Side Dish

Resignation Statement of Randy "Duke" Cunningham:

I am resigning from the House of Representatives because I've compromised the trust of my constituents.

When I announced several months ago that I would not seek re-election, I publicly declared my innocence because I was not strong enough to face the truth. So, I misled my family, staff, friends, colleagues, the public -- even myself. For all of this, I am deeply sorry.

The truth is -- I broke the law, concealed my conduct, and disgraced my high office. I know that I will forfeit my freedom, my reputation, my worldly possessions, and most importantly, the trust of my friends and family.

Some time ago, I asked my lawyers to inform the U.S. Attorney Carol Lam that I would like to plead guilty and begin serving a prison term. Today is the culmination of that process. I will continue to cooperate with the government's ongoing investigation to the best of my ability.

In my life, I have known great joy and great sorrow. And now I know great shame. I learned in Viet Nam that the true measure of a man is how he responds to adversity. I cannot undo what I have done. But I can atone. I am now almost 65 years old and, as I enter the twilight of my life, I intend to use the remaining time that God grants me to make amends.

The first step in that journey is to admit fault and apologize. The next step is to face the consequences of my actions like a man. Today, I have taken the first step and, with God's grace, I will soon take the second.

Thank you.

I randomly decided to take a look at the Poynter web site today and I found this piece containing stories from ten journalists about the stories that they feel have affirmed their decision to be a journalist. It's a great read so check it out.

Thanks go to Tom for blogging about this article concerning the future of newspapers in the modern era of declining circulation numbers.

Apparently, some 40 year old guy from Reno was arrested in Oregon for stealing Legos from various Target stores in Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California by replacing the bar code on the box with one from a cheaper Lego product.

It's such a simple idea really, but what I want to know is how was he able to pull this off for so long without anybody noticing a pasted on bar code? Since 2002, the man has sold $600,000 worth of Legos on one particular web site for Lego collectors. Surely this isn't the first time that he has gone around doing this.

The Global Language Monitor released its annual list of politically incorrect terms and I have to say that I don't completely agree.

Topping the list of politically incorrect terms was "terrorist". Could somebody please explain to me what is politically incorrect about that? The suggested replacement for the word was "misguided criminal." Now, I believe the replacement is a little redundant. Most criminals are misguided individuals. Also, not all criminals, (or misguided criminals as they put it) are terrorists. Some are no more than simple bank robbers and carjackers. A terrorist is a person who systematically uses terror as a means of coercion.

Another entry on the list was "fail" with a suggested replacement of "deferred success." No. A failure is a failure. Call it what it is!

"Women" showed up on the list. The suggestion that the list made was to change the spelling to "womyn." Yes, the recommended spelling was with a "y". I would now like to take a moment to request that future recommendation refrain from further bastardization of the English language. I would also like to say the current spelling of the word is just fine and is not in need of any modifications.

The GLM would like you to refrain from singing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", although you may sing "God Rest Ye Merry Persons" if you wish. Apparently not even songs that are five centuries old are immune from interference of the so-called politically correct.

To say I don't completely agree with this list is an understatement. I don't agree with the list at all. I find political correctness to be insulting, and that makes political correctness politically incorrect.

As of an hour and 40 minutes ago it is officially Black Friday. For all sane people, this means staying clear of any sort of retail space for the next 24 hours as stores have crazy ass sales that cause people to act more animalistic than usual. One local outlet mall opened at midnight, with Banana Republic marking everything 40% off. Honestly, I don't understand why people break their necks to get to these sales. It seems to me like the extra money that one would spend at any other time would be worth it to avoid the stresses that go with "the busiest shopping day of the year."

Ladies and gentlemen, the Christmas season has finally arrived.

This is a photo that I took back on Thanksgiving 2003 at my aunt and uncle's beach house in San Clemente. We didn't gather there this year as we usually do. It was just one more change to a routine which will never again be the same.

I've been going through old LiveJournal entries tonight, starting with my first and I'm discovering how much my writing has changed since I was 18. I'm also discovering that my major complaints from back then (when I had to go to bed and having to go to church each week) aren't even issues I have to deal with any longer.

When I was 19, I decided that I wanted to get a degree in journalism. Here it is, two and a half years after I made that decision and I've decided to complement that degree with certificates in travel and tourism management and hospitality management.

I have been putting in applications at places left and right, but the only interviews I've had thus far have been at RadioShack and Target. RadioShack didn't hire me, and I have yet to hear back from Target.

Moving into the future. Moving slowly, for now at least.