William F. Buckley Jr.

An intellectual giant has passed.

William F. Buckley was a lone conservative voice in America, it seemed, for many years. Yet, when he wrote or spoke, he rang the school bell and brought many to class. As such, he was the center of gravity in a movement that fundamentally changed the trajectory of America and therefore the world. The seminal thinking of this man and the intellect and charm by which he wrote, demonstrated that despite the tendency of those left of center to characterize the right as heartless and intellectually vacuous, conservative thinkers and therefore conservative thought was an intellectual force to be reckoned with and possessed broad appeal and had respectable men at the helm.

Buckley was the founder of the conservative magazine, National Review. Of this magazine, Buckley declared that it "stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it." For generations it has had the audacity to question the premises, arguments, and practical results of Left thought.

His prolific authorship is matched only by a wit and wisdom that was able to sustain such voluminous production. Few in history have the capability to so consistently write something worth reading. Few can evoke envy and admiration from his opponents to the degree that Buckley was able to do so. Once a second rate writer attempted to challenge the mighty pen and wit of Buckley by critically telling Buckley that he lacked excellent and sophisticated syntax. Buckley, thus, penned this terse reply, “If you had my syntax, you would be rich.”

His talent for oratory and debate is equally gigantic. His debate against Noam Chomsky on Vietnam demonstrated his ability to drop atomic arguments against his opponents all the while conveying the idea that it was the nicest thing they had heard in a week. Subtlety and grace. Such was his legend.

He was a humble man. His testimony as a person is that those around him, intimidated by his legend, were nonetheless disarmed by his elegance and genuine friendship. Those who knew him only faintly left his presence feeling as though they made his day, and not the other way around. He had the unique ability to draw out greatness from within people who had no idea that such greatness existed within them.

His wife was a testament to his ability to choose those who would be closest to him with care and wisdom. She was a true lady, a woman whose very presence compelled men everywhere to stand upon her entrances as if to say, “We are in the presence of a lady.” He has left to join her.

Conservatism has lost a giant, one upon whose shoulders countless myriads stand. It is a sadder world with him gone, but a world that is better for him having been among us.

Good bye, Mr. Buckley.

Updates and more...

Wow, I think I have posted more in the last month than most of last year... (Don't get to used to it! LOL)
I guess I am going a little camera crazy because I have some more photos to post. Hope you all like them. I will have a more detailed post sometime next week. We are attending my cousins wedding this weekend, so I am sure there will be more pics to post as well.
Enjoy!
Also make sure to check out my other blog, to see some of the animals from the zoo!





At the Zoo with friends

Tim and his best friend

At the zoo

Running at the park

At the park

Alexa

Well once again I am late with things...
Yesterday was my beautiful daughter's 3 year birthday! I cannot believe how much she has changed this last year! Here is the link to a photo montage. I hope you enjoy it!

Mr. Porter, Age Four

If you were to ask my son how old he is today he would, with great enthusiasm, declare, "I am four years old, just like my best friend, Jacob!!!" The additional exclamation marks only underscores the zeal by which he announces to the world his age.

Four years. Four. I try to get my mind around the life of this little man who has been such a source of joy and happiness for Shannon and me and try to remember that there was a time when he was only a wish and a prayer. He is my son. Years ago, around this time of the year, a fertility specialist pretty much dashed our hopes of ever having children. "It is possible," he stated with obvious false hopes but with the expected caveat that he is no prognosticator of the divine, "that you could conceive. But, you should not get your hopes up."

Tonight we celebrated the fourth year of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, once again reminding us that it is He that commands the morning. It is He that says, "Thus far and no farther" to the seas. And it is He that told the aging Abraham that he would be a father of many nations.

Tonight we celebrated Timothy's birthday. We played, we went out to dinner, we laughed, and we watched Superman (his favorite cartoon). And dad enjoyed every minute of it.

In the four years that he has been in our lives, I have seen Timothy learn to talk, walk, jump, run, play, read, and write. I have seen him count to ten, twenty, one hundred. I have heard him count to diez, and I have heard him count to zehn. I have heard him sing in Spanish and English.

In the short life he has had, I have seen him walk halfway to Niagra Falls before needing Dad to pick him up and carry him and Teddy.

Tim takes his life very seriously, especially that part about having fun and being a kid. He is a kid with all his might.

When Dad comes home from work, Tim becomes Superman and I become the nebulous and ethereal "Bad People." When Tim kisses his sister goodnight, he says, "Good night, Wonder Woman." And Alexa whispers back, "Good night, Superman." The next morning, I am Green Lantern and he is Batman. Sometimes, I am "a giant octopus" and he is any of about a dozen super heroes.

But, at the end of the day, Tim is just a little boy who has all the imagination, dreams, and aspirations that a little boy should have.

And he is our son. Our boy.

And we have the Lord to thank for him.

Happy birthday!

Well today Timothy is 4 years old.
The last 4 years have been wonderful-crazy-insane-happy-sad-frustrated (some times all at once) but we would not trade a minute of it.
Tim is growing up. He is capable of so much now. It's amazing to see how much he has blossomed.
Here is a video montage of Tim over the last year. Hope you all enjoy it.

Happy Birthday my son!