9 and 1 ... again.

Thank you for the congrats ... and the profile update.

Last year our team went undefeated into the championship game and lost in overtime on a 2 point conversion, 29-28. This year we repeated our regular season record and faced off against the exact same school. This time we led through to the last 9 seconds when their successful hail Mary sealed our fate ... a real heart breaker. 5th grade boys toss aside their adolescent machismo (read: cheer leaders are watching), and cry openly when you lose one like that, I can assure you. The good news for me personally is that last year my boy was an occasional starter only, playing center 90% of the time with few if any plays directed at him, only dreaming of how "cool" it would be to score an "actual touchdown in an actual game", as he put it on drives home after practice. Some thought it a bit "cruel" last year to not start my own child, but I unapologetically noted that at best doing so would teach him nothing, and at worst teach him to expect something for nothing. Well, long story short over the off season he practiced and practiced and studied positions and this year started as my middle linebacker/captain of the defense, and full back - iron man style. He became one of the 5 core players of the team that led the other 19 boys on and off the field. And in the championship game he made an interception, gained us 3 first downs, had 2 sacks, and ran in a touchdown to give us the lead going into half time ... not that I was counting (hehe). I've got to tell you, it was pure joy to watch and outside of the final 9 seconds one of the all time great days he and I have shared ... good stuff. I can only hope that this makes him even more hungry, and he continues to improve by leaps and bounds the way he did over the last year (& per our post game "long talk" I believe that is exactly what will happen). Oh, and on a side note you and Jambo will be happy to know that I can now watch an NFL game and spot a tight end without the cameras panning to the cheer leaders ... so yes, we both learned a lot.

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Look, you need not explain "assimilation" to an avid Star Trek fan, I get it. And I would never advocate shutting down any newspaper, television station, etc over language or any other nonviolent/legal activity (as I believe I made a point of saying in my last). I was under the impression that you were advocating (in theory) a deregulation of current requirements (requirements that do currently require a base level of English proficiency). If you were not then perhaps we were having a glass half full / half empty conversation (not that Titus and Ryan would would ever do such a thing, perish the thought). But since you broached the subject I would appreciate one of us (read: YOU) posting the current requirements to become a United States citizen so we can all be on the same page - with average wait time, tests, cost, all the hurdles and requirements, the whole ball of wax. Perhaps even the test itself, and we can all take it, cold. Lets see how we who fancy ourselves academics do. Outside of the test (or a link therein), you could give a summary of the overall experience and requirements, with more specific information where you deem needed. Then we can better judge whether the present requirements strike the proper assimilation (or "baseline of unity" if you prefer)/integration balance according to our opinions.

And just to stress ... for any single, rich, politically connected hotties out there, I am VERY single now. Hey, you never know ... one of the Bush daughters is still unmarried.