Anticipation

I'm getting that feeling again.

The loss of sleep. The restlessness. My mind wanders. Adrenaline leaks out from my glands, not enough to make me shake or jump but enough to keep me aware that something is going to happen very soon.

Tomorrow is the big kayak event. By 8am tomorrow morning, I will be on Long Island Sound, headed towards Long Island.

I love adventure. I love the thrill, the danger, the beauty. I love the satisfaction of knowing I have just climbed a mountain, or biked through the Catskills or completed some other great excursion that I dreamed of or read about.

It's the anticipation, though, that I go through that I believe is so important.

I feed off it. I am energized by it. I use it. When my stamina depletes, it is the anticipation that I'd had for the past few days that would help me get through.

I am feeling it right now.

Long Island, here I come.

A Change In Focus

Change is in the air. Can't you smell it in the summer breeze?

That's right, we're headed for a big change.

No, George W. isn't stepping down. Fox News isn't issuing an apology to America for misleading us for years. And we haven't reset our focus back to al Quaeda.

My blog is going to change.

Effective Monday, I am going to focus my energies on the Literary section of my blog.

I have had to put down my third novel recently. I was within one hundred pages of completion. But the passion was not there. I was cheating myself. So I have moved on. I began a new novel, one whose story is far more interesting to me. It has the potential to be the kind of novel that Falling Angels was. Falling Angels, if you'll recall, is my second novel. It is a story of obsession and addiction and of a dangerous connection between two people. This new novel will contain some similar themes -- love, sex, discovery and tragedy -- in what I believe will be a disturbing new setting.

In addition to writing the novel, I have decided to keep a diary of sorts of my trials while writing the novel. I think it will give insight to what I go through while writing. The diary, again, will be found on Excerpts.

I'll continue to write to Big Mouth when something strikes me, but I want to focus more of my creative energies to the book. With that in mind, please do not expect this page to be updated as frequently. Still, you may find the diary to be intriguing.

I will return in full force at the completion of the novel.

The State Of Israel

Let's make one thing perfectly clear: Israel has the right to exist. Any nation, and there are nations, who specifically state otherwise is not only an enemy of Israel but an enemy of the United Nations, of peace and of the right to exist.

In addition, since Israel's rebirth in 1948, Muslims and Christians have been allowed to visit and worship in Jersualem, a holy site for the three religions. This was not the case under Muslim rule before that.

Also, Jerusalem is the center of Judaism. It always has been. It's also the true center of Christianity. It never was the center of Islam. That title belongs to Mecca.

Since 1948 Israel has been under near constant attack from the Muslim world. Never have they lost a battle or a war. Where Israel has lost is in the media and in the United Nations.

Why is that?

Let's review: the United Nations consists of well over 100 countries. At least thirty of these countries lie in one of two areas: Europe and the Middle East. We know that the Middle Eastern Muslim nations despise Israel. The united front against them is obvious. It is the other place, however, that we need to look at.

Every single European country has a roughly 2,000 year history of oppressing, persecuting and murdering Jews. Anti-Semitism in Europe did not begin with the Nazis. No, it was there for centuries. Italy has a Jewish ghetto in Rome -- Jews were not allowed to live elsewhere. France twice attempted to rid its land of Jews. Britain has a long history of anti-Semitism. And there is a reason so many Russian Jews now live in the United States and in Israel. And I think we've all heard of the Crusades, the Inquisition and pogroms. The Holocaust may have been the worst of it, but it was far from the first.

That 2,000 year history does not get erased overnight. I think anything said by European nations must be taken into that context, that it is coming from a nation who has spent centuries persecuting the very people they are criticizing.

Back to the current war in Lebanon. I do believe excessive force is being used here. I do not know that this much bombing, this much loss of innocent life is necessary. That said, Israel has every right to do what they are doing. They have been under attack by a terrorist organization. They refuse to yield. They refuse to allow this to continue. They, hopefully, have realized that the United Nations is no different than the host countries of their European ancestors.

And we, hopefully, will learn from Israel's resolve in war. They are succeeding where we have failed. They have targeted their enemy and are rendering them powerless. We cannot say the same.

Tenements, Culinary Delights and Yellow Jerseys

A lot of things happened over the weekend. Here are some highlights:

Floyd Landis won the Tour De France. For the eighth year in a row, and the eleventh year in the last twenty, an American won in Paris. This is a proud accomplishment. Cheers for Mr. Landis and congratulations.

For anyone who has ridden longer than fifty miles in a single day, and has suffered a hill that seemed never to end, you know that winning the Tour is as grueling as can be. To suffer that much for that long, you truly must be a terrific athlete. And right now, Floyd Landis stands as the best athlete in the world.
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Claudia and I ate at Babbo on Friday. It once again proved itself as my favorite restaurant. The best part of the meal was, as we expected, the beefcheek ravioli. Trust me, it's so good you'll want to cry. Mario Batali is a genius. Two of his restaurants in three nights -- I feel like a king. Albeit a poor one now.
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I'm curious how many children have been killed so far this year in war. If you have children and you still think war is ever the right thing to do, you should rethink your values.

War may sometimes be necessary. It is never the right thing to do.
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Before dinner on Friday, Claudia and I visited the Tenement Museum in New York's Lower East Side. It was a terrific experience. And powerful.

The lives and conditions of our immigrants were (and are) harsh at best. Jacob Riis' photos from How The Other Half Lives shows them to be even worse. Every descendant of an immigrant should pay a visit to the museum. It's an homage to your ancestors. And it will move you.

One of the great lessons learned from the trip was that it wasn't all horrible in the immigrant ghettos. There was struggle, sure, but there was also family, and love, and friendship. And memories, like the 16 or so hours that the Museum has recorded of Josephine Baldizzi, former resident of the museum when it was just one of thousands of Lower East Side tenements.
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I am not a golfer. I am not a golf fan. I have no interest in drivers or irons or putters. But I was very happy to see Tiger win the British Open. The emotional outpour was a reminder that even those celebrities who are placed on pedestals by our society are still, in fact, human.
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We also visited Little Italy on Friday night, for dessert. It was, as expected, delicious. However, something bothered me. Probably the fact that Mulberry Street is now more about tourism than about being an Italian neighborhood.
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Hey. It's not raining.

Wet Exits And Shaved Truffles

What a great night.

Readers of this blog already know that two of my favorite things are adventure and food. The two combined last night to form an evening I'll savor for years.

I've already written about Kayak For A Cause. Each participant must be certified to be able to launch on the 29th. No certification, no fun. My friend and I went last night for our certification. We did this through Manhattan Kayak.

We launched off Chelsea Piers, right by Basketball City. At the dock, our instructor asked us to simulate a wet exit. We did so. I hoped this would be enough to pass that portion of the exam, since performing a true wet exit meant dumping myself into the waters of the Hudson River.

Once we were in our kayaks and on the water, we went through a series of maneuvers to be sure we were confident in our kayaks. After the instructor was satisfied, he described the process of wet exits and returning to the kayak in open water. Then he asked for a volunteer. I offered my friend to go first.

On his second attempt, he successfully re-entered the kayak, emptied it of excess water and was ready to go. Next up was me. All I kept thinking about was trying not to ingest too much water.

I dumped into the 70 degree water and proceeded to follow the instructions. It was surprisingly easy to do. Perhaps I was additionally motivated to get out of the Hudson, but I did it on my first try. The instructor asked us to again do it, but without his guidance. Again, I was successful.

When it was all over, we returned to the dock and showered. We remarked that we never thought we would be taking an outdoor shower in the middle of Manhattan. I offered my friend the opportunity -- OK, I dared him -- to shower naked so the whole City could see. He declined. Then, after my shower, we dressed and we had our certifications ready. Part one of the evening was complete.

In that one lesson, I learned more about kayaking than I had in all my previous hours on the water.

We celebrated our success with dinner with some friends at Del Posto, the restaurant I had referred to in my food blog -- "The Gods Have Returned". What a meal!

We began with an antipasto for the table, which included prosciutto, stuffed olives, roasted vegetables, and sweetbreads. We chose to simply have pasta for dinner. My friend and I split our meals. We had raviolini with a rabbit ragu and a cheese-stuffed pasta (like an unrolled tortellini) in a broth with shaved truffles. Unbelievable meal.

Nights like the last one are what makes life so wonderful. I am grateful that I am able to have as many as I do.

My Thoughts Exactly

When someone says -- or in this case, writes -- his or her opinion and it jives exactly with yours, it is good to take notice.

Such is the case with Lou Dobbs' most recent column on the Middle East.

Enjoy.

Words To Live By

Here are some quotes from various individuals that I have taken to heart. There is no doubt that we all need to follow our own paths, but guidance from others who are wiser than we are should always be welcome.

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor souls who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
This quote is the way I live my life. It is better to dare those mighty things. It is the key to self-fulfillment.

"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Family, country and principles. Each of these are worthy causes.

"Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves. "
- Walter Anderson
Of course I'd quote my father. He is the wisest man I've ever met. In addition, this ties directly into my favorite quote above. It internalizes the idea that we must dare mighty things, and being honest with ourselves is as mighty as they come.

"Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead."
- Hans Christian Andersen
No relation. But what a great quote.

"Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment."
- The Bible
I must often be reminded of this. We should not mistake leadership or celebrity for wisdom. Nor should all of our elders be necessarily considered wise. Often, younger and less "established" men and women hold far more wisdom.

"For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared with it."
- The Bible
How true is this?

"Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life."
- Sandra Carey
So true. Notice, also, that wisdom and self-fulfillment are tied together. The road to self-fulfillment comes through daring mighty things -- living a glorious life. And it is that glorious life that brings wisdom. It's all connected.

If It Isn't, Then What Is It?

Map this out for yourself.

September 11, 2001: New York City and Washington DC are attacked.

November, 2001: U.S.-led forces invade Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Included in the war are, among others, Great Britain, Germany and France.

2003: The War in Iraq begins. Included in the war are, among others, Italy, Spain and Poland.

Late 2005: Iran is once again high on the radar. In the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's fall, Iran's fundamentalist regime goes unchecked in the Middle East.

2006: North Korea sends missiles flying into the air. Involved in North Korea's actions, whether they like it or not, is China. Affected is South Korea, Japan and Russia.

2006: The never-ending battles between India and Pakistan continue. Train explosions in India recently kill hundreds of people.

2006: Terrorist organization Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, sneak over the border into Israel and kidnap two soldiers. Israel invades Lebanon. It is no secret that Hezbollah is financed and armed by Syria.

We are witnessing the collapse of peace. This is 1914 once again. This is the 1930's. These are not isolated incidents.

We are in World War III.

A Woman To Love

She's a happy person, and when she smiles you become happy too.

She cares, she has compassion. It is this that has guided her through life.

She can laugh, and make you laugh as well.

She will tell you what she thinks.

She has no time for politics or religion.

She makes a house into a home, that is welcoming and comfortable.

She loves, in so many ways it shows.

She's a teacher, who loves children in ways I cannot pretend to comprehend.

She's a mother, and devotes everything to her son.

She is beautiful, and modest enough not to think so.

And on Saturday she will be my wife of eleven years.

More MIsmanagement From Above

Read this. Just read it.

Here, a man responsible for providing for the common defense as commander-in-chief of our armed forces has allowed a new department he created to inappropriately identify key terror targets within our country.

The man who was willing to sell New York sea ports to a nation whose banks helped finance 9/11 is responsible for failing to protect much of New York City and Washington D.C. -- the two cities hit that day.

The World Trade Center was targeted. Logic would have it that New York's other big target -- the Empire State Building -- would be protected.

No.

Well, then surely a national treasure like the Statue of Liberty would be on the list.

Not exactly.

What about the busiest neighborhood in the country -- Times Square?

Again, no.

But a bourbon festival and a bean fest are protected.

Every citizen of New York and Washington, who also got the shaft by Homeland Security, should be infuriated. Same goes for the other key cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Indiana has the highest number of assets listed.

Not California. Not Florida. Not Massachusetts.

Indiana.

When a company's Chief Executive Officer misappropriates funds (and gets caught), he is removed from office and usually goes to prison. When a company's employee makes mistake after mistake, he or she is fired.

Our chief is ultimately responsible for this. What's more, he is not CEO of America, but merely an employee of every citizen. And this misappropriation is failing Americans. His list of errors and mistakes is long and it is costly.

I don't know that We the People should have to wait until January 20, 2009, to see him leave office.

Maybe it is time we look into firing him.

On Letting Go

If you have ever worked hard on a long term project, you may understand the attachment that comes with it. Often, completion of the project leads to feelings of loss. My breakdown and ultimate stay at a mental institution occurring shortly after completion of my first novel is no coincidence. It is painful to let go of something you have devoted so much of yourself to.

When you do not complete the project, the feeling of loss has a friend -- confusion.

Imagine working on a project -- devoting much energy to it -- then stopping (either by choice or by force) without seeing the project to its fruition. The loss is accompanied by a dizziness, a sensation that your focus is gone.

Twice in the past week this has happened to me.

Last week I decided to put down Thicker Than Water, my attempt at a third novel. The book lacked the passion of the previous two. It had moments, but I was not taken by it. And I struggled with it. While my first two novels seemed to flow out of me at whitewater pace, Thicker was more of a trickle. I decided it best to set it down and hope to come back to it at a later time.

The good news is I have an idea for a new novel -- one I am excited about. Still, there is a sense of uneasiness with letting go. I do not like not finishing.

Yesterday I discovered a work project was to be moved on. It isn't bad, really. Someone has joined us specifically to handle projects like the one I had been on. And the project itself was outside my typical arena. Still, I had devoted much of the past six months on it and discovering this emptied me.

Three years ago, the combination of the two losses might have killed me -- literally. I was already a figure of despair unable to escape the blackness. I may have committed the ultimate act of selfishness over this. Fear, loss and confusion were enemies I was ill-equipped to handle.

Today, however, I feel differently. I feel I know how to handle this.

I have a choice. I can dwell on the loss. That is unproductive. Worse -- it is a psychological and emotional cancer. It will eat at me until once again the blackness pulls me inside. Or, I can set it aside and focus on the next thing.

And that is the right thing to do.

I've already attached myself to two large projects at work. Both of these are in my work arena, meaning I control its completion and success, not someone else. My head is in these projects already. And I am excited for them.

The new book is "in development". In other words, I have decided to map out the plot and characters before I begin. I did this with my first two novels. Though I didn't follow my initial plot completely, it set a nice framework. The book will be more like my second novel -- a psychological tour of the main character as he follows a path that lead him to discoveries and choices that will ultimately define him. There will be love, sex, passion and violence throughout. I am so thrilled to begin this project.

Years ago, letting go was not possible for me. It just led to further agony. Today, I know that letting go is truly another way of saying moving on.

And, happily, I am moving on.

A True Merkle Boner

Back in the early twentieth century, back when the Chicago Cubs were a winning team, one of the first bonehead plays in sports took place in a heated game between the Cubbies and their rivals, the New York Giants.

Basically, the Giants had just scored the winning run and the game was about over. The overcrowded stands burst onto the field. But Chicago player Johnny Evers noticed that Fred Merkle -- who was on first when the hit happened -- never made it to second. After a mad scramble to find the ball, Evers jumped up and down on second base until an umpire finally saw him, recognized what happened and called Merkle out. The Cubs went on to win the National League, and the World Series (if you could believe that).

Merkle was ridiculed for the remainder of his career. His error was one of assumption. He thought the game was over. He was wrong.

We've seen instances like this over the years, where a player's mistake cost his team the championship. Chris Webber comes to mind, with his errant timeout. We think of Bill Buckner. We think of Earnest Byner's fumble.

Yesterday we witnessed a boner of another kind. Zinedine Zidane, captain of the Frech soccer team, intentionally headbutted an Italian player. It was a dirty play. He was red carded and left the game, which was tied at one. After regulation and two overtimes, the game was still tied. It may not have been, as the Italians were obviously exhausted and a great play by one great player -- perhaps Zidane -- could have put France ahead. Instead it went to penalty kicks.

Zidane was not there for the penalty kicks. He could not participate as one of his teammates hit the crossbar and missed his kick. Who knows if that player would have even been kicking. That may have been Zidane's spot. The man who missed the kick -- David Trezeguet -- probably feels like he cost the team. He didn't. He did his best.

Zidane, who ironically was awarded the Golden Ball for the World Cup MVP, turned out to be the man responsible for France losing. On the world's largest stage, he showed his true colors. And in the process, cost his country the Cup.
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Let's not forget, however, that the Italian team put up one great game. They were visibly exhausted early (a close semifinal game with host Germany will do that to you), yet they never quit. And considering the pressures they were under, with the Italian soccer league scandals and all, it is even more amazing.

They proved they have the heart of champions.
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Please allow me to offer this theory as to why the United States hasn't caught on to the world obsession with soccer. Watching the game, I saw more bad acting than a 1950's sci fi. Every time a player got touched -- both the Italians and the French -- they went down and and feined injury. A country that admires the likes of Ronnie Lott -- who had his finger amputated so he could play -- and cancer-surviving cyclist Lance Armstrong would have a hard time with all these phony injuries. There is no question that soccer players are among the best athletes in the world. But I don't know if their fake injuries quite measure up to the American vision of manhood.

Friday Rants

It's Friday. My wife and son are at the Cape and I am working. I am lucky, though, in that I have only a half day.

Likewise, I don't have the brain today to form a complete rant. So here are some minor thoughts for the weekend:

• One of the memories of my teenage years, and one that was at the forefront of my desire to leave White Plains, was standing on line at McDonald's when an argument ensued and one man stabbed another in the chest. In this morning's Connecticut Post, I read that a 21-year-old stabbed someone at the drive-thru McDonald's in Milford. Maybe it wasn't White Plains after all.
• Our fine President recently celebrated his 60th birthday. I bet he can't count that high.
• My train last night was delayed due to "police activity" in the Bronx. Isn't there always police activity in the Bronx?
• With all this pressure to create a flag-burning ban, I wondered how that would affect the cocktail napkin industry. I mean, if you are holding a cocktail napkin decorated in Old Glory, is it desecration to blow your nose? What about wiping your mouth? If so, where do you put that olive pit?
• New York just ruled against gay marriage. The judge was in Albany. Do you think there is a disconnect between New York City and upstate?
• Italy and France face off in the World Cup on Sunday. Call it The Renaissance Cup. Or the Culture Game. It's going to be interesting. No matter, nothing will change the fact that Italy has better food and wine and France has better Italian art.
• With Lance Armstrong retired and nearly all of the favorites banned from participation, does anyone know who is cycling this year's Tour?
• Right now, Willie Randolph is the front runner for the NL Manager of the Year. But if the Marlins can somehow place second in the East, the award belongs to Joe Girardi.
• I'm still happy for Shaq. And still pissed that the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. Whalers they are not.
• Do you remember when boxing mattered?
• Don't you long for the days when the worst thing your President did was lie about messing around with an intern?

The Pyongyang Problem

We are facing a potential crisis in the Far East that I do not believe that our government -- particularly this regime -- is capable of handling.

Let's take a long look at what I am calling the Pyongyang Problem. This is an issue that has roots back to the Korean War, and unresolved issues that only recently are coming to a head.

The players are North Korea, China, South Korea, Russia, Japan and the United States. To look at this, we must go back to the 1950's.

The Korean War began when Soviet-backed North Korea invaded South Korea, nearly conquering the new nation. The United States stepped in on South Korea's side and the tide turned. Within months, North Korea was almost completely under Allied control (Britain, Canada and Australia all had soldiers fighting alongside our servicemen). The war was sure to be over.

Then the United States did one of the dumbest things we could ever have done.

Not satisfied with the North Korean retreat into China, the United States bombed North Korean hideouts in China. Enter the Chinese into the war. The Chinese entry once again turned the tide and again nearly kicked the Allied forces off the peninsula. But continued allied bombings and a brave assault beat back the Chinese/North Korean armies back. The rest of the war was fought not unlike World War I, with both sides dug in and little progress made. Throughout, the United States continuously bombed North Korea.

Finally, in 1953 the War ended. Without a treaty.

In the 1980's the Soviet Union collapsed. North Korea's strongest ally no longer existed. And China was slowly opening itself up to the West. The country went isolationist -- though threats from the regime would continue.

Meanwhile, the United States maintained a strong military presence in the region. We have been entrenched in both Japan and South Korea since the end of World War II.

Japan has historically been the aggressor in the Far East. It didn't just begin in World War II. For hundreds of years, the Koreans and Chinese have been fighting off (often unsuccessfully) the Japanese. Korea was conquered by Japan in 1910. Koreans were forced into servitude and many Korean women were made "comfort women" -- forced prostitutes for the Japanese soldiers.

Wounds like this take generations to heal.

South Korea, for its part, has only been a stable republic recently. The government was corrupt at best for several years following the Korean War.

In short, the years that the region has been "off the radar" was deceiving. In reality, something awful has been brewing all along.

Here are some facts:

• Separating a nation in two is problematical at best. It was done in Germany, and it was done in Korea. Neither time was it the right thing to do.
• Kim Jong Il is a dangerous man. He should never been allowed the access to weaponry that he has. We should fault the Russians and Chinese for this. The fact is, though, he has them.
• Japan's history is very much in everyone's mind. In addition, there is a rising nationalism in Japan. This makes China and both Koreas very wary.
• Any and all diplomatic relations with North Korea ended well before George W. Bush named them part of his "Axis of Evil". The fact is, the U.S. had stopped diplomacy after Bill Clinton left office. This is not to imply that Clinton's policy would have worked, but not negotiating with a dangerous country is far worse than at least talking.
• North Korea has the fourth largest military in the world. And though ours is technically larger, we have so many soldiers in Iraq, we cannot defend South Korea and Japan. We simply lack the manpower.
• China holds veto power in the United Nations. They are North Korea's provider of food and provisions. They are also well aware that Japanese nationalism and economic power is a far greater threat to them than North Korea is.
• Russia, still the second largest nuclear power, sits right around the corner from the Korean peninsula. And the Russian government and situation is not stable.

Yes, we have a real problem on our hands. The firing of the missiles is only a foreshadowing of what is to come.

It is still two and a half years before we have a new President -- one who perhaps understands and values diplomatic relations.

I worry that may be too late.

When Wisdom And Courage Collide

Scientists talk about the effects of meteoric collisions all the time. We can see what happens ourselves simply by looking up at a full moon on a clear night. The craters left on our satellite up there are reminders that when two powerful forces meet head on, the impact it leaves is nothing short of tremendous.

And so it happened some two hundred and thirty years ago when representatives of thirteen British colonies united to write the Declaration of Independence. It was the birth of a new nation, and the beginning of the end of a form of government that had lasted for millenia.

It was perhaps the most important moment in civilization, right up there with our ancestors leaving Africa, farming and the development of oral and written communication.

Let's look at the impact of Adams and Jefferson's document for a moment.

With the exceptions of the city of Athens and the Roman Republic, all great civilizations had been ruled by a monarch. We had pharoahs and lords and caesars and emporers and kings. The citizens of the nations were mere subjects of that monarch. While advancements had been made in the years leading up to the Declaration, the fact is citizens had little or no say in who should govern or how they should do it.

Then the thirteen British colonies decided to end that.

Also, the world was divided into two categories at the time: nations/empires and colonies. Britain had colonies all over the world. So did Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and France. Countries like Prussia and Japan were just getting into the act. Russia and China, though they may not have had many (if any) colonies, were massive enough to be empires themselves.

The rest of the world -- India, Africa and the Americas -- were colonies. We were subject to the whims of the empires. We did not matter, except as a resource of goods and supplies -- and prestige -- to the mother country.

Then came the Declaration of Independence.

A few years later, the Continental army defeated the mighty British. No colony was safe from independence any longer.

Shortly, the second great American impact was created in the form of the Constitution. We the People governed ourselves. And from there, the Old World way of life began to die.

It took several years. Changing the whole world always does. The old way officially died the day Japan surrendered, ending World War Two -- almost one hundred and sixty-nine years after Adams and Jefferson's document. And when the dust settled, the great empires of yesteryear were just nations, not unlike the United States of America. Most were democracies, modeled after either our Constitution or the Parliament of our former mother country, Britain.

It took a great deal of wisdom to write the words that we read on our Declaration of Independence. Wisdom is seen in the notion that "all men are created equal", that we have the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

And it took great courage. Our forefathers stood up against the greatest of the empires, the most formidible army and navy the world had seen, and said "we are free".

Let us remember, after we have shut off our barbecues, after the fireworks stop and the silence returns, why we celebrate the Fourth of July.

We celebrate because wisdom and courage collided.