This blogger found presidential candidate Howard Dean’s high school yearbook entry from his senior year at St. George’s Preparatory Academy in Newport, Rhode Island:
Howard Brush Dean, III
Honor roll ‘65; President, Library Committee; Business Manager Red and White ‘65-’66; Track ‘63-’66; Wrestling ‘65-’66; Football ‘64-’65; Council ‘64-’66; Prefect.
From the outside looking in, I am: A Prefect making a thousand announcements in assembly, a dorm prefect with a big stick, a big brother talking to Deacon or Benny, a solid conservative defending the powers of Student Council and lashing out at cynics and opponents, a business manager arguing with his editor, and a frequent occupant of the weight room. I can’t see anything in perspective, I only live for the moment. I take each individual thing that comes along as the most important thing that ever happened: form elections, football games, grades, hell week, everything is in crisis. Some people tell me I shouldn’t take things so seriously. St. George’s has taught me in four years to respect A. Lincoln’s saying that, ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time.’ I tried for three years, and realized in my fourth that he was right (I’m stubborn, that’s why it took so long). Forget about the people you can’t please; hang around with the ones you like. If you want to find out how everyone else sees me, read the top paragraph again. If you’re the curious type who can put up with a temper, join the few who know me as I know me — from the inside looking out.
July 31st, 2003
July 24, 2003
Dear Mr. Novak:
I am writing on behalf of my friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), as well as compassionate consumers across the globe, to urge KFC to implement PETA?s list of eight simple things that need to be done to reduce cruelty to chickens raised and killed for your carry-outs.
For example, I would like to see KFC stop allowing chickens to be bred and drugged so that they become so heavy that they cripple under their own weight, end the starvation of birds who are constantly hungry because they are bred to grow too quickly, stop burning the beaks off parent birds, and make sure slaughter methods do not permit animals to be scalded to death in feather-removal tanks. As you know, full details of PETA?s recommendations are available on KFCCruelty.com. They are based on the scientific work of KFC?s own animal-welfare advisors and would eliminate only the most horrible abuses of these animals.
If KFC suppliers treated dogs or cats the way they treat chickens, they could be charged with the crime of cruelty to animals. I am a vegetarian because I realize that even little chickens suffer pain and fear, experience a range of feelings and emotions, and are as intelligent as mammals, including dogs, cats, and even some primates. These remarkable animals are deserving of at least a little kindness.
Please let PETA know that you will end the most egregious forms of abuse endured by chickens raised and killed
for KFC.
Sincerely,
Sir Paul McCartney
PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL
TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510
July 30th, 2003
I don’t really agree that The Tour de France is “antithetical to the American character,” but the lack of national interest surrounding Lance Armstrong and his most recent Tour de France battle has been a little annoying. Highlights from critical race stages would be buried on major news sites, even displayed below stories about sports that aren’t yet in season. Even in Austin, Lance’s hometown, you may see a few banners on downtown buildings, but it’s not like the city was on pins and needles as Germany’s Jan Ullrich came within seconds of preventing Lance’s fifth straight victory. I’m certainly guilty of not keeping up with the tour as much as I could have. In fact, I only actually watched race footage one time, although I could never really figure out when it was on TV.
One thing I’ve appreciated about Lance is his candid responses to questions or his frank assessments of his performance. “I’d rather be lucky than good,” he noted after a crash cracked his bike’s frame, but held up. Lance’s perspective on his victory: “Physically I have not been super; tactically I have made some bad mistakes. My level this year was not acceptable.” Some of the things he said during the past few weeks almost sounded like he was prepared for defeat. But he summoned the will to get past a stomach virus, tendinitis in his hip, and two crashes and win the race. Sally Jenkins, a co-author of a few of his autobiographies, says that she admires his willingess to show weaknesses and imperfections. “To this day, the picture on his driver’s license is the one he had taken during chemo, in which he is bald and has no eyebrows. He has a fundamental lack of vanity that I suppose is a result of having been so exposed during his illness, of having his organs, his chest, abdomen, brain and his very bones X-rayed and held up on light tables. Those scans were the pictures of a weak and ailing man: He was scarred up in places and missing a thing or two. When he recovered from the illness, some essential reserve was gone as well.”
July 27th, 2003
Sir Paul would no doubt approve of Easy Pickin’s, a much-needed vegetarian alternative to South Austin’s BBQ, Tex-Mex, and meat-munching restaurants. Although it has been around a few months, I knew nothing about it until Thursday when my vegan neighbor and I pulled into the driveway at the same time. She had this big cheesin’ smile on her face and gripped a menu like it was a winning Powerball ticket. “It’s true, Easy Pickin’s is finally open!,” she said, displaying their tri-fold menu printed on unbleached, recycled paper. “It’s by Creatures, in that little group of shops on the corner of South First and Mary.” I was starving and it was lunchtime, so I braved the South First war zone in hope of something different than Thundercloud or Chango’s.
It wasn’t clear exactly where the restaurant is located, although there is a small white and black banner above the old taco shack that reads, “Easy Pickin’s Now Open!” But the curtains were closed in the windows and I couldn’t see any lights on inside. As I crossed the parking lot, I approached two guys having a smoke next to a teeny-tiny storefront. They confirmed that I was at the right place and they were indeed open. In fact, after extinguishing their cigarettes, they would be making my food. Strike one. Upon entrance, you realize quickly that Easy Pickin’s is only carry-out, as there are no chairs or tables, just a display case and chrome food station (like you would see at Papa John’s, for example). It smelled great and everything appeared to be clean and fresh–unlike the facade of the building. The guys were really friendly and said that business wasn’t excellent but word is out. Like all the stores on South First, they’re trying to make it to December, when construction should be either finished or south of Ben White.
Now, let’s talk food. They got a lot of it. We’re talking appetizers like Pesto Neopolitan pizza, mediterranean platter (hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouli, etc.) and spring rolls. It took me about five minutes to decide what kind of sandwich to get as there were over ten to choose from. Should I get the Oyster Mushroom Po-Boy or Portabella? Maybe I’ll try the soy meatball sub. But my introduction to EP was obvious: I would try The Big Pimpy, a soy burger topped with cheese, beans, chili, corn chips, onion, jalapenos, with pickles and mustard. Snoop Dog would be proud. For about $7.00 I would get a huge sandwich, along with a side of pasta salad, cucumber salad, or something similar. I went with tabouli. Surprisingly, it was handed to me in a huge plastic container in a plastic bag. After dodging heavy machinery and ankle-destroying holes along South First, I was home within minutes. The verdict: the burger did not taste like a thawed Boca or Morningstar pattie–it was delicious and loaded with toppings. They didn’t skimp on the tabouli either. Washed down with ice-cold Coca Cola Classic, my first Easy Pickin’s experience was pimptastic.
July 26th, 2003
July 25th, 2003
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