I'm sure that you are aware that Teddy Kennedy has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. According to the Boston Globe article I linked to above, this is most likely evidence of terminal cancer and it's unknown how much longer Sen. Kennedy has to live. What can one really say at a moment like this? I often think about how much the Kennedy family has been through and it serves as a stark reminder for me at how cruel and cold our world can be at sometimes. That being said, the Kennedy brothers (namely John, Bobby, and Teddy) always inspired in Americans the willingness to combat the cruelty surrounding us and rise above the coldness. Ezra Klein has two exceptional and moving posts about Teddy Kennedy (here and here). He also brought my attention to this video from 1968 of Teddy Kennedy eulogizing his brother Bobby. Teddy's eulogy is among the most bracingly affecting speeches I've ever heard. While the eulogy is obviously a testament to Bobby Kennedy, you will no doubt find as I did that Teddy's words speak as much for him as they do for Bobby. Please keep Teddy and the Kennedy family in your thoughts and prayers.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Tale of the Cynic
My iPod has recently decided not to function, much to my dismay, and as a result I have been forced to seek alternatives to rocking out while on the Metro to and from work everyday. Naturally, I've turned to reading. Yesterday, I read Charles Pierce's thought provoking piece in Esquire titled The Cynic and Senator Obama. Pierce is one of the best political journalists out there (yes, he is a REAL journalist) and when I came across his article I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. The article provides us with a glimpse at the tale of the cynic (Charles Pierce) and his pondering of Barack Obama. After nearly 8 years of Bush's rule, the cynic is angry and impatient for a new direction. The cynic acknowledges that Obama's biography is inspiring. Obama, in the cynic's mind, is an intelligent and distinguished man. A man that is certainly capable of leading the country in a fashion much more competent than George W. Bush. However, the cynic is not sure that Barack Obama is what the country needs. The cynic is concerned that Obama has too much faith in America and more importantly, Americans.
Needless to say, Pierce has a very interesting take on the race, and while the article is long (4 pages online, 9 pages printed out) I really think that it's worth your time to give it a read.
Lester Throws a No-No
For those of you that are not already aware, Jon Lester, the 24-year southpaw for the Boston Red Sox threw a no-hitter last night against the Kansas City Royals. This is even more impressive because Lester is a cancer survivor. After the 2006 season he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Lester's outing last night was also his first career complete game.
After the Brewers were swept out of Boston over the weekend, by the very same Red Sox, I made a conscious decision to try and limit myself from the world of baseball. However, a story like this was more than enough to end my brief hiatus. Lester's no-no is definately going to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time, not so much for the pitching (two walks, one error) but the circumstances Lester had to endure in order to come out on top like he has. His story is an inspirational one that we should all remember when times get tough in our own lives. As the great Aragorn said "there is always hope."
Congrats to Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox.
P.S. Aragorn is a Lord of the Rings character for those of you that live under a rock
Photo courtesy of Flickr user purchase97 May 20, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)