Charlton Heston, 1923-2008

I have nothing to add to the words of my friend technoshaman  though I will include the words of a couple others here.

Today American mourns the loss of a great Patriot: Charlton Heston. Heston died at home Saturday with his wife Lydia at his side. He was 84. As an actor, Heston won an Oscar in 1959 for his role as “Ben-Hur.” He also portrayed Moses and Michelangelo, as well as many other roles. Heston was a rarity in Hollywood: someone who fought for constitutional integrity and civil rights including the palladium of all rights, those guaranteed by the Second Amendment. Indeed, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association in 1998 and served until 2003, when he stepped down due to health concerns. Also in 2003, Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. This great friend of Ronald Reagan and of liberty will be missed. - the publishers of the Patriot Post

“Today, my heart is heavy with the loss of Charlton Heston. America has lost a great patriot. The Second Amendment has lost a faithful friend. So have I, and so have four million NRA members and eighty million gun owners. And so has every American who cares about the Bill of Rights, individual liberty, and Freedom. My heart is heavy, but not without a sense of pride. Pride in a man who devoted his life to his profession with grace and dignity. Pride in an American who devoted himself to civil rights, to correcting injustices around him, and to standing up for what he knew was right. Pride in a friend who stood with me and stood with fellow NRA members to preserve our freedom for future generations. Pride in a patriot who believed with every fiber of his being that our Bill of Rights is the foundation of our freedom that makes Americans singular among the masses of nations. And now, Charlton Heston has passed that duty to us—the next generation. I am as proud to continue his cause as I am to have known him as my friend.” —Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America

Quotes of the day

Via the Patriot Post.

GOVERNMENT

“One of the biggest problems with government intervention in the economy is that politicians usually have neither the knowledge nor the incentives to intervene at the right time. Bruce Bartlett has pointed out that most government intervention in an economic downturn comes too late. That is, the problem it is trying to solve has already worked itself out and the government intervention can create new problems. More fundamentally, markets readjust themselves for a reason. That reason is that people pay a price for their misjudgments and mistakes. Government interventions are usually based on trying to stop them from having to pay that price. People who went way out on a limb to buy a house that they could not afford are now being pictured as victims of a heartless market or deceptive lenders. Just a few years ago, people who went out on that limb made money big-time in a skyrocketing housing market. But now that they have been caught in the ups and downs that markets have gone through for centuries, the government is supposed to bail them out. Solving short-run problems, especially in an election year, often means creating long-run problems. Pumping money into the economy can help many problems. But do not be surprised if it also leads to inflationary pressures and financial repercussions around the world.” —Thomas Sowell

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If you build it...

... you will get a team.  Or so promised Major League Soccer when the construction of Qwest Field (IMNSHO more correctly known as "Seahawks Stadium") was approved.

Well it's finally going to happen.  Today, the name of the new team was announced after over 14,500 fans registered their preference in an election.  Though long-time Seattle soccer fans won't be surprised at this, the election turned out a bit differently than most do:

Over 14,500 fans registered their vote during the four-day election. Approximately 50% of the voters submitted a write-in name, 49% of which included a derivative of the name Sounders. The full name, Seattle Sounders FC, will differentiate from the other teams with a similar name.

"We have heard the fans and are excited about moving forward," said majority owner Joe Roth. "We are committed to build a team that will make the entire region proud. A team that will play with the same passion the fans have shown in selecting our name."

Traditionally, write-in campaigns rarely have an impact on the final results but in this case the write-in name received over 20% more votes than the other choices.

The name Sounders has been identified with soccer in this community since 1974. The name is locally-oriented, historic, and reflects the community.

"The team playing at the highest level in our region has always been called Sounders," said general manager Adrian Hanauer. "Starting with the NASL and then the USL 1st Division, we now have the chance to create a separate and distinct identity with the new MLS team."

The current USL 1st Division team will play its last season in Seattle in 2008.  According to Wikipedia, "However, it is possible that the team will be relocated to another local market such as Poulsbo, Washington."