Below The Beltway

I believe in the free speech that liberals used to believe in, the economic freedom that conservatives used to believe in, and the personal freedom that America used to believe in.

Archive for the 'Personal' Category

Only The Good Die Young

by Doug Mataconis @ Sunday, November 27th, 2011. Filed under Personal

As I’ve already noted, it’s not been the happiest of Thanksgiving weekends, made the more so by the news I received on Friday that my uncle, Thomas Vincent Mataconis, had passed away after a battle with cancer that he did not deserve, not that anyone deserves a battle with disease I’ve come to hate.
He was [...]

Christmas Greetings

by Doug Mataconis @ Saturday, December 25th, 2010. Filed under Holiday Time, Holidays

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for [...]

The Pagan Roots Of Christmas

by Doug Mataconis @ Friday, December 24th, 2010. Filed under Holidays, Religion

David Hume notes the extent to which, despite it’s religious overtones, much of what we know about Christmas is decidedly non-Christian:
Though Christians assert “Jesus is the reason for the season,” a more precise formulation might be that “Jesus became the reason for the season in the minds of some.” This is important. It is not [...]

Jed Bartlet Calls The Butterball Hotline

by Doug Mataconis @ Wednesday, November 24th, 2010. Filed under Holidays

If you’re a fan of The West Wing, you’ll remember the time that President Jed Bartlet called the Butterball Hotline:

A few years earlier, President Bartlet pardoned a turkey:

Happy Thanksgiving. I’ll be back in a day or two.
In the meantime, you can catch me on Twitter.

Remembering September 11th

by Doug Mataconis @ Saturday, September 11th, 2010. Filed under Personal, September 11th, War On Terror

Since there isn’t anything better I can write about what September 11th means to me than what I wrote in 2007, here it is again.

This is the third fourth year that I’ve been blogging during the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Each time I’ve tried, in one way or another, to articulate how that [...]

Frankly, I Have Doubts About This

by Doug Mataconis @ Friday, March 19th, 2010. Filed under Blogging, Personal

You Are Skepticism

You live by the philosophy “Question Everything.” And you do question everything, including this quiz result.
You think people believe in too much, and you think very little is true. You scoff at astrology and psychics.
You’re not a nihilist – you believe in some things. But you only believe in what’s true and tested.
You [...]

Ladies And Gentleman, My Theme Song

by Doug Mataconis @ Saturday, February 13th, 2010. Filed under Frank Sinatra, Music, Personal

And the runner up.
See ya Monday

Turkeys On The Jersey Turnpike

by Doug Mataconis @ Tuesday, November 17th, 2009. Filed under Holidays, Humor, In The News

And, no, I’m not referring to the drivers:

TRENTON, N.J. — Authorities have stopped trying to capture a wild turkey that calls Interchange 14B on the New Jersey Turnpike home. The bird has been causing havoc for toll collectors and motorists as it runs across toll booths, plays in traffic, and sits atop toll collectors’ parked [...]

Just In Time To Plan For Thanksgiving Day Excess

by Doug Mataconis @ Sunday, November 15th, 2009. Filed under Holidays

It’s the Turbaconducken
That’s right it’s a Chicken, stuffed inside a Duck, which is itself stuffed inside a Turkey.Wrapped in Bacon.
Just like the Pilgrims had.

For The Jedi Warrior Who Has Everything

by Doug Mataconis @ Friday, November 13th, 2009. Filed under Holidays

Want:

Light Saber Chopsticks
H/T: Pajama Pundit

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