I appreciated the recent contribution by Aileen Mory to npr's "this i believe" series: link (to listen to or read her commentary).  About the Iraq war she says:

I don't have a solution, but I think I may have figured out what's missing from my perspective on democracy: pain — universal, democratic pain. In terms of the Iraq war, this country's burden is being shouldered by a select few. Some families and communities have been devastated by the war. Others, like mine, have been far too insulated. We can't truly share the responsibility for our democracy until we all share in its suffering.

And so, in the name of shared pain, I support the reinstitution of the draft.

As a parent of two teenagers, she continues:

If every parent does not have to fear losing a son or daughter — if every politician does not have to face that fear in his constituents — decisions to go to war will continue to be too easy. I believe that a true democracy comes from shared responsibility for our collective choices. If that choice is war, we must all share in its tragedy.

I wonder how much difference a draft would make, though.  I have the impression that the powerful have always been able to avoid the sacrifice of serving if they wanted to do so, draft or no draft.  Also, I have the impression that...even if there isn't unanimity...the subset of the population that has born most of the burden has generally also been supportive of the war from the beginning.  Still, it seems like it would be more appropriate for the burden to be distributed more evenly than it is, and a draft would help accomplish that.

Lisa says this is a great example of why she respects Obama:

Here's a video from a few from a few weeks back of Finn doing some wall climbing at the community center:

Also, we took the training wheels off his bike this week, and he was up and riding in no time:

Saturday night we watched Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007,PG) (ScreenIt! Review).  From the ScreenIt! review:

A struggling songwriter thinks he's hit pay dirt when he finds himself in the company of three chipmunks who can not only talk, but also sing in perfect, if high-pitched harmony.

It was OK.  I wondered if they skimped on the special effects because the munks at times didn't seem as well done as I'd have expected.  The boys enjoyed it, especially when someone was shaking his booty or making a rude noise.

I give it 3 out of 5.

Last Sunday afternoon we went over to our friends' house and played a little baseball in the yard.  Here are a few photos and a video.  Watch the video closely for an amazing circus catch made by the pitcher and to see how Finn smacks the ball on the first swing.

My mother-in-law and me in the Highlands, NC...1996.

I wrote a little about this show here: link