Announcing For 2006

Yes, I have finally got my bum in gear and decided to post the long anticipated Neville Chamberlain award for 2006. Please read the 2005 Neville Chamberlain award for the context and reference of this illustrious event.

I like to think of this announcement as my version of the Oscars, the Superbowl and Time's Person of the Year. I take all three award ideas and roll them into a bundle and then I throw them all away and start again with a better idea. My award goes to someone who was obsequious, annoying, politically disgusting and remarkable only in his, her or their ability to be unremarkable. It goes to the worst sheep of all. The person(s) who caved to what everyone else thought of them and took the easy way out. I make no pretences of any kind with this award. But as I am the creator of the award I think it is only fair that another should present it. I give that honor to my holiday monkey, Neville, pictured on the right hand side of the screen. Yes, he's presenting the award backside first, because that is the nature of this award.

So . . . announcing, for 2006 *sound of a whoopie cushion* the Neville Chamberlain award, presented for the most spineless act of appeasement during 2006. This year it goes to:

The Iraq Study Group!

They have received this dishonrable award for giving in to the crowd of media and the general pessimism and refusing to research ways of winning in Iraq. Insteadthey sought ways of losing, favorably. Whatever that means.

Truthfully, the only way we can escape the mess we've made in Iraq is if we have the balls to win. We started this all on the basis of fighting terrorism. We may have gone outside the bounds of that idea by ousting Iraq's former regime, but backing away and apologizing will take us to no good place. Radical Islam is not a system that respects weakness. Instead it inspires, fosters and engenders weakness. There is one way to send it packing, and that is to have the strength of will to stop being afraid of our own shadow. It would do us some good to remember that history proves war powers have been handed back to the people after the war president's tenure ended. There is no reason to think it will not happen again. We deserve better than to collapse under the weight our own cowardice. I for one, think it would be nice of somebody in the academic community would give us some intellectual ammunition rather than promoting ideas that make us fear our own strength and back away from helping anyone else in the fight against terrorism.

Larger Than Life: A Tribute

I interrupt my regularly scheduled award post in order to say something else. Something more important is on my mind right now.

Sad news came my way yesterday. My cousin B. passed away. He had non-Hodgekins lymphoma. He fought it for about two years if memory serves me. Now he's gone. And I never got to say goodbye to him. But that's not the point. He was survived by his wife and two children. I hope you will offer a prayer for their comfort, I know I will.

My cousin was the one person I have ever known whom I believed to be invincible. I figured I would go before he did. He was the type of person who walks into a room and everyone is automatically drawn to him. Even if they did not know him. That's just who he was. He did not try to be the center of attention or anything. But he was so steady, caring and funny that you could not help but like him and gravitate toward his conversation. The best, the only way to describe B was that he was larger than life. He stood out from the crowd for all the right reasons.

My cousin was a cop and a youth pastor. I know, those two jobs go together, hand in glove. Um, yeah. He was always very good with kids. Kids of all ages. He could make them comfortable and have fun with them. In his thirties he still did not seem awkward around kids. It was like he was a kid. He just fit right in with kids. I mean, some people when they get to their thirties they have that kiddie voice. You remember that voice. It was like they thought kids were too stupid to realize it was a kiddie voice. B never did that. Never. He was just himself. He would laugh and make a joke and his jokes were always funny. He did not try to be cool around kids, because kids just knew he was cool being himself.

B was a role model. When I grow up I want to be just like him. He put his beliefs and ideals before everything. He told the gospel wherever he went. I remember his wedding very clearly. The ceremony lasted for two agonizing hours because he could not stop telling the gospel. It was not the best experience of my life, but I will always remember it with a laugh now. He had a real heart for evangelizing. At the same time he was not annoying about it. You wanted to listen to him tell the gospel. More than that, you wanted to go to the heaven that he has already gone to.

I will miss you B. More than anything. I wish I was half the person you were. I am glad you're not in pain anymore.

Happy New Year

I am on vacation and will not be able to write a serious post until this weekend probably. I thought I should say Happy New Year anyway.

Next up, the Neville Chamberlain award! Who do you think got it this past year? Just wait and see.

I love building suspense.