"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" Welcome to the New Age of Asterisks.*

[hisownpetard]

What has become of this country? Starved for an all-out hero, all we're given is qualifiers.
This is what I call "The New Age of Asterisks" (also referred to as NAA): Some examples:

Barry Bonds* - a hero with an asterisk (standing for possible steroid use, which may have given him some help in breaking
Hank Aaron's hard-earned record).

George Bush* - who lost the popular vote but was handed the prize of the presidency by the Supreme Court. President? Well, yeah - but
let's put an asterisk next to his name in the history books, to explain to future generations who Al Gore was and how he was robbed.

Pat Tillman* - a TRUE hero, who gave up a multi-million dollar contract in pro football to follow his ideals and fight Osama bin Laden.
And he was killed, how??
NOT by friendly fire? His uniform and his journal, burned?
Better put an asterisk next to his name on the memorial, until we find out who murdered him.

Pete Stark* - The first person to stand up in Congress and speak for millions of frustrated Americans who are sick to death of watching the Repugs
walk all over us and our Constitution with total immunity.
Pete Stark did not try to disguise his disgust when he thought the amended S-Chip bill was going to be defeated by the Republicans.
Not enough money in the budget to pay for sick children to have health insurance?
But how many billions (that 'billions,' with a "B") more, again and again, for a war we were lied into, which was only supposed to last 6 momths?
Hell, no!, Pete Stark said.
People cheered. People emailed and called and sent notes of support. People did a happy dance.
Then Pete Stark apologized, with one arm twisted painfully behind his back, and asked to be returned to the insignificance from whence he came.
Give that man an asterisk!! Move on, people - nothing to see here but another 15-seconds-of-fame hero.

[YOY]

1. Dude, Pat Tillman died in Afghanistan, not in Iraq.

The friendly fire part is right though.

[hisownpetard]

4. You're right. (OP corrected to indicate such). Thanks. (I'm not a dude, though)

[YOY]

5. I tend to call everyone "dude" informally regardless of sex

or "babe" if I'm getting pissed off at them...once again regardless of sex.

Just a habit.

[hisownpetard]

6. OK. I think 'dude' is becoming a unisex word, much like "guys".

[EST]

2. In the depths of ugly, stark tragedy,

humans often resort to twisted humor.
Thus my first thought was the Nathan Hale sign.
Wasn't it Nathan Hale who said, "I regret that I have but one asterisk for my country?"

[Jim__]

3. Joltin joe has left and gone away.

You're going to have to be your own hero.