Was it really because it was my dream and one of my ‘characters’ forgot their lines?  Was it because they are what he would have said, or what He would have said, the Message-giver that has so often spoken  through Bob?

I tried these words on for size:  “Fight the good fight. Finish the race.  Keep the faith.”  He seemed mildly satisfied, but those weren’t the words.  Too afraid of the silence, I offered up some other words:  “Fight for it with everything you’ve got.  And don’t fight at all.”

He raised one eyebrow.  Interested.  I said, “It’s like, fight as hard you can, but fight in the right ways.  Don’t fight in the wrong ways.” 

He smiled.  It was good enough for him. 

And then, I don’t know what happened.  Did he roll off?  Did he blow away?   I wish I had more time with you, too, Bob.  I wish we all did.

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