UPISDOWN AWARDS 2008

The year 2008 saw the result of our poor education system and also our obsession with "white" guilt which led to the election of Barak Obama as President of the U.S.. Both ignorance and bigotry go hand in hand actually. Never has a candidate been so dishonest and yet not exposed by the media who we can no longer trust to be unbiased.

The UPISDOWN Award goes to Barak Hussein Obama.

• Obama claims to be the first African-American President. The picture above is a picture of his Mother, Grandfather, and Grandmother.
• Obama ran on a campaign noted for "change." He said he will change the world.
• Obama comes from Chicago, Illinois which is one of the most corrupt political cities in the United States. But mystically he contends he wasn't aware of it.
• He attended a church with a Pastor, Jeremiah Wright, who blurted out hate and racist ideas in the form of rants for twenty years. Obama called him his mentor, but was shocked when he learned of his insane tyrades from the pulpit.
• He is introduced to the dirty Chicago political scene by Bill Ayers, a radical terrorist from our shameful 1960's. Obama stated he didn't know of his activities.....he was only 8 at the time. Good answer, Huh?
• He lives in a 1.6 million dollar mansion in an elite Chicago neighborhood on land he received in a sweet-heart deal with a man named Tony Rezko who resides in prison as of this writing for corruption. Obama didn't know that Rezko was dishonest? Of couse not.
• He was the first Black, (see picture), to be Editor of the Harvard Law Review but nothing he ever wrote can be found. That's normal?

Barak Obama, wins this years award. He is an upisdownism in the flesh. A man is judged by the company he keeps, and in Obama's case everyone around him is of low character. You also judge a man by his character and not the color of his skin. How will this man be judged?

ONE, TWO, THROW MY SHOE

On Sunday, December 14, 2008, a disgruntled reporter for an Iraqi TV station threw both his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a joint press conference with the Iraqi Prime Minister. This action, and many other actions concerning shoes in the Arab world demonstrate their total disdain for any footwear other than sandals.

The reporter, Muntader al-Zaidi, was arrested and taken away to jail to face the charge of assaulting a foreign Head of State. Shoeless Muntader could receive between 7 to 10 years in jail. He is seen as a hero in the Arab world, a world lacking in basic Human tendencies and hygiene. President Bush, who never misses an opportunity to say something ridiculous commented, "I don't know what that guy's beef is." Well Mr. Bush, maybe it has something to do with the invasion and destruction of his country. That, or he had a terrible case of foot fungus that drove him to his peculiar actions.

This would be a great time to look back on what the invasion and liberation of Iraq has meant to the people of Iraq. Let us play "just suppose." Just suppose......Saddam Hussein was still the leader of Iraq and Mr. al-Zaidi threw his shoes at his press conference. What would be different today?

First, al-Zaidi would have been wrestled down and both arms pulled out of their sockets. Every toe on his stinky feet would be cut off and he would be hung. Every member of his family would be rounded up and never heard from again.

Iraq is a different place today, a better place.

Taps Memorial

Day is done,
gone the sun,
from the lakes,
from the hills,
from the sky,
all is well,
safely rest,
God is nigh.

Fading light,
Dims the sight,
And a star gems the sky,
Gleaming bright,
From afar,
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night,
Thanks and praise.

For our days,
Neath the sun,
Neath the stars,
Neath the sky,
As we go,
This we know,
God is nigh.

The words above are the lyrics of the song we know as Taps. Taps is probably the most recognizable song without words in the world. A song that chokes us up when we hear it. A song that creates an impression almost immediately. Taps is a simple melody, almost always performed by one instrument---a single bugle.

Today is Memorial Day. If you are 60 or older you recall this day as Decoration Day in your youth. Unlike the holiday Veterans Day, where we honor those who served in the Armed forces of the United States, Memorial Day is a time when we pause and remember those who lost their lives in the service and defense of the United States. Few can say they know of no one who gave their lives for the American way of life.

Memorial, memory, remember. This holiday was probably started in the south during the Civil War. The human tragedy played out for 5 years in this country during that war is far too terrible to contemplate. I'm sure one day after a major battle southern soldiers gathered in shock and confusion and contemplated what had just happened. So many friends who just the night before were eating, cajoling, and singing, were now gone. Silent. Many saw their pals die right in front of their eyes. During the Civil War many units, both north and south, were made up of men who lived in the same geographical area. Thus, a large battle loss to a specific unit could see the youths of a whole town disappear. The first Memorial day sprung from such a time of reflection exhibited by those Southern soldiers so many years ago. Their friends were gone but not forgotten. Memorial, memory, remember.

The tragic reality of the Civil War was far more insidious. This war pitted Father against Son, Son against Father. This reality came home to roost one day in 1861. The exact place was Harrison's Landing in Virginia. On this day the song Taps was born. The author of the song is unknown, but we know when the song was first used in a military burial. Here is the story of Taps, the song most recognised with Memorial Day.

Captain Robert Ellicombe, of the Union Army, sat at days end behind a barricade after a vicious battle at Harrison's Landing. He was haunted with the cries, and wails coming from outside the barricade from a wounded and dying soldier. Captain Ellicombe wished the cries would stop. Out of compassion he wished the pain would end for the soldier. The sun quickly vanishing, he made the decision to attempt to go and get that wounded soldier. Crawling on his belly Captain Ellicombe could hear the sound of the shots going over his head. He followed the cries until he reached the soldier. He dragged him back to the barricade, only to find the soldier had died. Then to his amazement he saw that the soldier was wearing a confederate uniform. The flames from the fire illuminated the young man's face. Captain Ellicombe was looking at his Son, his dead Son. His oldest son was attending a School of Music in the south when the war broke out.

Captain Ellicombe went to the General and explained what had just happened and asked for a full military burial for his son, even though he was a confederate. The General denied the request. The Captain then asked the General for the Army Band to play a song that he had found crumpled up in his Son's pocket. The General thought a short time and out of respect for the Captain's service and predicament he declined use of the Army Band, but authorized use of one member of the Band. This one musician was a bugler. The song he played was the song we now know as Taps.

http://www.wtv-zone.com/upisdown/sounds/taps.mid

Memorial, Memory, remember.

Valentine----Love

Happy Valentine's day.

Also known as Saint Valentine's day. There are eleven Saint Valentines in the Roman Church. Because it is celebrated on February 14th, most have whittled it down to two Saint Valentines. Valentine of Rome, and Valentine of Terni. Their participation in the true sense of Valentine's Day is not relevant. We know this day as the day we exchange small cards, flowers, and candies with the people we love. People we care about. This Day is celebrated mainly in Europe and the Americas.

Love. It's about love. The expression of love joins itself with music, paintings, theatre, and above all, personal relationships. Valentine's day is the day we express love.

Words express love most frequently. Some find it easy to form words that conjure love. Others find it unbearable, impossible. I present to you words that express the essence of true love :

Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, was asked once the question, "If Reincarnation was possible, who would you come back as?" Sir Winston Churchill responded, "Mrs. Churchill's second husband."