Quite often, y'all know I steal completely from my friends in the on-line world....here, I'm gonna steal a little, and write a little of my own....

Last week, this world lost a beautiful soul.... a woman I had never met, but yet know with every fiber of my being that I would have enjoyed hanging out with, talking about obnoxious movies, books, TV, etc. Like me, she was not a "girly girl" but a tomboy...a zombie killer, a fighter in ways I cannot even imagine. Her name was Amanda Amos, but most of us in cyber-space knew her as Alabama Pink.

She was a frequent commenter on my favorite addiction, Pajiba. She also had her own blog, Whoa! Camel. A year or so ago, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Instead of hiding her pain from the world, she blogged about it. She was amazingly open about it...the pain, the fear, the hope, the treatments, the loneliness. She talked about her husband and young son. She talked about her parents. She talked about EVERYTHING. And that drew us all in. She was so eloquent in her ravings that we all fell in love with her. We listened, we talked to her, we sent her gifts, we sent money, we laughed, we cried, and mostly, we prayed.

But, last week, all that came to naught. Valiant though she was, the disease got the upper hand and Amanda's fight was over. Pajiba posted a wonderful picture of Patricia Arquette as Alabama in "True Romance" on their banner stating, "In Loving Memory, Alabama Pink" and ran what amounted to a sort of obit column. It was one of the most heartfelt things I have ever read. Then, following that column, the readers of Pajiba took over.....hundreds of us....ordinary schmucks who had never actually met this woman.....told stories about how she had touched us and how we would miss her. It was, to quote Tom Cruise in "Taps" ...."Beautiful, man, BEAUTIFUL!!!""

Several other columns followed, as did many other blogs. It's funny how one person, in the day and age of the internet, can touch so many people's hearts and lives. I am going to copy Pajiba's article from today, because there is some important information in it. But, before I do, I just want to say...Alabama....you were so cool.......

This site has been around for five years in June, and we’ve never been so proud to be a part of it as we were last Thursday. It was the worst of circumstances, but we were completely overwhelmed and touched by what transpired. The outpouring of grief and tears and affection and … fuck it … *love* that you all displayed after hearing about the passing of AlabamaPink — a woman none of you have ever met — was nothing short of magical. It was as though we were witness to a virtual, worldwide slow clap that built and built over the course of the day (and night) celebrating the wonderful life of Amanda Amos. It was the classiest thing we’ve ever seen on the Internet or otherwise. And it wasn’t just on the pages of Pajiba — there were tributes to AlabamaPink on blogs too countless to link, and all over Facebook; Skitz’s AlabamaPink seal began popping up in lots of profile pages. We were so moved by it all, we were tempted to change the site’s tagline to Scathing Reviews, Spectacular People.
We’ve all had a few days now to process Amanda’s passing, and if you haven’t read them yet, I’d like to point you to her husband’s most recent posts: The Last 24 Hours of Amanda’s life and Adrian’s own thoughts about the passing of Amanda. I’ll warn you: They may crush you. They are heartbreaking, and we can’t thank Adrian enough for sharing his thoughts so openly. It takes a lot of strength and courage to open your life up to thousands of friends and strangers. We can’t possibly put into words the amount of respect and admiration we have for Adrian. Really, they are just an amazing, wonderful family.
Over the last few days, we’ve also received a lot of suggestions. There are a lot of you out there who want to do something for Amanda’s family, to channel your sadness into something positive. Something tangible. We weighed a lot of the ideas, and what we’d really like to do is focus it in one place. Their church is putting together a Scholarship Fund for Amanda’s son, Alastair. And if you have anything to spare — $5, $10, $20 — it’d mean a lot to making a lasting contribution to her son’s future. Checks can be made out to the United Christian Church. Write “Alastair Amos” in the memo line. Those checks can be sent to P.O. Box 70759, Richmond, VA 23255.
We can’t thank you enough.
If you’re not in a position to contribute financially, we encourage you all to donate blood to the American Red Cross or put yourself on a bone marrow list. Hopefully, somebody out there can help prevent this happening to someone else. We think that would’ve meant a lot to Amanda.
Amanda’s New Orleans style service will take place this Sunday. There is a remote possibility that Adrian can get it webcast, but in any respect, please do send all your good vibes to Richmond this Sunday.
And finally, Adrian sent us the picture below of Amanda, writing: “The background swallows up the ginormity of her hand-cannon, but here’s Amanda in her 2006 Halloween costume. I was Ash that year, and together we kicked some zombie butt. Unfortunately the movies get it wrong: Zombie apocalypses always end in the total destruction of the human race. But we never lost heart, and I stood by her with my boomstick to the bitter end.”
Like we said: Amazing family.

The lovely Amanda....

Like, it’s TOTALLY an 80’s show!

Director Chante Wells, and Producer Bonnie Locchetta are pleased to announce auditions for Rush County Players long-awaited 80’s musicale, “Video Killed the Radio Star!” Auditions will be held at the Playhouse, 201 N. Morgan Rushville, on Monday, March 16, Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Music and scripts will be provided for those auditioning.

“Video Killed the Radio Star!” is a scripted musicale, celebrating the hits of the MTV generation. Artists from Duran Duran to Tina Turner will be represented as the Montridge High Class of 1989 hold their final prom of the ‘80’s. Roles include students attending the prom, as well as teachers acting as chaperones! Those auditioning must be at least high school age. Thirty roles have been scripted, but “extras” may be needed to attend the prom as well! And, yes, there will be some dancing, but it’s 80’s dancing! How hard can that be?

Rehearsals will begin on Monday March 30, and will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Playhouse, also from 6:30-8:30 pm. This production will be held in a more “dance” oriented venue---the Rushville Elks Ballroom. The performances will be “in-the-round”, to put the audience closer to the show. And, audience members will be chaperones for the “dance” as well! Show-dates are May 1 at 8:00 pm, May 2 at 8:00 pm, and May 3 at 2:00 pm..

If you want to be totally rad and cool, come and revisit the years when MTV actually showed music videos! For more information, call 938-1711, or visit www.rushcountyplayers.org. And, like, it’ll be EXCELLENT!

We waited.....in anticipation.....of the GREATEST CINEMATIC TRIUMPH OF THE 21ST CENTURY!!! Was this it? Was it worth the hype, the money, the wait.......ummm, sorta, kinda....not really.

Yeah, we've been waiting for months upon months for "Watchmen" to finally open. I don't know a lot about the source material (GOTTA read it now) but it looked awesome, and any time there are copious amounts of violence and gore, and super-hero-y-ness thrown in, I'm good to go. So, the kids and head out Saturday afternoon, ready for an exciting afternoon.

We get to the theatre before the doors are even open, and for the first time in my life, we are the FIRST people in to buy our tickets!!! It's a whole 1/2 hour before the show starts, but thats ok. More time to get snacks, snag our fave seats (middle of the back row, baby!) and make fun of the ads before the previews. Get our 5 gallon drums of pop and head up to the seats. People filter in, but not as many as I expected. Of course, it was a beautiful, 70-some degree Saturday afternoon, so many people are out and about. I do notice, however, that someone way down front has what appears to be at least one small child (definitely under 10). Hmmm, dunno if this is a real small kid friendly movie.....yet.

Trailers....."Wolverine" looks good (the world needs more shirtless Hugh Jackman, I say!! And Ryan Reynolds is pretty), "Observe and Report" looks funny, a funny take on "Paul Blart". Is it wrong that I'm a little in love with Seth Rogan? Anywho, on to the show.....

It opens with a bang, that's for sure....then, into the opening credits which were FANTASTIC!!! Brilliantly staged, lit, everything. Beautiful.....and.......wtf???? All this anticipation, and ....meh. It was ...ok. I wondered, when you first got a GOOD look, after thinking, "Did I really just see that? No, I couldn't have..." of Dr. Manhattan's blue wang, if the folks with the little kiddies started to regret their decision.

Yeah, I wasn't prepared for almost 3 hours of azure weiner. As I said, I'm not that familiar with the source material, so, umm, didn't know there was gonna be a naked blue guy in most of the movie. I also didn't know there was gonna be some fairly graphic sex, for an R-rated action movie. The violence?? LOTS of it, with LOTS of blood, and bones popping thru the skin, and hanging bones and meat....but I LOVE that kinda stuff. But, having a scene where it looked like the Blue Man Group was gettin' it on with Laurie Jupiter? Kinda...wrong.

Overall? AWESOME effects, truly awesome. Lots of pretty colors. LOTS of violence, and sex. Jackie Earl Haley as Rorschach was out of this world, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (who my kids and I thought was the bigger, meaner, slightly less attractive RDJ) did a great job. The other actors? You could pretty much replace them with cardboard cut-outs.....even my beloved Matt Frewer was wasted. Seriously, my absolute favorite part of the movie was the opening credits, with the live-action photos showing the history of the "Watchmen." Had the whole movie been more like that, it might have been a little better.

Don't get me wrong...I didn't hate it. It was good. It just.....wasn't what I expected. I assume that true, loyal fans of the comic are beside themselves. I'll get it on dvd, but ..... I guess "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" just set the bar a little too high......

Yeah, playing with templates. Whaddya think?

I.........ain't seeing it.

So, here I go stealing from Jeremy at Notes on Bar Napkins again....

Actually, I think I filled this out already, or something very similar, but I liked it, so here ya go. Please feel free to go ahead and do your own version in comments....like, really, please. So I know someone other than my good friend Mr. C is reading this!!!

Did you date someone from your school?
Oh, yes. Never dated anyone from another school. Dave, Jim, Greg, Bobby....and some one or 2 night stands we won't discuss here, including more than one member of a couple different families. ( I know, slut, right?)

Did you marry someone from your high school?
The first one, yeah. JEEZUS on a soda cracker, was THAT a bad idea!!!!

Did you car pool to school?
Nope, walked when we lived in town, then drove either the giant '70 Buick LeSabre (indestructible, that car....it is probably still alive out there, somewhere....like Christine) or the even more bitchin' BLUE BUG!!!

What kind of car did you have?
the aforementioned Urban Assault Buick or Bug of Fame

What kind of car do you have now?
A White Dodge Caravan Mom-van

Its Friday night...where are you now?
Hanging out with Mark and/or the kids

It is Friday night...where were you then?
Cruising Main, parking at PK or Marsh, drinking liquor stolen from my dad and hidden in small bottles in my purse out of Just Rite cups (ask for a cup of ice only, get an X on the cup!)

What kind of job did you have in high school?
Couple different ones.....Clancy's fast food, Durbin Dolly, receptionist/collator for Custom Printers

What kind of job do you do now?
Clerical Assistant 2 for the Dept. of Env. Mgmt

Were you a party animal?
Only secretly. My good friends knew, but most everyone else thought I was a quiet, good little girl. I specifically remember a party during Senior Week when I joined some friends in a car to, umm, partake of some slightly illegals substances, and about 1/2 the people in the car were SHOCKED, I tells ya, SHOCKED!!!

Were you considered a flirt?
Oh, no, I was everybody's buddy.

Were you in band, orchestra or choir?
Choir, Theatre and Speech, baby!!!

Were you a nerd?
If by nerd, this means smart, then, kinda.

Did you get suspended or expelled?
Never. Dodged a giant bullet Senior year through my awesome bullshit skills and rep as a good girl!

Can you sing the fight song?
I can, but I will only sing the Speech Team version, reprinted here for your pleasure:

RTT, we love you RTT
Here's to the dear old Red and Black,
Here's to our spirit, team fight back!
Oral truth, it's better than John Wilkes Booth.
Here's to early morning rides,
Aching heads and sore behinds,
RTT!

Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)?
I had several....Mr. & Mrs. Blair, Mr. Hufford, Mr. Hodge, Mr. McDaniel---subversives all

Where did you sit during lunch?
Hmmm, on my butt?

What was your school mascot?
A lion...whoopee

If you could go back and do it again, would you?
Only if I knew what I know now. Then I would lay WASTE to SOOOOO many people!!!

Did you have fun at prom?
Hmm, Jr. year I went with my boyfriend...so, it was ok. Sr. year I went with one of my best friends...and I think I had more fun with him!

Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with?
Not the Jr. year ex-boyfriend, just because I haven't seen him. I'd LOOOVE to talk to my Sr. date, but I rarely see him.

Are you planning on going to your next reunion?
Probably. I have only missed a few....its always great to see how fat & bald the hot guys have become and how FAT the popular bitches have gotten!! Plus, next time will I have a man to show off!!!!

Do you still talk to people from school?
Yeah, actually I still have a lot of good friends I went to school with.

Just in case anyone sees anything on the news....apparently there was a fire at the Ronald McDonald House during the night last night. Brittany called and it was NOT where they are, and everyone is ok.

Update on Xavier.....he is up to 5 pounds!!! Still on oxygen (he was off temporarily, but he still needs a little help) and is taking bottles of breast milk. He is doing very well.

Big brother Jayden is staying at the Ronald McDonald House for a couple of days with Mom and Dad, too, just so they can all be together.

Thanks to everyone for your kind wishes, thoughts and prayers. He will still most likely stay till the end of March, but he is improving every day.

Oh, and let me say something else....I know some of you (well, that's assuming SOMEONE reads this!!!) may look back and think, wow, wasn't that long ago that I was suicidally lamenting the loss of a relationship. And, you're right. But, as they say, hindsight is 20/20. I was stubborn, really thought I was in love, and completely unwilling to see what wasn't working there....probably because I was scared. I had been told for years how different we were, asked why I didn't leave, and so on and so on.

All valid....I was scared, as I said. I was stubborn. That was a relationship that I had so much invested in, I was too close to see the cracks. I had to gain some distance and perspective to see we could not make it together.

I hope you are happy. I hope you are well. I hope your family is, too. I will always care about you all. But, I know now that we couldn't have continued on the way we were going, and that it is better for us that we are no longer together. You did what I could not. I hated you at the time for it, but now I realize that you freed us both to find our destinies. I hope you have, or you will soon. I know I have.

Just want to be really sappy for a minute. I am SO HAPPY right now.

I never really understood the whole thing about "if something is meant to be....." and all that "if you love something set it free...." crap before.....but now I do.

After several years and much pain on both of our parts, our friendship remained. Then, when my life came apart, he was there. Somehow, he knew. I haven't asked him, so I don't know if he felt it or what....but he sent me a little message to let me know he was thinking about me. He didn't even know what had happened.

We started to talk again then, and he was amazingly helpful to the kids and I in getting us moved and such. Finally, I went to see him play music....and I have to say I am proud of myself for making the first move. We both know we carry a lot of baggage, and it won't be easy, but neither of us can imagine life without the other one.

I really found the right one. He makes me laugh, he loves my kids and they love him, he sings to me.....we can talk about anything or nothing. He doesn't make me feel inadequate or small or dumb or....anything but wonderful. He puts his head in my lap and dozes...and it is the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Thank you for still being there, Mark. Thank you for wanting to take a chance on me. Thank you for not letting my decision many years ago stand between us forever. I was afraid it would.

So, I guess when something really IS meant to be, it will be. And, I cannot wait to be with you everyday, forever.

Just so you can see how he is doing....

Just watched a very short bootleg trailer Tarantino's newest, "Inglorious Basterds" (thanks, Pajiba!) Tarantino is very up and down.....you love him, or hate him. I think we're gonna LOVE this one! Go to Pajiba to check it out before it disappears!!!

Xavier is in Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, probably until late March. He is down to 4 lbs 4 oz, and is under the bili-lite, but is stable. They were going to attempt to start feeding him milk thru the tube in his umbilical cord yesterday, and may try to remove the vent today.

Brittany is staying at the Ronald McDonald House near Riley, so she can be close to him. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and concerns. Please continue them! There is a lot going on besides Xavier's health and Brittany's for that matter.

Love to you all, and I will keep you updated as I can.

Update on baby X.....he is doing well. Still at Riley, and probably will be until the end of March. He is now under the bili lite, still on the vent, and being fed thru a tube in his umbilical cord. Brittany is now staying at the Ronald McDonald House so that she can be close to him. I will keep you all updated. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

Got quite a shock yesterday. Brittany, my 21 year old daughter, was taken in for an emergency C-section, to deliver her baby (Xavier Allen) 6 weeks early. His heart rate was low due to her placenta failing, probably due to a car accident she had about a month ago.

He was taken to Riley last nite via helicopter, and is being treated for Hyland's membrane disease (?) which means the air sacs in his lungs have not yet fully developed. It is completely normal in preemies, and completely treatable.

Will keep you all updated. Please spread the word.

I just totally stole these pictures from my new addiction, Notes on Bar Napkins. Jeremy, you rock! I, too, DETEST these 8 legged buggers, but damn if this little guy isn't the cutest little sucker I've seen in a long time. Enjoy some hairy, spidery, smiley goodness....


All Bow Before the Smiley Spider

I don't consider myself a movie snob, but there are just some movies that I DO NOT want to see....Any Sex in the City movie, for example. Or the "dance" type movies, like Step Up or Off or whatever the hell they are, and torture porn, AKA the Saw movies, or Captivity or crap like that.

This weekend, we decided to watch "Burn After Reading." We both wanted to see it--great cast, written and directed by the Coen Brothers....we had high hopes. Oh, to have those hopes dashed, and the beauty of Brad Pitt and George Clooney go to waste. We were, to put it mildly, disappointed. It was like they couldn't make up their minds about the storyline. Is it a comedy? Is it a thriller? Usually the Coens are tops at combining these elements, but, at least in our estimation, this effort fell very, very short of the goal.

So, as a filler before BAR started, we watched part of a movie I had zero interest in seeing, and that I actually ended up thinking was pretty damn funny..... Disaster Movie. I usually hate these "movie movies" but honestly,this had some damn funny parts. Anytime Hannah Montana gets killed by an asteroid, Kim Kardashian bites it, and someone shows the SitC girls for the aging whoooores they are, I'm in. Yes, it was stupid, yes, some parts sucked, but for the most part, if you just turn your brain off and let yourself enjoy it, it is pretty fun. For us, the best part was Nicole Parker, who I have never seen in anything else (I guess she's on MAdTV, but I never watch that). She was GREAT!!!! Her "Enchanted" princess is very funny....

So, now that I have admitted my fondness for a movie a lot of people consider to be a giant turd floating in the Hollywood bowl, here's a question for the one or two of you who actually read this drivel:

What movie or TV show have you ended up watching and really enjoying, that you had no interest in, or thought was gonna suck?

I was reminded recently of this movie....I always liked it, but in a lot of ways, I am living it now....

Hope Floats

Birdee Calvert-Pruitt is back in her hometown of Smithville, Texas after discovering that her husband is having an affair with her best friend, Connie. The entire town knows what happened to flawless beauty Birdee since Connie let her know about the affair on a national talk show. Back in town, she's dealing with catty old friends and acquaintances from high school who can't help rubbing it in her face that she isn't as perfect as she thought while still trying to get back on her feet with her daughter, Bernice. Deeply depressed, she runs into an old friend, Justin Matisse, who tries to help her through, but is still in love with her. Birdee must make a new life for her and her daughter, but will Justin be able to be part of it?

Yeah, yeah, it's a chick flick and normally, I DO NOT do chick flicks. But I really liked this one. In a way, I have become Birdee.....and I found my Justin.

Thanks for taking this beat-down, sad, broken girl and giving her more than she thought she ever deserved. I know, I know....I'm being all sappy and happy lately....so shoot me.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.
They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.
To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.
We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.