Torture Enablers: To Prosecute, or Not to Prosecute?

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Important principles may, and must be, inflexible.”

A lot has been said recently in the media regarding this issue, and I’d like to say my piece. Firstly, I believe that the US engaging in torture, or its friendlier euphemism, “enhanced interrogation techniques” is horrifying for many reasons. It’s wrong in the eyes of our culture and society, it takes away from the greatness of our country, it sends the message that it’s ok for our soldiers to be tortured by our enemies, it potentially emboldens those we are trying to minimize conflict with and there isn’t much evidence to suggest it’s more effective than non-torture interrogation methods.

So, in my mind, performing torture = bad. ALWAYS.

But the question remains – what do we do about those that already recommended/authorized/conducted torture?

My initial response to this question is that we live in a nation of laws, and that breaking those laws has consequences. The chief purpose of such consequences is not revenge, or even retribution – it is to serve as a deterrent to such activities as a means to minimize them. The public is aware (at least on a basic level) what is legal and what is not, and generally speaking, feels the punishments attached to breaking the laws (or most laws, at least) is not worth the risk.

As much as I would savor seeing W and his loyal Bushies formally prosecuted and even sentenced to jail time, that is not the point of investigating and determining if and what charges should be filed. The greater purpose is to send a message that breaking the law has consequences, and anyone who does so in the future will be punished according to the procedures of our judicial system. Bush, his staff and those that listened to them broke the law by conducting torture, and they lied to us about it while they were in office.

At the same time, supporting such a quest would likely be politically costly to the Obama administration. While the many on the left would love to see the torturers prosecuted, those in the middle (and even on the right) that voted for Obama probably do not. We have so many important challenges facing us; it would be hard to convince the public that prosecuting the previous administration is where energy should be spent. Furthermore, conducting such prosecutions would give endless fodder to the Bill O’Reillys and Sean Hannitys of the world, which would likely be politically damaging to the Democratic Party as a whole and may end up costing votes in 2010 and 2012.

For me, it all boils down to this question: HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN?

One answer is holding those who committed these acts accountable, so that if any future administration considered doing the same thing, a precedent would be set that such actions are prosecuted. We would have a journey map for how to deal with this in the future. If Bush, Cheney and the rest of their cronies really believed they could end up in jail, they likely would likely have behaved differently.

If prosecution is not the answer, then what is? We can’t legislate ourselves out of this administration; laws were blatantly broken. Permanent change by way of an executive order/action is a non-starter, as it was the executive branch that authorized these acts in the first place.

We have a government of checks and balances. The judicial system steps in when all others have failed, and that is what we have here – the failure of executive branch to follow the rules, and the inability of the legislative branch to compel said rules to be followed.

So where do we go from here? How do we make sure America remains morally superior to her enemies? How do we ensure we keep part of what makes us the greatest country on earth? What is the right answer? I don’t think that I have one. And more importantly, I don’t think our country will ever see the fruition of one. It’s a sad time for America, and I am saddened because of it.

As Dwight Eisenhower said “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”

Hello, Blog!

With the PeopleSoft go-live and upcoming Hyperion go-live at the client site, things have been pretty crazy hectic in the land of Carrie. Lots of working... LOTS of working... but, I have an awesome job and can't complain too much.

Anywho, I hope to consider myself officially "back" to blogging. I kind of miss it :)

Tomorrow morning I leave for San Diego with seven interesting, energetic, intelligent, beautiful women - some of my Mizzou girls from the college years. I'm super stoked for vacation, but just as much so to see all of those lovely ladies. Living in 4 different cities is hard for the group of us!

I shall return with stories and pictures... let's just hope I don't return with the swine flu!!

Thank you, Mr. President

(bolds mine)

The answers don't have to be partisan, and I welcome and encourage proposals and improvements from both Democrats and Republicans in the coming days.

But the one thing I will say is this: With the magnitude of the challenges we face right now, what we need in Washington are not more political tactics -- we need more good ideas. We don't need more point-scoring -- we need more problem-solving. So if there are members of Congress who object to specific policies and proposals in this budget, then I ask them to be ready and willing to propose constructive, alternative solutions. If certain aspects of this budget people don't think work, provide us some ideas in terms of what you do. "Just say no" is the right advice to give your teenagers about drugs. It is not an acceptable response to whatever economic policy is proposed by the other party.

The American people sent us here to get things done. And in this moment of enormous challenge, they are watching and waiting for us to lead. Let's show them that we're equal to this task before us. Let's pass a budget that puts this nation on the road to lasting prosperity.

- President Barack Obama, March 17, 2009

It's 1955 in STL, and an H Bomb is Eminent

...or, so we thought.


A coworker of mine was cleaning out his mother's house and found this flyer from January 1955. Check it out:

This serves as a great reminder that, no matter how special we think our challenges are today, we, as a nation, have dealt with crises before and come out the other side. Next time someone tries to scare the crap out of you by screaming "terrorism", remember this flyer.

Call Your MO Representative! NO on HB 46

The Missouri House may vote on a bill today that would take some abortion rights away from women. This is clearly a tatic to push the anti-choice ideology on vunerable women and to continue the ongoing effort to chip away at choice rights until they're gone.

The summary of the bill is as follows (bolds mine):

HB 46 -- Informed Consent for Abortions

Sponsor: Davis

Currently, abortions may only be performed when informed and written consent is freely given by the pregnant woman, except for abortions performed in the case of a medical emergency. This bill changes the laws regarding the consent requirements for obtaining an abortion and creates the crime of coercing an abortion. In its main provisions, the bill:

(1) Specifies that voluntary and informed consent is given freely only if at least 24 hours prior to the abortion:

(a) The woman has been informed in person, in writing and orally, of the name of the physician who is to perform or induce the abortion, medically accurate information about the abortion procedure, alternatives to the abortion, telephone number for the physician for any questions, the location of a hospital within 30 miles of where the abortion is performed or induced where the woman may receive follow-up care if complications arise, and details about the development of the unborn child;

(b) The woman's physician presents, in person, materials about the gestational ages of an unborn child, methods of abortion and its risks, the possibility of an abortion causing pain to the unborn child, and the child support liability of the unborn child's father;

(c) The physician offers to do a fetal ultrasound imaging and auscultation of the fetal heart tones to view the image and hear the heart beat of her unborn child at any local health care provider;

(d) Alternatives to abortion materials provided by a physician identify agencies that assist pregnant woman and the services they offer, explain the Missouri Alternatives to Abortion Services Program, and identify a web site and toll-free number for the program; and

(e) The physician informs and displays a public statement that advertises adoption alternatives are available and that it is illegal to coerce an adoption;

(2) Specifies that required information provided to pregnant women considering an abortion must be provided in a private room and that the woman must be given the opportunity to ask questions. Reading or language barriers must be addressed to ensure comprehension;

(3) Requires the pregnant woman to certify by signature on a checklist form provided by the Department of Health and Senior Services prior to an abortion that she was provided all required information and the opportunity to view an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat and that she was not coerced into having an abortion;

(4) Requires a pregnant woman at 22 weeks gestation or more to be given the opportunity to choose to have a drug administered to eliminate or alleviate pain to the unborn child during the abortion;

(5) Prohibits physicians from performing or inducing an abortion without a woman's signed checklist and informed consent given without coercion. If the physician believes the woman to be coerced, the physician must inform the woman of available services;

(6) Requires emergency abortions to be certified in writing by the physician which clearly designates the nature of the medical emergency;

(7) Prohibits payment for an abortion procedure to be collected until 24 hours after all required information has been provided to the woman seeking the abortion;

(8) Specifies that all informational materials provided to a pregnant woman seeking an abortion must be produced by the department by November 26, 2009. Materials must be provided to any health facility that provides abortions; and the department must provide a toll-free, 24-hour telephone number where a caller can obtain regional information concerning agencies and services;

(9) Prohibits an employer from requiring an employee or applicant to get an abortion as a requirement for employment;

(10) Specifies that only licensed physicians can perform or induce an abortion. Anyone violating this provision will be guilty of a class B felony;

(11) Specifies that coercing a woman to seek or obtain an abortion, by any illegal act, will be a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the type of illegal offense. A woman who has been coerced into having an abortion has not given consent to an abortion;

(12) Specifies that any person who performs or induces an abortion on a woman, knowing that the woman has been coerced into an abortion, will be guilty of a class C felony;

(13) Requires a health care provider or an abortion facility which has reasonable cause to suspect that a child, a vulnerable person, or a disabled person is the victim of a coerced abortion to report the suspected abuse to the appropriate department;

(14) Requires a health care provider or an abortion facility which has reasonable cause to suspect that a woman is the victim of a coerced abortion and has been subject to abuse by a present or former family or household member or the victim of stalking to provide the woman with information about orders of protection; and

(15) Prohibits a physician who knows that a woman has been coerced to seek an abortion from performing the abortion and requires the physician to certify that the woman has not given consent.

Click here to tell your Missouri Rep to vote NO on HB 46.

But God forbid we tell 16 year-olds about condoms...

Living with your brother can be a hazard...

Last night as I was lying in bed I remembered that I was planning to hit the gym first thing in the morning. Not wanting to get out of my warm bed, I asked Matt if he would get my gym clothes ready for me.

Being the wonderful husband that he is, he was happy to help and informed me that a stack of work out clothes was ready for me to grab in the morning.

So naturally, this morning I got up and found the clothes Matt had put out for me. He wasn't able to find one of my work out t-shirts, so he grabbed one of Jeff's.

So what t-shirt of Jeff's was I at the gym with this morning??


Don't worry. I already forgot your name, too.


I definitely received a few looks. This is not helping my already-earned reputation of being a creepy old man...

My Whitepaper was Published!

About a year and a half ago I, along with a few colleagues of mine at work, wrote a whitepaper on HR Analytics. Big consulting firms (Deloitte, Accenture, BearingPoint) write, publish and snail mail/email these types of papers to their clients on an ongoing basis. It allows the consultants to demonstrate themselves as “thought leaders” in the space they are in.

As the company I work for continues to grow, we’ve been starting to write these whitepapers for marketing purposes. A few of us in my practice wrote one of the firm’s first official whitepapers (the one on HR Analytics) and mailed it to a few hundred local business people in St. Louis and a few other markets as part of a larger drip marketing campaign in 2007.

I found out earlier this week that our same whitepaper was submitted to, and accepted by, CFO Magazine for publishing! I’m not certain if it will make it to the hard copy magazine, but it is now easily found on the magazine’s website. How cool is that!?

I often think about spending the latter years of my career writing whitepapers/books and teaching at a university, with maybe a little consulting work on the side. It just might be meant to be… :)

Cubs Suck

This was posted on my favorite message board, and I just had to share.

These were taken this morning. You can see that it's right next to Busch Stadium.

Smoking Ban Issue Resurfaces in St. Louis

As crazy as I am about politics and policy, I am often guilty of neglecting local issues and causes. I do have ONE local pet cause, though -- smoking in public places.

I've written my County Council rep in the past regarding this issue, however, I was advised at the time that such a ban would not fly with the current elected officials in place. BUT, that was before the 2008 elections...

From the Post-Dispatch (bolds mine):

The mayors of five adjacent cities in St. Louis County have reignited the smoking ban issue, asking the County Council to ban smoking in public places.

The council rejected a ban three years ago. Whether the new effort succeeds might depend on whether the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County could enact a ban simultaneously. None of their leaders wants to go it alone and put their bars and restaurants at a disadvantage against competitors in a neighboring jurisdiction.

The mayors of Clayton, Creve Coeur, Olivette, Overland and University City are behind the new effort.

A letter they sent last month to the County Council and other county mayors stated: "Smoking in public places is a critical public health issue in our communities and across the entire county."

[snip]

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay always has been against the city proceeding alone on a ban. In a statement Friday, he said he wished every restaurant in the city were smoke-free by its own choice. "With that said, I would support a national, statewide or city-county policy that restricted smoke in restaurants," he said.

St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said he was unaware of any discussions about a simultaneous effort to ban smoking in public places.

While not taking a position on such a plan, he did say it could be "the model for doing it, if it ever happened."

You don’t need me to tell you how gross/unhealthy cigarette smoke is. Eww.

Would you like to see a county- or state-wide ban on smoking? Then do something about it! Contact your County Council representative and tell them you support a smoking ban.

If you live in St. Louis County:
If you don’t already know, click here to find out what district you are in.

Then, call or email your County Executive:
County Executive, Charles Dooley, (314) 615-7016, cdooley@stlouisco.com

AND

Call or email your Council representative:
District 1, Hazel Erby, (314) 615-5437, herby@stlouisco.com
District 2, Kathleen Kelly Burkett, (314) 615-5437, kburkett@stlouisco.com
District 3, Colleen Wasinger, (314) 615-5438, cwasinger@stlouisco.com
District 4, Michael O’Mara, (314) 615-5439, momara@stlouisco.com
District 5, Barbara Fraser, (314) 615-5441, bfraser@stlouisco.com
District 6, Steve Stenger, (314) 615-5442, sstenger@stlouisco.com
District 7, Greg Quinn, (314) 615-5443, gquinn@stlouisco.com

If you live in St. Louis City:
If you don’t already know, click here to find out what ward you are in.

Then, email President of the Board of Alderman and your representative. The email addresses are provided at the link above. It’s also a good idea to let Mayor Francis Slay know how you feel.

If you live in St. Charles County:
If you don’t already know, click here and/or here to find out what district you are in.
Then, click here to email your representative. Don’t forget to hit up your County Executive, Steve Ehlmann, 636-949-7520, executive@sccmo.org.

Let me know if you contact your reps - and, perhaps more importantly - let me know what you hear back from them!

Additionally, check out Smoke-Free St. Louis City and Tobacco-Free Missouri Coalition, two local organizations supporting smoke-free public places, to further support the cause.

How I Spent Inauguration Day

As you can imagine, the inauguration of Barack Obama (particularly after the horrific 8 year reign of the Bush administration) was equivalent to Christmas in my circles.



Matt and I both took the day off work and, along with Jeff and two of his friends, headed to The Royale, an awesome little bar full of liberal hippies, Tuesday morning. We got there around 9:45 to get in line and managed to snag the last booth in the place. Since it was only 10 AM, I thought it best to start the day off with a Mimosa; Matt went straight for the Miller High Life (thanks, Jen, for that one!).

As we watched the Clintons, the Carters, the Bushes and other political big-timers gather their seats in anticipation of the ceremony, we grabbed a couple beers (it was still only 10:30 – on a Tuesday!) and some food.

It was a great crowd to see the inauguration with; patrons (including myself) cheered and booed in unison as political celebrities appeared on the TV screens.

Of course, just after 11:00 Central, Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. Roberts and Obama had a little trouble getting the oath out, but we didn’t care. It was so surreal - a moment Matt and I (and the patrons at The Royale, and millions more) had anticipated for so long.

Obama gave his inaugural address, shying away from some of the “the clouds will break, the sky will open and all will be utopian” rhetoric to something a little less pie in the sky and a little more tangible. More specifically, he clearly called out the Bush administration on some of the shenanigans they’ve pulled over the years (torture, unnecessary war, etc.) and declared those days to be over. I was actually surprised/impressed that he was so direct; I mean, Bush was sitting just feet away. Swoon!

After a little more food and a few more drinks we headed home to get a few things done around the house. Well, and to watch more coverage of the inauguration, of course :)

President Barack Obama

Obama's Inaugural Address:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

From Paste Magazine

Random Thought for the Day

It grosses me out when men have long fingernails. Ewww!! Cut those things, betch!

Quote of the Week

Me: "Do you think these shoes go with this dress?"

Matt: "Not really. What about your peep toe wedges?"

Jeff: "Dude, are you gay?"

Matt: "Yep."

Merry Christmas!

Wow. Christmas has already come and gone and the new year is here. I've been so into baking, cleaning, hostessing, wrapping, attending, drinking and - let's face it - lying on the couch and watching TV - I haven't yet posted anything about my FAVORITE time of the year!

First, our beautiful Christmas tree, a Douglas Fir.

Here are some of my favorite ornaments. My parents always had a great tradition of getting a new family ornament each year and I'm so excited to now do this with Matt.

This one was given as a wedding gift by a close family friend (and served as our 2007 ornament).

Our 2008 ornament - handpainted and purchased on Etsy. The back reads "Christmas 2008".

Our 2006 ornament given to us by my parents. It's just like one of my favorites that my parents have with the "S" names on it.

A Mizzou football ornament Matt got last year.

Our angel - isn't she beautiful!? My grandmother (mom's side) made her.

Stockings hung for the animals. Notice Jeff's and George's are impromptu stockings made with computer paper and crayon ;)

My and Matt's stockings I got this year.

Is there anything better than a tree full of presents underneath!?

I always look forward to Christmas festivities with family and this year was no exception. As always, we spent Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family. The "G" family is a hysterical bunch and spending the evening with them has been part of Christmas for longer than I can remember.

Christmas day is always at my parents house. Matt and I loaded up our car with gifts and Chihuahuas, ran out to St. Charles to pick up my grandparents (mom's side) and headed to my parents' house for presents and food. Check out their tree.

Matt opening a gift certificate to Home Depot from my brother - he is seriously this excited (as am I!).

My grandmother (dad's side) with Riley and Hemi. She always had Chihuahuas and is the reason I have them now :)

My dad opening a gift.

The fam.

Andy was a little excited to get this gift.

I just love this picture of Riley - here she is with her new Christmas bear. I always loved my little white Christmas bear so I thought it only appropriate to get one for her.

Without sounding too materialistic, I must admit it - one of my favorite things about Christmas is - THE PRESENTS!!

My best gift of all - Mr. Hemingway, from my husband.

My brother, Jeff, got me a Snuggie! (Don't hate - you know you want one too!)

Something I've been lusting after for years - my parents bought me a light pink cashmere pashmina. Oooooooo...

My parents also got me this book (on my list, of course) - I'm now reading it on days I do only a light workout at the gym.

That's it! Christmas is over. We hosted a small shindig for New Year's this year too. I'll post pics of that soon. I still need to get my Halloween party photos up - there are some classics there...