Heroes

Sunny - Hi 112 Lo 87 for Baghdad, Iraq
Partly Cloudy - Hi 90 Lo 72 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Heroes, David Bowie

Ramble:

Earlier this week I received my order from the United States Postal Service. Besides my Ronald Reagan and Benjamin Franklin stamps I received my Super Heroes stamps. (Wonder Woman... expect a letter from me!) The Super Heroes collection of stamps is very cool and I can't wait to use them. (Geeky moment #1)

(Geeky moment #2) Then on Thursday night, Michael and I were channel surfing and we came upon the SciFi Channel and a cute little "reality" show called "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" Michael and I were immediately drawn in primarily because Stan Lee was part of the show, and secondarily because of characters with names like Fat Momma, Cell Phone Girl (jury is still out on whether I like her or not), Monkey Woman (don't like this chick- self absorbed narcissistic thing), Feedback (don't like this guy either), The Iron Enforcer (this guy is on steroids- so no way is he a super hero), Creature, Lemuria (Michael likes her- watch the show... you'll see why), TYVeculus, and my personal favorite, Major Victory!

In last week's episode, Stan sends the superheroes to a public park and tells them that, when summoned by their communication devices, they must change into their costumes as quickly as possible without anyone seeing them. They must then race through a nearby archway, which is the finish line. The superhero who has the fastest time wins. Little do they know that the true test is to stop and help a crying child, who has been placed strategically near the finish line.

The great part is that the producers of the show are looking for someone that has the qualities of a super hero--
No one will be asked to perform feats of impossible strength; our superheroes will be tested for courage, integrity, self-sacrifice, compassion, and resourcefulness — all traits that every true superhero must possess.

In the end, only one aspiring superhero will have the inner strength and nobility to open the gates to comic-book immortality. The winner of this six-week competition will walk away with their character immortalized in a new comic book developed with Stan Lee. And that's not all — the winning character will also appear in an original SCI FI Channel movie!

If you get the Sci Fi Channel in your area- try and catch this gem of a show.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and come from all walks of life. They appear unexpectedly in everyday life. Heroes are the folks that show up on the side of the highway to change a flat tire or offer use of a cell phone. Heroes take on jobs that everyday mortals would never consider. Heroes walk through life not looking to help others, but when the situation arises the hero will step up and do the right thing without being asked. A hero doesn't ask for anything in return for their kindness or helpfulness. I believe they hope that the recipient will "pay it forward" and become someone else's hero. Yes, of course some are in uniform, but others can be found in jeans and a t-shirt and still others in business suits. Heroes are not concerned with anything but doing the right thing despite what public opinion may be or the latest polls reveal. Some heroes are well known and others are nameless... Heroes are willing to fight for their principles and something greater than themselves. Some heroes have even given the ultimate sacrifice to stand by those principles. Heroes are also flawed - they are not saints and never should be identified as such although many in their pursuit of doing the right thing may do saintly things.... Being flawed is what makes a hero human and not a god.

Last weekend Michael and I and our close friends Jedi Master Rob and JoAnna took a tour of various places in Frankfort, Kentucky - our state capital. (We stopped by the Governor's Mansion to see if Ernie would let us use the restroom but he was busy being indicted.) So anyway, while there, we visited Frankfort Cemetery. In our quest to find the gravesite of Daniel Boone we made an amazing discovery that Jedi Master Rob shared in his post from last Sunday. I still get chills thinking about it.

As we prepared to leave the cemetery and call it a day, a gentleman wearing a ring that identified him as a Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine) stepped up to our car and told us about the Kentucky Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. His discription had us all fascinated and although we were tired we all knew we had to go and see this memorial for ourselves. My only regret is that I did not thank this man - not for the tip - but for his service. I have no doubt that he was a veteran of Vietnam--- and a hero.

Michael and I have visited The Wall in Washington D.C. and no sculpture has moved me as much as that. Ever. Walking through you become consumed by all the names... overwhelmed when you realize that each name represents one person- one hero. Each hero had a family. At the height of the Vietnam War the black granite is well over your head and you realize the sacrifice that these men made. If you have never been... please make it a stop if you are ever in our nation's capital. I tell you this, because the Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial is simply amazing...

So, the directions that the Marine gave us were perfect... The Memorial is in the middle of nowhere and we never would have found it on our own.

The design concept is in the form of a large sundial. The stainless steel gnomon casts its shadow upon a granite plaza. There are 1,100 names of Kentuckians on the memorial, including 23 missing in action. Each name is engraved into the plaza, and placed so that the tip of the shadow touches his name on the anniversary of his death, thus giving each fallen veteran a personal Memorial Day.
The location of each name is fixed mathematically by the date of casualty, the geographic location of the memorial, the height of the gnomon and the physics of solar movement. The stones were then designed and cut to avoid dividing any individual name. The resulting radial-concentric joint pattern suggests a "web", symbolic of the entangling nature of this war.


The time and effort taken to remember these fallen heroes is inspirational. Like The Wall in Washington D.C., this Memorial is interactive. The day we visited, the sky was overcast so we couldn't see where the gnomon was casting it's shadow. We will definitely go back.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1.To everything [there is] a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
2. A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck [what is] planted;
3. A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5. A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6. A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7. A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8. A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.









Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

She's back!!! Actually A North American Patriot has been back for a couple of weeks- I just wanted to welcome her officially- If you haven't been by her place yet, go welcome Wonder Woman back to the blogosphere... It hasn't been the same without her.

One of the reasons I decided to have my ramble this week on heroes is because of this guy. Genuine has one of the coolest blogs out there. It oozes superhero. He is a husband! He is a dad! He is Genuine!

In my quest to find super heroes for this week's post, I came across this blog. Go figure... more Texans... What is it with me and my fascination with everything TEXAS?? Go check Alamo Nation out. Two (or is it three?)proud TexAmericans fighting leftist jackassery one crunchy Moonbat hippie at a time. I don't like hippies either... I'm gonna like these guys.

One question-- Who are your heroes?

Have a great week everyone!

(click on all the images for a larger view)