Well, in true Idle fashion, I was perusing the Wonderful World Wide Web instead of actually "working" this morning, and came across this story.

Yikes. Insert "rock and a hard place" comment here. For one, I feel for everyone that has ever lost a loved one. And in the context of current conflicts, I wince and think of the ones left behind when I hear of another death in Iraq, regardless of whose side they are on. Having said that, this seems like another example of misdirected grief. I feel for Cindy Sheehan. Who can know a mother's grief for her son? But even her own family members wish she would remember her son's legacy in a different way than protest. And this new camp springing up, Quills, I believe? Equally as unfortunate, in my (inconsequential) opinion. As the story goes, Camp Quills wants to debate Camp Casey concerning support for the President, the War and other matters. I think the core of these two camps are some families reeling from irreplaceable loss. Unfortunately, its turning into a bandwagon for every (well-meaning)Tom, Dick and Harry with a soapbox in politics.
I guess the bottom line here is, we all deal with loss in different ways. What makes me sad are the interest groups that are encircling the morners with baited breath.

While hopefully remaining neutral on the issue, I would like to say that, as the armed forces are strictly on a volunteer basis, no one is being forced into anything. Servicemen and women that I personally know understand that enlisting, even in a peaceful time, means you are comitted regardless of the changing political scenery. And that is the truly honorable thing we should all remember in honoring the fallen. I hope that this current factious storm brewing doesn't overshadow the sacrafice these people, and their families, have made.

***

WOW. Thats the end of my soapbox. So, on to something truly important, like music.

Thanks to iTunes and my beautifulpreciouswonderful iPod and my itssoawesomelythebestthingever iBook, I was on the Midnight Train to Great New Music this weekend. Apparently I have an affinity for retro neo-disco. Yes, I did just make that phrase up on the spot. Also discovered some ethereal BritPop/Lounge. Try:

Jamiroquai

Aqualung

Zero7

and finally...

The Isley Brothers

In other news, a Kansas girl was mauled to death by a Siberian Tiger. Tragic. What makes this story truly sensless was that THE GIRL WAS STRADDLING THE TIGER AT THE TIME OF THE ATTACK.

What??

Well, apparently some family in Kansas decided to play Noah's Ark and create a wildlife preserve. Housing powerful feral animals. In Kansas. And LET SENIORS AT LOCAL HIGHSCHOOLS TAKE PICTURES WHILST LOUNGING WITH THE TIGERS. Apparently this is an accepted tradition, to take one's senior pictures while doing things like STRADDLING THE LOCAL TIGER at Pete 'n' Babs' Tiger Shelter. As the story goes, the young girl was on the tiger, the tiger turned his head and looked at her, causing her to jump, cause--oh yeah, um--it's a tiger. This in turn caused the tiger to react to *her* reaction and lash out and kill. Excuse the copious use of caps, but hello?!! Did it really take a tiger mauling to turn on the little light bulb in someones head that, gee, maybe letting CLASS OF '06 have a photoshoot with the nearest carnivorous mammal strong enough to fell gazelle isn't exactly a good idea.
Holy Needless Bloodshed, Batman.
And since we're on (whether you want to be or not!!!! Mwaaaahahaha) the subject, whats with the performance of chaperone-type figures in the news lately, anyway?? Apparently the adults in Mound Valley, Kansas think nothing of Tigers and minors and flashbulbs, OH MY! This is to say NOTHING of the Natalie Holloway saga. I love how NONE of the, what, 7 chaperones were questioned. And if they were, have we heard their stories? No. What we have heard is Mr. and Mrs. Holloway going the extra mile and recusing the chaperones of any responsibility. I think they shouldn't. Who lets a bunch of randy highschoolers loose in Aruba to roam around in some bar night after night and let a charge get in the car with three native males??? It really makes me sick. I would *love* to hear what each of them were doing on the night in question...

Well, I hadn't intended this entry to be rant after soapbox after rant. Ohhhhhh well. Only one thing to do...let's decompress with a hilarious excerpt from www.gofugyourself.com!

Having to do with a hideous dress the reprehensible Paris Hilton wore recently...

"Somewhere -- like, about mid-thigh -- this dress went from "funky" to "something the reprehensible Bobby Trendy would try to turn into a couch, and sell for $3,000 to insane pill hounds." In about ten minutes I expect Anna Nicole to pounce on Paris and dig around in her folds for a spare Percocet."

I remain (having said enough),
TheIdleReceptionist